Posts that reference the book of James

Submit vs. Resist

By Paula

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7

Submit means to be in obedience to. To yield to. To consent to the authority of. It is passive.

Resist means to rebel against. To exert force in opposition. To withstand. It is very active.

These are opposites. But James links them.

We cannot be in obedience to God without resisting the devil.

Nor can we oppose the devil without submitting to God.

It works in reverse, too. If we resist God, we end up giving in to what Satan wants for us.

In verse 6 though, James says God gives grace to the humble, that is, to those who submit to Him. Grace, His unmerited favor.

What does Satan give?

Submitting to God. Resisting the devil. It should be easier than it is.

Intercession is intervening. More specifically it is going to God on someone’s behalf. It a holy privilege and duty, not to be taken lightly. It is strenuous and it can be messy. We have learned from Nehemiah and his BURDEN for others, and from Daniel and his IDENTIFICATION with those for whom he was interceding.

Now let’s switch gears a little and think more specifically about what we pray for. If you are in a group and someone asks for prayer requests, what do mot of the requests deal with? Illness. We live in a fallen world and one of the evidences of that is sickness. It touches young and old. It seems to strike without rhyme or reason. Along with the physical suffering, it causes emotional anguish and financial devastation. If we have any faith at all, we need to pray for those who are sick. James 5:14-15 instructs us to call the elders to pray for us when we are sick.

Does Scripture give us any guidance on how to pray for the sick?

In 1 Kings 17, the prophet Elijah is staying in the Canaanite town of Zarephath. A widow there is providing food and a room for him as God miraculously provides for her during the three and a half year drought. The woman’s only son becomes sick and the sickness is fatal. After the boy’s death, she confronts the prophet. While there are deeper theological implications here — like the local god Baal could not raise the dead while Yahweh could — and there is the fact the Elijah was a powerful prophet of God, he teaches us some important things about praying for the sick.

Elijah got personally involved.

But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, brought him up to the upstairs room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. (1 Kings 17:19)

He took the woman’s son, figuratively taking her burden and her sorrow. There would be no rest, no business as usual for Elijah as he prayer for this boy.

This is connected to identifying with those we pray for and to the burden we have for them. If it doesn’t touch us personally, if we don’t become involved personally, we will mumble, “Be with the sick,” and call it good.

Elijah didn’t have the answers.

Then he cried out to the Lord and said, “Lord my God, have you also brought tragedy on the widow I am staying with by killing her son?” (1 Kings 17:20)

Elijah was confused. Would God do a miracle to keep them alive only to let the boy die? What would that do to the budding faith of the woman? What about God’s reputation here in Zarephath? What about Elijah’s own reputation? Was he somehow responsible for this like the woman said?

God’s ways are not ours and it is arrogant to presume we know why things happen the way they do. Elijah was humble enough to pour out his confusion to God. We can do the same when we pray for the sick.

Elijah did not give up.

Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times. He cried out to the Lord and said, “Lord my God, please let this boy’s life come into him again!” (1 Kings 17:21)

I don’t know why it took three times. God certainly could have raised the boy after the first prayer. Maybe there were bonus lessons for the widow or for Elijah in this. I don’t know what laying down over the boy meant. The stretching out over the boy perhaps demonstrated to his mother that the prophet was identifying himself with her son. Perhaps Elijah was acting out what he was praying for by laying down and getting back up.

In any case, Elijah was actively, physically, intensely involved in praying. It is that intensity and that unwillingness to give up that we can learn from.

Now, we also know that despite our intensity and sincerity in praying for the sick, sometimes healing does not come in this life. You may recall in 2 Samuel 12 David’s fervent prayers for the recovery of his young son. Despite David’s fasting and mourning, the child died. David clung to his assurance that he would see his son again.

In my own experience, I have seen God miraculously heal and I have seen Him refrain from intervening. The same God. How God chooses to work out His will does not absolves us from the charge to pray for each other, especially to pray for the sick.

Doctrinal Definitions: Justification

By Paula Wiseman

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. Romans 5:18

Justification is a legal term.
It is the declaration by the judge
That we are acquitted from guilt
From penalty, from punishment.

Now, in our justice system
We think of acquittal coming
Because of evidence. Facts.
Or sometimes persuasion.

Here are some facts.
For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God,
but the doers of the law who will be justified.
Romans 2:13

And that’s doers of the law, the whole law.
Like James says.
For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point
has become accountable for all of it.
James 2:10

With those facts, what verdict could be rendered?
Guilty.
Anything less would be a miscarriage of justice.

