James 02 — John W. Bramhall

James 1: God’s Goodness in Trials and Temptations

As we continue the study of the epistle of James, may we mention how appropriate it has been to have James describe to us practical Christianity in encouraging God's children always to let patience have her perfect work in the midst of our trials.

We have noticed in our preceding lesson in James chapter 1 that, though we experience testings and trials, we can never attribute to God that He is the source of evil temptations. Now, as we continue in this chapter of James, chapter 1, commencing at verse 17, the beloved apostle declares, in contrast, that we only receive goodness at the hand of the Lord.

The Lord is good if the testimony of many writers in the word of God and James also now dwells upon the goodness of God. Every good gift and every perfect gift, like James, is from above, and cometh down from the Father of light, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

How reasonable it is to believe that God will never tempt us to do evil when He is a God who sends every good and perfect gift, and with an unchanging character. His blessings upon His children are from heaven above, and He is the Father of light.

He is not the Father of darkness. Not one minute degree of change, not one variation, not even a shadow of turning, can ever be found in Him, blessed be His name. And what James, in substance, is declaring is, the Lord is good.

And if there are any individuals who can testify to this fact, certainly it can be the children of God. Furthermore, to suggest that God would tempt us to do evil is also preposterous, for has He not made us by the new birth His children?

But know what James continues to say in the seventeenth verse,. "...of His own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruit of His creatures.". One of the best antidotes to trial and temptation is to remember how God made us His children, and why.

First of all, James declares, "...of His own will He begat us.". Does not this speak to us of the new birth? Did not John the Apostle write in his first chapter of the gospel, John chapter one, verses twelve and thirteen,.

"...but to as many as received Christ, to them gave He the power, the right, the privilege, the authority, to be called the sons or the children of God, even to them that believe on His name, which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God?".

My beloved friend, may I ask you kindly, have you been born again? Are you a child of God? Now, James goes on to tell how God brought to pass this new birth. "...He begat us with the word of truth.". The divine instrument that the Spirit of God uses to effect the new birth is the word of God.

Peter agrees with James concerning this when he writes in 1 Peter chapter one and verse twenty-three,. "...being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever, it is the word of God which is the divine instrument by the Holy Spirit used when the gospel is preached, telling us of the death and the burial and the resurrection of Christ, presenting the message of life eternal, offering life eternal to every sinner who will believe upon the Lord Jesus and who will receive Him.".

We ask again, my beloved listener, have you done this? And, oh, how we can indeed remember the words of the Lord Jesus, "...except ye be born of water and of the Spirit, ye cannot see or even enter the kingdom of God.".

And we thus recognize that the Spirit of God is the one who regenerates the person who believes upon the Lord Jesus. The regenerating power that he uses, typified by the water, is the word of God. As Peter writes of it in 1 Peter chapter one, verse twenty-three, the word of God is that corruptible seed.

And as James writes about it, it's the word of truth. But please note a third thing, a third fact in the eighteenth verse. Not only what God has done to make us His children, not only how He has done it, but it is so very important to note why He has made us His children by the new birth, that we should be a kind of first fruit of His creatures.

We ought to be definitely fruitful to Him and for Him in this present scene of life. What a responsibility that He has thus brought us to Himself that we might be fruitful for His glory. Now, may we capitulate briefly the leading facts we've covered so far in this first chapter of James for our blessing.

First, we can say the chapter has dealt with enduring testing or temptation, trials and trouble, and we should count it all joy when they come. And be happy in the knowledge, blessed is the man that endures temptation.

And if we need wisdom, and which we surely do, let us go to God in prayer in every trial to thus find that needed wisdom and understand the need for enduring the testing to His glory. And let us realize that we have a God, as we have noticed in our closing verses so far, that is nothing but a good God, and let us indeed never make a mistake about this.

