Daily Writing

Thursday, 4 July 2019

Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? James 2:7

James, still speaking of the wealthy, asks another rhetorical question with the words, “Do they not blaspheme that noble name…?” The word “they” is in the emphatic position, and is thus to be stressed, “Do THEY not blaspheme that noble name?”

James has been speaking of those who come into the meeting of believers, and so it can be assumed that this is even speaking of someone who only claims to be such as well. And yet, he asks the question as if even the wealthy believer is known to do this. The word translated as blaspheme signifies to refuse to acknowledge good, meaning that which is worthy of respect. In this, it is a reversal of moral values.

What appears to be the case, because this is speaking of believers (or supposed believers), is that even in their state as such, they bring discredit upon the name of Christ by their refusal to acknowledge the equality of believers who are less wealthy than they are. That is seen in the words, “by which you are called.”

All believers have the name of Christ upon them. This type of thought goes back even to the Law of Moses. In the Greek translation of Deuteronomy 28:10, the name of the Lord is called upon the people of Israel –

“Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you.”

Likewise, the thought is seen several more times in the Old Testament, such as in Amos 9:12 –

“‘That they may possess the remnant of Edom,
And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’
Says the Lord who does this thing.”

James then cites this passage from Amos 9 in the decision rendered in Acts 15 concerning the inclusion of the Gentiles into the New Covenant. The name of Jesus is called upon His people, such as in the act of baptism, where believers are commanded to be baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). The Greek of Matthew 28:19 refers to the “name” in the singular. In other words, there is one name which identifies the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. When a person is baptized, he is baptized into the name of the Triune God.

As this name rests upon all believers, and as the wealthy bring discredit upon the poor believers, then they are blaspheming the name which rests upon those same poor believers. The name rests upon them, and they are just as “in Christ” as any other person – regardless of any other distinction, including temporary, earthly wealth.

Life application: The rich and famous normally become so out of touch with reality that they begin to think of themselves as mini-gods. This will happen because people follow them around and throw themselves at them without a second thought. They are sought out for perceived wisdom even if they lack any true common sense or deep intelligence at all. The powerful, having such control over others, will also develop an aggravated sense of their own worth.

Look at the vast majority of those in power in Washington today. Their actions and votes indicate high arrogance; voting contrary to what is right in order to further their own petty goals.

Anyone who would actively support the murder of unborn children and call it good brings slander upon the name of the Creator. Those who attempt to control the free exercise of speech or faith likewise discredit the name of God. This is because it is the Christian’s duty to spread the gospel in each and every possible circumstance.

When that right is hindered in any way, it slanders the name of the Lord because it was He who ordained that His message go forth. How much worse then is such an attitude when held by a supposed believer in Christ. Don’t look at the lesser issues or actions of those you admire. Instead, look at their treatment of the name and gospel of Jesus Christ. This is how you gauge the true person.

Heavenly Father, please give us discerning eyes to see the true person and not to look at superficial matters that can distract our attention. Help us never to show favoritism because of wealth, power, or position. Help us not to decide matters upon color of skin or ethnicity as well. Instead, keep our eyes focused on a person’s admiration and exaltation of You as the true measure of who he is. Amen.

Wednesday, 3 July 2019

But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? James 2:6

James has just spoken of those God has chosen, meaning “the poor of this world.” He went on to say that they are “rich in faith.” However, he now says to his audience, “But you have dishonored the poor man.”

The “you” is plural. He is making a general statement about the conduct of those even within the faith. In giving the example of the well-dressed man in contrast to the man in filthy clothes, he is calling out the conduct of those in the gathering. In essence, “God has chosen this person because he is rich in faith, and yet you have humiliated him by treating him as a less-than-equal.” In this, he who should be most highly honored has been dishonored.

He then adds in, “Do not the rich oppress you…?” The idea here is that the rich lord their status over others. In the streets, the poor would be made to get out of the way of the rich being carried on his palanquin. When buying food at the store, the rich would tell the store owner to take him first so that he wouldn’t have to stand in the heat. Things such as this, which were surely as common then as they are now, were to alert the congregation that in showing preference to the rich man in the congregation, they were only feeding this type of attitude in a place where it should be completely starved.

