James 1:1

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations, knowing that the trying of your faith works patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, for he that wavers is like the wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.

Let's pray. Lord, as we look into your word, and as we just sang that song, "Call upon the name of the Lord and be saved," we see in this passage that if any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God. We call to you right now, Father. We ask that you, by your Spirit, would guide us through your word, that you would continue to teach and instruct us, Lord, that you'd give us insight, and that you would transform us more and more into the image of your Son. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. You can be seated.

The book of James is an intensely powerful book. It's filled with very practical exhortation. It kind of smacks you around. So if at the end of the service today you feel a little beat up, I apologize at the onset because God is going to speak to us, I believe, very clearly through this book. It addresses many of the problems that the early church was facing.

The Apostle James, as I mentioned last week, was the half-brother of Jesus. He was the overseer or the bishop of the church at Jerusalem. He received the nickname "Camel Knees" in the later years of his life. Sounds like an interesting one, right? The reason for that was because this man was a great and mighty man of prayer. He spent much of his time there in Jerusalem at the temple on his knees before God in prayer. He developed thick calluses upon his knees from falling upon them so often in prayer, which earned him the name Camel Knees. We looked at last week that 26 times in this five-chapter letter, he refers to the Sermon.

On the Mount, Jesus' teaching there in the Sermon on the Mount is found in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7. There are also 45 references to the Old Testament in these five chapters. This shows that the early church was focused primarily on the Old Testament scriptures and the teachings of Jesus, applying those lessons very practically to their lives.

I know that last week it was somewhat out of the comfort zone for many of us within Calvary Chapel to just read through the letter. In our kind of Twitter attention span society, where everything is 140 characters or less, it's difficult to simply read through the scriptures. I will tell you, if it was hard for you to sit and listen to the word of God read through those five chapters, I guarantee it was 100 times more difficult for me not to comment on it. My desire is to jump into these verses verse by verse, but I wanted to look at it in the context that they would have understood nearly 2,000 years ago when this letter was sent to those scattered abroad from the church in Jerusalem.

Now, one last point of history before we get into the book: James was martyred for his faith in Jesus around A.D. 62. Even the Jewish Sanhedrin in Jerusalem regarded James as a highly spiritual man because he spent so much time in the temple in prayer. Tradition holds that they asked him to go and declare to the people from one of the high points on the Temple Mount during Passover that Jesus is not the Messiah, in an attempt to correct this whole situation.

Well, that was obviously a bad thing to ask of James, as he had seen the risen Lord. He stood upon the temple at that point and began to proclaim and declare that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. At that moment, the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees decided they should not have asked him to do this. Tradition holds that they pushed him off that high point of the temple, and he fell but did not die. They then began to stone him with stones. He got to his knees and called out to God, "Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do." His life ended when a fuller struck him in the head with a club, killing him for his profession of faith in Jesus.

James, some years before that, likely wrote the very first letter to the church. He begins in verse one: "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad." As I mentioned last week, the church there started in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. However, by Acts chapter 8 and Acts chapter 9, they were being driven from Jerusalem by persecution.

At the end of Acts chapter 11, we find that persecution not only drove the people from their homes, but there was also a famine in the land. The people were expelled or dispersed from their homes due to persecution and famine, and they began to travel into the regions of Judea and Samaria. It is during this period that it is believed James wrote his letter as an encouragement and exhortation from one who was seen as a primary leader of the church in Jerusalem.

In verse two, he says, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations." The New King James Version uses the term "diverse trials." The word in the original language can be translated as either temptations or trials; they are one and the same in this passage of Scripture. James encourages them to count it all joy when they encounter these diverse temptations or trials.

The context of who he was writing to is important. We recognize that they had been expelled from their homes, and many of them were traveling somewhat like refugees. They could only carry with them what they could physically hold in their hands or on their backs. These individuals, who perhaps at one time had great riches and homes in Jerusalem, now found themselves amidst trials and tribulations. The church in Jerusalem during that time was experiencing a recession, not just the church but the entire city. Due to the famine, they were going through what could even be called a depression, which is fairly similar to what is happening in our own nation today.

James's words to the church going through these trials were significant. People had lost much of their wealth, their homes, and everything they held dear. He writes to them, urging them to count it all joy when they fall into diverse temptations. I briefly mentioned some of this last week. The only way to effectively count it joy when facing diverse temptations is to understand verse three: "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. But let patience have its perfect work in you, that you may be perfect or complete, lacking nothing."

When God allows a trial in my life and in your life, those trials are brought into our lives for a purpose. As I mentioned, the King James Version of the Bible renders the word as trials, tribulations, or temptations. When God allows a trial into my life, the enemy wants to capitalize on it; he wants to use that trial as a temptation to seduce you and me from departing from the Lord. He seeks to turn us to other things, either to rely on ourselves, our own strength, and our own resources.

Or to turn to the things of this world and away from God. But God desires to use those trials, those temptations, and the things that come into my life and yours to direct our attention to Him. It is in the midst of trials that God is sanctifying, cleansing, and transforming me and you.

