New commentary on the book of James

I have compiled my posts on the letter of James to the dispersion, edited it, and made it available in a downloadable format on the Commentary tab on my blog. I hope you enjoy this commentary.

David Robison

Don't judge me - James 5:19-20

"My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." (James 5:19-20)

James is not talking about a mental or theological straying from the truth but an actual wandering from the right way, from the truth we were called and meant to live. It is a straying in our behavior, actions, and deeds. Sin has a price, and those who serve to revert someone from their way of error back to the way of truth, delivers the erring from death, judgment, and the ravages of sin.

We live in a popular culture that seeks to deflect all judgment from ourselves. We live destructive lives and say to others, "Don't judge me!" Even in the church we are told that it is wrong to judge others and that we should live a lifestyle free from judging, even though Paul asks, "Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? ... Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?" (1 Corinthians 6:2-3) We speak of unconditional love as a love that would never judge us for our conditions when, rather, it is a love that continues to love even in spite of one's judgement on our conditions. Unconditional love is able to see the truth in other people and to judge the sin of others and yet continue to treat them lovingly in spite of what they've done or are doing. Love without judgment is worthless. Love requires judgment to be love!

The goal of what James is saying is that we should seek to save and restore those who are lost or who have wandered from the good and right way. The first step in restoring such a one is to judge ourselves. Jesus taught, "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye." (Luke 6:41-42) Jesus is not saying that we should ignore the speck in our brother's eye but rather that we should first consider our own lives and attend to them first. How can we help free someone from sin if we ourselves are caught in sin? However, if we free ourselves from sin then we will be able to free others from sin as well. I had a friend who was contemplating a corrective word from God and God spoke to him saying, "Before you run anyone through with that sword, make sure you run it through your own heart a couple of times first." We should seek to apply the word of God to our lives first before we try and apply it to the lives of others.

The second step us to judge ourselves. Paul said, "Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted." (Galatians 6:1) We must judge ourselves not only for our own behavior and sins but also for our proclivities. There is a pride that can creep in when we think we have it together; a pride that can weaken us towards temptation and cause us to fall even while attempting something good. Paul said, "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall." (1 Corinthians 10:12) When we judge others by saying, "I would never do that!" then we deceive ourselves as to our true nature. Someone once said, "There but for the grace of God go I." This truth we should keep before our eyes while seeking to save others. We are all sinners, we are all susceptible to falling, we are all merely human. Such humility will allow us to help others without endangering ourselves.

The final step is to reach out in the gentleness and love of God. Paul says that, "we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." (2 Corinthians 5:20) When we see people who are lost, hurting, or caught in sin, sometimes our instincts are to rush in to help. However, we must stop and realize that what they need is God. They don't need us, our ideas, or our platitudes, rather then need God to intervene in their lives to heal then, set them free, and restore them back to right relationship with God. God wants to reach out and we are but His ambassadors; not proclaiming ourselves but Christ and His message of love. Our goal is not to restore them to us and our view of how their life ought to be lived, but to restore them to God that they may receive His message and find obedience to Him and His will. We must learn what John once said, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)

David Robison

Living before God - James 5:13-18

"Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit." (James 5:13-18)

When you're sad, where do you go for comfort? When you're happy, who do you share it with? When your sick, who do you turn to for help? Most of us life our lives and share our lives with other people, all the while forgetting the God who created us and who cares for us. James is encouraging us that our lives must first be lived before God and our thoughts should first be towards Him above all others. When we are sad, we should first turn towards God and seek His comfort. When we are happy, we should first give thanks to God from whom, "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights," (James 1:17) When we are sick, we should first turn to the our heavenly doctor who is able to heal us and save our soul. All these we should do first before turning to each other and seeking help from earthly agents.

In reference to physical healing, James says that we should pray and enlist the help of the elders to anoint us with oil and prayer. However, our dependence should not be on the elders or their prayers, but on the Lord who answers. In asking for prayers from others we must never do so as seeking aid from them but as seeking the aid that comes from God through the prayers of the righteous. Sirach, long before the birth of Christ, put it this way, "My child, when you get sick, don't ignore it. Pray to the Lord, and he will make you well. Confess all your sins and determine that in the future you will live a righteous life. Offer incense and a grain offering, as fine as you can afford. Then call the doctor—for the Lord created him—and keep him at your side; you need him. There are times when you have to depend on his skill. The doctor's prayer is that the Lord will make him able to ease his patients' pain and make them well again." (Sirach 38:9-14 GNT) Seek the Lord first, then enlist the help and aid of others, seeking the help and aid they bring from the Lord.

Above all, our life should be lived in conversation with the Lord; in prayer, rejoicing, and fellowship. Such a life is not left to the pious elite but is available to everyone. The most eminent of prophets, kings, and apostles were men just like us with like passions, temptations, and concerns, yet they found a life of conversation with God; a life lived out in the presence of God. If they can find such a life, we can too, if we look first to Him above all else.

David Robison

Don't swear - James 5:12

"But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment." (James 5:12)

My grandmother was called as a witness during a criminal trial. When asked to swear that she would "tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God!" she declined and merely said, "I affirm." One of the lawyers took exception to this, but the judge upheld her right saying that some, because of their religious beliefs against swearing oaths, we allowed to simply affirm that they would tell the truth. They were allowed the right to merely say "yes" or "no." My grandmother was a believer and she would not swear any oath. Her word was sufficient.

The Greek word for oath means to construct an enclosure or to fence one in. It represents a restriction we place upon ourselves in showing others the assuredness of what we promise. However, God does not wish us to be bound by any oath, whether ours or not. Paul wrote, "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1) We have need set free for freedom and God does not wish us to bound again, even under sworn oaths.

