Glorifying God by making disciples.

James 4:13-17 Simply put, God's plan is better than our plan. Let's look at three things from James 4 that following God's plan requires.

Worldliness sets in so subtly.  It can be hard to identify ways we have taken up a friendship with the world that is opposed to God.  Though it may be subtle, it is deadly.  We must wage war on worldliness and we have to know the battle plan God gives us to do so.  James 4:1-12 gives us the answers to four questions we must know in order to wage war on worldliness in our lives. 

If we lack wisdom we can ask God, and he will give it to us generously.  But how do we recognize the wisdom from above?  What are the characteristics of wisdom that come from God and how do we keep ourselves from falling into the counterfeits of a worldly, unspiritual, demonic "wisdom"? Fortunately for us, James gives us teaching this week to address this very thing.  Together we will look at "Four A's to Aid us in Identifying Wisdom from Above.”

Have you ever said something you wish you could have back? Have you ever said a foolish thing at the totally wrong time? Have you ever opened your mouth to spew angry words when you knew you should be quiet instead?  Why do we do this? Why do we so often say what we know we shouldn't?  James tells us why.  Today we look at four dangerously destructive truths of the tongue from James 3:1-12. 

Do you have any Easter expectations?  You may have not thought about that, but all of us carry expectations, big and small, for Easter Sunday.  On the very first Easter Sunday three women walked to a gravesite with 2 expectations: A closed tomb and a dead body.  Instead what they found would turn out to be the most life-altering, history-shaping, world-changing event of history.  He was not there. He had risen.  And EVERYTHING hinges on that good news.   

Can a faith that has not changed us, save us? What would James say to the one who claims a faith in Christ but whose life shows no deeds to authenticate that claim? James is straight to the point with us: Faith without works is dead. This week we unpack the beautiful reality that a genuine faith will get expressed, not perfectly but patternly, in a life of obedient works to God. Let's let this text search our hearts this week to ensure the faith we claim is the faith we live. 

People of this world get enamored with the rich, powerful, and celebrity.  Often these people are preferred and pedestaled.  Even as Christians, it can be easy to fall into playing favorites with those who carry a high social standing in this world. James warns us in this passage that doers of the word don't live like this.  Marked by gospel shaped hearts, and motivated by Great Commandment love, genuine doers of the word shun a life of partiality and favoritism, and seek to love the hearts of people regardless of external appearance and socio-economic status.  To cut it straight: Genuine Christians don't play favorites. 

Our study in James last week made it clear that we are to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. This week, we’ll examine three practical things evident in the pure religion of doers of the Word.

James makes it very clear that we are to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. We see this theme all throughout Scripture. As we dive into James 1:22-25, let’s examine our hearts to see where we are being hearers of the Word, but not doers.

The Lord is zealous for the righteousness of his people. Man's anger does not produce God's righteousness.  In his field manual of authentic faith, James helps us understand how wisdom calls us to a "quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger life", how sinful anger is contrary to God's righteousness, and how we ultimately change by "putting away" what needs put away and receiving what we must receive. 

James has already told us that God cannot be tempted by evil nor does he tempt us.  God is never the giver of evil and always a giver of God. This is where James goes next in his field manual of authentic faith.  As we look at James 1:16-18 we will see that every good gift comes from an unchangingly good God whose goodness is most powerfully seen in the good news of the gospel.  These three verses have massive implications in how we understand who we are in Christ and how this understanding impacts the way we live out our life in Christ. 

John Calvin once said, “Our heart is an idol factory.” As we study James 1:12-15, one could also say that, “Our heart is a sin factory.” But there is good news. God is greater than any temptation we will face in this world.

Regardless of poverty or riches, the Christian's boast is in the same thing.  Or maybe we should say the same one: Jesus Christ.  In his field manual of authentic faith lived out, James quickly gets to the crucial call for Christians to boast not in their socioeconomic status but rather in their position in Christ.  So whether poverty or riches, James will instruct us to boast in the reality of our position in Christ alone. 

If James is a field manual of authentic faith lived out, it is fitting that he wastes no time at all getting to the topic of wisdom. Wisdom is God's will lived out. It's living out a godly life. So a life built on the wisdom of God is a life of authentic faith. But there is a problem; we don't always know the wise thing to do. On this side of heaven, we lack wisdom. James gives us the solution of what to do when we lack wisdom and how we carry that out. If you need wisdom right now in life, James 1:5-8 has a very clear direction for you.

Joy in trials? How is that so? And what does that mean? Are Christians to be gluttons for pain, taking joy in the hardship itself? Are we just to "grin and bear it" with no acknowledgement of the pain and hardships of life? Is James sticking a band-aid of a cliche on the deep pains of life? Not at all. James 1:2-4 is deep theology that allows us at Christians to rejoice in our trials knowing what God is ultimately accomplishing as we respond rightly to the troubles and trials of life. Let's be equipped together to joyfully endure the trials life brings.