Knowing this, the testing or trying of our faith produces patience in our lives. If we allow it, patience will effectively work in us to bring us to the point where we recognize that we are complete, lacking nothing. There can be no maturity without trials. Faith grows in the midst of trials.

Trials have a very interesting effect. Look at verse 5. It says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given." In the midst of the trial, oftentimes we recognize that we are lacking. If you had everything, you might think that you wouldn't be going through a trial.

Sometimes a trial is brought on because of a lack of finances. Sometimes it is due to something in your vehicle breaking, or a bill arriving unexpectedly. If your car broke down and you had $100,000 in the bank, you probably wouldn't view that as a trial; it would not be a big deal to you. However, if you have nothing in the bank, when that trial comes, it really becomes a trial. It becomes difficult because it exposes the lack that is in your life.

Whether it's a physical lack, an emotional lack, or a spiritual lack, every single one of us here today is lacking. God knows this, but a lot of times we think of ourselves as self-sufficient, don't we?

Paul, after many years of following the Lord, going on missionary journeys, and serving the Lord through writing his letters and ministering to the church, came to the point in 2 Corinthians chapter 3 where he said, "I am not sufficient of myself to think anything as being of myself. My sufficiency is of God." God wants to bring you and me to that place where we recognize that He is our all-sufficiency.

This is why Jesus said it is very hard, not impossible, but very hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Typically, rich individuals will rely upon their resources instead of recognizing that God is the giver of those resources and that He is all that they have.

And all that they could need. Oftentimes, God has to strip a person completely to the point where they recognize their need. Sometimes this comes through a financial stripping, which we've been seeing in our nation. The people in the church were going through that as well. Other times, it comes from a physical health stripping. Whatever it may be, the trial comes into our life to expose our lack.

In this specific passage, if any one of you lacks wisdom, he says, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally. He does not abrade, or say, "No, I can't give it to you." He is not a respecter of persons. So, if anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God. God is seeking, through whatever trial He allows in your life, to bring you and me to the place where we recognize that He is, just as Abraham called Him in Genesis chapter 22, Jehovah Jireh, God the Provider. We are to rely upon Him for everything. We confess with Paul that we are not sufficient of ourselves.

The proper response in the midst of a trial is to recognize our lack and ask, "God, would You help me?" God desires that we turn to Him and recognize that He is Abba Father. However, in the midst of the trial, the enemy seeks to keep us from turning to God and asking Him. He tempts us to look to our own resources or to the things of this world.

James says in verse 6, "Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, for he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed." Let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

There are times when we come into a trial or difficulty and say, "Lord, I need Your help. Would You help me?" But at the same time, while asking God for help, we pull out the MasterCard to take care of whatever bill or disaster we face, saying, "Oh, Lord, would You help me?" Yet, we wonder if we should do this on our own. This wavering, this tossed-to-and-fro lifestyle, is one that many within the church find themselves in today. They want to trust God but wonder if He is trustworthy. God says this person is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

In verse 9, James jumps to what seems to be another topic, but as we'll see, it really connects to the previous thoughts.

James says in verse 9, "Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, or let the poor individual rejoice in his exaltation, but the rich in that he is made low." He explains that, "as the flower of the grass, he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower thereof falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes. So also shall the rich man fade away in all his ways."

James' exhortation to the church, whether rich or poor, is clear: "Let the poor individual rejoice. Let the rich man rejoice." He encourages both groups to find joy. One of the biggest trials we face in our lives here in the United States today is the issue of finances. The Israelites of old had the Philistines, while Americans in 2009 faced financial struggles. Often, these financial issues lead us to a place of stress, panic, worry, concern, or a lack of faith.

James gives an exhortation to both the poor and the rich to rejoice. Remember the context: he is writing to a group of Christians who had just gone through a recession and a famine. Many of them had lost everything they owned, and some had been expelled from their homes. They found themselves in unfamiliar places, only able to carry what they had on their backs. They were in a distressing financial situation.

So much so that the body of Christ in the city of Antioch, where Paul and Barnabas were serving God, raised an offering. They sent this offering, as recorded in Acts chapter 11, by the hands of Paul and Barnabas to the church in Jerusalem and Judea to help them in their need.

It is a humbling experience for the rich individual. I use the term "rich" relatively, as you may not think of yourself as rich sitting here this morning, but in reality, we are among the richest people in the world. It can be humbling and difficult for a rich individual to receive what they might consider charity. In their pride, they may decline assistance, saying, "No, no, no, you're not going to help me. You can't help me."

In contrast, for a poor individual who has nothing, receiving something brings joy, and they rejoice in whatever gift they have been given.

Oh, praise God for this gift that has come to me. They had nothing to begin with. But for the rich individual who has lost something, it may appear to them that they are not a charity case. James says to them, "Let the brother of low degree rejoice in his exaltation, but let the rich also rejoice when he is made low."

