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Mirror Mirror
(Theology for Everyday) James 1 James addresses an audience who, like us, have separated faith from action. His cry to these people is to understand that the two must coincide, and we must act on the word. Hickory Lane Christian Church Washington Courthouse OH Rob Hoos
Introduction • Churches frustrate me, depress me, and cause me a lot of stress throughout my life. • Iʼm not just talking about our church here at Hickory Lane, I mean almost every church that I have ever experienced. • Does it surprise you to hear that about a preacher? • Something I have come to realize about myself and my life as a minister is that the more I learn about the bible, and the more I see Jesusʼ teachings the more I become depressed and cynical about our current form of Church and Christianity. • Because I see very clearly that it is not what it is supposed to be... • One of the greatest issues I have with the church is that it has ceased to view itself as a kingdom which is different from the world, or a group of disciples who live out the commandments of Jesus and risk life and limb to be faithful to him. • Instead, we have begun to view ourselves as a religious group. Here is essentially what religion has done: • In the church today, discipleship has been reduced to mean reading your bible with some consistency, or learning about Jesus teachings, or attending an hour long worship service on Sunday with some regularity.
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• It has come to simply mean that we are to be nice to other people, but it is void of the radical call of Jesus who said if you do not take up your cross and follow me, then you have no part with me. • We have become content that our christianity often equates with attending a one hour worship service on Sundays, and maybe an hour of bible study if we are really devoted Christians. • What Iʼve seen in myself and others is that we live out the teachings of Jesus, so long as they do not make us uncomfortable, or demand much from us. • Basically we came for the grace, stayed for the positive message, and when this service is over we are ready to just go about our lives, doing what we want to. • Christians want cheap Grace. • In 1959, a man named Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a book called the cost of discipleship. In it, he describes Cheap Grace saying, • “Cheap Grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus, living and incarnate.” • As others have said, it is akin to wanting Salvation, but not the savior. • What we experience today is not the christianity of the bible, but only a poor form or shade of what it is meant to be. Transition: • It is in a Church culture such as ours that the epistle of James speaks so strongly. • This book has caused much controversy within the church, and still does today, because it calls us to evaluate ourselves not based upon what we claim to believe, but based on what our actions show we believe.
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• It was possibly written by James the brother of Jesus as a way of preserving the teachings of Jesus, and reporting them in an arrangement which deals no only with specific moral issues, but also attacks a prevalent problem in the Church both then and now.
Occasion • Basically all we know about the book of James is that it was written by a Christian author who seems to arrange his book in a series of loosely connected teachings which drive home a major point. • It is likely that James is writing to Christians who are not living what they claim to believe, and is seeking to correct their actions, and way of perceiving themselves as christians. I want you to notice this: if we work backward from the teachings, it would seem that Jamesʼ audience was no so different from our own world today: • they were going through trials and temptations of various kinds • though we often think of persecution (and this was part of what James is talking about) • Could have been during the famine that hit palestine during the early time of the church. • Whether it be social or economic pressures, it seems the church was facing some sort of crisis. • additionally their faith was being tested as they faced various situations daily and had to choose how they would live, and what they would do with the teachings of Jesus.
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• They were not doing well in caring for the poor, and a great tension between the poor and the rich existed. • They had issues with the way they spoke. • They had issues with their anger. • They were considered worldly • And whether it be because of laziness, or bad intentions, they were not acting upon the faith that they claimed to hold. • First, letʼs go through and just take in the first Chapter at face value and discuss some of the sections of teaching in there, and what they obviously mean.
At a First Glance. Trials/Suffering 2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. • This first section seems to point something strange out to us. • James encourages the reader to rejoice whenever they come upon any sort of trial. • It seems strange for him to suggest Joy in the midst of hardship. • But, the reason he wants us to rejoice is not because weʼre having so much fun, but because when we suffer, we identify with Christ, and when we make it through whatever hard situation, hardship, or tough decision, we gain endurance.
