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<h2><a onclick="return mV('Jam',1,'all');">Jam 1</a> - A Living Faith in Trials and Temptations</h2>
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<p>A. Trials and wisdom.</p>
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<p class="c1">1. (<a onclick="return mV('Jam',1,1);">1</a>) Greetings from James.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">James</span></b>: There are several men named <b><span class="c3">James</span></b> mentioned in the New Testament, but reliable tradition assigns this book to the one called <i>James the Just</i> - the half-brother of Jesus (<a onclick="return mV('Mat',13,55);">Mat 13:55</a>), and brother of Jude (<a onclick="return mV('Jud',1,1);">Jud 1:1</a>), who led the church in Jerusalem (<a onclick="return mV('Act',15,13);">Act 15:13</a>).</p>
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<p class="c5">i. Other men named <b><span class="c3">James</span></b> include: James, brother of John and son of Zebedee, the first apostle martyred, also known as James the Less (<a onclick="return mV('Mat',10,2);">Mat 10:2</a>; <a onclick="return mV('Mar',15,40);">Mar 15:40</a>; <a onclick="return mV('Act',12,2);">Act 12:2</a>); James the son of Alphaeus, another of the twelve disciples (<a onclick="return mV('Mat',10,3);">Mat 10:3</a>); and James, the father of the "other" apostle Judas (<a onclick="return mV('Luk',6,16);">Luk 6:16</a>).</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. An early history of the church says that James was such a man of prayer that his knees had large, thick calluses, making them look like the knees of a camel. It also says that James was martyred in Jerusalem by being pushed from a high point of the temple; the fall did not kill him, and he was beaten to death on the ground as he prayed for his attackers.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">A bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ</span></b>: Knowing that this James was the half-brother of Jesus makes his self-introduction all the more significant. He does not proclaim himself "the brother of Jesus", but only <b><span class="c3">a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ</span></b>. Jesus was not just James' brother, more importantly, Jesus was his <b><span class="c3">Lord</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. <b><span class="c3">Bondservant</span></b> is an important word. It translates the ancient Greek word <i>doulos</i>: "A slave, a bondservant, one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another...Among the Greeks, with their strong sense of personal freedom, the term carried a degrading connotation." (Hiebert)</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. <b><span class="c3">Lord</span></b> is an important word. It translates the ancient Greek word <i>kurios</i>. It means that James considered Jesus <i>God</i>. "Hellenistic Jews used <i>Kurios</i> as a name for God; the non-use of the article gains in significance when it is remembered that <i>o Kurios</i>, 'Dominus,' was a title given to the early Roman Emperors in order to express their deity."</p>
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<p class="c5">(Oesterley in <i>Expositor's</i>)</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">To the twelve tribes</span></b>: What James means by the reference to <b><span class="c3">the twelve tribes</span></b> is difficult to understand. Is James writing a letter just to Christians from a Jewish background, or to all Christians? Certainly, this letter applies to all Christians. Probably, James wrote his letter before Gentiles were brought into the church, or before Gentile Christians emerged in any significant number.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. <b><span class="c3">The twelve tribes</span></b> is a Jewish figure of speech that sometimes referred to the Jewish people as a whole (<a onclick="return mV('Mat',19,28);">Mat 19:28</a>; <a onclick="return mV('Act',26,7);">Act 26:7</a>).</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. <b><span class="c3">Which are scattered abroad</span></b>: At this time, the Jewish people were scattered all over the world. There were Christian communities among almost every Jewish community throughout the world. Regarding the extent of the dispersion, Josephus wrote: "There is no city, no tribe, whether Greek or barbarian, in which Jewish law and Jewish customs have not taken root." (Cited in Barclay)</p>
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<p class="c4">d. This is a letter for us. Some people have thought that the book of James isn't important for Christians, and some have quoted Martin Luther's famous estimation of James as "a letter full of straw." But Luther's remark should be understood in its context. His intention was to observe that there was little or nothing in James preaching the gospel of justification by faith alone. In another place he wrote of the book of James, "I think highly of the epistle of James, and regard it as valuable...It does not expound human doctrines, but lays much emphasis on God's law." (Cited in Barclay)</p>