How can that rich individual rejoice in being made low? He must recognize the truth that James brings up: "Because, as the flower of the grass, so shall he pass away." Listen, the riches that the wealthy people in this world have today, and we are counted among the rich, will not be taken into eternity.

In Luke chapter 16, Jesus tells the story about the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man had joy, pleasure, and everything in this life, while Lazarus had nothing and sat at the gates of the rich man's house begging. He took the scraps that the dogs left behind. Both of them died, and in eternity, things were completely different. The riches or the lack thereof that an individual has in this life—the temporal, physical riches or lack thereof—mean nothing as it relates to eternity. In fact, death is the great equalizer, isn't it?

"Naked came we into this world," said Job, "naked shall we go out." If we can, with Job, say, "Blessed be the name of the Lord," we can rejoice in that. The book of Job is a great story and a book to consider and read. He was one of the wealthiest men of his time, and God, through a trial, took everything away and allowed the enemy to do so. God did this to test Job as a trial for him.

You may remember, if you've read the book of Job, what caused that. There was a day in heaven when Satan came to appear before God. God said to him, "Have you considered my servant Job? He is a righteous man, a good man." Satan replied, "Job only serves you because you bless him. He's a mercenary. If you took everything away from him, he would curse you."

So God said, "All right, let's test your hypothesis." Job didn't know about that, and Satan was given authority and jurisdiction by God to come and take those things from Job.

First, he took all of his servants and everything that he owned. Then, he took his children. After that, he took his health. All that Satan really left Job with was his wife. Now, you might say, "Well, that was very nice of him," until you hear the words of his wife. His wife said to him, "Curse God and die."

Then Job's three friends came and hung out with him. That's very nice, until you hear what his friends said to him. They told him, "The only reason this is happening to you is because you're a sinner. These kinds of things only happen to sinful people." Job, for the next thirty-plus chapters, talked with his friends, saying, "No, that's not the case." Job was correct; it wasn't because of his sin. It was a trial that God introduced to his life, which the enemy sought to use as a temptation to get Job to curse God. But Job wouldn't do that. He would not curse the Lord.

Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted. If you're poor and you receive a great gift, someone gives something to you, you rejoice and say, "Thank you, Lord." But if you are rich and you lose everything and are made low, can you rejoice and say, "Thank you, Lord"? Only if you recognize that this life will pass away. Job recognized that.

In the midst of his despair, as he was laying sick outside his house, scraping ooze from his sores off of him with a shard of clay, it was at that point where he said, "I know that my Redeemer lives, and I shall see Him on that day." He understood this truth: that the grass withers and the flower fades; it will pass away. The sun, which is oftentimes related to trials in the Scriptures, comes with a burning heat. It withers the grass, and the flower thereof falls. The grace of the fashion perishes. So also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. The riches will not go with you into eternity.

This reminds me of a passage that Paul brings up in Philippians chapter 4. Just a few books to the left, if you want to turn there. Philippians chapter 4, starting in verse 10. Paul says in Philippians 4:10,

But I rejoice in the Lord greatly. That now at last your care of me has flourished again, wherein you also were careful, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

You see, Paul the Apostle was in need, and the church at Philippi heard that he was in need. They took up an offering and sent that offering to Paul. He's there thanking them, saying, "I rejoice in the Lord greatly that you've taken care of me in this way." But not that I needed you to take care of me, because I have come to the point where I am able to rejoice in the Lord in whatever state I am, even if I'm in California, to be content. That might be a stretch. But notice how he was able to do that: I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

Where does the power to be able to be content in whatever trial of faith come from? It only comes from the Lord. Another aspect of the rejoicing that James is talking about in his letter is the recognition that one day we are going to be with the Lord in eternity. Those who are rich here upon the earth enter a level playing field. Those who are poor here upon the earth also enter a level playing field when we enter into the kingdom of God.

That's why Jesus would tell us in Matthew 6, verse 20, "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." Not here upon the earth, where moth and rust will come in and the thief is able to come in and steal. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust do corrupt, neither do thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

James, speaking to those Christians who were going through difficulties, seeks to give them an eternal perspective. If we can gain an eternal perspective, we can rejoice in whatever circumstance we're going through. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, but the rich in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass, he shall pass away.

In verse 12, he says, "Blessed is the man who endures temptation or trials, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life."

Which the Lord has promised to them that love Him. Again, James refocuses our attention upon the eternal—the temptation, the trial, the difficult circumstance that you're going through right now. Now, it's merely temporal; it's merely earthly, but it has eternal rewards if we endure. He speaks there of the crown, the crown of life, as James calls it.

There are a number of passages in the New Testament that speak of rewards in heaven. In 2 Thessalonians 4, verse 8, Paul says that in heaven we will receive the crown of rejoicing. James, again here in James 1, verse 12, says that there is the crown of life. Peter, in 1 Peter 5, verse 4, speaks of the crown of glory. The book of Revelation mentions a number of different crowns. Jesus spoke of rewards in the eternal kingdom with Him in paradise.

