James (epistles)

Friday, 23 August 2019

There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another? James 4:12

The word “one” is in the emphatic position in the Greek. It states, “One is the Lawgiver Who is able to save and destroy.” The words remind the reader of Jesus’ words of Matthew 10:28 –

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

At that time, Jesus didn’t get into a great theological discussion about the nature of the judgment which would result in such an action. He simply stated that God is to be feared and that He has the power to take action according to His judgment.

However, it is obvious here that James is referring to Christ Jesus who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Paul says in Romans 2:16 that it is God who “will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ.” He is the same Lord who gave forth the covenant at Sinai, and who then – through His incarnation – fulfilled that law and established the New Covenant in His blood.

In the capacity as Lawgiver, it is He alone “who is able to save and to destroy.” As this is so, then James now makes evident the contrast to what he wrote in the previous verse. There he spoke of the one who judges the law. In doing so, that person “is not a doer of the law but a judge.” However, since “One is the Lawgiver,” then such a person has wrongfully stepped into a supposed position of authority. Because of this, James asks, “Who are you to judge another?” As Albert Barnes says of this –

“There is nothing more decidedly condemned in the Scriptures than the habit of pronouncing a judgment on the motives and conduct of others. There is nothing in which we are more liable to err, or to indulge in wrong feelings; and there is nothing which God claims more for himself as his peculiar prerogative.”

He is correct. We are not in the position to pronounce our self-determined judgments upon another. We do not set the standard. When we do, we usurp the right of the Lord who alone possesses that authority.

Having said that, He has expressed the standard in His word. This is one purpose of Scripture. And, therefore, we are given the authority to make right judgments which are in accord with that word. This is painfully evident throughout the epistles as well. Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 show this. James makes this evident in the final two verses of his epistle. John tells us to make right judgments in 2 John 1:10. These are just a few examples which call believers to judge according to the word which has been given. The Lawgiver has given His law; His people are to conduct their judgments in accord with that law.

Life application: It is Jesus who is able to save and destroy. This is because He authored the law and then fulfilled the law. Therefore He is both qualified to judge infractions of the law and also to pardon infractions committed. Why? It is because He, after fulfilling the law – completely and perfectly – received the punishment of the law on our behalf.

The cross, leading to His death, was just punishment for any infraction of the law. When we trust in Jesus Christ, we accept both His fulfillment of the law and the pardon offered through His substitutionary death (a precept allowed under the law). In other words, the punishment we deserve was also fulfilled by Him.

America’s founding fathers understood the concept of both pardon and single trial for punishment of an offense, and laid them out in the Constitution –

“The President … shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States…”

“No person shall be… subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb…”

We all have sinned; we all deserve death for our sins. Jesus fulfilled the law by not sinning and then was crucified under the law. However, death could not hold Him because death results from sin (of which He had none). Now, when we trust Him, we are free from the law because He received the trial and judgment in Himself on our behalf. We can now stand pardoned through His shed blood. What a bargain!

It is hard to imagine, Lord Jesus, that You were willing to live the life we cannot live. You then gave Yourself as a sacrifice of atonement for our failings. How can we not accept Your pardon and receive Your mercy! You are our Lord and we will follow You all of our days. Glory to You, O Lord Jesus! Amen.

Thursday, 22 August 2019

Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. James 4:11

In James 2, he spoke of showing partiality, dishonoring others through a judgmental attitude, fulfilling the royal law, and etc. This same type of thought is seen again here. There is a standard which is given in the law (whatever law applies). However, by our judgments of others in regards to that law, we become judges of the law. In this case, there is the law of God. This will be made explicit in the next verse.

Within the Bible, there have been various laws given by God. He gave a law to Adam. He gave a law to Noah. He gave a law through Moses, and etc. In Christ, a New Covenant is established. It is what comes through Christ which James is referring to. As there is a law, there is a Giver of that law. One precept in particular, that is understood within the law, is to love one another. This is what is on James’ mind. Jesus summed up the Law of Moses by saying –

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-39

Within the New Covenant, love continues to be a predominant theme. To ensure that this precept is held fast, and to ensure that we do not step over the boundaries of authority of the law, he now says, “Do not speak evil of one another, brethren.”