The Goodness of God and the Purpose of Fruitfulness

The Lord is good. Think of the words of Nahum, Nahum the prophet. Chapter 1 and verse 7, when he said, The Lord is good, as stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knoweth them that trust in Him. How can God be accused of tempting us to do evil when He makes us His children by the new birth, through the precious word of truth, for the purpose of making us firstfruits of His creatures, producing divine fruit for Him in our lives?

How we should thus recognize that James indeed seeks to encourage us to be fruitful for the Lord. Now let us go on and note in verses 19 through 21 what James declares regarding what I think, what I believe we can say is the best antidote for temptation, how to face it, and how to overcome it.

Note that verse 19 and 21, they both begin with the word wherefore. Because of the preceding verses and their truth, here is a positive presentation of responsibility, a positive course of action that should strengthen and will strengthen us in all the testings and trials of life.

Wherefore? Wherefore? Now note what verse 19 says, and verse 20 together. Now here we have an injunction, an exhortation first, to be swift to hear. And may I suggest that this is the leading thought and the leading theme of this next section.

Swift to Hear and Slow to Speak

Swift to hear! But what to hear? To hear what? There can be but one answer to that question. To hear the word of our God. How can a Christian be fruitful to God and for God in the midst of temptations and trials of life, unless he or she pays attention to the word of God?

I hope that you notice the swiftness in which God wants us to show towards him and his word. How many of us are swift? Do we show any speed? Do we have any concern to hear the word of God? First of all, in our private devotion and the reading and the meditation of God's word, are we swift to listen to his voice?

God speaks to us through his word. His word is his voice to our hearts. Are we listening? Let me quote a verse from Isaiah chapter 50, verse 4. A prophetic and a truly prophetic fact in the daily life of the Lord Jesus when he was upon the earth, saying, The Lord Jehovah hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word to him that is weary.

He wakeneth morning by morning. He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned or the instructed. Before our Savior ever used his tongue in the daily walk that was his upon the earth and to speak, he found it, first of all, more important to listen to his Father's voice.

My beloved Christian friends, so should we. Oh, my beloved! Far greater than speaking for the Lord is listening to the Lord. But not only in private devotion should we be hearing and listening to his voice, but what is the reason that so many Christians seem to fail to hear the word of God in public when opportunity is given?

It's a strange fact that we are much more fast and swift to speak than we are to listen. Surely we are convicted by this, even the preachers, for how much more important is the responsibility to be swift to hear?

How often the Savior, when he was upon the earth, said this expression, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And how important this factor is when trials and temptations come across the path of life.

It is God's word that alone can guide us through these troubles safely. Now, we should not only note that we are to be swift to hear, but also slow to speak and slow to react. Is this not so true of us that when troubles come, we're very prone to let off steam very quickly, to blow our top, as we may often say, to complain and to grumble?

Yes, we may even get angry because of trouble. And what happens when we do get angry? Does it help us? Does it justify God? Does it work out for his glory? Never. For James says the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

When we do complain, when we do murmur, when we do grumble, we only dishonor God, we do not honor him. But if we would be swift to say, What lessons, what lessons have you to teach me in and through and by this trial?

And then search his word for our comfort, for counsel, for encouragement. How much better it would be for us. Yet there is, if there not another practical application of the words of James, as he writes, Be swift to hear, be slow to speak, be slow to rap.

For not only is the counsel needful when God permits various testings in our lives, but also when we may be even subjected to unkind and even unjust criticism, and even condemnation by others. Are we not quick, are we not prone to let the flesh rise up in what we call righteous indignation against the offender, and we feel compelled to give that person a good piece of our mind in retaliation?

Ah, there has been many a quarrel extended, and many separations of friends and relatives, all because we permitted that unruly member the tongue to let fly with bitter words of hatred. Yet we need always to remember these words that James has written, not alone in our relationship with God, but even to with one another.

Be swift to listen to one another, be slower to speak and slower to rap. One long ago wrote the appropriate statement I never forgot. Think twice before you speak, and then speak to yourself. All this has a bearing on the theme of James chapter one, the trials of faith, the testing of our patience.