Now, I'm not entirely sure what these things will look like and exactly what form they will take, but I'm looking forward to finding out. Amen? The eternal perspective in trials is so extremely important. If we could hold on to the words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans, in Romans chapter 8, verse 18, he said, "The sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us."

Many of you at the second service here are new to our church in the last several years, but years ago we had a brother here at our church named Mike Callahan. Mike was an usher. He helped with the 1-800-HIT-HOME Youth Crisis Hotline. He was on the school campuses ministering to kids. If you ever had a chance to talk with Mike, he would always break out his MRIs and show you the brain tumor that he had, which was the size of a bar of soap. His doctor had told him that he would be dead within six months. Well, seven plus years later, the Lord took him home.

I can't tell you how many times Mike would remind me of this verse in Romans chapter 8, verse 18. He never had any sort of self-pity. He always recognized that the sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. Remember Jesus, who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself. In Hebrews chapter 12, it says, "For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the greatest trial that anybody could ever face—the cross."

If we can recognize the joy of being with the Lord in His presence for eternity at His right hand, then we can endure any sort of suffering or trial. In verse 13, James continues, saying, "Let no man say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted of God.' For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts He any man."

Some people are confused by this verse because just prior to this, James has been saying that God introduces trials into our lives. Here, however, he states that we should not say we are tempted by God. It is important for us to recognize what he means when he uses the four-letter word "evil." God cannot be tempted with evil, nor does He tempt any man. God does not dangle the carrot of immorality before us and say, "Let's see if you can stand up against this evil temptation." Some people seem to think that God is setting traps for us, like placing money in front of us to see if we will take it. But God is not like that; the enemy is.

Let no man say when he is tempted that he is tempted of God, because God does not tempt with evil. The enemy, our adversary, the devil, seeks to take whatever trial the Lord allows in our lives and use it as a temptation for us to rely on ourselves, our own resources, or the world around us. God sees in us that we are lacking; we are not complete. He sees that I lack self-control, faith, and perhaps other fruits of the Spirit such as love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, long-suffering, and temperance.

These qualities may be lacking in me today. The Lord allows a trial on the 15 freeway while I am driving. Someone cuts me off. That may seem like a trivial or small thing, and it is. But for some, that could completely derail their day. God reveals a lack of self-control in my heart and life right there. The enemy, however, encourages me to respond with anger. He might say, "Just give them that international symbol. Yell at them, honk your horn, get angry, or cut them off." The enemy loves to introduce these temptations.

Into the situation, an opportunity arises for you and me to sin, to act in our own strength, and to act with our own righteousness, which is as filthy rags. God intends these challenges in our lives to help us grow and to prepare us for today and for eternity.

If you would, turn to the fifth book of the Bible, the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 8. Moses is rehearsing before the ears of the children of Israel all the things that God had done for them. Notice what he says in Deuteronomy chapter 8, verse 15. Speaking of God, he said, "God led you through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions and drought, wherein there was no water. He brought you forth water out of the rock of Flint. He led you in the wilderness and fed you with manna, which your fathers knew not."

Why did God do this? Look at this: that He might humble you and that He might prove or test you. Note this: to do you good at your latter end. You see, God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, and there they were at the Red Sea. They had a mountain pass on one side and some mountains on another side, Piahiroth and Migdol, and behind them was the army of Egypt. They were trapped, and there was a trial.

There was an opportunity to lose faith in God, an opportunity to give up and say, "We surrender to Egypt. Let's go back to Egypt. We're sorry, Pharaoh. Just take us back." Then there was the opportunity to put their faith in God. Although they had little faith, they saw God perform a great miracle. He opened the Red Sea, and they crossed over on dry ground.

They came into the wilderness, and within three days, they were crying out against God, saying, "We have no water. We're going to die." It was a hot, fiery trial. God again showed Himself faithful and gave them water. A few days after that, in Exodus chapter 16, they came to Moses, saying, "We have no water. We're going to die. Why did you bring us out here to die? Let's go back to Egypt." And God revealed Himself and fed them with manna in the wilderness.

For 40 years, He fed them with manna. Why did He do this? That He might humble them, that they wouldn't look to their own resources, that they wouldn't look to their own counsel, and that they wouldn't look to this world and what they could get from it. Instead, they would look to God. He did this to test them and to prove them. Ultimately, it was for their good in the latter end.

The trial you're going through today, this week, or whenever, God has introduced it into your life to bring you to the place where you trust in Him completely. You should also see that this is for your latter end. In verse 14 of James chapter 1, it says, "Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lusts and enticed." When lust is conceived, it brings forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.

The first point from verse 14 is that every man is tempted. All the ladies are going, "Amen." But that's mankind; ladies, you're involved there too. Everyone is tempted. The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, speaks about this general temptation of all mankind. I would like to read it to you. In 1 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 13, he says, "There has no temptation overtaken you but such is common to man."

