Joyfully Obeying in Trials (James 1)

This is your worship at home guide for Sunday 5/3/20. It's part of the "Journeying through James" series for May.

You can consider lighting a candle to set the environment for worship and to symbolize God's presence with you.

Families with little kids: There are questions in here to help your kids engage.  You may need to reword content, depending on the age of your kids.

Introduction

What does true, genuine faith look like in someone's life? That is one of the main theme's of this letter that James wrote to Jewish Christians living 2,000 years ago. While many of the apostle Paul's letters deal with what is the gospel and how to be saved then move on to practically how to live that out, James deals mostly with the practical. If you have read the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament, James writes very much like this style of writing (called "wisdom literature"). He uses short, practical statements that get to the point with lots of imagery.

But who was James? James calls himself "a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ" (James 1:1). His backstory is interesting though. He was the "brother of the Lord" (Galatians 1:19; see Matthew 13:55 for a list of the names of Jesus' brothers). Along with his other brothers, he started off as a skeptic who didn't believe in Jesus (Mark 3:21, John 7:5). What would convince you that your brother is the Son of God who could actually pay for your sins? The answer for James was seeing his brother come back from the dead. James was one of first people Jesus appeared to after he was resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:7; cf. Acts 1:14).

So James' story is that he grew up with the Son of God and he was a skeptic. He thought his brother was a bit crazy. But what convinced him was seeing his brother alive again after he died. Then James became a "pillar of the church" in Jerusalem (Galatians 2:9; and see his role in Acts 15). God worked in James' life to totally change it. And it took years. Perhaps you have a story like that too.

The letter we are about to read is dated by many scholars as the earliest written book in the New Testament. Most think it was written sometime in the 40s AD of the 1st century. That means it was written around 10-20 years after Jesus died. Let's dive in.

Joyful in Trials

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:

Greetings.

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:1-4)

James writes to Jewish Christians (the twelve tribes) who are in the Dispersion, meaning they don't live in Israel. They've been dispersed from the Promised Land. Remember, his desire is to help them live out their faith.

His first instruction is that they count it all joy when they meet trials of various kinds. Trials could mean hardships, difficulties, or challenges. The theme of this first chapter is going to be how to live out our faith in the midst of trials.

• What are some examples of trials, hardships, or difficulties we might face?
• Are you experiencing any of those?

James tells us to count those things as all joy. Why? Not because the experience itself is enjoyable. He says "for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness" (1:3). It produces endurance, fortitude, and perseverance. It strengthens our faith. And when that has its full effect, it leads to maturity and completeness (1:4).

• How would you describe the attitude with which you are facing your current trials or with which you have faced trials in the past?

James says the key to facing trials with joy is perspective. The reason we can count our trials as all joy, he says, is because of what we know. In verses 3 and 4 he tells us what we are supposed to know. He is telling us the perspective we should have on our trials. But what if we lack this knowledge? What if we lack this perspective? Verse 5 gives us the answer. 

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5-8)

When we ask God for wisdom, usually what we mean by that is, "God, help me make the right decision. Tell me what choice to make. Help me do the right thing." We think of wisdom as taking the proper action, but proper action is only part of wisdom. Proper action is the end result of something deeper.

Wisdom starts with proper perspective. That's where proper action comes from. Proper perspective means having a right understanding of who God is and who we are in relation to him. It's seeing him rightly and seeing ourselves rightly. The book of Proverbs says fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10) and knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). Seeing God and ourselves rightly creates an attitude of reverence, worship, awe, and respect for who God is as our Creator, King, and Father. Jesus' prayer that he taught his disciples captures what fear of the Lord and a proper perspective looks like:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10)

God is on the throne to be glorified; we are not. We want his kingdom built, not ours. We want his will done, not ours. That's where wisdom starts. With that perspective, we then will take proper action. 

James says that we can ask God for this wisdom. God wants us to see him for who he is in all his greatness, glory, goodness, and graciousness. And God wants us to be able to see ourselves as those made in his image, as his beloved children, and as citizens of his kingdom. It's freeing and satisfying and is what we need. 

James says we need to ask for wisdom in faith without doubting. When we first read that, we might think, "I need to ask for it without any doubt in my mind that God will give me what I'm asking for otherwise he won't give it to me." But keep reading. James describes the person doubting "like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind" and as a "doubled-minded man, unstable in all his ways." James is describing a person who can't make up their mind. They are saying one thing but living another.

Imagine the difference between these two scenarios to get in shape. In one scenario, you hire a personal trainer and totally trust them and commit to the process. You show up to the gym willing to do what they ask, you follow their advice, and even change your diet. All of it is difficult and painful with no immediate outcomes, but you know it's building endurance and strength and leading toward health. How do you know? Because your trainer has told you and trust that they know better than you and are doing all of this for your good.

In another scenario, you hire the personal trainer but you don't fully commit to the process. You don't put in full effort at workouts. You miss workouts. You cheat on your diet. You question your trainer's advice and fight with them during workouts. You cut corners.

This second scenario describes someone who is double-minded and unstable. They have asked for something, but they don't really want it. They say one thing, but do another. If with God we are asking for wisdom but we really don't trust him to be our "trainer" in life, then we are double-minded. If we don't really want to surrender to his purposes and plans or to trust his guidance and will, then James says we shouldn't expect to receive anything from him.

• In your trials, do you want God's will to be done or yours?

In verses 9 through 11, James gives a hint as to a kind of trial his readers might be going through:

9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. (James 1:9-11)

It seems perhaps some or many of his readers were facing financial difficulty, possibly because of their faith. They may have lost money or had property seized because of their faith in Jesus. But James focuses them on their exaltation before God. He wants them to boast and find their confidence in their status before God because of Christ. Again, wisdom brings us into a proper perspective: our status before God.