The evidence of such patience will be manifested when we are swift to hear, and not swift to speak or swift to become rapt. Surely we can recognize the character of Christ, the image of God can be reflected as we thus pass through the testings and trials of life in this manner.

O, we think of the great hymn, O patient spotless one, our hearts in meekness strain, to bear thy yoke and learn of thee that we may rest obtain. O Jesus, thou art enough, the mind and the heart to fill, thy patient life to calm the soul, thy love its fear dispel.

O fix our earnest gaze, O holy Lord, on thee, that with thy beauty occupied we elsewhere none may see. And as we continue, let us just be quick to realize this. As we have followed it in this manner, to the glory and to the help of our God, how precious to realize it.

Receiving the Implanted Word and Becoming Doers

But now we come to the second occasion where James uses the word wherefore in verse 21, reminding of our responsibility in relation to the testings and trials of life. Wherefore, lay apart, lay aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls.

How important again is the emphasis that the word of God should be within our hearts. The word of God within our hearts is the safest protection for God's children, to enlighten the mind, to purify the heart, and restrict the inclinations of the flesh, and strengthen us to do the will of God.

We must take in the word of God. It must be implanted in the heart and in the life of spiritual strength at all times, and especially it is vital in the temptations and the testings of faith. The apostle John, in his first epistle, chapter two, writes of young men saying, "'Ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you.'" 1 John 2, verse 14.

He also adds, "'Ye have overcome the wicked one, my fellow Christians. Are you and am I taking in the word of God into your heart and mind? There is not only salvation for the soul found through the word of God, but the word salvation is a wide meaning, to be saved from danger.

We face many dangers as Christians going through this scene. Let us read the word, let us study the word, let us meditate upon it day and night, and do as James exhorts, receive it with meekness, laying aside all that which is filthy and gnawny, and taking the engrafted word for the deliverance through the trials and difficulties of the past.

But also, to complement this fact, to prove this truth, there will be the evidence that follows in verse 22. But be ye doers of the word, not hearers, only deceiving your own selves. What an important conclusion this is!

For if there is no obedience to keep the word of God, what good does it do to hear it? Does not this strike a heavy blow with the conscience? Is it not sadly true that we can be hearers of the word of God only, and never doers of it, never carrying out in our daily life its truth, never obeying its precepts?

Alas, this is a sad fact in many Christian testimonies, and our hearts and consciences need to be searched under the powerful, convicting rays of the word of God by the Holy Spirit. One thing is very certain, to profess to know God's word but never live up to it never deceives anyone but our own selves.

To what does James liken such a person? Read his words that follow in verses 23 and 24. For if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he's likened to man, a man beholding his natural face in the glass.

For he beholdeth himself, and he goeth his way, and he straightway forgeteth what manner of man he was. Undoubtedly, one of the greatest obstacles for Christians to be doers of the word is that when they hear it or read it, too frequently we show, too quickly, that we are exceedingly ready to forget it.

Oh, I'm often persuaded that in our gatherings, the moment that the sermon, the ministry is finished, we are apt to begin forgetting what we have heard. The word does not stay with us, and this is no doubt frequently the case, when even after any searching sermon has been preached, generally the message can be forgotten when the Amen is uttered.

Reminds me of the story that I heard concerning a preacher. He preached the same sermon for a great number of weeks. Well, after many weeks of listening to the same message, you can imagine that the congregation began to complain, and this they did greatly.

And then the pastor bluntly told his congregation, When you start living out the sermon I preach, then I'll give you another one. Well, I wonder how long we would have to wait for the next one if every preacher did that.

I'm sure it would be a very long wait before we heard the next sermon. Let me just reflect very seriously about this with you. As a minister of the word of God, and after so many, many years in the ministry, for which I thank God for his grace within it, I'm deeply troubled today.

After the effectiveness of one's preaching, beyond with evidence of Christ-like results in the lives of those to whom one ministers the precious truth, my beloved, I believe that every congregation of believers wherever gathered should give more attention to carrying out the message which God may have given through his service.