The first truth we need to recognize from James chapter 1, verse 14, is that everybody experiences temptation. Even Jesus was tempted, as seen in Matthew chapter 4 and also in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was tempted in all points, like as we are, yet without sin. He didn't sin.

You may say, "Well, I recognize that everybody's tempted, but you don't understand the temptation that I go through. Nobody's ever experienced this." Paul says, "No, that's not true. There is no temptation overtaken you but such is common to man." We experience similar temptations. Yes, they may not be exactly the same, but the three primary areas in which we are tempted are the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

We don't have time to get into an in-depth study on the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; that's for another day. However, he says, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man." The very next thing he says is extremely important: "But God is faithful."

You see, the thing that we learn when going through a temptation or a trial is that when our faith is tested, we find not that our faith is great, but that our God is great and that He is faithful. It reveals that He is faithful.

God is faithful and will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able. He knows what you can handle and what you can bear. But with the temptation, He will also make a way of escape so that you may be able to bear it. God is not just going to rip you out of it and say, "Oh, I'm sorry, man. Won't try that again. Didn't seem like you're going to make it." No, God says, "I'm going to give you a way of escape so that you can bear it."

Everyone is tempted. How are they tempted? They are drawn away by their own desires, as stated in verse 14 of James chapter 1, and enticed. The word "drawn away" is used only once in the New Testament; this Greek word literally means to lure forth as a hunter, to set a trap, to set a snare. The Proverbs talk about a snare being set. Our enemy, the adversary, the devil, is personified in the Scriptures as a lion seeking whom he may devour. He is seeking his prey, hunting you down, and he sets a snare. That is the temptation.

Last week, when we were at the beach for the beach baptism, a group of guys from the youth group wanted to snare a seagull. One of them, Brandon, laid down in the sand, and they put a towel over him. They placed all kinds of food on his towel, and he lay there motionless. I guess the guys had caught a seagull like this before. I sat there watching for about 10 or 15 minutes, and then I signaled to Christian and Nick, saying, "Hey, grab that trash can and get some water." They filled the trash can with water and threw it on him. I know, I'm not very nice. But that's the picture: the enemy, the adversary, the devil, has set a snare, a trap to catch you, to lure you.

James says that every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires. The lure is set, and the enemy has a great selection of lures. Perhaps you are not led astray by immorality or pleasure, or maybe not by money. Whatever it is, he will look, he will find, and he will try to get at the thing that you desire to entice you.

Temptation, in and of itself, is not sin. But when we make the decision to turn towards it and go after it, in that moment, in that nanosecond, sin is conceived, and it ultimately brings forth death. The wages of sin...

Death is a trial that comes into my life, and God desires to use it to prove His faithfulness to me. However, the enemy often tries to bring the same trial into my life to get me to trust in my own resources or to look to this world. If a financial trial comes into your life, God desires that you would come to the place where you recognize Him as Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides.

But what does the enemy do? The enemy reminds you that there are a half dozen casinos within a half hour. You might think, I could take this little bit of money that I have, go have some fun, and maybe win big. As the stress of that financial trial weighs heavily upon you, the enemy comes in and says, "Just check out. Go down to the store, buy yourself a 12-pack, or get yourself a dime bag. You don’t have to worry about it. You don’t have to stress about it. The problem will go away."

How many of you have found that the problem doesn’t go away? In verse 16, James says, "Do not err, my beloved brethren." I can see the emotion and passion of James as he begs with his brothers and sisters within the body of Christ. He pleads with them, saying, "Do not err." The word "err" in the original language means to be led astray, to be led aside from the right way. The lure has grabbed your attention.

When a trial comes into your life and something is lacking—be it finances, strength, or self-control—it comes to prove your faith in the faithfulness of God. The enemy immediately begins the temptation process to cause you to err, to stray away. If you are lacking strength, the enemy says, "Just give in, have sex with her." If you are lacking finances, the enemy says, "Just charge it on the MasterCard. You’re worth it, man. You’re worth it."

In verse 17, James says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." Of His own will, He begot us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures. If you wait upon the Lord and trust in the Lord, you will find that He truly is the God who provides. He desires...

That we would come to Him as our Father, the Father of lights. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him. You have that individual, and many are in this case where they come into a church and they're single. They have no spouse, and they really want that. They want the companionship or perhaps they even want the relational intimacy of marriage. God says, "I know you have that desire. I gave you that desire. That desire has been planted in you for a reason. But wait on Me. Be patient."

The enemy goes, "Nah, man, go down to Pounders. Find yourself a girlfriend. You can live with her." The Lord will prove Himself faithful because every good and perfect gift comes from Him. The Scriptures say that he who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord. It's the gift of God. Amen, Andrea?

Wherefore, 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. You see, the temptation is just to get angry, even angry at God. "Where are You, God? Don't You understand what I'm going through? Don't You understand that I'm in need right now? Where are You?"

Or, there can be anger within marriage. Many studies have shown that the number one cause for strife and division within marriage is financial issues. It's finances. But that anger will not manifest the righteousness of God. We're great at manifesting our own righteousness, which is just filthy, stinky rags. We're great at it.