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• Endurance is not the goal in and of itself, but developing the characteristic of endurance will help us become complete, and full up. • It will develop our • character, • our faith, • and it will bring us closer to becoming like Jesus. • He then encourages the reader that if anyone is not complete, or full, that they should ask for wisdom (presumably to deal with and make it through the difficulty, whatever it may be) and God will gladly give it to them. Praying to God • We are then encouraged to have faith in God whenever we ask him for something. 6But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. • Whenever we ask God for something like wisdom, we ought not doubt that God will hear and will help. • If we really believe that God exists, and that he is all powerful, and that he is good, then how can we have anything but faith if we ask him for something he wants for us to have. • If we doubt, we likely doubt the person and character of God, and we ought not expect to receive anything from him. • If we doubt, we are not the kind of person God wants to work with. Riches and Poverty
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9But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; 10and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. 11For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away. • The poor ought to remember that they are the very ones Jesus came to. • The ones who are without have always held a special place in the heart of God, and in Jesusʼ upside-down kingdom, the poor are the rich. • So they ought to rejoice in their poverty. • The rich, they are the ones who are constantly in danger of falling to pride and selfdependence. • They ought to rejoice that they are no better off than anyone else because they are rich and recognize their need for God as well. • They need to combat pride and self-reliance at every turn through humility. Temptation Again • Then he turns his attention back to trials and temptation. 12Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. 16Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
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18In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures. • From this verse we understand that us remaining strong and immovable in the face of difficulty, and continuing to be a disciple of Jesus even when things are difficult has a better reward than being complete or perfect. • Holding to the faith till death results in the crown of life, everlasting life with God. • But, with this one must understand that God does not tempt or try anyone, instead, the origin of most of the temptations and trials we face come from within us, from our own evil desires and wants. • God is the giver of every good and perfect gift, and we are the ones who generate lust, and sin, and death. Speech and Anger • Then James discusses some every day type things. 19This you know, my beloved brethren But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. 21Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. • He reminds them that everyone ought to be quick to listen and slow to speak. • This means that we do not utter rash words, or that we control our tongues until we have heard and understood the entire matter. • We are wise if we listen first and then speak. • Additionally, we are to be a people that are slow to get angry.
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• We cannot let our anger control us, we cannot let it flare up easily because anger does not achieve the righteousness of God. • Because of this, we need to purify ourselves from acting in these negative, worldly ways and receive the word of the Lord. Be Ye Doers 22But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. • Then, James begins to build to a main point. In order for us to consider ourselves as properly receiving the word, we must not just listen to it, but do what it says. True Religion • Finally, he discusses true religion saying this: 26If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless. 27Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. • If you think you are a religious person, but you cannot even control your mouth, then you have fooled yourself. • True religion, is to care for orphans and widows when they are in need. Additionally keep yourself unstained by the world.
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A word about James • One of the alluring qualities of the book of James is how easy to understand these statements are. • If today, all we did was read these teachings, and begin to do them in our lives, then we would be doing very well. • In fact, I expect you all to put them into practice. • But I want to let you understand just one more thing. • The whole purpose of this first chapter is to let us know that we need to do what we claim to believe.
Argument of James 1 • I believe that James 1:22-25 is the core of the book of James, especially the first Chapter. • He is encouraging people to live out what they say they believe in the midst of situations which would encourage them not to. • These situations are the trials to which he is referring. • In them, these people seem to cling to the spirituality or religion aspect of Christianity, while rejecting the action it requires. • He begins by telling them to rejoice when they face various trials. • These trials include persecution, difficult decisions, difficult situations. • His encouragement to them that they ought to rejoice is based on Jesusʼ teachings, we rejoice when we go through these things because we are identified with Jesus who went through these sorts of things.