Beloved, there is no question of doubt. We fall far short, greatly short, of James' exhortation, Be ye doers of the word, not hearers only. Let us note very carefully what James declares. An earnest gaze let us get as we follow on in the reading.

The Perfect Law of Liberty and Obedient Christian Living

The blessing that he declares we'll follow if we are doers of the word. It's in verse 23. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the word, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

I raise the question, how many Christians come to the preaching of the word of God and the teaching of his truth with the intention, Lord, I'm not only coming to hear the word, I'm coming to know what I should do with it.

That's the man, that's the woman who comes in that particular manner who will get the blessing not to be a forgetful hearer, but to be a persistent doer. And may I point out, it relates and it illustrates and it describes a person who really looks deep into the word of God.

Know what James says, he looks into the perfect law of liberty and the expression in the Greek idiom is, he stooped down intently to look into that word. Just like Peter did in John 20, as well as in Luke 24, when he went with his companion John, they raced to the tomb of the Lord Jesus that was reputed to be empty.

But it was Peter who stooped down to investigate if the tomb of Jesus was really empty. Read the account. Peter and John both ran to the sepulchre. John looked into it. But Peter did more than that. He entered into the tomb and he made intense search and proved, yes, it was empty.

Beloved, we can raise the question, how do we search the scriptures? When listening to the word of God, are we intent on doing what the word of God is declaring us to do and to be? What a challenge! You may raise the question, what is this perfect law of liberty?

It's only the word of God. Could be nothing else. The law of liberty is the word of God and the Christian who follows it in obedience, that's the Christian who has true liberty. Said the Lord Jesus, the truth, if the truth shall make you free, then are ye free indeed.

Oh, my beloved, may I say, certainly we can realize the word of God is the basis upon which and from which you and I must base our testimony of life. And again, let's reflect with James with emphasis.

We're not to be just hearers. The word is given that we may carry it out and that will be true freedom indeed. The closing verses of our chapter, verses 26 and through 27, they continue to testify to the genuine evidences of practical Christianity.

Please let me note them with you very carefully. The Spirit of God writes the word. Look at them carefully yourself. Now, let me just plainly declare what they cover. And they cover evidences that are genuine of a practical Christian that is a doer of the word as well as a hearer.

First of all, says James, that man, that person will bridle his tongue. Oh, beloved, what a testimony! Oh, what a testimony! Later on in the epistle, James has much more to speak about the tongue. But can we not notice something?

And I hope we do. I wish to note it myself. As the teaching of the epistle continues, and the depth of it seems to become deeper, is not James certainly developing experiences in Christian, practical Christian living that will thus be proved by the character and the conduct of God's child?

And one great testimony and the ability of being a patient Christian, Christlike, is to be able to bridle the tongue. James later says in the following chapter that we hold in the mouth of the horse and the mule, they're held in with bit and bridle.

Remember the words of the psalmist in Psalm chapter 32? Be not as the horse or as the mule whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle. Beloved, may God help us to know how to bridle our tongues. That's one of the evidences of a good, practical, consistent, patient Christian.

One breathes the prayer, Lord, make me like this. Second, you'll find in these same verses, not only is the evidence of a bridled tongue, but the evidence of a clean life. He lives a clean life. Oh, my beloved, how the godliness of the life is important.

Teach me to live and the cleanliness of the life. Remember the prayer the apostle Paul mentions in 1 Timothy chapter 2? And it's the assembly prayer meeting that is in view in that chapter. And how he exhorts the men, I would that men, not men and women, it's the Greek word for the masculine man, I would that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy and pious hands.

What does he mean? Clean hands? My beloved brother, in the prayer meeting, God wants the men that pray to be clean in life. And James is stating the evidence of practical Christianity is manifested by the cleanliness of the life.

