Series: James
Lesson #1.
Title: TRUST, WAIT AND ASK
Scripture: James 1: 1-8
Date: January 3, 2009
Place: SGBC, NJ
James 1: 1: James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
JAMES IS THE WRITER
James, is the half-brother of the Lord Jesus Christ. But he does not mention that because salvation is not by blood, not by the will of man or the will of the flesh—not even if you are the half-brother of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ had many in his own family who did not believe, who were not his sheep. But James was.
The grace of God had made James a servant of God and a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. A servant does not attempt to be his Master; a servant does what his Master tells him to do. That is what James is doing.
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he is writing the word of truth, declaring that God our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is able to save, to build up, to keep those he has called unto the inheritance in final glory. He does it through the word of his grace. We are never to turn to our own understanding or our own wisdom of words or our own methods but trust Christ, hold forth the word of life, and wait on Christ to save. This is the word of grace and this is the word of the epistle of James.
WRITTEN TO JEWISH BELIEVERS
In order to better understand this epistle we need to continually keep in mind what these Jewish believers were enduring. Sinners saved by grace in our day face the same problems.
1) First, they were learning that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to all who believe. All their lives they thought that righteousness came by the law. Now, by God’s grace through faith in Christ, they are learning that salvation is of the LORD. They are no longer under the law but under grace. They are learning that the “the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 14: 7.) Many among them were having great difficulty with this.
Acts 21: 20:..Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: 21: And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.
Sinner’s saved by grace in our day face this same difficulty. This goes hand-in-hand with God’s electing grace.
2) Secondly, they were learning that God has an elect people, not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles. All their lives they thought that the nation Israel was God’s elect. Now, they are learning that God’s grace has no respect of persons but is solely God’s choice to save whom he will and pass by whom he will. This fleshly way of thinking causes men to show a respect of persons based on the flesh.
Galatians 2: 11: But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 12: For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. 13: And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. 14: But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? 15: We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16: Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
3) Thirdly, because they believed on Christ Jesus, they were being rejected by their own kinsman after the flesh. That is one reason they were “scattered” abroad. Persecution means “pushed away.”
Acts 11: 19:…were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen
In our day, when God calls a sinner, we are continually taught of God through the gospel that salvation is by God’s grace. Our full acceptance with God is Christ Jesus our Righteousness. We face many trials within and without—from our own flesh, from unbelieving family, from religious friends. But the trial that seems to be on James mind most is the trial we face in waiting on God to teach through his word.
CONCERNING THESE TRIALS
James 1: 2: My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations [trials]; 3: Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
THROUGH TRIALS GOD WORKS PATIENCE TO TRUST HIM.
Be sure you get this: In these various trials, because the old man is still with us, in our desire for our brethren to hear, to grow, to walk in the truth of Christ, the old, self-righteous man that is yet within every believer desires to be exalted, to condemn, to force obedience in those who are out of the way. This entire letter is reminding us that the cure for our own self-righteousness and for the edification of our brethren comes by God alone through the word of God’s grace alone.
How did YOU begin in faith?
James 1: 18: Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth…
Each chosen child of God is totally dead in trespasses and in sins from our first birth. We must be born of the Spirit of God. God must give us life and grant us repentance and faith in Christ. From the first day of his divine visitation, by his grace, the love of God for us in Christ is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost.
Romans 5: 1: Therefore being justified, by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
How will YOU be built up to continue trusting Christ alone?
Acts 20:32: And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up,
Ephesians 4: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15: But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
How will YOU be kept unto final glory?
Acts 20: 32:…God, through the word of his grace,…”is able to…give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”
In every trial, God sheds abroad the love of Christ more and more in the beleivers heart, causing us to trust him.
Romans 5: 3: And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4: And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
James 1: 4: But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire [complete], wanting nothing.
WAIT ON THE LORD
First, this is a word to each believer individually. I, myself, get the full benefit of the trial when I patiently wait on the Lord to work through the gospel. In God’s faithfulness to teach me, God grows me in grace to know that in Christ I am complete and wanting nothing.
Secondly, this is a word to us, collectively, as his church. The whole flock can only move as fast as the weakest sheep. But wait on the Lord to teach effectually in the heart of your brethren, so that the whole body is perfect, entire, wanting nothing.
We are taught in this epistle that this is what it is to be a doer of the word and not a hearer only.
REMEMBER THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
After everything our Lord taught he gives this word, Matthew 7: 1: Judge not. When we are critical of the mote in our brother’s eye, when we think ourselves wise to pull out the splinter from his eye, there is a beam in our own eye. Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? (Luke 6: 39.) But how are we freed from that self-exalting, self-dependent, self-righteous old man of our flesh? How did the Lord follow up that word?
Matthew 7: 7: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Listen to the next word James gives.
James 1: 5: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
This is the chief purpose of the trial.
God makes the believer to realize our lack of wisdom and God draws us to Christ our Wisdom then patience has had her perfect work. God gives abundantly, and does not upbraid any who ask in faith. God renews the inner man to remember how Christ sowed peace into our own hearts he renews us by settling our hearts on Christ.
James 3: 17: But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18: And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
As he renews the inner man to remember the Wisdom of Christ our Lord toward us, he bridles our tongue, he works patience, he causes us to visit one another in the gospel of Christ our Peace in love and to wait on him.
James 1: 6: But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7: For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8: A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Wavering, double mindedness, is not being steadfastly minded, single minded for Christ to receive all the glory.
James 4: 10: Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. 11: Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12: There is one lawgiver, who is able to save.
Ask, believing and trusting God alone to raise up, he alone is able. Amen!