There was a time when Israel, under King Saul, was pursuing the Philistines. The men pursued hard and Saul put his entire army under an oath, "Cursed be the man who eats food before evening, and until I have avenged myself on my enemies." (1 Samuel 14:24) Unfortunately, his son Jonathan did not hear his command. As the day wore on, he became hungry. As they pursued the enemy into the forest, there was found honey on the ground and Jonathan, "put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened." (1 Samuel 14:27) Those with him warned him of his father's oath, yet he retorted, "My father has troubled the land. See now, how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. How much more, if only the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now the slaughter among the Philistines has not been great." (1 Samuel 14:29-30) Latter that night, when God refused to advise Saul on his battle plans, it was discovered what Jonathan had done. Even though he was his son, Saul said, "May God do this to me and more also, for you shall surely die, Jonathan." (1 Samuel 14:44) However, the people interceded for Jonathan and Saul let him live. The story ends with this statement, "Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place." (1 Samuel 14:46)

Here are some things we can learn from this story as it relates to swearing and oaths, First, oaths can bind upon us unnecessary hardships God never intended. God had given a great victory to Israel and He never intended that the victory would come at the expense of their health or well-being. The greater the promise often the greater the harshness of the oath. God has set us free, why then do we seek to bind ourselves again by oaths? If we are people of our word then we don't need harshness of oaths as surety to our promises.

Secondly, swearing oaths often leads to dishonoring God. Often, when we swear, we often swear things that are hard or disagreeable; things we never want to do or things we never intend to do. We say, "Lord, if you get me out of this alive, then I will go to church every Sunday!" However, when God does preserve us alive, we forget our promise or only keep it a short while. In the end, our failure to keep our sworn oaths brings dishonor to God and harms our reputation as well. Saul has sworn an oath to God, yet he failed to follow through on it. King Solomon said, "It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay." (Ecclesiastes 5:5)

Finally, when we swear and break our oaths, then people stop listening to us and stop following us. When we break our oaths we loose our authority and our word becomes nothing. Israel was pursuing well, they were fighting well, they were winning the battle, yet when Saul let his oath fall to the ground unfulfilled and the people quit and they all returned to their homes. I have seen this often in families with children. Parents threaten with a promise, "If you do that then I will..." yet they never follow through. Their children learn that their word means nothing and they loose all authority in the home. They rant and rage and no one listens because they know their words are just wind. Far better not to sear or threaten than to do so and not follow through.

David Robison

Don't grumble against another - James 5:9-11

"Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful." (James 5:9-11)

James is still speaking in the context of being patient while we wait for both the early and later rains. When our lives are full, we have little time for grumbling, but during the doldrums of summer, our idleness can get us into trouble. We often have great focus and purpose in the flurry of activity that surrounds the beginning and ending of any venture, but the long period of waiting that come in between and the monotony of everyday activity can easily lead us to grumble. This leads to one of my maxims of life: busy people have little time for complaining and grumbling. Unfortunately, many of our churches, at least the ones I have been a part of, are full of idle people... there is no wondering why there is so much grumbling and complaining going on.

Jesus similarly warned us saying,

"Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,' and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 24:45-51)

Monotony and boredom are not our friends and can lead us to behave as we would otherwise not do so. Unfortunately, we can never completely escape from their inevitability. Life is not one big party, nor is our work always interesting and exciting. Sometimes we must simply slug it out as we are waiting for the later rains and the promised harvest of our labors. In the times of seeming unfruitfulness, we must guard our hearts against complaining and grumbling and we must be careful not to to take out our frustration on others.

The key to winning over the doldrums of live is endurance. This Greek word means to "stay under." None of us wants to "stay under" boring times, but that is where we need to be and where the grace of God waits for us to teach us, train us, and mature us in our walk with the Lord. If we keep trying to escape, we will find grumbling and complaining waiting for us, to fill our lives where the work of God ought to have been. Endurance is never easy, that is why they call it endurance, but its fruit is always sweet. "After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 5:10-11)

David Robison

The patience of farmers - James 5:7-8

"Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near." (James 5:7-8)

We live in an instant society where our every wants and needs can be immediately supplied. We can warm a meal in a microwave in minutes, get drive through service without ever leaving the car, and, in some places, online retailers are offering two hour delivery so we can want, order, and receive all before we ever leave our computers. We have become a society that no longer knows how to wait. We want something and we want it now! The same is true with our need to be active. We have so many things to fill up our time. Few of us can go the day without our iPod, DVD player, or some video game to spend our time on. Being bored and being OK with it is a long lost art. We are the active now generation and we expect our Christianity to be the same.

Unfortunately, or fortunately as the case may be, God is not like us. He is not so much concerned with time as we are. He is not opposed to making us wait when waiting is in our own best interest. The writer of Hebrews spoke of those who went before us saying that we should, "not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." (Hebrews 6:12) Often, faith is not enough, we must mix patience with our faith.

Many of those to whom James wrote were agrarian in nature. They worked the land and lived off the land and they understood the rhythm and cycles of plating and harvest. The same process and cycles happen in our lives. Jesus spoke a parable of the sowing of seed and the reaping of a harvest. "And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." (Mark 4:20) Many of us have received the word of God into our lives but not all of us bring that word to fruition and bear the fruit of it unto harvest. The problem is not the sowing nor the reaping but the waiting in between.

In many places the scriptures refer to the early and later rains. "Let us now fear the Lord our God, Who gives rain in its season, both the autumn rain and the spring rain, Who keeps for us the appointed weeks of the harvest." (Jeremiah 5:24) The growing cycle, in that part of the world, included planting, the spring rains, the doldrums of summer, the autumn rains, and harvest. It starts out with a flourish and ends with a flourish but there is much time of waiting in between.

