James 1:1-12 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs,
Today we begin the book of James. Possibly the earliest of all the New Testament writings, the book of James is estimated by scholars to have been written in approximately 45-48 AD. James is one of the hardest-hitting and most easily applicable books you will find in the Bible.
Today’s passage is James 1:1-12. This passage has special significance for me. When I was a new Christian, James 1:2-12 was the first passage I ever tried to memorize. Almost 25 years later, it’s still a passage I come back to over and over again in my heart.
James 1:1 (NIV)
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.
On verse 1: The author of James is most likely Jesus’ half-brother James. In other words, after Jesus was born, Jesus’ parents Joseph and Mary finally consummated their marriage and had other children. One of those children was James. James grew up in the same home and family as Jesus, but did not believe that his half-brother was the Son of God (John 7:5). His heart remained hardened and unbelieving until Jesus rose again from the dead and appeared to James. After that, James became a believer and started referring to his half-brother as “the Lord Jesus Christ”. James would go on to become the leader of the church in Jerusalem before being martyred for his faith in 49 AD.
What can we learn from this? Like James, you may have “grown up with Jesus” without truly knowing Him or believing in Him. Maybe your parents took you to church when you were young, maybe you went to a Christian school, or you grew up hearing all the Bible stories. It’s not until you have a personal encounter with the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ that your faith truly comes alive. Praise God. If it happened for James, it can happen for you too.
James 1:2-4 (NIV)
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
On verses 2-4: Perseverance is the biggest theme of verses 2-12. Is there an area in your life – a relationship, a ministry, a project, a challenge you’ve taken on – where you need to persevere? In these verses we learn some vital lessons on why we need to persevere and how to persevere. The first perseverance lesson I learn here is this: it helps me to persevere when I understand why I am going through what I’m going through. Here James affirms that God allows trials in our lives to develop us. God is in the people building business. Whenever you go through trials and you are tempted to give up, remember that is not God being cruel to you; rather, God is refining you into the image of His Son Jesus, making you stronger, wiser, tougher. God is also in the story writing business. He’s also writing a greater story than anything you could write for yourself. If you want to become that mature, complete person God is moulding you into, and if you want to read the complete story that God is writing through you, you need to stick it out till the end. You need to persevere.
It helps me to persevere when I know that God is not finished with me, and that I’m His work in progress. If God hasn’t given up on His work in me, then why should I give up on my work in Him?
James 1:5-8 (NIV)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
On verses 5-8: Why, in a passage on perseverance, does James all of a sudden start talking about wisdom? It’s because it takes wisdom to persevere. Practically speaking, you don’t persevere by mindlessly doing the same thing over and over again unto failed results. Rather it helps me persevere when I have a new perspective. So if you’re tempted to give up, ask God, the giver of wisdom, for a new perspective on your situation. And when you ask, do so wholeheartedly and without doubt, because God loves to bless those who bet wholeheartedly on Him.
James 1:9-11 (NIV)
9 The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.
10 But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower.
11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.
On verses 9-11: Is James anti-rich? Is God anti-rich? No and no. Rather the message from these verses is that, no matter what my situation is, whether I am living in plenty or in poverty, I need to stay humble. It helps me to persevere when I humble myself – that is, when I remember that God alone is sovereign, when I surrender my difficult situation to Him, and when I hang on most tightly to Jesus.
James 1:12 (NIV)
12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
On verse 12: God doesn’t give out prizes based on how you compare to others. Rather, a prize goes to everyone who perseveres. It’s not just a token participation award because many participate at first and then quit. It’s a crown of life reserved for those who stick it out with Jesus till the end. It helps me to persevere when I know God has a prize waiting for me at the end. As Paul would write, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)
Lord Jesus, just as You persevered till the very end, I pray that I would persevere till the very end too, hanging onto You. I surrender the difficult situation I’m facing today to You. Thank You that You are sovereign, that You are not done with Your work in me, and that the best is yet to come. Please give me wisdom and strength to persevere. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
