James 1:12-21
Bible Study at Gospel Light Christian Church, Singapore
by Pastor Dr Paul Choo
v. 12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation - The world will consider a Christian under temptation (ie, trials, afflictions) to be cursed by God - but James reassures us that the afflicted Christian is being blessed. Though the Christian can judge the vanity of the worldling's "blessings" the worldling cannot judge the value of the Christian's afflictions, because "he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man"
(I CO 2:15).
The Christian is blessed if he endures temptation, ie, if he is patiently being instructed and moulded by the affliction. He is also blessed by direct comfort from God in his heart ("For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ", 2CO 1:5). But he will not be blessed if he murmurs under afflictions - in fact, he will be worse off if he persists in this bitter and rebellious attitude towards the affliction.
for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life - This implies that trials precede receiving the crown of life. A crown (ie, the laurel-leaf crown) was given to the winners in the Grecian Games. A crown also signifies royalty ("And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me," LUK 22:29). A crown is round which signifies something without end, and without defect (because a circle faces every direction) - which beautifully describes God blessings (PSA 16:11, "in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore"). When men suffer, they are afraid of two things - disgrace and death, therefore God promises honour (ie, a crown) and life.
which the Lord hath promised to them that love him - James does not say that this promise is to them that trust in Christ (which strictly should be the case), because many people mistakenly believe that they trust in Christ, when in fact they do not. But the evidence of true faith is that we love him. Some unsaved people may suffer for Christ because they are too proud or too stubborn to quit but such stoic sufferings without love are not acceptable to God (I CO 13:3).
v,13 let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God - There is a great tendency in men to blame others for their sins, and often even to blame God. Most times we will not dare to say this verbally, but we murmur in our hearts. Sometimes, we dare not blame God directly but do so by questioning His provision (as Adam did, GEN 3:12) or His lack of provision (of grace).
for God cannot be tempted with evil - God is perfectly and unchangeably holy. Therefore, the more unchangeable in our stand against sin, the more we are like God.
neither tempteth he any man - God does not lead one to sin - either by inward solicitation or by outward force. In some passages of the Bible God appears to tempt men to sin. For example, in GEN 22:1 "God did tempt Abraham" which simply means that God tested Abraham's faith. In 2SA 24:1 God "moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel", which is clarified by I CH 2 1:1 which says that "Satan stood up against Israel, andprovoked David to number Israel" - ie, God was not the one who tempted David to sin, but He did not hinder Satan from doing so. Since "in God we live, and move, and have our being" (ACT 17:28) - in that sense God "participates" in our sins.
Sometimes God withdraws restraining grace (ROM 1:23). God allows sin because it glorifies His mercy in pardoning, His justice in punishing, and His wisdom and power in the Gospel in overcoming sin.
v, 14 But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own last, and enticed - Man is not tempted by God into sin but by his own lust, ie, the enemy is within him - not without as he likes to believe. Man sins because of two causes - his lust which desires to sin, and enticements which draw him to sin, ie, man sins because of an internal force, and external fraud. Man's soul is chiefly made up of desires, like a sponge it is constantly "sucking" of something to fill itself. Since mankind's fall, it has desired things to satisfy its pleasure rather than its good. Though in a strict sense lust refers to the desire, it is also often used in the Bible to describe the act that results from this desire.
We must check our hearts and see what kinds of desires we have. We must be particularly careful when certain desires are so overwhelming that they seem to fill our soul, or certain desires so cherished that we are angered by opposition to them or checking of them.
v. 15 Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin - This describes the progress of sin. Lust forms our motions into desires, then brings the will into consent, which then bringeth forth sin (ie, the outward, visible act of sin). Though, even when lust does not result in an outward visible act it is still sin (MAT 5:28).
and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death - The first (ie, physical) and second (ie, spiritual) deaths are implied - 'for the wages of sin is death" (ROM 6:23).
v. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren - Having first explained that the cause of sin is not from God but from one's own lusts, James then rebukes them of their error. To prevent unnecessary offence, he calls the "my beloved brethren". Error in understanding is far worse than error in action because wrong concepts are the cause of wrong actions, while error in action are often mere slip-ups. Therefore, wrong understanding must always be corrected.
v. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning - Instead of harbouring thoughts that God is the cause of sin, James teaches them that God is the giver of every good gift and every perfect gift -including the many afflictions which are good and perfect for our needs. Realising that all our gifts are from God, will keep us from pride, and from envy. "Light" is often used to symbolise God, because it is needful, enlightening, refreshing, pure, and non-physical. And unlike earth's source of light, the sun, which rises up in the morning and sets at night, the Father of Lights has no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
v. 18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth - God is the giver of good gifts, especially, the gift of salvation - which He of His own will (not because of our merit) gave us. The normal means by which we are saved is through the preaching of the Gospel (ie, the word of truth).
that we should be a kind of firstfiruits of his creatures - Just as the firstfruits of the harvest was consecrated to God by the Jews, of all God's creatures, Christians are consecrated to God.
v. 19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath -God uses the word of truth as His instrument for conversion of souls, wherefore, we should be swift to hear His word, slow to speak against it, and slow to wrath when we are convicted by the Word of God. If we are swift to hear, then we will grab all opportunities to read or listen to God's Word, and we will diligently ponder what we have heard.
v.20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God - The wrath of man against God's Word makes him rebellious against God's Word, and therefore he will not work the righteousness of God. But the wrath of God is good, and holy wrath against sin is good. This verse also teaches us that we should be careful that we do not get unnecessarily angry when we are discussing religious matters with others (as we are so prone to do, and then to excuse ourselves for doing so) because it will cause us to do unrighteous things.
v.21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted wori4 which - is- able to save your souls - We must prepare ourselves to receive God's Word by laying apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness (ie, overflowing of malice against God's Word), and with meekness (ie, humble and teachable spirit) receive God's Word, which will be engrafted (ie, rooted, planted) in their hearts by the Spirit.