The same is true in our live. May times the working of God in our life is the same as that of the farmers in James' day. We start out all excited and we see God moving in every place and at every time. We believe in a bountiful harvest in the end, but when the excitement of it all wears off, we grow weary in waiting, Many people start off well, but when they fail to see immediate fruit from their new belief or their new commitment to God's word and their obedience to it, they give up and fail to wait for the later rains. They sow seeds and expect immediately to pluck fruit, but life is not this way. Often, while sowing good seed, we must still pull up weeds we have sown in the past until the harvest of our new seeds takes hold. Change takes time and the Word of God takes time to bring forth its fruit. In the in between times, between the spring and autumn rains, we must continue in our good works, waiting patiently for the later rains and the promised harvest to come. We must remember and put into practice the words of Paul. "For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary." (Galatians 6:8-9)

David Robison

Sins of the rich - James 5:4-6

"Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you." (James 5:4-6)

James enumerates three specific sins which the rich commit because of their love of wealth. These sins are not limited to the wealthy, but to all who treasure worldly things in their hearts. When we care more for the things of this life than we do for people and God, then it hardens our heart and changes the way we relate to others. Paul said, "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (1 Timothy 6:10 NKJV) It's not money that is the root of all evil, but the love of money and even the poorest of poor can be bound in its snare. James lists three specific sins that are common to those who are in this wise "rich".

First is corruption. I once worked for a man who was a conniver. He thought himself so shrewd with money, He was "cleaver" in the way he out smarted others and tricked them in his dealings with them. He would buy new equipment for them and keep it and then send them our old used equipment. He thought himself a wise businessman, yet, as King Solomon said, "The rich man is wise in his own eyes, but the poor who has understanding sees through him." (Proverbs 28:11) Such shrewdness is not wisdom but sin! Such corruption in regards to money, turns our heart cold against needs of others. It matters little to us what happens to them, but God hears their cries. We must not defraud each other in the area of money.

Second is luxury. Clement of Alexandria once said, "For it is good for the eyes not to continue always wanton, but to weep and smart sometimes, for greater health. So also nothing is more pernicious to the soul than uninterrupted pleasure." (Clement of Alexandria, Salvation of the Rich Man, Chapter 41) Uninterrupted pleasures subtlety, and steadily, destroys the soul and the rich are more able to secure uninterrupted pleasures than the poor. When we live in luxury, we deprive our soul of the discipline it needs to grow strong and steadfast. The result is that we abound in the work of the flesh rather than in the fruit of the Spirit. Our lives become fattened, but not for glory, rather for destruction. We must remember the words of Paul, "I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:27)

Thirdly is pride. The writer of Hebrews writes of those men and women of faith saying, "They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground." (Hebrews 11:37-38) Our money can make us proud, as if we are the worthy ones; worthy of praise, worthy to be feared, and worthy to command. We expect everyone to bow to our every want and desire while we care nothing for the interests and needs of others. We see ourselves on "top" and everyone else below us. From this position, it is easy to condemn and oppress those who have not risen to the same lofty heights as we have. However, the truth is, that it is not we who are worthy but rather those who are righteous and those whom God has made holy that are worthy. We need a change in our way of thinking and in the measure by which we evaluate the quality and standing of others. Money does not make us great. It is the working of the Holy Spirit that works greatness in us.

David Robison

Let the rich howl - James 5:1-3

"Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!" (James 5:1-3)

The rich whom James is talking about here are not those who possesses many possessions but rather those whose many possessions possess them. They are those whose heart is bound to the things of this world and whose life is dedicated to their pursuit. They are those whose treasure is earthly and temporal rather than being heavenly and eternal. They are rich in their possession of worldly wealth yet poor in their possession of God. They are those whom Jesus chided saying, "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:36-37)

The possession of great riches is no sin, but our attitude towards them and our use of them can be. Two men can have equal riches and one sin in regard to his riches while the other honors God with his wealth. Even a poor person may display themselves as being rich in regard to their meager possessions; hoarding what they have and ever lusting after more. The issue is not how much we own, but where our treasure is. Jesus said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)

Our treasures are the things that fill our hearts and bring us delight and joy. They are the objects of our affection and the goal of our pursuits. Our treasures may be physical things, like gold, houses, and cars, but they may also be ethereal things such as power, prestige, and status. Our treasures may be of honorable stock, such as relationships with God and man, or they may be of ignoble birth, such as the love of self and the lusts of the flesh. The truth is that our heart goes after our treasure. Where our treasure is, there will be our heart. Clement of Alexandria once wrote:

"But he who carries his riches in his soul, and instead of God’s Spirit bears in his heart gold or land, and is always acquiring possessions without end, and is perpetually on the outlook for more, bending downwards and fettered in the toils of the world, being earth and destined to depart to earth,—whence can he be able to desire and to mind the kingdom of heaven,—a man who carries not a heart, but land or metal, who must perforce be found in the midst of the objects he has chosen? For where the mind of man is, there is also his treasure." (Clement of Alexandria, Salvation of the Rich, Chapter 17)

The great fear of the rich is the loss of their treasure. If our heart is bent on the things of this world then we will most certainly suffer their loss. We are two thousand years later into the "last days," how much more certain must the end of all things be upon us and the destruction of the world around us? Those whose treasure lie here are destine to howl and morn their loss for the things of this creation are not eternal but rather temporal and passing away. However, those whose treasures are in eternal things shall enjoy them with God for all eternity.  James is not saying that the rich must sell all their possessions and give away all there wealth, rather that they must liberate themselves from their bondage to wealth and possessions. They must empty their hearts of their worldly treasures that they may fill them with heavenly treasures so that, in that day, they may not morn the destruction of this world but rather rejoice with the rest of the saints in their inheritance of eternity.

David Robison

Do the good we know - James 4:17

"Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin." (James 4:17)

Darby translates the beginning of this verse as "To him therefore who knows how to do good..." (James 4:17 Darby) It could also be translated, "To him who sees good to be done..." However, whatever the translation, the exhortation of this scripture is that, if we see or know of good that ought to be done, then we should do it. To fail to do good that is within our grasp to do is sin. Solomon further warns us, "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, 'Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,' when you have it with you." (Proverbs 3:27-28) When we have the power to do good, we should do it readily and promptly.

