James opens his letter with a very short, but rich greeting, and then he spends the rest of the chapter in a detailed discussion on the subject of trials. At the very end of the chapter, James moves into the topic of pure religion, on which he expounds in chapters 2-5. But until we get there, let’s take a look at James 1.
1) V1-4 – 1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James introduces himself not arrogantly as the brother of Jesus but humbly as the servant (literally, slave) of Jesus. He could have called himself the leader of the Church, a position he held in Jerusalem at the time he wrote this letter; but instead he refers to himself as a lowly slave. Instead of exalting himself, James exalts the divinity of Jesus by linking Him equally with God the Father in terms of the worthiness of being served. And in issuing a simple greeting to his audience, James richly describes them as “the twelve tribes scattered among the nations,” which reveals that there is a continuation of the people of God from Old Testament to New Testament times. James is not merely letting us know that his audience is made up of Jewish Christians, though that may be true; he is also letting us knowing that Christians in generally, regardless of their Jewish or Gentile heritage, may be referred to as the being members of the twelve tribes. In other words, the Church is not God’s plan B, as if He had to come up with something when Israel and Judah – His plan A – failed back in 722 BC and 586 BC respectively; the Church is God’s plan A, just as much as Israel was His plan A. There are not two people of God, with two plans of salvation; Paul in Ephesians 2 shows that God’s people across all time are one. The Church, as Paul says in Galatians 6:16, is “the Israel of God.”
Ligon Duncan summarizes the greeting and introduction of James by saying, “In one sentence James teaches us four things that we as Christians need to know today. In one word… he shows us the proper humility that Christians ought to have. He shows us the glory of the Savior. He shows us the unity of the plan of God and the unity of the Church. And he shows us the life situation that every Christian ought to expect.” That last point is revealed by the word “scattered.” There is a problem hinted at with that word, and James uses it not merely to point out that his audience is more than one congregation of believers, though that may be true. But James is pointing out that the people of God are still sojourners, wanderers, aliens not at home in this fallen world. Alex Motyer summarizes, “They are the Lord’s twelve tribes. And they are dispersed throughout a menacing and testing world. Their homeland is elsewhere. And they have not yet come to take up their abode there. Their present lot is to feel the weight of life’s pressures, the lure of this world’s temptations and an insidious ever-present encouragement to conform to the standards of their pagan environment. They are the Lord’s people indeed but not yet home.” Therefore, they should expect trials, which is exactly where James goes in v2.
V2-4 say to consider trials “pure joy,” because of the good they accomplish in the grand scheme of things. Trials test the faith of a believer, much as a furnace tests the purity of gold. Trials force Christians to persevere in their faith, which proves their faith to be genuine and actually serves to strengthen it, taking true believers to a greater level of maturity and sanctification. In fact, trials and perseverance will ultimately work together to make the believer perfect, or complete, into the image of Jesus (Romans 8:29), who, of course, does not lack anything. James most certainly had first hand experience here, for we read in Acts 5:41, “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” There’s our example; but there’s an even better example in Jesus. “Although He was a son, He learned obedience from what He sufferedLet us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 5:8; 12:2). So perfection is the goal, surely to be obtained, through perseverance, which is best expanded in trials.
2) V5-11 – 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. 9The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. 10But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. 11For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.
In the midst of his discussion on trials, which was obvious in v2-4 and will be clear when we come to v12-15, James seems at first glance to depart from that subject in v5-11. But what we learn upon second glance is that James uses the topics of wisdom and wealth as a sort of illustration of what he’s referring to when he more blatantly talks about trials. So v5-8 refer to wisdom in the midst of trials, or even the trial of lacking wisdom about spiritual things. Maybe his audience was poor not only financially and materially but also in their knowledge of the things of God. They lacked understanding not only about the significance of their circumstances, but also about how God would have them view their circumstances. Oftentimes, believers today fear witnessing before unbelievers due to a lack of Biblical knowledge and wisdom. There’s a bit of a trial mentality in that scenario. So James says, “If you lack wisdom, ask God, who gives generously.” But here’s the catch: you have to believe that and not doubt it. If you doubt God’s generosity, if you doubt that “the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say” (Luke 12:12), that “the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in [Jesus’] name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything [Jesus said]” (John 14:26), then don’t expect help and don’t even bother asking. You’re “a double-minded man, unstable” in your faith, James says. Doubt is a sign of worldliness. Double-mindedness means that you’ve got your mind in two places at the same time, trying to make this world your home, while at the same time trying to make God’s kingdom your dwelling place. The two are mutually exclusive; and so we have to wise about that.
Jesus said that you cannot be double-minded. “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters… You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 12:30; 6:24). And with those words of Jesus, we begin thinking of the trial of wealth, which is the focus for James in v9-11. He’s getting at the reason we need wisdom in the midst of trials, and he could have used a myriad of contrasting examples of various trials, which he admitted are out there (v2); but he chose money (Proverbs 30:7-9), the topic Jesus talked about most in a similar context. When Christians are in poverty, they can express great joy, knowing the riches they have in Christ alone; though extreme poverty may cause them to steal. But when Christians are wealthy, they can easily forget their benefactor, really struggle with greed, hoarding, materialism, or a host of other issues. In fact, one of the greatest trials may very well be to see yourself as not having any trials!