And more, James continues with the fact that it is the rich who, “drag you into the courts?” They had the money to hire lawyers, they had the wealth to bribe judges, and they had the social position to convince those who stood in judgment that they were in the right – even when they were in the wrong. The rich were not the friends of his addressees, rather they were the ones who persecuted them. And so why should a rich man be given preference in a congregation of saints where those of the greatest faith (as a general rule) were those who were the poor of the world?

Life application: Even though it is the meek, the lowly, the humble, and the poor who will inherit the kingdom, these are the very same people we insult by our inappropriate judgments. We look down on others who have less than us and exalt those who have more than us.

But James says that the very people we look up to are the ones who are fighting against us as we live our lives. And the opposite is usually true of the poor. They will normally open their door for others, remain non-judgmental about things they disagree on, and generally live life in more contentment than the wealthy who simply strive to become more wealthy and more “superior” to those around them.

Nothing has changed in these 2000 years since James wrote his words, and it is a warning to each of us every day. We need to keep away from insulting the poor and exalting the rich simply because of their station in life.

Heavenly Father, help us to see each man for his inner qualities and not his external riches. May we be fair judges of those around us so that we might not sin against You. Help our hearts to not show favoritism or partiality towards those we can benefit from. This we ask through Jesus who looked with favor upon us, even in our time of greatest poverty. Amen.

Tuesday, 2 July 2019

Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? James 2:5

James now appears to make a sudden departure from his previous words. It is not a departure in thought though. Rather, it is a departure in style. He has been speaking about not demonstrating partiality. He then gave the example of showing favoritism by showing preference to a rich, well-dressed man over a poor, raggedly-dressed man. His words, however, are not a departure.

Instead, they are given to expand upon that thought as he speaks of the customary attributes of the rich and the poor. From there he will talk about precepts from the Law of Moses, and how those precepts pointed to the need for a merciful attitude, which will then triumph over judgment – the exact thing he just spoke of in the previous verse, which was of a person who “judges with evil thoughts.” Therefore, James’ coming words follow naturally to complete the very thought he has just conveyed.

Understanding this, he begins with, “Listen, my beloved brethren.” It is a call to attention, asking his audience to pay careful heed. Again, as he has already done, he used the term “brethren.” It is to believers in Christ that he is speaking. He next begins his statement to which he has called them to attention, by saying, “Has God not chosen the poor of this world…?” The same idea is presented by Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29. There Paul explains why God has done this –

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. ²⁷ But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; ²⁸ and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, ²⁹ that no flesh should glory in His presence.”

Going on, James says that God has “chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith.” Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Rich people will often not take the time to hear something which detracts from their ability to get richer. Or, they may feel so comfortable in their wealth that they don’t even need to waste their time with something that won’t profit them further in this world which has handed them so much. They are so busy thinking about their life of ease that there is no need to think about things so trivial as an uncertain “hope” of something coming after death.

On the other hand, the poor are tired of the world – of being beaten up by the world, of fighting for every morsel of food, of being trivialized, and so on. They have no hope in this world, and so they are willing to consider that a better life ahead is their only hope of joy. And so they seek after that possibility. Some think they find it in one religion or another, but those who find it in the truth of God’s word which speaks of Christ are truly blessed. They have come to the true Source of hope and joy. In this they become rich in faith, having obtained the eternal promise. They have, as James says it, become “heirs of the kingdom.”

That which was promised at the very moments after the fall of man is realized in Christ. Adam was to reign over the world, having dominion over all the works of God’s hands which he sees. But he fell and lost that right. Christ Jesus retrieved it through His perfect obedience to the Father. Now, that kingdom is assured for all who have put their faith and trust in Him. Paul speaks of this kingdom often, such as –

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13, 14

It is this kingdom, as James says, “which He promised to those who love Him?” We have an explanation of the words, “those who love Him,” from the hand of John –

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” 1 John 5:3

What John is speaking of here is not the commandments of the Law of Moses. Paul explicitly negates that premise in 1 Corinthians 7:19 when he says, “ Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.” Paul says that “Circumcision is nothing.” As circumcision was a command found within the Law of Moses, he cannot be speaking of the Law of Moses. Rather, to keep the commandments of Christ the Lord is to be obedient to the words of Christ. It is He who fulfilled the law, and it is He who established a New Covenant, setting aside the Old.