That's why so many non-believers say their biggest complaint about the church is that it is filled with hypocrites. Why? Because we talk so much about the righteousness of God, but we display our own righteousness, which stinks. It's disgusting. So they say, "I don't want that."

James gives an exhortation: be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. In other words, open your ears and keep your mouth shut. You see, God created us with two ears and one mouth. The question is,

Do we get the drift? Have any of you ever gotten yourself into trouble with your mouth? Whoa. That's not a week that goes by without it happening. The wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

This principle, found in the New Testament on a number of occasions, emphasizes the importance of laying aside the old life and putting on the new life. James says to lay aside all this filthiness and the overflow of wickedness and to receive God's word. Why? Because His word is able to save your souls. There are dozens of fleshly tendencies that you and I have in our lives that we need to lay aside. We recognize that none of these fleshly works produce the righteousness of God or manifest the righteousness of God. Therefore, we should lay them aside. They are not beneficial to us, nor are they beneficial to God and our witness of Him.

God has given us the ability, by His Holy Spirit, to do so. However, we have to make a decision of the will regarding whether or not we will do what He said. There is power from God; the question is, will we exercise it? I use the word "exercise" for a reason. Everyone here in this room recognizes that exercise isn't easy, is it? If it were easy, everyone would be as strong as Fabio. Well, there's Bruce. Like Bruce Strong. He waved at me. You wave, and I'll pick you out. Look out, man.

We must be willing to exercise godliness. Now, turn just a few books to the left to the book of 1 Timothy. Paul is writing to his son in the faith. In 1 Timothy chapter 4, specifically the last portion of verse 7, but we'll read the whole verse starting there, Paul says, "Timothy, refuse profane and old wives' fables." Here’s what it is: exercise yourself towards godliness. Exercise yourself towards godliness. Why?

Bodily exercise profits little, but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of life that now is and of that which is to come. He goes on to say in verse 9, "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance." This is a faithful and true saying. Bodily exercise has a little bit of profit, but godliness is profitable unto all things. Notice this: it has the promise of life, which now is and that which is to come.

You see, godliness is profitable for life right now, and it's profitable for life in eternity. God desires that we would experience the abundant life. The abundant life is only experienced as we come to God, willing to exercise ourselves towards godliness by His power and by His strength.

There are a lot of Christians who are not experiencing the abundant life, and they are about ready to check out, saying, "Man, I can't do this. This isn't the abundant life." Well, might I suggest to you that you have not done what James is going to exhort the church to do in the very next verse? Chapter 1, verse 22, James says, "But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

I really do believe that church is great, and it's awesome to see such a big group of people gather together here on a Sunday morning to worship God and to receive His word. However, if all you ever do is come to church and it becomes some sort of sermon appreciation society, where you sit here for 90 minutes, get a good performance from the worship team for 30 minutes, and then have to slave through the message for another hour, I hope that's not the case.

If you come here for 90 minutes, thinking, "Now I did my religious service," and you leave unchanged, having not been transformed in any way, then you deceive yourself. We must apply, we must employ, and we must utilize the things that we learn from God's word.

What's that look like? Well, when Paul tells the church at Ephesus in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 25, "Stop lying and speak the truth," what does that mean? It means stop lying and speak the truth. If you're a liar, stop lying and speak the truth. If Paul tells them in verse 8 of Ephesians chapter 4, "Stop stealing, get a job, and give to those that have need," then hey, stop being a thief, get a job, and give to those that are in need. If His word says in verse 29, "Do not use worthless..."

We should avoid using dirty language and instead speak those things that uplift and represent God. We need to stop cursing and telling dirty jokes at work, and instead, speak that which glorifies the name of Christ. It's as simple as that. We have to make a decision to do these things because, in our flesh, it's just easier to check out and say, "Hey man, let's talk the way I always talk."

It is an exercise towards godliness, but it's also an exercise in His strength. It's as if the Holy Spirit is spotting you the whole time and actually holding the weight. You might think, "Man, I'm doing so good," and He responds, "Yeah, you're doing great; keep going."

We are called to be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a mirror. He looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what manner of man he was.

Imagine waking up in the morning, looking in the mirror to see what damage was done overnight. You might see your hair all disheveled and some saliva stuck to your face, and you would think, "Wow," then walk away and go about your day. None of you seem to have done that this morning; that would be foolish.

We look into the mirror for a purpose. Some people look into the mirror just to check their appearance, but we look into the Word for a reason. The Word serves as a mirror, but it is not only a mirror; it has the power to transform and to cleanse.

In the temple and the tabernacle, there was something called the bronze laver. It was a large basin of water made of polished bronze that looked like a mirror. The priests would use it to see their reflection, to identify what was disordered or dirty, and they had the water there to cleanse themselves.

In the same way, the Word of God is that bronze laver, revealing the thoughts and intents of the heart. It reveals so that we can change, not so we can walk away and say, "Yep, I'm a jerk," without any intention to change.