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<p class="c5">i. Martin Luther knew and taught exactly what the book of James teaches. The following is from his preface to Romans regarding saving faith: <i>O it is a living, busy active mighty thing, this faith. It is impossible for it not to be doing good things incessantly. It does not ask whether good works are to be done, but before the question is asked, it has already done this, and is constantly doing them. Whoever does not do such works, however, is an unbeliever. He gropes and looks around for faith and good works, but knows neither what faith is nor what good works are. Yet he talks and talks, with many words, about faith and good works.</i> (cited in Moo)</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. In many ways, we listen to the book of James because it echoes the teaching of Jesus. There are at least fifteen allusions to the Sermon on the Mount in James. A man who knew the teaching of Jesus and took it seriously wrote this letter.</p>
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<p class="c4">e. <b><span class="c3">Greetings</span></b>: The salutation <b><span class="c3">Greetings</span></b> was the customary Greek way of opening a letter. Paul never used it; he preferred to salute his readers with the words <i>grace and peace</i>. But here, James uses this more customary salutation.</p>
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<p class="c1">2. (<a onclick="return mV('Jam',1,'2-4');">2-4</a>) Patient endurance in trials.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have <i>its</i> perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Count it all joy when you fall into various trials</span></b>: James regards trials as inevitable. He says <b><span class="c3">when</span></b>, not <i>if</i> <b><span class="c3">you fall into various trials</span></b>. At the same time, trials are occasions for <b><span class="c3">joy</span></b>, not discouraged resignation. We can <b><span class="c3">count it all joy</span></b> in the midst of trials, because they are used to produce <b><span class="c3">patience</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. <b><span class="c3">Patience</span></b> is the ancient Greek word <i>hupomone</i>. This word does not describe a passive waiting, but an <i>active endurance</i>. It isn't so much the quality that helps you sit quietly in the doctor's waiting room as it is the quality that helps you finish a marathon.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. The ancient Greek word <i>hupomone</i> comes from <i>hupo</i> (under) and <i>meno</i> (to stay, abide, remain). At its root, it means <i>to remain under</i>. It has the picture of someone under a heavy load and resolutely staying there instead of trying to escape. The philosopher Philo called <i>hupomone</i> "the queen of virtues." (Cited in Hiebert) The Greek commentator Oesterley said this word <b><span class="c3">patience</span></b> describes "the frame of mind which endures."</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience</span></b><span>:</span> Faith is <i>tested</i> through trials, not <i>produced</i> by trials. Trials reveal what faith we do have, not because God doesn't know how much faith we have, but to make our faith evident to ourselves and those around us.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. If trials do not produce faith, what does? <a onclick="return mV('Rom',10,17);">Rom 10:17</a> tells us: <i>So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God</i><span>. Faith is built in us as we hear and understand and trust in God's word.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">Produces patience</span></b>: Trials don't produce faith, but when trials are received with faith, it <b><span class="c3">produces patience</span></b>. But <b><span class="c3">patience</span></b> is not inevitably produced in times of trial. If difficulties are received in unbelief and grumbling, trials can produce bitterness and discouragement. This is why James exhorts us to <b><span class="c3">count it all joy</span></b>. Counting <b><span class="c3">it all joy</span></b> is faith's response to a time of trial.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. "It is occasionally asserted that James asks his readers to <i>enjoy</i> their trials...He did not say that they must <i>feel</i> it all joy, or that trials <i>are</i> all joy." (Hiebert)</p>
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<p class="c4">d. <b><span class="c3">But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing</span></b><span>:</span> The work of patient endurance comes slowly, and must be allowed to have full bloom. Patient endurance is a mark of the person who is <b><span class="c3">perfect and complete, lacking nothing</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c1">3. (<a onclick="return mV('Jam',1,'5-8');">5-8</a>) How to receive the wisdom you need from God.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>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. 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. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; <i>he is</i> a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">If any of you lacks wisdom</span></b>: Trials are a necessary time to seek <b><span class="c3">wisdom</span></b> from God. We often didn't know we needed <b><span class="c3">wisdom</span></b> until our trial. Once in a time of trial, we need to know if a particular trial is something God wants us to eliminate by faith or persevere in by faith. This requires <b><span class="c3">wisdom</span></b>!</p>