That’s why justification is so amazing.
God didn’t ignore or dismiss our sins.
His holiness, His righteousness, His justice will not allow that.
On the basis of Christ’s righteousness.
Because of His righteous act of paying our penalty
God declares us justified.

More Doctrinal Definitions: Condemnation, Redemption, Propitiation

Test Time

By Paula

My husband and my son are both taking online classes this summer. This means lots of books to read, online lectures, discussion forums, papers, and the inevitable exams. With these classes, there may only be two or three tests, so doing well on them is key to doing well in the class. So when the lecture comes or the information is posted about what the exam will cover, everyone pays close attention. You may recall classmates (or maybe it was you) in high school or college interrupting a lecture with the $64 question: “Is this going to be on the test?” How the instructor answered that question determined whether we listened for the next few minutes or went back to doodling in the margins of our notebooks. None of us wanted to waste time studying things that seemingly didn’t matter.

In Matthew 24, the disciples ask Jesus a couple of important questions – “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3) Jesus answers their questions in a lengthy passage called the Olivet Discourse. Then He gives His guys a couple of parables to help them understand. After the parable of the talents, one which underscores the importance of seizing the opportunity to demonstrate faithfulness, stewardship, and diligence in service to the master, Jesus gives them one more admonition.

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Matthew 25:35-36

When He comes in His glory, a separation will be made between His sheep and the goats. His sheep will be admitted to eternal rest prepared for them from the foundation of the world, while the goats are consigned to outer darkness. Without arguing the eschatological timing of this separation, let’s focus on the criteria in Matthew 25:35-36.

Feeding the hungry.
Satisfying the thirsty.
Welcoming the outsiders.
Clothing the naked.
Visiting the sick.
Caring for the prisoners.

Jesus, the King, explains, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:40

My friends, this is what is on the test.

Did our genuine faith lead us to care for others? James hits this hard in his short book.

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2:15-17

Did we see the unseen? Are we generous? Did we love the marginalized? Did we stand up for those who have no voice?

Or did we hoard our resources? Did we expend them on ourselves? Did we make our names great rather than growing the kingdom? Did we cross over to the other side of the road so we didn’t have to see, so we didn’t have to get involved?

This is not to say that we stop doing the one thing that only we as believers can do and that is spreading the gospel. Not at all, but as the gospel goes out, compassion and caring go with it. We feed the hungry because we know where they can find the Bread of Life. We satisfy the thirsty because we can offer them springs of living water. We welcome the outsiders because Jesus said. “Come unto Me.” We clothe the naked because He offers us His righteousness in exchange for our filthy rags. We visit the sick because the Great Physician has healed us of the sin that was destroying our souls. We care for the prisoners because we have been set free.

Or we abdicate that responsibility, that stewardship and let governments or agencies or nonprofits try it. The body of Christ will continue to grow weak and ineffective and irrelevant.

I believe we have a moment of testing right now. I know Covid-19 has presented challenges to believers and churches unlike any we have seen. But this season of unrest and upheaval in our societies is even greater. The test papers have been handed out. We know what’s on the exam.

How will we respond?

A Study in Contrasts: Choosing a King

By Paula

Study in contrasts choosing a king title graphic

You may remember from beginning grammar that conjunctions are words that connect words or ideas. “But” is the conjunction that joins contrasting ideas. When “but” appears in Scripture, it highlights something God wants us to notice, to learn from. We’re looking at some of these contrasts. Let’s consider choosing a king.

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV)

In a familiar story in 1 Samuel 16, the prophet Samuel travels to the home of Jesse in Bethlehem because God has told him to anoint one of Jesse’s sons, the one God would choose, as the next king over Israel. So, when Jesse’s oldest, Eliab, was presented to the prophet, Samuel thought, “This must be the one!”

God stopped him, though with the words in verse 7. Man looks on the outward appearance BUT the LORD looks on the heart. In that simple statement, the Lord teaches us quite a bit about Himself, and about us. Let’s looks at some of those lessons.

We are limited. God is not.
Our knowledge is limited to what we can tease out with our physical senses. And we are dependent on being able to correctly interpret that data. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen forms during my early morning run that turned out to be trash cans or mailboxes once I got a little closer or got a better perspective. And I’m sure many of us can recall situations where we would have made a different choice if we had all the information available.