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• He tells them that by overcoming these things they will gain endurance, and this endurance, this inner strength, will help them become complete or full in their character and in their striving to be like Jesus. • If you are going through hard times in your life, and I know many of you are, God encourages you to trust him, and endure. • If anyone there is not complete and lacks wisdom to get through these situations in life, he ought to ask God for wisdom and believe that God will give it to him so that he can endure. • But this person must not doubt, because anyone who doubts God does not stand a great chance at being a disciple. • Why the comment about poor and rich. • If they are in the midst of a famine, or tough economic situation, I would say that the people would pray that God take care of their situation instead of giving them wisdom to endure it. • So the poor pray to get rich, and the rich pray to stay rich and avoid things like hunger. • If there was indeed a famine in the land, then both of these groups were doubtlessly asking God for something different than wisdom. • So James reminds the poor that they are valuable in the eyes of God so they ought not pray for wealth, and he reminds the rich that their life is no more secure or certain because of their riches. • Rather, both should ask God for wisdom and persevere through the trials.
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• Continuing to talk about the trials these people find themselves enduring, James tells them that they are blessed if they endure what they are experiencing because those who endure, and do not lose hold of Christ, will receive eternal life. • That being said, he reminds them that God is good, and he is the author of every good and perfect gift whereas we are led astray and tempted by those evil desires which come from inside of us. • Following this is a command to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry because anger does not bring the righteousness of God. • This is likely James preparing his audience to hear him out, and to receive this instruction with open ears instead of argument and anger. • As he is rebuking them for not living out their faith, failing to care for the poor, to speak appropriately, or their anger, he wants them to listen and hear him out before they react. • So, as his argument builds he encourages them to put aside worldliness and filth, and to receive the WORD which brings life. But, and here is the key to everything, do not just listen to the word, but do what it says. Everything James is trying to tell them in this chapter leads to this one point, Do what the WORD says to do. If you donʼt then you are deceiving yourselves. • For example, he concludes in chapter 1. • If someone thinks he is a religious person (Christian) and does not control his tongue (in other words, does not do what the word says to do) then his religion is worthless, and this person has deceived himself.
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• James uses this well placed example to describe an idea, and to attack their lack of control of their mouths, and misuse. • He not only attacks their incorrect actions, but reveals that their religion is worthless. • But, pure and undefiled religion is this, to visit orphans and widows (to do what the WORD says) and to keep yourself unstained by the world (remaining set apart as a disciple of the Lord instead of falling into greed and various other sins, effectively, doing what the word says). • In this he criticizes them for neglecting the poor and the needy and showing them that they do not meet the qualifications that God desires. • In other words, Pure, undefiled religion in the eyes of God the father is to do live how Jesus lived, and not just to believe the right things. • And in so doing, you align yourself with Christ and keep yourself unstained by the world.
Jamesʼ Application • Jamesʼ application of these ideas would specifically be the following: • Care for the poor, and do not neglect them. • Watch the words you speak. • Do not let yourself be an angry person. • Endure the problems, and live like Jesus through them. • Do not doubt God. • DO WHAT THE WORD SAYS TO DO.
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Our Application • Though the scope of this application seems narrow, there is a greater application here. • Essentially it is this. • Christianity is not about holding a particular set of nice sounding beliefs, it is about becoming a totally different person, and actually living out what we claim to believe. • You believe that Godʼs word is important for us to know: Get involved in a bible study! • Do you believe that church attendance is beneficial and pleasing to God: then come to church! • You believe that God cares for the poor: then care for the poor! • You think evangelism is part of Christianity: then tell people about Jesus. • You think God is to take the most important role in your life? Then for heaven sakes act like it. God takes a back seat to everything in the American Church. Iʼm not just talking about the standard. • Make an effort, or quit pretending like he is so important to you... • James calls us to do what we claim to believe. • This should not need to be said, but unfortunately it does. • If the church does not begin to take seriously what is purports to believe, then it is doomed, and if we do not act on what we believe to be true about Christianity, and what it means for us to be a disciple then our religion is worthless and we are merely deceiving ourselves.