Sometimes we view right and wrong as a strict system of behaviors, some behaviors being right and others being wrong. However, right and wrong are more often better defined in terms of good and bad. Here, the word translated as "right" literally means "beautiful" as being excellent, pure, praiseworthy, honorable, and good. Sometimes we fret over what is the "right" thing to do when yet the "good" thing to do is instinctively known by us. One may not know the "right" way to treat his wife, but he most probably knows how to be "good" to her (whether he does so or not). To determine what is "right" we must consult some external set of rules to judge our behavior. However, to determine what is "good" we need only to look at the effect of our behaviors in the lives of others. What is "right" can be abstract, but "good" is always practical and tangible.

The "good" thing is not always the "convenient" thing. What is "good" often conflicts with our own personal goals and plans. Doing "good" sometimes conflicts with what we had planned and what we want to do. However, for those who choose "good" over "self", God has promised a blessing. "There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered. He who withholds grain, the people will curse him, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it." (Proverbs 11:24-26) Being generous opens up to us the generosity of God and doing good invites the goodness of God into our lives. Pleasing ourselves may satisfy us in the moment, but pleasing others can reap for us eternal rewards both now and in the future. Jesus said, "make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings." (Luke 16:9)

Let us not so much worry about doing right or wrong and commit ourselves to doing good whenever the opportunity arises. In doing such we will be a blessing to others and will reap the blessing of God in our lives as well.

David Robison

What is your life? - James 4:13-16

"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.' But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil." (James 4:13-16)

At times I naively believe that it should be straight forward to translate from Greek to English, yet, when I look closer at the Greek, I understand that it is not so. The New King James version translates then ending of verse 14 as, "For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." (James 4:14 NKJV) Here is the question, What is your life? When we misjudge this question or equivocate at its answer, then we often run our lives towards vanity and miss the mark God has set for our lives. We can make our plans, but we must make them with full knowledge of who we are and what our life here on Earth really represents, especially when compared with eternity.

The truth is that our lives are fleeting. They may seem unending and, especially in our youth, we may seem invincible, but time is relentless and will quickly consumes our life. We are on this earth for such a short time. David says, "Lord, make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; let me know how transient I am. Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Selah. Surely every man walks about as a phantom; surely they make an uproar for nothing; he amasses riches and does not know who will gather them." (Psalm 39:4-6)

Most of us live life as if it will never end, but it will. We squander time and opportunities, not realizing that many of them will never return and we often don't get a second chance at opportunities that come our way, We must learn to live life on purpose, to recognize the opportunities and to take full advantage of them. Paul counsels us to "See therefore how ye walk carefully, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16 Darby) Life is too short to be lived aimless, but in purposing our lives we must remember the Lord and purpose within His will. To live our lives outside His will is to completely waist our lives. We must always remember what He says, "The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." (Proverbs 16:9) Our plans must always include the Lord.

Our lives are not only brief, but they are also unpredictable. It is man's nature to spend today what should be saved for the uncertainties of tomorrow. None of us know what will happen tomorrow and whether tomorrow will be kind or grievous. Some men hoard what should be given and others spend what should be saved, but both sin by supposing tomorrow to be just as they imagined it.

Jesus tells the story of the rich farmer who built bigger and bigger barns for his record crop that he might achieve financial security for himself. However, "God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?' So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:20-21) Jesus also tells the story of ten virgins, five of which spent what they had and didn't make provisions for the future. However, after the bridegroom had delayed in coming, "Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'" (Matthew 25:7-8) One man horded what he never got to enjoy and another enjoyed what he latter wish he had left to use, and both presumed upon the future. We must make our plans and we must prepare for the future, but we must always remember that our future is only secure if we learn to be rich towards God first. Let us learn to give first place to what really matters and to those things that retain eternal value.

David Robison

Judging the law - James 4:11-12

"Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?" (James 4:11-12)

I have most often heard this scripture used in its denunciation of judging one another. However, it seems to me that the main force of this passage is against those who would speak evil of, slander, or be a traducer of another. A traducer is one who brings shame upon another person through falsehood and slander. This is the same word Peter uses when speaking of those who spoke evil of believers in his day. "And keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame." (1 Peter 3:16) It seems to me that James is not speaking here of any form of judicial judgment, either by civil or religious law, but rather the form of judgment that disparages another and subjects them to shame for failures, faults, and frailties that we perceive in them. It is a judgment based on our own ill-will rather than a judgment based upon facts and reality. It is a judgment that is meant to demean rather than to correct and instruct.

When we speak evil of our brothers and sisters, we also speak evil of the Law of Christ which has redeemed them and called them holy. The apostles repeatedly refer to believers as saints which means holy ones, yet when we judge and slander each other, we condemn the very same law that made them holy; the law of Christ. Furthermore, while we condemn the law as being wrong in regard to our slandered brothers or sisters, we are proving ourselves to be transgresses of that law by not heeding its commands to love. We set ourselves above the law, to judge it rather than to obey it.

The phrase, "Jude the law" is a modern legal term that is used in association with Jury Nullification. The group Jury Box (jurybox,org) defines Jury Nullification as "Jury Nullification is the term given to the process where the jury of a criminal case acquits the defendant regardless if he has broken the law in question. The jury would do this in a case where they judge the law to be unjust, therefore the jury can vote to find the defendant innocent since the jury found the law itself to be immoral, unfair, unjustly applied, or unconstitutional. By voting to acquit, the jury therefore nullifies the law." When we become judges of the law, we judge the law to be wrong, immoral, and unfair. We set ourselves above the law and not subject to the law. We grant ourselves power to nullify the law while at the same time feel no obligation to keep the law ourselves.