And then third, that Christian in his and her evidence also manifests love toward others and even visits and cares for those who are in need. That's true religion. Visiting the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, in love toward others, ministering, truly, here is the meaning of the word religious.

The only place in your New Testament you have the word religion, once in the whole New Testament, and in its true character, it's a controlled tongue, it's a clean life, and it's a life of sacrificial service.

Oh, how we should realize these are the testimonies regarding the manifestation of true faith in the midst of temptation and trial. Christian character and conduct will thus be produced. Oh, God help us to indeed realize this.

How many times I've said in the past, when you read the epistle of James, it's Christianity in overall. In other words, it's Christianity at work. May God help us all to manifest true Christianity in practical testimony.

James 2: Faith Demonstrated Through Love

Dear beloved friends, we now come to the second chapter in the epistle of James for our consideration, following what we have noted regarding chapter one and its theme, where the endurance and the trial and testings of faith were thus revealed.

But, as we come to chapter two, and approach the chief subject of the whole chapter, it is a two-fold one. In verses one through thirteen, the theme is this, faith that reveals itself in love, which is unquestionably a true living faith.

Second, from verse fourteen through twenty-six, it is faith that reveals itself in works. That is true Christian faith. Consider, first of all, the section before it, faith that is proved by love, from verses one through thirteen.

In verses one through seven, we find that true Christian faith in love will never show partiality to any person or person in the assembly of believers. Literally, you may read verse one in the following way, My brethren, do not practice your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, by showing partiality.

Then follows by James a description of such an act of partiality, as you may read in verses two and three. By way of example, two men come into the gathering. One is a rich man, the other a poor man, as indicated by their clothing.

James accuses the saints of the synagogue or assembly of favoring the rich one and giving him a place of prominence, but at the same time looking in contempt upon the poor brother and giving him an inferior place.

If you really note what James says and do it carefully, in verse three, the rich man gets a seat, but the poor man has to stand. This verse virtually was the sin of judging and undoubtedly being committed in the synagogues by those early Christian Jews, as James suggests in the fourth verse, showing such partiality and being judges with evil thoughts.

Yet is it not remarkably true what James declares in verse five? Hath not God chosen the poor of the world, the poor of this world, to be rich in faith, and to be heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

Did not the Lord Jesus declare when he was upon the earth when the rich young ruler turned away, rejecting his call? Verily I say unto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 19, 23. Has not the apostle Paul also referred to the same fact in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 26 reminding us that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.

The Savior when he was upon the earth warned of the dangers of riches and so have the apostles. They are snares. Riches can become a snare to lead the heart from God, but let us not fail to realize that this does not always mean it is true of every person.

For thank God there are a few even in the word of God and through the centuries who have not permitted their wealth to keep them from Christ but have followed him. Yet the warning concerning the love of money must be heeded by all of us.

But note very carefully that James' accusation against the same saints to whom he writes in verse 6 he tells them but ye have despised the poor. It is very evident that they were actually showing this sin of partiality and so despised the poor.

How needful it is that we realize there is no distinction to be manifested in the fellowship of Christians. The truth of this is very precious. The one level for all believers in God's family whether by nature, by earthly standards they are rich or whether they are poor in this world's good they are to be held upon the same level and have the same love one for another and to show no partiality in any direction.

For to show partiality to one or the other would be sin. It is commonly true not only in the time when Jesus and when James rather wrote but even today that the rich appear to oppress the poor as the apostle states in verse 6 Do not rich men oppress you and draw you before the judgment seat or the courts of law?

There are exceptions to this, we know but, in general, this can be true. In a later chapter, James especially condemns the unjust treatment by the rich upon the poor and he warns of a future day of divine retribution.

Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by which ye are called? continues the apostle. But the particular lesson that James is emphasizing for us is this follow the royal law of love toward both the rich and the poor in your congregation.

Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself and if it is done, ye do well, says God. Now, to summarize this lesson true faith in Christ will never show partiality in respect of one believer above another and in relation to the saints to whom the apostle addresses this epistle it is unfortunate they were doing this.