Whosoever looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his work and his deed. If any man among you seems to be religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Those that seem to be religious are numerous in our nation. We place great esteem in these religious individuals, whether they follow Buddhism, Hinduism, or any other religion, including Catholicism. We look up to figures like the Dalai Lama, thinking, "Oh man, he's religious; he's spiritual." Many people attend churches in our nation, participating in religious services every single week with devotion. They even go to Bible-teaching churches and appear to be religious because they attend, but they often do not apply any of the things they learn from God in His Word.

James tells us that their religion is useless. However, he also states that pure and undefiled religion before God is this: I want you to notice something important—pure religion before God. People like the Dalai Lama or even the Pope may have pure religion before man; society looks at it and says, "Wow, that's great religion." But even if a billion people admire your religion, if God looks at it and says it is vain, useless, and a waste of time, then it holds no value.

I want my life and my devotion to God to be undefiled before Him, where He looks at it and says, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." Amen! That is what we want to hear on the day of Christ Jesus.

There are some people who have taken verse 27 of James chapter 1 and decided to start a new religion. They say, "Our religion will have three points: we will visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, and we will keep ourselves unspotted from the world." They believe that by following these points, they will have pure and undefiled religion before God.

Wait a minute! We need to recognize that these are applications of God's law. It is not just about keeping these three points and thinking you are good. What is it? It is the application of the law of love: to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, to love your neighbor as yourself. It is also the application of the law of love towards God: to love God above all and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

This is someone who is a doer of God's Word, and God looks at that and says, "That is pure and undefiled religion before God that I like."

In James 2:1, it says, "Are you not partial in yourselves, and are you become judges of evil thoughts?" Hearken, my beloved brethren. Has not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He has promised to them that love Him? But you have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme the worthy name by which you are called?

If you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. You do well. But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin and are convicted of the law as transgressors. Here, He speaks against partiality—treating different people on different levels based on their appearance.

You might say, "Well, I never do that." I do, and I'll admit it; we are partial. God is not. Praise the Lord! I'm so thankful He didn't look at me and say, "I don't think so." We are partial from the time we are little kids, picking teams for kickball. Oftentimes, the people we seek to impress don't care about us. We seek to impress these celebrities, thinking they are the ones who matter, but they don't care about us.

The people who really do care about us, the ones who could receive from us or really have a need that we could help, often get ignored. We waste way too much time trying to impress people who are completely self-absorbed. That's what He is saying.

These same rich people that you esteem—thinking they are blessed by God—are not necessarily the ones who matter. There has always been a perception, 2,000 years ago and still today, that if you are rich, you must be blessed of God. However, He reminds us that God has chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, heirs of the kingdom of God. God is not a respecter of persons. We need to realize that He has chosen rich and poor of every possible skin color.

Of every possible language, He has chosen to be His children. Some of the poorest in this world we will see in the Kingdom of Heaven are rich towards God, and some of those people that we expect to be rich in Heaven will be extremely poor.

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, yet offend in one point, is guilty of all. For He that said, "Do not commit adultery," said also, "Do not kill." Now, if you commit no adultery but you kill, have you not become a transgressor of the law? You see, we also need to realize that the law is a whole and not just the parts. We like to divide the law into little parts and say, "I keep that part, I keep that part too." But what about this part? Well, let's not talk about that one.

When we talk to people who are non-believers, like those on the street during the good person test, we ask them, "Are you a good person?" They often respond, "Yeah, I'm a pretty good person." We then ask, "Have you ever lied?" They might say, "Well, what do you mean by lie? A half-truth, a non-truth?" They may admit, "Well, yeah, maybe." But what's that make you? A human? No, no, no.

A lot of times, when you ask someone if they are a good person, they say, "Well, I've never committed adultery. I've never murdered. I'm good." This is why Jesus addressed those laws specifically in the Sermon on the Mount. He knew man's heart. Man would always say, "Well, I didn't kill anybody. I haven't committed adultery. I'm good."

Just a couple of days ago, we launched the space shuttle into space, which was delayed all week long. Some of you may have seen in the news that it was delayed by thunderstorms. A lot of times, they gather all those people in command and control down at Kennedy Space Center, and they go through all the checklists. Every single person gets to speak up, and they all participate in the "go/no-go" for launch. If one person says, "Nope, got a problem," they scrub the whole thing. It's too valuable to have even the smallest problem.

What destroyed the Challenger in 1985? An O-ring. What destroyed the most recent shuttle, Columbia, a few years ago? A tile that big. They say it's just one thing, just so small, it's not a big deal. No, it is a big deal. It's life and death, and it's a big deal.

You see, not only do we show our partiality in how we relate to one another, but we also show our partiality with the law. We are partial to certain laws, saying, "Yeah, I've kept that one." God says...