When it comes to the "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus," (Romans 8:2) there is one legislator and one judge, Jesus Christ. We did not establish the law and He has not shared His role as judge with us. There will always be people we don't like, people who rub us the wrong way, people we disagree with, and people whom we believe are doing it all wrong. However, this does not give us the right to judge them or to slander them and speak evil of them to other people. We may not like them, but God does and He alone is worthy and just to judge them. Paul reminds us, "Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand." (Romans 14:4) People are not accountable to us, but to God. He judges them and He sustains them in their walk before Him. While we judge and cut down, God sustains and props up. We should set aside our evil thoughts and our slanderous talk and let each other live and walk before God and let Him be the judge of all things.

David Robison

Posturing with God - James 4:6-10

"But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, 'God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you." (James 4:6-10)

Grace is essential to our Christian life, it is what opens up to us the very storehouses of heaven. All of us have experienced His grace. Whether it is the common grace that is shown to all ("for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." Matthew 5:45) or the saving grace that all believers have received ("For by grace you have been saved through faith." Ephesians 2:8) we have all received of His grace. However, there are still greater levels of grace that He bestows upon some, upon those who position themselves well before God. God gives greater grace to some that others will never know. The secret to greater grace is in our proper standing before God.

James says that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. The word for "resist" means to "set oneself against", as an army would array themselves against a city to siege it and take it by force. God sets Himself up to wage war against the proud, but is gracious towards the humble. The proud will never know the greater degree of grace that is available in God; a greater grace that is only available to the humble.

So how does one humble themselves before God? How do they position themselves before God to receive greater grace in their lives? First, we must submit to God. This is a submission to obedience. It is not enough to believe in God, we must also obey God. Paul reminds us that we must choose whom we will obey, "Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?" (Romans 6:16) To find greater grace with God we must choose to submit to God in the obedience of righteousness.

Secondly, we must resist the lures and temptations of the Devil. The resisting of the Devil and the drawing close to God are not two separate acts, but two parts of a single action. We cannot resist the Devil if we simultaneously do not also draw near to God. Paul tells Timothy, "But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness." (1 Timothy 6:11) One act must follow the other.

Thirdly, we must pursue sanctification both in our outward acts and our inward thoughts. God receives us "just as we are" but He doesn't intend to leave us "just as we are." John, speaking of the marriage supper of the Lamb, says "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." (Revelation 19:7-8) There is a part of our salvation that is up to us; for us to "make ourselves ready". This process is sanctification and is a joint endeavor between us and God's Holy Spirit.

Fourthly, if sin exists in our lives, then we must repent. Repent not only means to turn away from, but also to change our minds. So often, while we may acknowledge that we have sinned, we don't often really appreciate the sinfulness of our sin. We know from God's word we sinned, but we don't fully understand how our sin effects ourselves, others, and God. Paul tells us that part of the purpose of the Law was "so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful." (Romans 7:13) Morning and humiliation may well attend our repentance if we truly understand the sinfulness of sin.

Finally, in our humiliation, we must trust God for our exaltation. God, speaking of Himself, says, "All the trees of the field will know that I am the Lord; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will perform it." (Ezekiel 17:24) It is our temptation to stand up ourselves, to promote ourselves, to seek by our own strength to reach an exalted position, but it is God who raises up and brings low, it is God who exalts and who humbles. In our humility we must wait for God's exaltation. We must learn to be content with our present state knowing that, in His time and in His way, He will exalt us.

David Robison

Spiritual adulteries - James 4:4-5

"You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: 'He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us'?" (James 4:4-5)

This is an extremely difficult passage to translate and understand, particularly because this scripture can be parsed and understood in so many ways. To begin with, James seems to be quoting some unknown text, either an ancient Jewish text of some New Testament writings that have not been preserved down to our time. Of all the know texts of that period, scripture or not, we know of none that fits well with James' quotation. For most scholars, the key to understanding this scripture is in knowing where to place the punctuation. The early Greek texts did not use punctuation and sentence structure was inferred by the context. The punctuation in our English versions of the scriptures have been added to fit with our language's syntax and grammar. Therefore, where one translator may place a comma, another may use a period. This variation of punctuation can change the fundamental meaning of a verse. For example, this same passage Darby translates as:

"Adulteresses, know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore is minded to be [the] friend of the world is constituted enemy of God. Think ye that the scripture speaks in vain? Does the Spirit which has taken his abode in us desire enviously?" (James 4:4-5 Darby)

In this interpretation, James is not quoting scripture but his thought is really two statements: Does the scripture speak for no purpose? Does God's Spirit come to us that we might envy and covet the things of this world? For me, this seems like a much more natural and consistent expression of the thought James is trying to bring forth.

Adultery is when the love of one wanders from their spouse towards another; when one has pledged their love to someone but instead gives it to someone else. As believers, we have pledged our love to Christ. The greatest of the commands is to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." (Deuteronomy 6:5) As believers we have also been betrothed to Christ as His bride. Paul, speaking of marriage, says that it is a type of the church's relationship with Christ. "Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless." (Ephesians 5:25-27)

We now belong to Christ, and James warns us against taking our affections that belong to Him and giving them away, or spending them on, the world and its system. Lust, covetousness, and envy are temptresses who seek to draw our affection away from the Lord and to give ourselves to the things of this Earth and, when we yield to their temptation, we commit adultery against our Lord. The scriptures are very clear; they speak for a purpose. Over and over they warn us against desiring the things of the flesh and of this world. Further, Paul tells us that this world, and its system, is passing away, saying it is time that "those who buy [should be], as though they did not possess; and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away." (1 Corinthians 7:30-31)

This is not to say that we must be completely done with the world, but that it no longer deserves our love. We can use and possess the things of this world, but we must not let them possess us. We must not let our love of this world tie us to this world. There is a sorrowful picture of the end of the age. John, as recorded in his Apocalypse, witnesses the judgment of Babylon and records,

"And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.' And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her... and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What city is like the great city?' And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!'" (Revelation 18:9-11,18-19)

One day, all this will come to an end. The heavens and the Earth will be destroyed and new ones take their place. In that day, some will mourn at what they've lost and others will rejoice in what they've gained. Which person will you be? Will your love of this world cause you to mourn its loss or will your love for God cause you to rejoice in having inherited eternal dwellings with Him in His new heaven and Earth? I hope that day will find me rejoicing.