To those who love God, who are willing to put aside self, and who trust in the Lord Jesus alone for their salvation, God has promised His kingdom. And for those who have done so, the promise is obtained. It may be yet future, but it is surer than the wealth of the rich. Their riches will disappear with them, but the eternal riches which lie ahead in Christ will never fail.

As a point of doctrine, one could spend all day asking if God’s election of the “poor of this world” is active or passive, but there is no need. It is – as revealed throughout Scripture – passive. The rich people of the world are usually too caught up in the world to stop and consider their state before God. The intelligent are too often “too smart to need God.” And so on. However, the poor don’t have such things, and their hope is placed in God for wisdom, intelligence, an inheritance, etc. In their coming to God through faith, they are then “chosen” by God.

James’ words do not negate the concept of free will. Rather, they establish it. How can we know this is true? Because there are some wealthy believers. There are some wise believers. There are some noble believers. And so on. If the words of James and Paul were true across the board, then one might argue that God has purposefully picked only those in the categories mentioned. But such is not the case.

Life application: The words here contain one of the wonders of God’s workings in humanity. All people are separated from God because of their sins. This is just the way it is. But God sent His Son to reconcile us to Him. In order to receive this, we need to acknowledge that we can’t save ourselves and that we are totally dependent on His mercy through Jesus Christ.

The problem is that those who are rich naturally feel secure and also competent to handle all of life’s problems, including reconciliation with God. This leads to smugness about God and a careless attitude towards salvation – “I’ve got it all under control.”

In a similar fashion, people tend to feel that God will look on them differently than the next guy who has such obvious faults. But God doesn’t grade on a curve and salvation is not human origin. The poor will understand this.

And so it is that the poor, the weak, the lowly, and the broken are those who come to Jesus in faith, completely empty-handed. “O God, is there room for me?” It is when one comes to God through Jesus in this manner that God is exalted.

When someone arrives with a list of their great accomplishments, wealth, or fame then God receives no glory – and they receive neither mercy nor salvation. God longs to look on the lost sinner and lavish His grace upon him, if he will only drop every pretense that blocks the way.

“Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you;
And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
Blessed are all those who wait for Him.” Isaiah 30:18

Thank You Lord Jesus, for looking down on us, even us. We are sinful souls and beggars with empty hands, and yet you have granted us Your salvation through the work You accomplished. May we never boast in anything but the cross You bore. This we ask that You alone will be exalted for Your great and mighty deliverance, wrought on our behalf. Amen.

Monday, 1 July 2019

…have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? James 2:4

James now completes his thoughts concerning “partiality” which began in verse 2:1. The NKJV says, “have you not shown partiality among yourselves.” This makes it sound like he is confirming his idea in 2:1 concerning partiality. However, he gives an entirely different word here than there. In 2:1, he mentioned partiality with the word prosópolémpsia. He now speaks not of partiality, but of division by using the word, diakrinó.

The thought is correctly reflected in the Aramaic Bible with, “are you not divided in your souls.” As Vincent’s Word Studies states, “The meaning here is, therefore, that, in making a distinction between the rich and the poor, they expressed a doubt concerning the faith which they professed, and which abolished such distinctions.”

He is referring not to the partiality of verse 2:1, but of the faith itself. The faith of the people is to say, “We are all one in Christ” (see Galatians 3:28), but by making decisions based on partiality, the faith itself is divided in the mind of the people. How can there be no distinction in Christ if we are making such distinctions? It shows a people who have two minds which are not in agreement.