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<p class="c5">i. In trials, we need <b><span class="c3">wisdom</span></b> a lot more than we need <i>knowledge</i>. Knowledge is raw information, but <b><span class="c3">wisdom</span></b> knows how to use it. Someone has said that knowledge is the ability to take things apart, but wisdom is the ability to put things together.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Let him ask of God</span></b>: To receive wisdom, we simply <b><span class="c3">ask of God</span></b> - who gives wisdom generously (<b><span class="c3">liberally</span></b>), and without despising our request (<b><span class="c3">without reproach</span></b>). </p>
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<p class="c5">i. <b><span class="c3">Without reproach</span></b>: "This is added, lest any one should fear to come too often to God...for he is ready ever to add new blessings to former ones, without any end or limitation." (Calvin) Knowing God's generosity, that He never despises or resents us for asking for wisdom, should encourage us to ask Him often. We need to understand that we the God of the open hand, not the god of the clenched fist.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. When we want wisdom, the place to begin is in the Bible. The place to end is in the Bible. True wisdom will always be consistent with God's word.</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">But let him ask in faith</span></b>: Our request for wisdom must be made like any other request - <b><span class="c3">in faith</span></b>, without doubting God's ability or desire to give us His wisdom.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. This shows the kind of heart we need in seeking God's wisdom from the Scriptures: a heart that believes God's word, and believes it speaks to us today.</p>
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<p class="c4">d. <b><span class="c3">With no doubting...let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord</span></b><span>: The one who doubts and lacks faith should </span>not expect to receive <b><span class="c3">anything from the Lord</span></b>. This lack of faith and trust in God also shows that we have no foundation, being <b><span class="c3">unstable in all</span></b> our <b><span class="c3">ways</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c4">e. <b><span class="c3">A double-minded man, unstable in all his ways</span></b>: To ask God, but to ask Him in a doubting way, shows that we are <b><span class="c3">double-minded</span></b>. If we had no faith, we would never ask at all. If we had no unbelief, we would have <b><span class="c3">no doubting</span></b>. To be in the middle ground between faith and unbelief is to be <b><span class="c3">double-minded</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. The man who came to Jesus and said <i>Lord, I believe; help my unbelief</i> (<a onclick="return mV('Mar',9,24);">Mar 9:24</a>) was not <b><span class="c3">double-minded</span></b>. He wanted to believe, and declared his belief. His faith was weak, but it wasn't tinged with a <b><span class="c3">double-minded</span></b> doubt.</p>
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<p class="c1">4. (<a onclick="return mV('Jam',1,'9-11');">9-11</a>) Encouragement for those affected by trials.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. 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.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation</span></b>: As much as it is appropriate for the <b><span class="c3">lowly</span></b> to rejoice when they are lifted up by God, so it is appropriate (but far more difficult) for the high (<b><span class="c3">the rich</span></b>) to rejoice when they are brought to <b><span class="c3">humiliation</span></b> by trials.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. "As the poor brother forgets all his earthly poverty, so the rich brother forgets all his earthly riches. By faith in Christ the two are equals." (Hiebert, citing Lenski)</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Because as a flower of the field he will pass away</span></b>: Trials serve to remind the rich and the high that though they are comfortable in this life, it is still only this life, which fades as the grass grows brown and the flowers fade away.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. In the land of Israel, there are a variety of beautiful flowers that spring to life when the rains come, but they last for only a short time before withering away. On the scale of eternity, this is how quickly <b><span class="c3">the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. The riches of this world will certainly <b><span class="c3">fade away</span></b> - but James says that the <b><span class="c3">rich man also will fade away</span></b>. If we put our life and our identity into things that <b><span class="c3">fade away</span></b>, we will <b><span class="c3">fade away</span></b> also. How much better to put our life and our identity into things that will never fade! If a man is only rich in this world, when he dies, he leaves his riches. But if a man is rich before God, when he dies he goes to his riches!</p>
