Epaggelia

v26, Authentic Christians are responsible for doing something with our life. We are not called to just be right; rather, we are called to get busy while staying clean! This should be seen in all that we do and believe (Prov. 19:17). Therefore if we are like the person that “Does not bridle his tongue” we are not genuine. God calls us to use our words for good (Psalm 141:3; Prov. 10:19; 16:24; Matt. 5:9; 12:34; Eph. 4:29). We are not to divorce our tongue from our mind and heart! We don’t want to be “Useless”. The essential quality that shows who we are in Christ, is putting our words forward with intent to reflect our faith and character. When we are careless with our words, we are being careless with our Lord and His calling. James calls us to wake up and get real with our faith and work. God literally hates it when we do not pay attention to what comes from our lips (Psalm 5:9; 12:3; 52:2; 109:2; 120:2; Prov. 17:4; 27-28; 25:23; 26:20; Jer. 9:8; James 3:1-12; 3 John 9-12)

v27, Pure and undefiled religion refers to obedience that is pleasing to God-doing something with our faith. Orphans and widows are the powerless ones in society. They have fewer resources and in Judea were often thrown away as many cultures do with them today. The Jews did a fair job of taking care of them, and the Romans only took care of the orphans of its citizens. Even though it was a very small percentage, most other cultures did nothing. True Christianity involves defending and providing for the helpless and needy! God’s call is powerful, purposeful, and clear; take care of them! (Ex. 22:20-24; Deut. 10:18; 14:29; Psalm 9:18; 68:5; 146:9; Isa. 1:17; Ezek. 22:7) God’s Word will lead to godly action when it is received by a person who is rooted in Christ, whose life has been transformed. If not, we are self deluded as James states in verses 23-27 and Ezekiel in Ezek 3:30-32. If we prayerfully read our Bibles God’s Spirit will help us with a visible result as our faith increases, and our purpose is set with a life that is worth living.

2:1, Partiality/ favoritism means to receive by face value only, like judging a book by its cover. It is to favor someone externally based on their appearance, race, economic status, or value in society. Here, racism is superficial and it is condemned as being evil! Jewish wisdom stressed (but did not always practice) when our focus is on God, we are to see others in His image, not what they can do to or for us. We are called to discern evil from good, but not make judgments based on appearances only (Rom. 2:11; Gal. 2:6-8 Eph. 6:9; Col. 3:25).

2:6, Dishonored the poor. Treating others by the ways of the world and not the way of our Lord brings disgrace to people and God (Deut. 15:7-11). The poor gain grace and favor because they have learned to trust and rely on God alone, not just for being poor. They were the ones with the most faith and contribute to the church the most in what matters (Psalm 9:18; Luke 6:20; 1 Cor. 1:26-31)  Prejudice is defined as forming an opinion without knowing the facts. Prejudice, discrimination, and favoritism are heinous things before God the Father, who sees all of us as His children. The biggest problems, both in the family and in nations, are the superficial ways we judge each other and do not love. Looking at someone with favor or disgust because of appearance is not godly. In His eyes, we are demeaning our brother for superficial and meaningless reasons. (Matt. 28:19-20; John 13:34-35; Acts. 10:34; 17:24-28;  Rom. 2:11; 15:7; 1 Cor. 1:25-29; 1 Thess. 5:11; 1 John 4:7-21)

• v19-21, Anger is valuable when it is controlled and directed. Anger can move the passion of a person in motivation, such as starting or supporting an organization to prevent drunk driving versus shooting the drunk driver. Uncontrolled anger and not listening, gives people a false impression of God and has an extreme negative impact on others for the faith (Col. 3:8; James 3:18; 5:7). The Bible tells us that our anger has a place, but that we should not allow it to cause us to sin! Jesus saw His Father’s house of worship and prayer turned into a greedy market, and he modeled the correct way to use our hostility (Mat. 18:15-17; 21:12-13). Anger can be a solution or a real problem, depending on how we handle it. Anger can also become evil. Literally, it is the rotten fruit unhitched from our temper and loss of control. The Holy Spirit will restrain us but only in the parameters of our will to control our anger (Rom. 8:11; 2 Thess. 2:6; 1 John 4:4). Temper can be valuable if we submit it to God’s cultivation and care. God created each of us with two ears and one tongue, therefore his design and will is for us to do twice as much listening as we do talking. The lack of listening and the abundance of anger, especially when it is out of control, will create a destructive environment for the Christian and the Church (Prov. 27:9). What we should be listening to above all is God’s message. Why is it a necessity to put the Word of God into our daily life? Have we considered how it affects how we feel, how we are, and how it transforms us in how we treat others?