David Robison

The source of anger - James 4:1-3

"What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures." (James 4:1-3)

Someone once said that anger is our response to the hopeless we feel when we fail to achieve our goals in other people. We desire them to do something or to behave is a particular way, but when they don't behave or do what we wish them to do, and we are unable to make them to do and behave as we want them, then we respond in anger to the helpless feelings we have towards them and our desires for them. Often we project the cause of our anger on other people. They provoke us, they do the things that offend us, and when we ask them to change, they persist in their ways. However, while the other person may truly be behaving badly, the source of anger is within ourselves; anger comes from our own heart, not the actions of other people.

Many of our impure emotions, such as anger, resentment, bitterness, and hatred, comes from our wants and desires of our heart. We want people to love us and, when they don't, we respond with hatred. We want others to help us with our burdens and, when they won't, we respond with resentment. We want what we believe we deserve, and when we fail to get it, we lapse into anger. The secret to overcoming anger and quarreling in our lives is not in learning to repress anger, but in learning to deal with our desires that erupt into anger and conflict when they are go unrewarded. We can spend all day trying not to be angry, but until we learn to quite our desires, anger will always be an issue for us.

The secret to overcoming anger is in learning to fulfill our desires. If our desires were fulfilled, then there would be no source for our anger. Anger is the improper approach to fulfilling our desires, so what is the correct approach? One night, King David was walking on his roof. As he did, he saw a beautiful woman bathing on another rooftop. He lusted after her and wanted her. So, being king, he sent his men an took her and slept with her. Later, when his sin was found out, God sent Nathan the prophet to rebuke him. God said to David, "It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. I also gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these!" (2 Samuel 12:7-8) David's sin came because he sought to take what he desired rather than coming to God with his desires. God had already given him many good things and, if David needed anything else, God was ready and willing to give that as well. However, David did not look to God for what he wanted, he just reached out and took it.

The key to fulfilling our desires is to understand that it is God who is the source of all good things and that He wants us to come to Him for want we want and need rather than waging war on our own to get what we desire. Jesus said, "Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full." (John 16:24) Jesus wants to make our joy full by granting us the things we want and desire, but we must come to Him with our request and trust in Him for their fulfillment. Those who seek the fulfillment of their desires through prayer and faith towards God will never be disappointed and will give no place for anger in their lives and, even if they should ask amiss, but submitting to God and His care for their lives, they allow Him to modify the desires of the heart that they may learn to desire what is good and right rather than what is sensual and evil. Solomon said, "Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4) If we delight ourselves in the Lord than our desires will, in time, be molded after our delights and we will find ourselves desiring the things of God's Kingdom over the things of this world; the things of the Spirit over the things of the flesh.

Our only remedy for anger is Christ and our submission to Him and His portion for our lives. When we learn to become content with what He has given us and to seek all that we should desire and want from his hand, then we will learn to be truly content and to say with King David, "The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me." (Psalm 16:5-6)

David Robison

Show me the wisdom - James 3:13-18

"Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." (James 3:13-18)

Someone once defined wisdom by comparing it with prudence. Prudence is the ability to avoid sin while wisdom, containing prudence, is also the ability to do righteousness. James challenges those who claim to have wisdom to show forth their wisdom by their behavior. Like faith, wisdom without deeds is empty, worthless, and dead. If we truly possess wisdom then it should color all we do; it should leak through our lives and express itself in godly behavior. However, if the wisdom we claim does not yield in us the fruits of righteousness, then maybe we should reexamine what we claim to possess.

Jesus rebuked His generation saying,

"But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children, and say, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon!' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds." (Matthew 11:16-19)

"Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds." To test the wisdom of those who claim it, we need only to look to their deeds. The Jews in Jesus' day claimed to have the wisdom and understanding of the law, and yet they sought to kill Jesus who told them the truth. They became murders while He became "a life-giving spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45 NKJV) They brought death to the Righteous One while He brought many righteous to life. Their deeds were not the deeds of wisdom while His always testified to the wisdom of God.

There is a deception that comes upon us when we delude ourselves into believing that we have something we really do not possess. To think ourselves as wise and understanding when, as evidenced by our deeds, we lack the very thing we confess; when we become like the Laodiceans who said of themselves "'I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,' and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked." (Revelation 3:17) James counsels us to repent and renounce the lie of deception; to be honest about what we have and do not have. Furthermore, we must take stock after what is really motivating our life. Is our life being animated by a wisdom from above or are we living after a wisdom that is worldly, natural, and demonic? We must look at our lives. If they are not producing the fruits of righteousness then we need a "wisdom transplant." We need to replace what we claim to be wisdom with true wisdom from above; a wisdom from Christ "who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption." (1 Corinthians 1:30) He who has Christ has true wisdom and he who has true wisdom will bare the fruit of that wisdom in his life.

David Robison

Duplicity in speech - James 3:9-12

"With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh." (James 3:9-12)

Duplicity is being doubly contradictory in our lives. We think, say, and do one thing in one context and we thing, say, and do something completely different in another. We bless God in church on Sunday, yet at work on Monday we gossip, backbite, and revile those coworkers and associates we don't like as much. We have become like that double-minded man that James spoke of who was always shifting, changing, and "unstable in all his ways." (James 1:8)

One of the problems with being duplicitous is that people see right through us. We think we are being sophisticated and coy, but other people know the real score. People see through our disguises to our real self. They see our duplicity and tune us out. It is like when Lot went to warn his sons-in-law about the coming destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. "Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, and said, 'Up, get out of this place, for the Lord will destroy the city.' But he appeared to his sons-in-law to be jesting." (Genesis 19:14) Why did they take him for jesting? Because this was the kind of man he was. They probably saw him jesting before, even in the context of God and morality. He never seemed to care much for it before so why should they listen to him now?