I'm not partial. In verse 12, it says, "So speak ye, and so do, as those that will be judged with the law of liberty." Recognize this: God judges based upon His entire law. He doesn't divide it up and say, "Well, you kept eight of them, but these last two..." or "You did more good than bad; come on in." God is not like that. The God of Islam, Allah, is like that. In fact, I would suggest to you that just about every other god in all the other religions is like that—more good than bad.

However, the one true God says, "Listen, you broke it all; you're going to hell." Oh Lord, I'm lacking. Yes, that's the point. But God provided a way through His Son, Jesus, who came 2,000 years ago and died upon the cross for you and me. He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might receive His righteousness, because righteousness I have none apart from His.

When we recognize that God is going to judge according to all His law, we see in verse 13 that "He shall have judgment without mercy that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment." You see, when you recognize that God judges with His entire law, you begin to love the mercy of God like you never have before. We have received mercy from the Lord; we have not received the judgment that we should have received because He poured it out upon His Son.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:7, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Do we mirror the mercy of God to those in this world?

Another very interesting passage is in Luke 6:36. I'm sorry, Luke 6:38 has been used many times in talking about tithing. You know this verse: "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall men give unto your bosom; for with the same measure you meet it withal, it shall be measured to you again."

Listen, there are some preachers on TV who preach, "Give, and it shall be given unto you." That's not what Jesus is saying. Back up a couple of verses. Two verses before that, He says, "Be merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged; condemn not, and you shall not be condemned; forgive, and you shall be forgiven." Then He says, "Give, and it shall be given unto you." He's speaking about mercy; He's speaking about forgiveness.

It's been given to you freely; give, and it shall be given back to you, pressed down, shaken together.

In verse 14, James says, "What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say he has faith and has not works? Can faith save him?" If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be you warmed and filled," notwithstanding, you give them not those things which are needful to their body, what does it profit? Even so, faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone.

Yea, a man may say, "Thou hast faith, and I have works." Well, show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. My faith will be revealed in my works, is what he's saying. You believe that there is one God; you do well. Even the demons believe and tremble. Yet the demons believe that there is one God, but they do not have works that accompany that faith—works meet for repentance.

See the correlation? Even the demons believe and tremble. But will you, oh vain man, know that faith without works is dead? Then he uses this illustration: Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac, his son, upon the altar? Do you not see how faith wrought with his works, and by works, faith was made perfect? The scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness," and he was called the friend of God.

You see how that by works a man was justified and not by faith alone? Likewise, Rahab the harlot was justified by works when she had received the messengers and sent them out another way. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.

Now, in the 16th century, the German reformer Martin Luther had a hard time with the book of James because of this passage right here, where it says that Abraham was justified by his works. Paul, in Galatians and also in Romans, more specifically, says he was justified by faith. So, Martin Luther called this the "epistle of straw." He didn't completely reject it, but he had a hard time with it.

However, if you read carefully, you'll find that James is saying nothing different than what Paul is saying. In verse 23, James makes it very clear that Abraham was justified by faith; he was imputed righteousness. But his faith was made perfect, or it was proved to be real, in Genesis chapter 22.

Years later, when Abraham took his son and was willing to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice because God told him to do it, God stayed his hand just before he killed his son. He said, "Now I know that you withhold nothing from me." Abraham's work in Genesis chapter 22 proved that his faith in Genesis chapter 15 was a reality.

You see, it's not faith and works; it's not faith or works. It's a faith that works. If you tell me, "I believe that I can fly," now please don't sing the song, but if you tell me you believe you can fly, I'll say, "Alright, let's go up on the roof. You jump off; you show me how you can fly." If you say, "Well, it's not very high," I'll respond, "Let's go up on the Coronado Bridge. Alright, you believe you can fly; jump off. Let's see." Then your faith is all of a sudden tested. Abraham proved that his faith was a reality in Genesis chapter 22. He had a faith that worked.

Warren Wiersbe said, "A faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted." This is so very true. These people were going through trials; they were experiencing difficulty. The temptation in difficulty is to not trust in the Lord, but to trust in your self-sufficiency or in the things of this world. That's what the enemy wants you to do.

James wrote to them to strengthen their hand in God, and that's why, 2,000 years later, we still study it—to strengthen our hands in God. You see, when you trust in Him, you will find that He is faithful. Sometimes He waits a little bit; He is sometimes the God of the 11th hour, but He is never late. Amen. We learn to trust in Him through trials.

I've heard it said before, "Don't pray for patience because you'll get trials." You're going to get trials whether you pray for patience or not. The question is, will you learn patience in the midst of the trial? Even though we're a few minutes over, which just might be a trial for you, when we leave these doors in a second, you're going to go out into trials. May we learn to exercise godliness in the midst of them, because bodily exercise profits little, but godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of life that now is.

And that which is to come. Let's stand and pray together.

Father, I thank You for Your Word. I pray that You would help us to apply it to our lives. Lord, I know that this letter, this book, really is kind of like a holy spanking. I pray that we would learn from it, be exercised by it, and, as a result, be more like You as we leave from here. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank You.