Commentary on the Book of James 1, Written by Mel

Commentary on the Book of James 1

Written by my Husband, Mel

 

The book of James was written by Jesus half-brother to Jewish Christians living outside of Judea. This book is very crucial for the believer in understanding that faith must be accompanied by good works, and a godly lifestyle.

 

(James1:1) James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,  3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;  8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

 

Our faith is tested in many ways, and we don’t always understand why hardships occur. The death of family members, unemployment, sickness, or relationship problems, are examples of hardships that will try our faith. When the hard knocks of life occur, we may choose to allow bitterness to take root, or learn to develop character by trusting in God. We don’t see the big picture, but God does, and we need to trust Him with our lives. The Lord showed me once, that a chain of events in my life was making me clay fit for the potter’s hand. If we will allow the potter to shape us into vessels of honor, we will be beneficial to the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

(James 1:2-4) says, to count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience, and to let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Patience is a hard thing to endure for most people; however, if we trust in God to see us through the storm, we will become strong spiritually. It is a good thing to pray for wisdom in how to handle life’s situations. If you ask for wisdom in faith, without doubting, God will impart knowledge in how to respond to the trial.

 

9 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,  10 but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.  11 For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.

 

God’s Word has many warnings against those who seek riches. James tells us that the rich may appear as a beautiful flower, but they will fade away in all of their pursuits. In (Luke 16:19-30), we read of the rich man who refused to help the beggar Lazarus who was laid at his gate.  The rich man died, and was tormented by flames in hell, while Lazarus who also died, was comforted in Abraham’s bosom in paradise. Christ said that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven (Matt 19:24). Christ also said that you cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve God and mammon (money). (Matt 6:24) “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. As Christians, we must have love in our hearts for our fellow man. True love will help those in need, rather than seek after materialism. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. It is impossible to serve God, if you live the lavish lifestyle that many of the television evangelists and mega-church leaders live. They live in multi-million dollar mansions and drive luxury cars, while robbing the poor, sick and needy. Their fate will be the same, or worse, than the rich man in Luke 16.  

 

12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.  13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.  14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.  15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

 

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.  17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

 

Christ said that those who endure unto the end shall be saved. James also states in verse 12: Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James continues that God tempts no one, but each one is tempted when he is drawn astray by his own desires and enticed. Our minds are a battleground. We must be careful what we allow our eye gates and ear gates to receive. Television, music, books, etc. may fill your mind with lustful, or rebellious thoughts. We must also be careful with the company that we keep, because peer pressure may lead to sin.

 

 The world is full of many forms of temptations, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin,  when it is full-grown, brings forth death. The good news is that Christ will forgive your sins, and give you a clean, fresh, start if you repent, and turn from your sins. Repentance is a lifelong process, and you must remain on the highway of holiness unto the end, to inherit the crown of eternal life. Please read Revelation chapters two and three if you disagree with this. If your works are not perfect before God, he will remove your candlestick from before his presence, or vomit you out if you are lukewarm.

 

(Rev 2:4) Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent.

 

(Rev 3:1) "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, 'These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.

 

(Rev 3:14) "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, 'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

 

(James 1:19-26) Teaches us about the power of the tongue, as well as being doers of the Word and not hearers only. James exhorts us to be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. Outbursts of anger will hurt your Christian witness. We must be examples of the good fruit of the Spirit. If the world will see the love and kindness of God in our lives, they may desire to know the Savior. (James 3:1-12) addresses the power of the tongue in more detail. We must not only hear God’s Word preached to us, we must live our lives according to God’s Word. If we love Christ, we will keep his commandments. If we live a sanctified life by the power of God’s indwelling Spirit, we will overcome the evil one, and be an example others may follow.

 

19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;  20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

 

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;  24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.  25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.  27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

 

I have heard many Christians swear, tell dirty jokes, as well as talk about the sinful movies that they watch. They would tell me that they were saved, and believed in grace. According to (Eph. 5:3-5), no unclean person has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Filthiness, foolish talking, and coarse jesting, will send you to hell, unless you repent and turn from it. To be born again is to become a new creation in Christ, for without holiness no man shall see the Father.

 

The Lord also gave me this dream about those who claim to know Christ, but swear like a sailor. I dreamed that I was standing in an office-building lobby, and there were around a dozen elevators that led to Heaven, but only two were in use. There was a man standing there that was using God’s name in vain, as well as, cussing like a sailor. He walked away, and then was replaced by a lady, who represented the modern church. I said to the lady, “If this guy does not repent of his swearing he will go to hell.” She said, “This man is saved, and his salvation is secure, but his swearing may cut him off from the Holy Spirit.” I told the lady, that the grace message that is being taught by most churches, is way out of bounds, and does not line up with the Word of God. I also told her, that holiness preaching has been replaced, by a lukewarm message. As I walked away from her, she exclaimed in a loud voice, “Thank you Lord for your grace!” and she repeated herself several times.

 

I then was walking through the lobby in a large crowd of people, the people were following evangelist Billy Graham, who has passed away. Billy Graham has preached the eternal security doctrine for many decades. The large crowd of people refused to take the two elevators that led to Heaven, and were content to follow this evangelist to Hell. Although there were twelve elevators, the two that were functional, were symbolic of the few churches left that preach holiness. There is grace for those who repent of their sins, as well as turn from them, but grace is not automatic. The Lord has given me many dreams, as well as visions, concerning how serious sin is in the life of the Christian. The Lord shows me people wearing clothes covered with spots and wrinkles, as well as their skin covered in layers of dirt. The Lord then tells me to instruct people to take a spiritual shower and get their lives in order. Without holiness, no man will see the Father.