God is not limited in any way. His eyes don’t play tricks on Him. He doesn’t get foggy-headed when He lacks sleep. He doesn’t make rash decisions in the heat of the moment. Because of that, we can have complete confidence in Him and His leading.

God sees us for who we really are.
We can fool a lot of people, including ourselves, but God always sees our true selves. In some ways this is unsettling. No excuses. No cover-ups. But it can also be reassuring. He is privy to the absolute worst in us … and that hasn’t caused His love for us to waver the slightest bit.

God also knows our real intentions when someone else might get the wrong idea. He knows the burdens and pain we carry that maybe no one else does. Because of that, we can rest assured of His unfailing love for us and His care of us.

We need to learn from God’s example.
We can’t suddenly become mind-readers (or heart-readers, for that matter) but we can recognize that there is much more to the people we encounter than what we see on the outside. We can treat others with the compassion God demonstrates.

While we may never have to choose a king, we do make decisions about people all the time. (Note, that’s decisions, not judgments.) We choose who we do business with. We choose who to form relationships with. We choose who gets our vote. Like Samuel, we need to depend on the Holy Spirit to guide us when we make those kinds of decisions rather than relying on the ‘eye test’.

In fact, James reminds us, we have that wisdom available to us.
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. James 1:5-6

Here’s another post about choices: Q: Did I Not Choose?

Underappreciated Virtues: Equity

By Paula

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. Acts 10:34-35

We’re continuing our look at some underrated traits that are no less necessary in the body of Christ than some of these other fruits. We’ve covered encouragement and maturity. This week, the virtue is a little more obscure. It’s equity.

What is equity?

Simply put, equity is fairness or impartiality. At first glance, our natural reaction is that of course equity in the body of Christ is a no-brainer. That was one of the things that made following Christ so appealing. Paul affirmed this in his letter to the Galatians. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28

But we live in a society where the wealthy and well-connected often get special privileges. Their kids get coveted spots in top colleges. They get promoted faster. They escape punishment when they do wrong. And as frustrated as we get when we hear these stories, it’s easy to fall into favoring some over others.

Churches can favor one age group over others. One ministry may get a larger share of the budget and support than others. Now please don’t misunderstand. I have been in small churches my whole life. Churches have to be good stewards of their resources and they have to make (sometimes difficult) decisions about how best to use those resources. Showing equity means we don’t value some people or members over others.

I have heard comments about how much money was spent on the youth when they don’t contribute financially to the church. The commenters obviously valued the tithers. I’ve also heard dismissive remarks about seniors and singles, about church camp, about short-term mission trips and about families who needed help a second or third time. Those comments give insight into what the members value. Unfortunately, it’s often the bottom line and not the those for whom Christ died.

It’s not just a modern problem. This is something the church has struggled with since its beginning. In the early church, it seemed like the Jewish widows were favored over the Hellenistic ones. By the time James wrote his letter, rich church members got the best seats in the house. “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.” James 2:1

Why do we need equity?

Unity in the body depends on equity. If we feel some are preferred above others, grumbling begins. Remember the widows in Acts 6. In John 17, Christ prayed that we would be one. When we treat others with equity, we move toward achieving that.

We model Christ when we show equity. Christ treated everyone with dignity, respect, and compassion. Think about the incredible spectrum of people He met. The very rich (like the young ruler), the scholarly (like Nicodemus), the outcast (lepers and Samaritans), the hated (Romans and tax collectors), the foreigners (the Syro-Phoenician woman). Jesus loved them all.

God chooses to work through people we wouldn’t necessarily choose. Consider James 2:5. Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?

Paul reiterates this. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

If we do all the picking and choosing, we may totally miss the ones God is working through.

How do we treat others with equity?

The short answer – love.

James tells us “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” James 2:8-9

Loving others like the Old Testament commands, like Jesus exemplified, like the New Testament calls for. Like John says:

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. 1 John 4:20-21

Valuing people, treating them without partiality is evidence that we love like Christ.

Next week, we’ll finish up the Underappreciated Virtues series with contentment.

Submit vs. Resist

Intercession: For the Sick

Does Scripture give us any guidance on how to pray for the sick?

Elijah got personally involved.

Elijah didn’t have the answers.

Elijah did not give up.

Doctrinal Definitions: Justification

Test Time

A Study in Contrasts: Choosing a King

Underappreciated Virtues: Equity

What is equity?

Why do we need equity?

How do we treat others with equity?

Encounters Series

Covenant of Trust Series

Foundations Series