To speak evil of one another is not a means of demonstrating love. As he is addressing the brethren, this is a problem which is found within the body of believers, and it is something James determines to correct. It is a precept also found in Paul’s writings (Ephesians 4:31, for example), and by the hand of Peter as well (see 1 Peter 2:1). There should not be evil-speaking about one another because, as James says, “He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law.”

James has given the royal law in James 2:8, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” It is a precept which extends beyond the Law of Moses, and it is one which carries through to all times. But by speaking evil of a brother, one is not loving that person. Rather, he both speaks evil of him to his harm, and he speaks evil of the law. This is because the law has said to love the neighbor. By not doing so, that person is speaking evil of the law itself. Therefore, he “judges the law.” He is sitting as an arbiter of the very law that the Lawgiver has given. That is a most unhappy position to be in!

To sum up the thought, and to finish his words, he then says, “But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.” The Lord has given the law. We are under the law. But if we judge (a verb) the law, then we are not one who is doing the law. Rather, we have become a judge (a noun). As the Lord gave the law, and we are not doing the law, then we stand under the law’s judgment. At some point, we will face the Lord who gave the law, and we will be held accountable for having failed to do the law. In the Christian context, this does not mean a loss of salvation, but a judgment of reward and loss. And there can be no reward for actions which are outside of the law which has been given.

Life application: Context is important when reading verses like this one from James, and also the one in Matthew 7:1, 2 –

“Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Quite often we may hear or see this verse quoted by people who are attempting to defend the inappropriate lifestyle they live – in other words, “Who are you to judge me, didn’t Jesus tell you not to do that?” However, just a few verses down in that same passage we are told to make judgments and right moral decisions. Inappropriate judgment comes in the form of continuously pointing the finger at others and finding fault when there is no sound basis for it. It is also found in failing to be loving in our attitude and actions towards others. Allowing someone to continue in sin is not loving.

The law is written (whatever law that may be). When someone breaks the law, we know what the violation is and can make a sound decision concerning the offense. But when we sit as a judge of the law – speaking against one another without the weight of the law – then we sit in judgment of the law. For the New Covenant, it is the Lord who gave the law. Therefore, we have no right to sit in judgment on it. We can only apply it to ourselves and to others when a violation of it occurs.

Be careful not to quote such verses out of context because by doing so, we actually violate the very verses we are quoting. To accuse someone who is properly handling the law of mishandling it, it is the same as sitting as a judge over that person’s correct application of it. Always check the context of a verse or you might wind up using it incorrectly.

Lord Jesus, help us to rightly divide Your word, taking everything in its proper context. It is certain that when we misapply what You have given us, we ourselves then violate the very precepts we say that we are upholding. So Lord, give us wisdom when we live by and quote Your precious word. Amen.

Wednesday, 21 August 2019

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10

The thought here is found throughout Scripture. When one is prideful before the Lord (Genesis 3, for example), there is a fall. However, the cure for that comes from the words of Scripture from that point on. After Adam fell, he did humble himself. It is not explicitly stated as such, but it does say, “And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). The name Havah, or Eve, means “life.”

The Lord told Adam that on the day that he ate of the fruit, he would die. He did. The spiritual connection to God, which is true life, died. But in the curse upon Adam and his wife, there was also a promise of restoration. Adam humbled himself through faith and believed, naming his wife “Life” as a sign of his belief. In this, the very next verse says, “And Jehovah Elohim made Adam and his wife coats of skin, and clothed them” (Darby).

The Lord accepted Adam’s act of faith and covered him. The picture is that of the Lord covering Adam and his wife with a substitutionary atonement. An innocent life died in order for its skin to be used. It is a picture of the innocent Christ covering His people in His own sinlessness.