They were showing partiality. What words of condemnation are now written by James in verse 9? But if ye have respect to persons ye commit sin and are convinced of the law as transgressors. The portion of scripture just covered presents a searching challenge to Christians today.

Do I love some Christians above other Christians? Oh, cannot that be easily done for different reasons. Do I show respect to persons because of some personal like or some personal dislike? The words of the beloved apostle Paul in Philippians 2 in verse 2 are so very appropriate for all believers to prayerfully consider and obey.

Said Paul, Fulfill ye my joy that ye be like-minded having the same love of one accord and of one mind. Let us take the lesson deeply to our hearts we who know our Lord Jesus Christ that true Christian faith must prove itself by love to one another in honor, as Paul wrote, preferring one another as he has written elsewhere.

Oh, my beloved Christian friend, may you and I indeed manifest this true love to one another in all the congregations of the Lord's people we may ever be gathered in. Now, after revealing this sin of partiality and in showing respect to persons in this chapter 2 of James, the apostle from verse 9 through 13 reminds us, in substance, that it is a sin to break even one commandment of the law.

And not only that, but to break one makes us as guilty as if we had broken the whole law. Now, what James is actually seeking to prove is that it takes only one sin to make a sinner. Verse 10 particularly stresses this fact, saying For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all.

Why is James so meticulous about just one sin? Well, are there not many persons who seem to boast that they keep the law? Decidedly, there are. But have they really kept it perfectly? Never. Says James, if only one point has been broken, the verdict is you're a guilty sinner.

And, oh my friend, it's a chance you may be a person that is convinced that you're doing your best in order to earn salvation. Please! Do not take the place of denying that you are a sinner. You may not be as guilty as some.

That can be. But never say that I have not sinned. Now, James is not putting the Christian under the law, but he does insist that, though we are not under the law, but under grace, there are moral laws which still abide even under the new covenant of the gospel.

We are to so speak, we are to so live, as those who will be judged, not by the law of Moses, but by a greater law, the law of liberty, the law of love, written in our hearts by the Holy Spirit through the word of God.

Faith and Works: Justification Before God and Before Men

Then James brings us to the second division of our second chapter, verses fourteen to the end. This is a section that some unfortunately think that James is contradicting the teaching of Paul in regard to the doctrine of justification.

This is definitely not the case, for if you carefully read Paul's teaching of justification in Romans four, as well as in Galatians chapter three, he tells us how we can be justified, and note carefully, before God, meaning to have a right standing before God.

While the apostle James is telling how we can prove our justification not before God, but rather before men. Always keep this distinction in your mind and heart, my Christian friend, and you will never have difficulty understanding the subject of justification from the writing of Paul or the writing of James.

Now what James is telling us is that it is perfectly reasonable for the world of the unsaved persons to expect a change in the life of a person who professes Christ as their Savior. We know from Ephesians 2, 8 and 9 that a sinner is saved by grace without works, but a genuine true profession of faith will lead to good works and prove that one is a true Christian.

Christian evidence before the world is what James is demanding, and properly so. Note the fourteenth verse of this chapter. What doth it profit my brethren though a man say he hath faith and hath no works?

Can that faith save him? Literally, the closing phrase of the verse is, Can that kind of faith save him? Professing faith that has no works. Very frankly, James is saying that what we say with our lips does not prove the reality of faith, but what we do with our life.

We do not demonstrate Christian faith by great, outstanding achievements, but by doing practical deeds, even little things, day by day. Look at the apostle as he refers in verse fifteen and sixteen, and what he writes does not imply the practical kindness of even giving food to a destitute person, to one who is starving with hunger.

Surely the small things of life are so important, and if we do these small deeds of kindness, we shall be proving our profession of Christ. James concludes this responsibility by saying,. Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Faith that does not produce works is not a living faith. It is dead, says James. Read the challenge in verse eighteen,. Yea, a man may say thou hast faith, and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.