I've seen this happen in families. On Sunday the parents speak wonderfully about God and their love for Him, but the rest of the week they are mean, harsh, and biting in their words. This leaves the children confused and they are often not likely to take seriously the message of the gospel which is so quickly replaced in the lips of their parents by harsh words. This is true not only of parents but of all who are duplicitous in their speech and behavior. Our speech must be consistent if people are to take us seriously and to give full consideration to the gospel we proclaim with our lips and with our lives. Jesus said, "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit." (Matthew 12:33) So should be our lives. Either we should be consistently good or consistently bad for duplicity does no one any good.

Finally, when we speak one way of God and another way of man, it reveals an ignorance in our learning of God. God created all things and, especially of mankind, "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:27) If we love God should we not also love His creation and especially those created in His image? It is said of God's creation, "God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good." (Genesis 1:31) Should we not love that which is very good? Should we curse what God has blessed? We are often used to looking up at God through our own eyes but perhaps we should learn to look down at creation through His eyes. If we really learned to see this creation as He sees it, them maybe we would not be so quick to curse what He Himself has made.

David Robison

Flaming tongues - James 3:5-8

"See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison." (James 3:5-8)

The effect of our tongue is disproportionate to its size. Often we use our tongue to reflect our anger or hurt in an attempt to make ourselves feel better. We say things like, "I just needed to get that off my chest." However, we are often unaware of the effect our words have on others, and even upon ourselves. We may, in the moment, feel better, having released all our emotions through our words, but the effect of those words on others and the long term health of our own lives can be incalculable. A few simple words uttered in anger or hurt can produce a lifetime of pain and offense in others that is not easily healed. Solomon said, "A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a citadel." (Proverbs 18:19)

James tells us two important things about our tongue. First is that, among all the members of our body, the tongue is one that can defile us. This means to soil, make dirty, or to stain us. I once met the wife of one of my coworkers and she was a very pretty woman... until she opened her mouth. Such foul words changed completely how I looked at her. However, I have known some rather plain women who spoke with such warmth, kindness, and cheerfulness that you couldn't help but like them. You may be stunning on the outside, but your tongue reveals what is on the inside, and inward beauty is much more compelling than outward beauty. A person with a beautiful soul is perceived by their gracious words and is thought by all to be a beautiful person. However, ugliness of the soul overshadows all earthly beauty can can never be overcome by makeup, ornamentation, and apparel. King David said, "For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation." (Psalm 149:4) But this can only take place if we allow His salvation to reach even to our tongue.

Secondly, the tongue is like a fire, ready to inflame any situation we might meet. Our words have the ability to either defuse a potentially volatile situation or to cast fire to the fuel and to make things worse. Solomon said, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." (Proverbs 15:1) Unfortunately, before coming to Christ, we let our tongue to be trained for evil; trained by the very spirits and motives of hell. Our tongues have become the unwitting servants of the forces of darkness and the workers of iniquity. Not only have we learned to use our tongue in the service of the evil one, but we have let it also set on fire the course of our lives. We have used our tongue to sow bad fruit and we have eaten that fruit ourselves. To change the course of our lives we must learn to tame our tongue. Taming our tongue will not be easy nor will it be miraculously affected in a day or and hour, but it will take work, consistency, and time, but the fruit we will bear in our lives, and the fruit we will help to produce in the lives of others, will make all our efforts worthwhile. The tongue is restless and unruly. It is in constant motion and agitation. In fact, Solomon promised, "In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise." (Proverbs 10:19 NKJV) This fight to tame our tongue will not be easy, but it is a fight we must win and a fight we can win through the power and grace of our Lord.

David Robison

Bridling the tongue - James 3:2-5

"For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things." (James 3:2-5)

Many of us underestimate both the power of our words and our need to control and harness them for good and not for evil. Jesus warned us about the importance of our words. "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:36-37) It can be a frightful thing to consider that we will be judged by every word that proceeds from our lips; that each word we have ever spoken in anger, presumption, foolishness, and discord will one day be require of us as we stand before the judge. Words matter; they matter to God, they matter to others, and they should matter to us as well.

One of the reason words are so powerful is because the proceed directly from our soul. Jesus said, "You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil." (Matthew 12:34-35) When we speak, we speak out of what fills our heart. If our heart is full of anger, then we will speak anger. If our heart is full of grace, then we will speak grace. This is why James says that if we can control our tongue then we can control our whole life, because he who can control his tongue can control his soul, and he who can control his soul can control his whole life. If we can control anger, malice, and greed in our soul then not only will we not speak such things but neither will we do them as well. If a man's speech is bad then his heart is bad and his actions will be bad as well. However, if a person has learned to tame his soul so that his speech is good, then his actions will follow along in suit. A man who speaks well will also live well.

However, not only is the tongue like the pulpit of a ship, showing the direction the ship is heading, but it also like the rudder of the ship, helping to guide it along. Not only does our speech give an indication of what fills our heart, but it also helps to decide what continues to fill our heart. King Solomon once said, "With the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach will be satisfied; he will be satisfied with the product of his lips. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." (Proverbs 18:20-21) Our speech has the ability to steer our lives and to determine what becomes a part of our lives. A man who speaks anger will become more angry and will steer his life away from the pathway of peace. However, a man who speaks graciously will tame his angry heart and steer his life to safe harbors. A man who speaks violence will become violent will lead a life of violence. However, a man who speaks conciliation will find his heart conciliated towards others and will grow in relationship with God and man.