• v21 “engrafted” or “implanted” is a very important word which every Christian should completely understand from James. Read 2 Pet. 1: 3-11. God calls us to take His Word and allow Him to plant it in us just like a gardener would plant a vineyard or orchard, then allow our efforts in Him and the work of the Spirit to grow His fruit in order to produce the character of Christ in our lives to impact others around us. How can this transpire more effectively in us?

•  v23-24, “Doer”, The Greek word poietes is rooted in the idea of performing poetry. Reading poetry in silence to yourself is not as effective as reading it aloud with feeling. The performance of reading as an orator is good for you as well as others who hear. The same can be said for whatever Biblical passage you read, we must make a physical effort to live out the point of a passage, not just parrot it on a Sunday. This kind of performer may, at first attempt, feel hypocritical, but with faithful endurance and prayer, the “doer” will become real and natural as fruit growing and maturing, not because of the quality of my performance but because the passage is living & activated by the Spirit of God in Christ! I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”  Romans 1:16-17  

• v25, Notice the phrase changes from “doer of the word” into “doer of the work”. One letter makes all the difference. Christians are not just reflecting Christ as the light of the world, we are supposed to be enlightening the world with Christ, that is work!  Do you fully believe when the Bible has impacted us, we will make a response to it?  What would our congregation look like if more people were “doers of the Word?” Please read Matthew 5:14-16.

I desire to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart. Psalm 40:8

• A Question for poorer Christians, v9, “Exaltation” – a higher position of enlightenment, such as the experience of the forgiven, noted in Luke 1:78. After the birth of John the immersionist, his father Zechariah spoke of how baby John would grow to present the Light of the world to people in darkness. When we realize who we are in Christ, all of our problems and opportunities come into perspective. How has this influenced you, or others in your life as a Christian?

• A Question for richer Christians, v10, “Humiliation” – the abased position of service, such as the way the virgin Mary saw herself in God’s sight when she fully realized she was pregnant with the Messiah, Luke 1:48.  How can you put yourself in God’s care, to be more of a person of faith and integrity? How can you be one who is surrendered and poured out to Christ and used powerfully in the lives of others? (see John 3:30; Gal. 2:20-21; Phil. 3:10)

• Do you believe that God’s blessings come to us in ways we cannot always fathom? Do you believe that He is indeed good? If not, what is blocking your view and/or experience?

• How is perseverance or steadfastness, in v12, a factor in our faith development? What do we need to do to further understand God’s sovereignty so we have more willingness to endure, and not give up?

• The fact about temptation in v14, should cause us to ask; Why is it important to not be deceived and not cave into false thinking? What happens when we do? What can we do to make sure we have the right view of sin and temptation? 

• How have you struggled with temptations? How can this passage help focus you on the priority that Christ can and will fill you with Himself so that you will not be pulled into worldly desires? Remember Luke 9:23.

• If we take v15 personally, then we can see that personally our sin brings upon our self, our own death, not the ability to pass on sin to others, but our own death. The death of a newborn infant is not caused by a parent’s sin, or Adam’s sin being passed on genetically, it is caused by merely being born human with the propensity to sin, whether a baby commits sin or not. Every human being is born capable of sinning, so death is the direct result whether a baby is viewed as a sinner or not, because genetically we don’t pass on sin, we pass on the ABILITY (lust/desire/will) to sin, therefore death is passed on, not sin itself, see Romans 5:12. Do you understand this?