From this point on, the idea of humbling oneself before the Lord is seen again and again. Jesus gave a beautiful picture of the difference between pride and humility in Luke 18 –

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ ¹³ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:10-14

Arrogance and self-righteousness is an abomination to the Lord. But humility before Him is something that He notes as commendable. As James says, “and He will lift you up.” In a state of humility, one will mourn over sin, have awed fear of God who can and will judge that sin, and will have a repentant attitude concerning his state. The Lord will look upon one in this condition and restore him, clothe him in His righteousness, and cover over the sin.

Peter follows in the same line of thought as well –

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5

Life application: When we are confident in ourselves, we demonstrate an arrogance which cannot be overcome by heaven itself. The gap already exists between God and us because of our sin. Therefore, to boast in anything we have done, or think we can do, makes no sense. If we could bridge the gap, there would have been no need for the law, for the prophets, and especially for Jesus. But God who is rich in mercy is willing to reach down to us through Jesus and lift us up – if we will only allow Him.

Stop trusting in your own goodness and look to the cross. The cross is what we deserve, but Jesus took it instead. What could you add to that? Humble yourselves and God Himself will lift you up.

Lord God, because of Jesus, You have brought us together again. Instead of hell, You offer heaven. Instead of Your back, You turn to us Your face. Where we deserve a cross, You sent Jesus to take our place – and He willingly bore that burden. How can we trust in our own righteousness when it doesn’t exist? Instead, let us come and worship You, through Christ our Lord. In Him is found our righteousness. Hallelujah and Amen.

Tuesday, 20 August 2019

Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. James 4:9

It is likely that James had a passage from the book of Ecclesiastes on his mind –

“A good name is better than precious ointment,
And the day of death than the day of one’s birth;
² Better to go to the house of mourning
Than to go to the house of feasting,
For that is the end of all men;
And the living will take it to heart.
³ Sorrow is better than laughter,
For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.
⁴ The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
⁵ It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise
Than for a man to hear the song of fools.
⁶ For like the crackling of thorns under a pot,
So is the laughter of the fool.
This also is vanity.
⁷ Surely oppression destroys a wise man’s reason,
And a bribe debases the heart.” Ecclesiastes 7:1-7

James is speaking to the “sinners” and the “double-minded” of the previous verse. Instead of rejoicing and shouting for joy, he tells them to, “Lament and mourn and weep!” The idea is similar to Jesus’ words from Matthew 5 as well. There, right at the beginning of the sermon on the mount, He says –

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.” Matthew 4:3, 4

Solomon and the Lord both understood that when one is filled with laughter and a spirit which is overflowing with the joys of life, he will not take time to consider the world around him in its proper perspective. There may be joy, but judgment lies ahead. There may be life and abundance, but death is the inevitable end of all men. A man filled with the things of the world will not take time to consider these deeper issues, but the man who weeps and mourns will.

Therefore, continuing on, James says, “Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.” The word James uses, which is translated as “gloom,” is found only here in the Bible. It signifies having one’s eyes downcast, indicating sorrow. One can see a state of true repentance over sin for the sinner, and a refocusing on what is godly and proper for the double-minded. Nobody with a right mind will stand over the coffin of a friend and say, “I’m glad I won’t end up there.” Rather, he is reminded of the mortality we all face, and he will (if wise) take it to heart.

The sorrow which James is speaking about is not sorrow for the one in the box. Rather, he is referring to the sorrow a person feels as he considers his own fate, mourning over what he can do about his personal misdeeds in the presence of God.

Life application: In Ecclesiastes, Solomon explains what James assumes his readers already know. In other words, James is writing to first-century Jews and reminding them of the wisdom of Ecclesiastes. They would have been very familiar with what Solomon was saying because Ecclesiastes was read openly every year during the Feast of Tabernacles.

If you have not read Ecclesiastes before, take time to read it today. It will only take you a few minutes. It is an extremely beautiful book – full of wisdom. Ultimately, there will be everlasting joy for the redeemed of the Lord. But, in this present life, there are times when mourning is better than feasting, where displaying sorrow rather than laughter is right, and where weeping is more appropriate than mirth. Have discernment, and know when and how you are to display your emotions in order to be pleasing both to those around you and to the Lord who searches your heart.