• In your trial, how would it help to remember your exalted status in Christ before God? (you are forgiven, you are a beloved child of God, you are righteous, you are an heir, you are a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, etc.)
• Are you pursuing and trying to hold onto something that fades and withers?
• What has God already given you and promised you that will never fade or wither?

In verses 12-15, he returns to remaining steadfast under trial, but introduces a danger:

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:12-15)

Trials, difficulties, hardships, and afflictions are outside of us, but James warns that the real danger is inside of us. When we go through trials, we face temptation.

James' point is that those temptations don't come from God. We may never actually point the finger directly at God and say, "God, it's your fault that I sinned!" But we tend to blame someone or something else when we sin. We blame things outside of us for how we act. When we are grumpy or cranky or short-tempered or uncaring we say, "Well I've had a bad day" or "My kids were difficult today" or "Work was frustrating today" or "I'm stressed because of [blank] so that's why I acted the way I did." Instead of taking responsibility for how we acted, we say that someone or something out there is to blame. James is saying, "No one out there is to blame. No one out there made you do it. It comes from inside you." And he says when you give into those desires within, they conceive sin and give birth to death. It's a graphic image. 

• What are some temptations you face when you go through trials?
• When you aren’t acting like you should, do you take responsibility? Or do you blame someone or something else?

So how do we experience life instead of death?

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (James 2:16-18)

James doesn't want them to believe that following sinful desires will give birth to good things in their lives. Good things come from God. Giving in to temptation births death in our lives. He reminds them that God gave them new birth ("brought them forth") by the word of truth - the gospel. James is circling back to God's purposes in these trials: he wants to produce maturity and completeness in us, he wants to remove sin and evil desires from us, he wants to grow holiness and righteousness in us, he wants to make us more like Jesus and renew us in his image.

This leads to a choice we need to continually make about the word of God while in trials:

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:19-27)

The choice we always have to make is whether we are going to hear God's Word and ignore it or respond to it. Are we going to hear God's Word and follow our sinful desires or hear God's Word and obey it? James says that if someone thinks it is enough to just hear God's Word or study it or know it but not do it, they are deceiving themselves. They are totally kidding themselves if they think that this is what God wants.

• What are the actions James lists in this section?
• Keeping in mind that these are people going through trials, difficulties, and hardships, why do you think he lists these actions? There are many he could have picked. Do you think there’s a reason he choose these specifically as ones they needed to be reminded of?

Often under stressful circumstances, we become short tempered and impatient. We say and do things that we shouldn't. We also look for a place to put blame. James addresses this in 1:19-21. These would be good for a spouse to hear after a long day at work before they walk in the door to their family. They'd be helpful to hear when you're about to call the internet company for the 5th time this week because your internet isn't working. And other situations like these.

Under stress, we tend to be looser with our tongue. Under stress we tend to go into survival mode and stop caring about others, thinking or at least feeling, "I'm overwhelmed and have too many problems of my own so I can't worry about other people's problems." Under stress, we tend to look to the world's solutions instead of God. James addresses this in 1:26-27. Those are always temptations, but they are especially true under stressful circumstances.

• Are there any situations in your life where you need to hear these words and obey them?

Remember, James is concerned with what true, genuine faith looks like in someone's life. And that means he get's personal. He's concerned with how we talk to each other, how we listen to each other, whether we get angry with each other and whether that anger is leading to violence (1:19-21).

James doesn't want us to live deceived lives by just sitting around listening to and studying the Bible but never doing anything about it. He doesn't want us to be people who don't even know ourselves like someone looking in a mirror then forgetting what they look like. Because if we think we are Christians just because we know the Bible, then we don't even know ourselves.

James doesn't want us to play games with God. He doesn't want us to put on a show. He says religion that doesn't end up changing us in these practical ways is just deceiving our hearts. It's worthless. It's defiled before God. If someone says they worship God but they don't bridle their tongue, care for orphans and widows and others who are vulnerable, or keep themselves unstained from the world's values system, then what good is their religion?

James is giving us a picture of a God who wants to have a real relationship with us. God has made a way for us to have a relationship with him at great cost. He's paid for our forgiveness which we hear about in the word of truth (James 1:18). That means we can be reconciled to him and know him. But he wants a real genuine relationship. He doesn't want us to play games. He doesn't want us to be half-hearted. He doesn't want us to be double-minded. He doesn't want us let his word go in one ear and out the other and not let it change us. God wants us to have a real, dynamic, vibrant, life-changing relationship with him and that means it gets down into the attitudes and actions, details and activities of our lives.

Response 

The driving theme of this letter is: What does true, genuine faith look like in someone's life? Today we saw that while going through trials:

1. Faith looks like joy because we know God's purposes.
2. Faith looks like obedience to God's Word.

Some possible responses for today:

• Do you need to adjust your perspective?
• Do you need to remember your status before God?
• What temptations do you need to fight?
• What do you need to obey from God's Word?

Worship with others:

As a church this month, we want to encourage one another every Sunday by worshiping together on WhatsApp (check out the video about encouraging one another here). Take a few minutes to post in the Encouragement group on WhatsApp.

Here are some examples of what you could post:

• how God spoke to you through your time of worshiping at home
• a verse that stood out to you
• a song that touched you from the worship playlist
• a truth that God reminded you of that you needed to hear
• what God is teaching you
• a prayer
• thankfulness to God - who he is, what he's done
• and more!

Bonus

If you haven't heard of The Bible Project, they are great. They make short, animated videos for books of the Bible and themes in the Bible. Here is their video for the book of James.