James 1:5-18

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
Series: James (Acts)

Rusty's Notes

James 1
5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.

• OK Google… Alexa… Give me knowledge.

• Wisdom - Refers to the knowledge of God’s plans and purposes and the ability to live accordingly.
• Wise people can identify the nature and purpose of their trials and understand how to overcome them.[1]
• Wisdom helps us understand how to use these circumstances for our good and God’s glory.
• Someone has said that knowledge is the ability to take things apart, while wisdom is the ability to put them together. [2]
• The first step of having wisdom is realizing that you don’t have enough wisdom.
• Proverbs 2:6 - For the Lord gives wisdom;
• from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.[3]
• God gives it, for God is a good giver; God gives generously, which means that he gives without mental reservations, that he gives simply, with a single heart.[4]
•  “Ungrudgingly” – no condemnation… regardless of your previous record.
• Believers seek wisdom from others.
• That is good advice.
• 3 reasons why people go to others for wisdom:

1. They go to others because they know the person has wisdom and they trust the person.
2. They go to others because it is the shorter route. It is easier to find someone who knows God than to seek out God on their own.
3. They are looking for someone to agree with what they have already determined they want to do.

• Do you really want help/wisdom or are you looking for an agreeing opinion?
• A person with wisdom will understand they can’t help the latter and move on to others.

 
6 But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

• “Ask in faith” – The greatest enemy to our prayers being answered is our lack of faith (unbelief).
• Wisdom is not based on “feelings”… “I feel that…”
• Emotions and feelings are not always true.
• Today’s society uses their feelings, emotions and opinions to formulate who their God is.
• I get to choose what my God would want for me.
• It is not based upon knowing the heart of God, but based upon selfish feelings & opinions.
• If those people, who are tossed about with emotions/feelings go to one who has wisdom and solid in their faith… they better be seeking help.
• The doubter will have an understanding of who God is what He does for them.
• But when they get hit with a huge wave, everything they thought they knew about God changes.
• One with wisdom, will understand that the same God who stood with them at the wedding alter is the same God who stands with them when it all falls apart.
• One with wisdom, will understand that the same God who stood with them at the birth of their child is the same God who stands with them when the story doesn’t play out like we expected it to.
• One with wisdom, will understand that the same God who stood with them at the first day of exciting new career is the same God who stands with them when that opportunity comes to an end.

7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, 8 being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.
(A heart that wants to believe.)

• Tozer – “Probably nothing else bothers the earnest Christian quite so much as the problem of those dry spells that come to him occasionally, no matter how faithfully he tries to obey God and walk in the light. He can never predict them and he cannot explain them. And there lies his difficulty.
• It might comfort one who finds himself in the middle of an emotional desert to know that his experience is not unique. The sweetest and holiest saints whose feet have graced this earth have at some time found themselves there.… It is good to know during such an internal drought that it has been a common experience with the saints.…
• Such times demand that we exercise faith. Moments of great spiritual delight do not require much faith; if we never came down from the mount of blessing we might easily come to trust in our own delights rather than in the unshakeable character of God. When it seems that our watchful Heavenly Father withdraws His inward comforts from us sometimes, we will hopefully learn that Christ alone is the Rock upon which we must repose our everlasting trust.”[5]

9 Let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his exaltation, 10 but let the rich boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field. 11 For the sun rises and, together with the scorching wind, dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance perishes. In the same way, the rich person will wither away while pursuing his activities.
(A surrendered will)

• The Message – James 1:5-11 - If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.
• 9–11    When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer! Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don’t ever count on it. You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers. Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem. Well, that’s a picture of the “prosperous life.” At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing.[6]
• When I hear it read like that, I just start thinking about people…
• Twitter is that scorching heat today.
• You quickly move from prosperity and popularity to the societal target of attack.
• But let’s stay focused on the context. What was going on here when James was writing this letter?
• The Christian Jews were being persecuted by the Jews.
• Life with Jesus… life without Jesus… the prosperous life fades to nothing.

 
12 Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

• The crown of life is eternity with God/Jesus.
• Achieved through belief in the Messiah.

13 No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God,” since God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn’t tempt anyone.

• James asserts that God is not responsible for temptation or for the sin that might result from it.[7]
• There is nothing in God to which evil can make an appeal.[8]

14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire. 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

• Let’s get this straight.
• I sin
• It is not my nature to sin
• Born with Adam seed, given a new heart.
• I don’t think you can hear this enough. Identity.
• But it goes further.
• 1 Thess 5:23 – Body, soul spirit.
• Flesh suit contains a brain
• Flesh patterns
• Thoughts
• Choice
• Holy Spirit taken up residence - Romans 8:11

16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. [9]

• God loves you and has provided a way out.
• 1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide a way out so that you may be able to bear it.[10]

[1] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Jas 1:5). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 340). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[3] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Pr 2:6). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] Davids, P. H. (2011). James (p. 29). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
[5] Tozer, A. W., & Eggert, R. (1998). The Tozer Topical Reader (Vol. 1, p. 156). Camp Hill, PA: WingSpread.
[6] Peterson, E. H. (2005). The Message: the Bible in contemporary language (Jas 1:5–11). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.
[7] Barry, J. D., Grigoni, M. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Jas 1:13). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
[8] Blue, J. R. (1985). James. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 822). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[9] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Jas 1:5–18). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[10] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (1 Co 10:13). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.