Lord, thank You for the wisdom found in the Bible. Help us to discern when to laugh and when to mourn, when to feast and when to fast. Give us hearts which mourn over our sin, and which rejoice in Your cleansing from it. May our actions bring you honor, and be a comfort to those around us. Let our lives reflect Your wisdom at all times. Amen.

Monday, 19 August 2019

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8

In the previous verse, James told his audience to “submit to God.” He now tells them to go further. Not only should they submit to Him, but they are to “Draw near” to Him. But, this is also tied in with his second statement of the previous verse, which was that they were to “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

One can see the contrast –

Resist the devil / he will flee

Draw near to God / He will draw near to you

The thing is, one will actually result in the other. If one (assuming he is saved) resists the devil, he is drawing near to God. The morally bad will make an exit, and He who is morally good will draw near. Likewise, if one embraces the devil, God will – by default – move away from him. This obviously means in a relationship sense. God is omnipresent. It is not that God’s actual presence moves away, but the sense of a moral connection is lost.

James then gives two thoughts on how one can accomplish these things. He first says, “Cleanse your hands, you sinners.” The idea here is similar to that which is presented by Isaiah as he opened his book –

“When you spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you;
Even though you make many prayers,
I will not hear.
Your hands are full of blood.
¹⁶ Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
Cease to do evil,
¹⁷ Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor;
Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow.” Isaiah 1:15-17

One can see how Isaiah takes a literal thing (that of washing the hands), and he makes a spiritual application (ending evil). He then provides examples of what good is. By doing the good, one resists the devil and draws himself near to the Lord. In this, the Lord naturally draws near to him. This is what James is referring to. Cleansing of the hands implies sinful lives need to be purged. He then continues with, “and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Here, as is seen throughout the Bible, the heart speaks of the mind of man. In purifying one’s heart, there is moving from that which is unreasonable and chaotic to that which is right and reasonable. The word translated as “purify” is one which speaks of ceremonial purification. For example, in John 11:55, it refers to those who want to purify themselves so that they could participate in the Passover.

James is using this idea in a similar way. Moses, in Deuteronomy 10:16 told the people, “Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiffnecked no longer.” One cannot literally circumcise his heart. But in doing that which is right, and in accord with what physical circumcision was meant to imply, he would symbolically purify the heart. This is what James is conveying now. In this purifying of the heart, the people will cure their state of being “double-minded.”

This is a word, dipsuchos, which is only seen here and previously in James 1:8. It is probably a word invented by James. HELPS Word Studies identifies such a person as being a “spiritual schizophrenic.” It is a person with two minds which waver back and forth because of the impure heart, meaning a mind which is not clear and willing to reason.

Life application: Drawing near to God is a common Old Testament theme which is repeated several times in the New. Moses drew near to God at Mt. Sinai. God was said to be near the people Israel because of the covenant. The people were told to draw near to God in the Psalms, in Isaiah, and elsewhere. Towards the end of the Old Testament, we read –

“She has not obeyed His voice,
She has not received correction;
She has not trusted in the Lord,
She has not drawn near to her God.” Zephaniah 3:2

Will this also be said of you? James and other New Testament writers reach out to us and ask us – like the prophets of old – to draw near to God. But someday there will be no remedy. Those who fail to do so will receive their just due. However, if we are to draw near to Him now, James asks us to wash our hands and purify our hearts. And what is the benefit of this? It is seen in the psalms –

“Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
⁴ He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.” Psalm 24:3, 4

Let us not lift up our souls to idols and let us only speak what is true and right. May our actions cleanse our hands and purify our hearts.

Lord God, may our prayers be set before You as incense, and may the lifting up of our hands be as the evening sacrifice to You. Set a guard over the door of our lips and keep our hearts from being lifted up to idols. May our eyes be on You and may our souls be satisfied from Your hand alone. Amen.