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<p>B. Living for the Lord in times of temptation.</p>
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<p class="c1">1. (<a onclick="return mV('Jam',1,12);">12</a>) A blessing for those who endure temptation.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>Blessed <i>is</i> 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.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Blessed is the man</span></b>: This sounds like one of Jesus' Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount (<a onclick="return mV('Mat',5,'1-7');">Mat 5-7</a>). In those great statements of blessing, Jesus wasn't finished telling us how we can be <b><span class="c3">blessed</span></b>. Here, we learn we can be <b><span class="c3">blessed</span></b> as we endure <b><span class="c3">temptation</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Who endures temptation</span></b>: <b><span class="c3">Temptation</span></b> is one of the <i>various trials</i> (<a onclick="return mV('Jam',1,2);">Jam 1:2</a>) we face. As we persevere through temptation, we are <b><span class="c3">approved</span></b>, and will be rewarded as the work of God in us is evident through our resistance of temptation.</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">The crown of life which the Lord has promised</span></b> reminds us that it really is worth it to endure under the temptations we face. Our steadfastness will be rewarded as we demonstrate our love for Jesus (<b><span class="c3">to those who love Him</span></b>) by resisting temptation.</p>
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<p class="c1">2. (<a onclick="return mV('Jam',1,'13-16');">13-16</a>) How temptation comes.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>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. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"</span></b><span>:</span> Temptation does not come from God. Though He allows it, He Himself does not entice us to evil, though God may test our faith without a solicitation to evil (<b><span class="c3">nor does He Himself tempt anyone</span></b>).</p>
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<p class="c5">i. James knew that most people have an evil tendency to blame God when they find themselves in trials. But by His very nature, God is <i>unable</i> to either be tempted (in the sense we are tempted, as James will explain), nor can <b><span class="c3">He Himself tempt anyone</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. We should remember that the pagan gods of ancient times were well acquainted with evil, and sinned often themselves. But the true God, the God of the Bible <b><span class="c3">cannot be tempted by evil</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed</span></b>: God doesn't tempt us. Instead, temptation comes when we are <b><span class="c3">drawn away</span></b> by our own fleshly <b><span class="c3">desires</span></b> and <b><span class="c3">enticed</span></b> - with the world and the devil providing the enticement.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. Satan certainly tempts us. But the only reason temptation has a hook in us is because of our own fallen nature, which corrupts our God-given <b><span class="c3">desires</span></b>. We often give Satan too much credit for his tempting powers, and fail to recognize that we are <b><span class="c3">drawn away by</span></b> our <b><span class="c3">own desires</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. Some who like to emphasize the sovereignty of God say that God is responsible for all things. But God is never responsible for man's sin damnation. "When Scripture ascribes blindness or hardness of heart to God, it does not assign to him the beginning of the blindness, nor does it make him the author of sin, so as to ascribe to him the blame." (Calvin) Calvin also wrote, "Scripture asserts that the reprobate are delivered up to depraved lusts; but is it because the Lord depraves or corrupts their hearts? By no means; for their hearts are subjected to depraved lusts, because they are already corrupt and vicious." God is never the responsible for the sin or damnation of any man.</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin</span></b><span>: </span>Springing forth from corrupt <b><span class="c3">desire</span></b> is <b><span class="c3">sin</span></b>. Springing forth from <b><span class="c3">sin</span></b> is <b><span class="c3">death</span></b>. This progression to death is an inevitable result that Satan always tries to hide from us, but we should never be deceived about.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. Satan's great strategy in temptation is to convince us that the pursuit of our corrupt desires will somehow produce life and goodness for us. If we remembered that Satan only comes <i>to steal, and to kill, and to destroy</i> (<a onclick="return mV('Jhn',10,10);">Jhn 10:10</a>), then we would resist the deceptions of temptation more easily.</p>