•  v17,“The Father of Lights” – Are we able to realize that we are witnesses to the Light of Christ to become the light that impacts others? Do we realize that our reliability, in being a reflection or a lampstand of the light to those who are weak in Him or do not know Him, will be the essence of Christ they may see in us? (see John 1:6-9; 1 John 1:7)

• Is it God’s will to use the word of truth in our being born again, or is it man’s will to use the word of truth in our new creation? Read verse 18 carefully.

• What do you do when a problem develops? 
• What is patience to you?
• Do you depend on yourself or others to solve your problems, or God? 
• An abundant life in Christ means our problems are always smaller than His solution. Read and contrast Psalm 142:1-7 and Romans 8:28.
• How can declaring your situation as “joy” be of benefit to you? Read Matthew 5:10-11

• Remembering who we are in God’s eyes, serves as a great strength when facing any problem, Read 1 John 3:1-3.
• Since the testing of our faith produces endurance, what does the testing of our doubts produce? Proof that Satan knows which areas of our faith is weak! 
• If we do not grow in trusting God, we will lack whatever it takes to face the next problem that comes along. What did the searching, rich ruler lack? Luke 18:18-22.
• Is it possible to be mature in one area of our faith, yet immature in another?
• What is not right in our life that needs wisdom and attention from God?
• Is there any other kind of wisdom worth asking for, than wisdom from God?
• Do we ever doubt God would share His wisdom, or run out of it, or that it would be so old that it’s not applicable? Read Isaiah 40:28 &                     1st Corinthians 3:19
• Receiving anything more from God than what the world already has, should be truly treasured, so why would He refrain from giving good things to unstable, double-minded people?
• Why would the “wretched man” described in Romans 7:24, not be the same as the double-minded man in James 1:8 ?

“God will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, Jehovah, is the Rock eternal”. Isaiah 26:3-4 ~ For Jewish Christians would find great strength in Jesus being The Rock, (Matthew 7:25 & 16:18)

God hates sin, but loves the sinner, you and me, everyone! This is a fact which most of us struggle to understand and emulate. We humans find it very hard to hate sin, but love each other. But if you want to understand how to do it and do it really well, begin with this fact. We love our self, but hate some things we say or do, so why can’t we learn to love people, more than what they do or say? God does this all the time, even when he really resented making us in the first place back in Noah’s day, Genesis 6:5-8. God who is love, actually destroyed people, but loved people enough to give them a 100 year opportunity to repent and get on an Ark. Those 8 souls that were saved on the Ark was the only proof the world had, which testified to the love of God for humans who were hateful toward Him. They were all so hateful that wrath filled their life and the world was full of violence because of them, so God was justified in destroying them to start all over again with those that loved Him. 

Recognize hatred for what it is: 

• Characteristic of the lost state of humanity; Titus 3:3-5
• Evidence of immaturity; Matthew 5:43-48, the word “perfect” means complete maturity.
• Harbored by fools; Proverbs 10:18.
• Grows into cruelty; led to the murder of Abel,1st Jn.3:11-15, and Christ, Jn.15:18-25 and led Joseph’s brothers to abuse him to the point of endangering his life, Genesis 37:4-8.  An oriental proverb says “Water does not remain on the mountain nor vengeance in a great mind”
• A work or act of the flesh, carnal activity; Galatians 5:19-21
• Preventing us from entering Heaven; Galatians 5:19-21

Love is the cure for hate. As far as the apostle John is concerned, there is no middle ground between love and hate, we either hate someone or we love them, read 1st John 2:9-11, 3:14-15. According to Peter, brotherly love is a command, 1st Peter 4:8 and according to Paul it is the fulfillment of the old law which embodies the greatest commandment, Romans 13:8.