It may seem like a small matter, but a change in the way we speak can drastically change the outcome of our life. If we speak love, hope, grace, thankfulness, and faith then we shall find ourselves inheriting these things in our lives. However, if we speak anger, hatred, avarice, pride, and discontent then our lives will become filled by these things and we will find ourselves eating the unwanted fruit of our lips. A small change with our tongue can produce a large change in our lives. Maybe it's time to give greater thought and consideration to what and how we speak.

David Robison

Teachers beware - James 3:1

"Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment." (James 3:1)

Teachers are an essential part of the Body of Christ and of the Church of Jesus Christ. Speaking of apostles and prophets, Paul says, "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone," (Ephesians 2:19-20) Apostles and prophets are primarily concerned with the foundation of the church; insuring that it is foundation is secure and properly situated with respect to Jesus Christ. However, with respect to teachers, Paul says, "And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues." (1 Corinthians 12:28) Now some may say that Paul is giving simply a listing of functions within the church rather than a ranking of functions. However, I believe that, next to apostles and prophets, teachers are critical in the long term health, growth, and viability of the church, which is the Body of Christ. Once the foundation has been laid and the body established, its pressing need is to be taught the word of God, the ways of God, and how to become the Body of Christ.

Because of the important role teachers serve in the body, and because of the authority and sway they hold over the people's mind, God holds them to a higher standard of fidelity than other believers. Many people may believe wrong, but when a teacher teaches wrong, God takes notice. Their stricter, or greater, judgment is like unto the two servants which Jesus spoke of. "And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more." (Luke 12:47-48) Teachers have been given much in regards to knowledge and understanding of God and, as such, are held accountable for what they have received. They have been given much and much is expected of them. Their stricter judgment is as the judgment that befell Moses who lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. His actions were more strictly judged than those of the people. There was the time when God told Moses to strike the rock, but he, in his frustration with the people, struck it twice instead of once. "Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.'" (Numbers 20:11-12) Moses was not faithful to the word of the Lord and as such was barred from entering into the promised land.

The scriptures gives some suggestion to teachers to help them avoid this greater judgment. First, before we teach others, we must first allow Jesus to teach us. "If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus..." (Ephesians 4:21) Secondly, we must not think too high of ourselves. Paul chides the Jews who thought they were, "a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth." (Romans 2:20) yet who were so only in their own minds. Thirdly, we must live the truth before we seek to teach it. "you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal?" (Romans 2:21) Fourthly, we must not teach beyond our knowledge and understanding. "Wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions." (1 Timothy 1:7) And lastly, we must remember that we are not called to teach our own ideas, but to perpetuate the teachings and traditions of the Apostles, for that's what it truly means to be apostolic. "The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." (2 Timothy 2:2)

David Robison

Dead faith - James 2:18-26

"But someone may well say, 'You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.' You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'and Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,' and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." (James 2:18-26)

It is important to understand that James is not saying that we cannot be saved apart from the law, but rather that we are not saved by faith alone. Many have misunderstood this passage because they have confused works of the law with works of faith. Combining works with the Law will never save us because our works will never be complete enough to satisfy the Law, but combining works with out faith gives life to our faith and transforms our soul and brings us into harmony with the image of Christ. Works of faith enlivens us while works of Law secures our death.

James whole point is that faith, apart from works, is useless. It is interesting that he compares faith to the body and works to the spirit. I would have thought the comparison to be reversed, but the truth is that it is works that give life to our faith, not faith to our works; faith comes first then works, not works then faith. Faith without works is an empty claim and benefits us nothing. James reminds us that even the daemons have faith and are not benefited. The daemons believe in God and believe in His pending judgment over their lives. On one occasion when Jesus came to cast out the daemons, they said, "Have You come here to torment us before the time?" (Matthew 8:29) They believed in God and in His word, yet that faith did not save them. How can that which we hold in common with daemons actually serve to save us as well? 

James contends that, that which cannot be demonstrated, is that which lacks power. If we say we have faith but have no works to demonstrate it, then our faith lacks power and can in no way save us. As evidence of his statement, he offers up the life of Abraham. Abraham was the friend of God and, one day, God made him this promise. "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them... so shall your descendants be." (Genesis 15:5) Abraham believed God and it says that his faith was accounted to him as righteousness. Almost forty years later, after the birth of his son Issac, God came to him and said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." (Genesis 22:2) Abraham obeyed God, although God provided a substitute sacrifice for Issac. James speaking of this second event says, "and the scripture was fulfilled..." but what scripture? The scripture that forty years ago had equated Abraham's faith as righteousness. It took Abraham's works forty years to catch up with his faith and to complete his faith.

James says that the scriptures were "fulfilled." This Greek word means to "fill up, cram full, or to level a hollow spot". It is as if our faith creates a potential in our lives; a potential for change and for action, but it takes our works to fulfill, or to fill up, that potential. Many people die and take the lions share of their potential unfulfilled to the grave. Their life has so much promise, yet little of it is ever realized. The same is with the economy of God. When we are saved by faith we come into the Kingdom of God with great potential. Our faith secures for us the reality that "all things are possible with God," (Mark 10:27) yet, few of us actually get to experience the endless possibilities of God in our lives. We believe God yet we fail to reap many of the benefits of that faith. Our works of faith, done through love, turns that potential into realities; it transforms what might be into what is.

Here is James' challenge to us. When we look at the men and women of faith who make up that "great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us," (Hebrews 12:1) we must ask ourselves, "do we have what they confessed only or do we also have what they possessed?" Are we like Rahab, who not only confessed faith but acted on her faith as was saved because of it? Looking back to Abraham, the father of our faith, do we possess his faith in action or merely in words? Faith without words is dead and cannot save us. True faith, saving faith, requires works; works wrought in love; works that can save the soul.

David Robison