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<p class="c1">3. (<a onclick="return mV('Jam',1,'17-18');">17-18</a>) God's goodness stands in contrast to the temptations we face.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>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. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above</span></b><span>: </span>From our own fallen natures and from those who would entice us, we expect no true goodness. But <b><span class="c3">every good and every perfect gift</span></b> comes from God the Father in heaven.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. Of course, the ultimate goodness of any gift must be measured on an eternal scale. Something that may seem to be only good (such as winning a lottery) may in fact be turned to our destruction.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">With whom there is no variation or shadow of turning</span></b>: God's goodness is constant. There is <b><span class="c3">no variation</span></b> with Him. Instead of shadows, God is <b><span class="c3">the Father of lights</span></b>. In the ancient Greek grammar, James actually wrote "<b><span class="c3">the Father of <i>the</i> lights</span></b>." The specific <b><span class="c3">lights</span></b> are the celestial bodies that light up the sky, both day and night. The sun, moon, and stars never "turn off," even when we can't see them. Even so, there is never a <b><span class="c3">shadow</span></b> with God.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. This means that God never changes. Among modern theologians, there are some that are taken with something called <i>process theology</i>, which says that God is "maturing" and "growing" and "in process" Himself. But the Bible says that <b><span class="c3">there is no variation or shadow of turning</span></b> with God.</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures</span></b><span>: We can see </span>God's goodness in our salvation, as He initiated our salvation <b><span class="c3">of His own will</span></b>, and <b><span class="c3">brought us forth</span></b> to spiritual life by His <b><span class="c3">word of truth</span></b>, that we might be to His glory as <b><span class="c3">firstfruits</span></b> of His harvest.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. James may be speaking of his own generation of believers when he calls them <b><span class="c3">firstfruits</span></b>. Some have speculated on this even more, saying that James has in mind a wider redemption among unknown creatures of God, of which we are the <b><span class="c3">firstfruits</span></b> of that wider redemption.</p>
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<p class="c1">4. (<a onclick="return mV('Jam',1,'19-20');">19-20</a>) Standing firm against unrighteous anger.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God</span></b>: In light of the nature of temptation and the goodness of God, we must take special care to be <b><span class="c3">slow to wrath</span></b>, because our wrath does not accomplish the <b><span class="c3">righteousness of God</span></b>. Our <b><span class="c3">wrath</span></b> almost always simply defends our own agenda.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath</span></b>: We can learn to be <b><span class="c3">slow to wrath</span></b> by first learning to be <b><span class="c3">swift to hear</span></b> and <b><span class="c3">slow to speak</span></b>. So much of our anger and wrath comes from being <i>self-centered</i> not <i>others-centered</i>. <b><span class="c3">Swift to hear</span></b> is a way to be <i>others-centered</i>. <b><span class="c3">Slow to speak</span></b> is a way to be <i>others-centered</i>.</p>
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<p class="c1">5. (<a onclick="return mV('Jam',1,21);">21</a>) Standing firm against the lusts of the flesh.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Filthiness and overflow of wickedness</span></b> probably has in mind an impure manner of living. In light of the nature of temptation and the goodness of God, we are to <b><span class="c3">lay aside all</span></b> impurity, putting them far from us.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Receive with meekness the implanted word</span></b>: In contrast to an impure manner of living, we should <b><span class="c3">receive</span></b> (doing it <b><span class="c3">with meekness</span></b>, a teachable heart) <b><span class="c3">the implanted word</span></b> of God. This word is <b><span class="c3">able to save</span></b> us, both in our current situation and eternally. <span > </span>The purity of God's word will preserve us in an impure age.</p>
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<p class="c1">6. (<a onclick="return mV('Jam',1,'22-25');">22-25</a>) How to receive the word of God.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 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; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues <i>in it,</i> and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">But be doers of the word, and not hearers only</span></b><span>: </span>We must receive God's word as <b><span class="c3">doers</span></b>, not merely <b><span class="c3">hearers</span></b>. To take comfort in the fact you have heard God's word when you haven't done it is to deceive yourself.