Frank's Bible Blog

James Chapter 5--The Balance of God

One side of God: the righteous judge--punishing the oppressor, vindicating the righteous, dealing with the trouble maker, and sentencing the sinner.

The other side: a benevolent father--quick to hear, longs to forgive, acts with tenderness.

God notices the plight of the oppressed and disadvantaged. God will judge the sins of those who get personal gain at the expense of others. God is the great judge. God is full of tenderness and mercy, His plans end in good. We must patiently endure any suffering that comes our way knowing that God is in full control and truly does have something good waiting for us on the other side of the adversity. The Lord is waiting to receive our thanksgiving as well as our supplications. He is able to heal and forgive. He puts great emphasis on prayer.

James Chapter 4--A Right Relationship with God

The benefits of a right relationship with God: 1) dynamic prayer life 2) intimacy with God 3) proper relationships 4) confidence for the future

The Requirements for a right relationship with God: 1) pure motives 2) exclusivity 3) absolute humility 4) total dependence

God gives to us who ask Him when we ask with pure motives and not out of jealousy or envy or when we are simply seeking personal pleasure. God is a jealous God in the truest since of the word. He will not share space or glory with others, including the world. His friendship is reserved for those who will walk solely with Him. God does desire a personal friendship with us! In fact, He places within the believer His Holy Spirit who draws us to God, gives us a longing for God, and enables us to resist the evil pull of this world. God requires absolute humility before Him. When we empty ourselves completely of ourselves and come to the point of total dependence upon God, then he will lift us up and give us honor. That humility must also extend to others, understanding that we have no right to judge, criticize or condemn them for that is God's role as the righteous judge. It also must work in our lives so that we are not arrogant about the future. God is sovereign. He controls tomorrow. Without Him, nothing can occur. Our plans are empty if He is not in them.

James Chapter 3--The Wisdom of God

The attributes of God's wisdom: 1)consistency 2) purity 3) love 4) gentleness 5)selflessness 6) mercy 7) good works 8) sincerity 9) unbiased

God holds teachers of the Word to a higher standard, a stricter level of accountability. God takes seriously the teaching of His truths. It is not something that we should take lightly, and that means that our walk should also match our talk. We need to guard our tongues all the time. We can do this if we act in the Wisdom of God. The Wisdom of God should lead to consistent godly living. God's Wisdom is pure and must be sought with a pure heart, not a heart of selfishness or jealousy so that you can brag about it. God's wisdom is peace, love, gentleness, selflessness, merciful, causes good deeds, is sincere and does not show partiality. If you are walking in God's wisdom, then these things will be true of your life.

James Chapter 2--God's Requirements

There are three requirements for a proper relationship with God: 1) spiritual poverty 2) obedience to the higher law 3) genuine "God" faith

Three topics are discussed in this chapter: prejudice, the law of love, and faith with good works. We see that the poor have a special place in God's heart and He gives them a special faith. In fact, all of us must become poor, spiritually, if we are to inherit eternal life. Second, we notice that God has a higher law that He holds man to. It is not a law written in tablets but a law written in the heart. This kind of law is now possible because we can now have a personal relationship with God through Christ's atonement. This is the law by which we will be judged. Legalism falls short of God's higher law. Legalism really is the first law, the old law. God now expects more from us since He now permanently resides in our lives. Finally, James answers the question "what does God require for justification." The answer is true faith--faith that is verifiable and alive. It is the kind of faith that generates true repentance. To say you believe in God is not enough. There must be the kind of radical belief that actually effects your life.

James Chapter 1--The Nature of God

James moves quickly through three subjects in this chapter: our attitude, God's nature and our obedience. Our attitude should be one of rest and contentment in God, not one of worry and dissatisfaction. We should maintain the proper attitude regardless of the circumstances around us. One of God's attributes in goodness. He does not try to get us to do evil. He cannot because that is contrary to His nature. Rather, everything good in our lives is from Him. He is consistent. Finally, our response to God's nature should be that of obedience…every time, all the time! When we encounter God, we must adjust our lives to fit His will. This chapter gives us great insights into Theology Proper. In fact, it really is a theological chapter. We should ask the question, "What does this chapter reveal about the person and nature of God?" It deals with the immutability, impeccability, omniscience, omnipotence and sovereignty of God.