3) V12-18 – 12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. 13When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 16Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created.
In v12-18, James returns to the more obvious topic of trials in and of themselves, and he talks about the blessedness of persevering in trial. James gives his audience, on the one hand, a glorious promise about receiving the crown of life after overcoming the trials of this life (v12; Revelation 2:7,11,17,26; 3:5,12,21; 21:7). But on the other hand, James warns his audience about responding to trials in the wrong way. We must avoid blaming God, thinking that He is using the trial as a form of temptation. That mentality is borderline blasphemous, “for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone” (v13). If we fail, it’s our fault. Our desires conceive and give birth to sin, which leads to death (v14-15).
James says, “Don’t be deceived” (v16), calling us to think of our temptations in the light of the temptation faced by Adam and Eve. We mustn’t fall into the serpent’s deception, like they did. And we can withstand Satan’s attacks, because of the indwelling Holy Spirit. As Paul said, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” We mustn’t shift the blame when we fall, again, like Adam and Eve did; instead we must focus on the good gifts of our unchanging God and His perfect purpose for our lives (v17; Philippians 4:4-8). Finally, James reminds his audience of God’s good purpose for the lives of His people. God chose to give us life, spiritual regeneration when we were dead in our sin, new birth through His powerful word, the message of the gospel. And we are to “be a kind of firstfruits of all He created” (v18). We are set apart, being remade, transformed into the perfect image of His perfect Son, Jesus Christ.
In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis explained the trials of enduring and persevering through suffering quite well, saying, “Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”
4) V19-27 – 19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does. 26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James has shown us what the trials we face are accomplishing in us. They are testing our faith, and it’s possible that our faith will not prove to be genuine. In that case, we would be considered professing Christians who aren’t – and never really were – Christians at all. There are plenty of professing Christians who aren’t Christians, tares mixed with wheat, and James, in this section and throughout chapter 2, begins to talk about the distinguishing marks of true believers. In v19-20, James talks about being “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” He wants true believers to exhibit those qualities, because a temperament of anger doesn’t encourage us to the live the kind of life that pleases God. James is concerned with our relationships, because applied Christianity affects all aspects of our lives, not just our church time. Christianity thoroughly integrates our life; it does not merely become a segregated part of it.
Though the Christian faith rules our relationships, since the Holy Spirit aids our efforts to listen more, speak less, and thereby control our anger, James says we as Christians need to take another step. We can’t simply listen and avoid angry outbursts; we don’t merely soak in the word of God. We live it out! We “get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent” (v21). True Christianity not only listens to and hears the word of God, but also does the word of God (v22); this teaching of James comes straight from Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. And James gives illustrations to help make his point. When the teaching of God’s word is heard, there are two types of responses. There is intellectual assent, which is the picture James gives in v23-24, where a person hears a sermon, agrees with it, and moves on, forgetting by that afternoon what the message was all about. It’s like a person, James says, who sees himself in the mirror and later forgets what he just saw. Sometimes when I’m sleepy at 10 PM but have several things to read, I try to read as much as I can. When finished at 11 PM, I have trouble remembering what I just read. Then I have to read it all over again the next evening. But when I’m feeling awake while reading in the evenings, I can not only remember what I read, but it also has a tremendous impact on my life. That is the picture James provides in v25. Hearing with proper intentions and following up with application leads to blessing.
Finally in v26-27, James teaches that the true Christian guards his tongue, shows compassion, and separates from worldliness. These three fruits of genuine faith are the subjects of the rest of the letter. According to Ligon Duncan, Christians are to exhibit “personal piety and public morality… Our speech, our tongue, our self-control or lack of self-control, is a manifestation of what is in our hearts.” Again, that’s what Jesus said, that what comes out of a man’s mouth – rather than what he puts into his mouth – is what makes him unclean; and that’s because what comes out comes from the heart. If you think yourself a religious person, but you find criticism, sarcasm, cursing, and complaining spewing from your mouth, then, either whatever religion you practice is worthless, or you are not really the religious person you thought you were. James is saying, again, that there are plenty of people who claim to be Christians that do not display the evidence of true faith. But the truth is that there is no justification apart from sanctification. We cannot be saved and yet fail to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.
So what is the evidence of salvation, of true, saving faith? In addition to controlling the tongue, being quick to listen and slow to speak, guarding against outbursts of anger, and putting God’s into practice, rather than merely assenting to its truth, James mentions two other marks: compassion and distinctive living. Christianity has a social application, showing compassion and mercy to the poor and needy, which is today, as it was in Biblical times, comprised primarily of orphans (children) and widows (elderly). John Calvin said, “Our Christianity is shown by self-denial, compassion, and well doing to neighbors.” And Ligon Duncan said, “Our compassion for those who are in need, especially those who are part of the Christian family, is an indication of grace in our hearts… Our determination to resist worldliness in heart and action is an evidence of the inner life [of Christ].” We are to confirm the genuineness of our faith by living holy (“unpolluted,” distinct, set apart) lives (v27).
Bible text from Gospelcom.net. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.