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. In the ancient world, it was common for people to hear a teacher. But if you followed the teacher and tried to live what he said, you were called a disciple of that teacher. Jesus is looking for disciples - doers, not just hearers.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. Jesus used this same point to conclude His great Sermon on the Mount. He said that the one who heard the word without doing it was like a man who built his house on the sand, but the one who heard God's word and did it was like a man whose house was built on a rock and could withstand the inevitable storms of life and eternity. (<a onclick="return mV('Mat',7,'24-27');">Mat 7:24-27</a>)</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">He is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was</span></b><span>:</span> The one who only hears God's word, without doing it, has the same sense and stability as a man who looks into a mirror and immediately forgets what he saw. The information he received did not do any good in his life.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. <b><span class="c3">Observing his natural face</span></b>: The ancient Greek word translated <b><span class="c3">observing</span></b> has the idea of <i>a careful scrutiny</i>. By application, James is referring to people give <i>a careful scrutiny</i> of God's word; they may be regarded as real Bible experts. But it still doesn't result in <i>doing</i>.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. A healthy person looks in the mirror to <i>do</i> something, not just to admire the image. Even so, a healthy Christian looks into God's word to <i>do</i> something about it, not just to store up facts that they won't use.</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it...this one will be blessed in what he does</span></b>: But if we study the word of God intently, and do it (<b><span class="c3">continue in it</span></b>), then we will be <b><span class="c3">blessed</span></b>. </p>
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<p class="c5">i. <b><span class="c3">He who looks into the perfect law of liberty</span></b>: In the ancient Greek language, the word for <b><span class="c3">looks into</span></b> speaks of a penetrating examination, so that a person will even bend over to get a better look. Though James stresses <i>doing</i>, he does not neglect <i>studying</i> God's word either. We should <i>look into</i> God's word.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. <b><span class="c3">The perfect law of liberty</span></b>: This is a wonderful way to describe the word of God. In the New Covenant, God reveals to us a <b><span class="c3">law</span></b>, but it is a <b><span class="c3">law of liberty</span></b>, written on our transformed hearts by the Spirit of God.</p>
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<p class="c1">7. (<a onclick="return mV('Jam',1,'26-27');">26-27</a>) Examples of what it means to be a doer of the word of God.</p>
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<p class="c2"><span>If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion <i>is</i> useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, <i>and</i> to keep oneself unspotted from the world.</span></p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">If anyone among you thinks he is religious</span></b>: Real religion is not shown by hearing the word, but by doing it. One way to do God's word is to <b><span class="c3">bridle</span></b> the <b><span class="c3">tongue</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. <b><span class="c3">Thinks he is religious</span></b>: In the ancient Greek language, <b><span class="c3">religious </span></b>is a word that is never used in a positive sense in the New Testament. James uses it here of someone who is <b><span class="c3">religious</span></b>, but not really right with God, and it is evident because he <b><span class="c3">does not bridle his tongue</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">This one's religion is useless</span></b>: Your walk with God <b><span class="c3">is useless</span></b> if it does not translate into the way you live and the way you treat others. Many are deceived in their own heart regarding the reality of their walk with God.</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">To visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world</span></b><span>:</span> A real walk with God shows itself in simple, practical ways. It helps the needy, and keeps itself unstained by the world's corruption.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. <b><span class="c3">Pure and undefiled religion before God</span></b>: There is a great deal of pure and undefiled religion <i>in the sight of man</i> that is not <b><span class="c3">pure and undefiled religion before God</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c4">d. <b><span class="c3">Unspotted from the world</span></b>: From the book of Genesis, Lot is an example of a man who was spotted by the world. He started living <i>towards</i> Sodom, disregarding the spiritual climate of the area because of the prosperity of the area. Eventually he moved to the wicked city and became a part of the city's leadership. The end result was that Lot lost <i>everything</i> - and was saved as by the skin of his teeth.</p>
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