Understanding this, he then says that this reflects that they have “become judges with evil thoughts.” Christ is one, and those in Christ are one. But in dividing believers as they have, they reflect a mind with evil thoughts concerning dividing the parts of a united whole.

A suitable example of what this is referring to might be displaying this attitude towards one of the fifty states within the United States of America. Each is to have equal representation in the Senate based on statehood – two senators. And each is to have equal representation in the House based on population – 1 representative for a set amount of people within each state.

However, because one state has lots of representatives (equate this to the rich guy with the gold ring and the fancy duds), the president says to a senator representing that state, “You come sit here at my table.” However, another state has only a few representatives (equate this to the guy in dirty clothes), the president says, “You wait over there in the chair by the door.” In so doing, he has shown partiality which is not supposed to exist in dealing with the states, and he has become divided in his mind concerning the intent and purpose of the constitution which frames the government. In this, he has become a judge with evil thoughts.

Life application: Be careful how you look on others and accept them as God’s image-bearers regardless of their status according to the world. Instead of degrading others, let us ever exalt the Lord. We all belong at the same level as we live in His presence and as we worship His glory –

“Let us go into His tabernacle;
Let us worship at His footstool.” Psalm 132:7

Lord Jesus, may we feel the conviction of having shown preference to others based on their position, dress, wealth, and so on over those who are less fortunate in this world. Give us the ability to see others as you see them – looking on the heart and beauty of the inner-man rather than the externals, which are so fading. May You be pleased with how we treat our fellow men. Amen.

Sunday, 30 June 2019

…and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” James 2:3

The Greek word translated as “pay attention” gives the sense of a favorable viewing and showing preference. In comes this guy with a gold ring and shining clothes, and he is immediately regarded in a favorable light, even without knowing a thing about him. He could be an arrogant, controlling, manipulating person, but he is given high regard simply because of his fancy duds. And so you say to him, “You sit here in a good place.”

The Greek more closely reads, “You sit here, honorably.” He is so seated simply because of his external appearance. This spot is what Jesus spoke of in Matthew 23 –

“But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. ⁶ They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues.” Matthew 23:5,6

The person is given high regard based only on the fact that he looks good. On the other hand, in walks the poor guy in the stinky, filthy clothes. Without knowing a thing about him, you make a value judgment. He might be the nicest guy in town. He might be humble, caring, selfless, and honorable in all he does. But, because of his disgusting external appearance, you say to him, “You stand there.”

He isn’t even given a seat to sit on. But maybe he has been working all night, and that is why his clothes are filthy. Without even knowing his circumstances, he is made to stand through the meeting. This, while the other guy slept all night and had time to put on his nice clothes, eat a big breakfast, and then take a donkey-cab to the synagogue without being overworked in the slightest.

Or, you might – fortunately – have a wee little room left for the poor guy to sit, and so you say, “Sit here at my footstool.” The Greek reads more closely, “You sit here under my footstool.” How nice of you. You are elevated and have a footstool, and this poor guy sits not on your footstool, but in a position which is directly on the floor at a lower level than where your filthy feet are. He gets to look at your dirty feet, despite his beautiful nature, simply because he is wearing dirty clothes. However, the other guy, a real “jerk” by every sense of the word, sits honorably.

Life application: Once we find out who a person is, if we are caring of such things as good morals and an honorable character, the externals don’t matter to us. But our first impressions often guide us to want to be closer to those who are more presentable externally.

Without knowing anything else about people, we will naturally incline towards those who present themselves in a clean and orderly way. This is because we can make value judgments based on externals. However, taking these value judgments and acting on them alone can lead us to showing inappropriate favoritism. Let each of us be careful in how we evaluate others. Instead of jumping to snappy decisions based on externals alone, let us look deeper and try to determine the true quality and character of the inner man.

Lord God, help us to be people of character by being people who do not show favoritism towards others simply because of their external appearances. Fine clothes and gold jewelry don’t make a person more respectable or honest. And dirty clothes doesn’t mean a person has bad character. Help us, Lord, to look deeper than externals when we meet people along life’s highway. Amen.