To overcome hate from staying in our heart, we are given 3 divine truths that will repudiate hate from our hearts;

• Pray for the person who is the object of hate, Matthew 5:44, If we believe God can help us in this request, hate will recede and eventually leave us.
• Find something good to do for the person who is resented, Matthew 5:44. A compliment or note of encouragement, or a Christmas greeting card, or inviting them to a birthday party, or offering to carry someone to deliver a package somewhere, or any small deed that can make a dent in the critical attitude we may harbor to start destroying hate. This action is the first step we take towards emulating God in Jesus on the cross, Ephesians 2:16.
• Brotherly love involves us in trying to sincerely understand the person who is hated or resented, 1st John 3:10-15. The phrase “Try walking a mile in his moccasins” is said to come from a poem written by Mary T. Lathrap, 1838-95, originally titled “Judge Softly”. It exposes the hatred bred from ignorance towards Native Americans, and is a principle that is proven to help rid hatred in prejudiced hearts.

Christians should fully realize that we have a Shepherd that makes us lay down, as well as walk. Recognizing the balance between the two, helps us fight off laziness in our lifestyle. “Laziness” is an overused criticism—a character judgment­­, really––that does little to help us understand why someone doesn’t exert the effort to do what they want to do, or are expected to do. If we take a moment to examine what’s behind the procrastination and avoidance, we find a range of more complicated issues but this discussion focuses on two facts: Firstly the discontentment we have in our heart which leads to laziness. Secondly the direction God’s word points us to, when it addresses people He labels as lazy or slothful.

The apostle Paul revealed a powerful truth concerning contentment in Philippians 4:11. While incarcerated in prison for unjust charges, he recorded that contentment is a virtue we must “learn”. If we live with being discontent and do not learn to be content, we will end up being too lazy to do anything about putting God’s knowledge into action. God wants his children to learn that the poorest people in the world are those who have more than they need, but feel like it’s never enough. If I can be satisfied with my income, then that satisfaction can motivate me to work in using the income wisely and keeping my income practically useful. If I’m not satisfied with my income, that dissatisfaction can possibly lead to laziness that can cost me my income one day. Remember, 1st Tim. 6:6-8 where we are taught godliness with contentment is great gain! Here is a poem to help us count our blessings, making godly contentment motivate us to work:

I WISH ?

I wish I had a telescope to scan the starry skies;

But since I have no telescope, I’m glad I have two eyes.

I wish I had a kitchen run by digital commands.

But while that kitchen’s still a dream, 

I’m glad I have two hands.

I wish I had a brand new car to give my friends a treat;

But ‘til that new car comes along, I’m glad I have two feet.

Two eyes to look to God above

Two hands to lift in prayer

Two feet to take me anywhere

Well dang!  I’m a millionaire!”

God’s word warns us about the dangers of being “slothful or lazy”. The Hebrew writer says we should be content with what we have, Hebrews. 13:5, but that doesn’t mean we are so content we don’t work to use what we have to it’s fullest potential. Jesus considered laziness to be very closely akin to wickedness, see Matthew 25:26. Because when we are not busy working, we are usually neglecting service we could be giving to the Lord, Romans 12:11. Perhaps the worst thing about a lazy lifestyle is that we end up missing out on fulfilled promises in life, promises from God and promises that other people make for us if we meet their expectations, Hebrews 6:12. Work can be a great blessing, if we learn and believe in what Ecclesiastes 5:19-20 says, read it!

When we were babies, every single one of us possessed two fears: The fear of falling and the fear of loud sudden noises. Did you overcome them? Or do you still have them? In one sense, no, in another sense, yes. None of us would jump off the south rim of the Grand Canyon without a safety net, nor would we enjoy someone pranking us with an unexpected scream unless you paid entrance into a halloween haunted house! This two-fold sense of caution & courage explains to all of us the difference between honorable fear, which is better described as caution, and dishonorable fear, which is better described as cowardice. If I had a phobia of spiders, it would be cowardly to run off and move to the north pole just because spiders can’t live there. But if my fear of spiders was honorable, I’d invest in pesticides, practicing caution to stand my ground. Christians should never run away from a spiritual enemy, but we should use caution and wipe the dust off our feet, moving forward. Standing fast is a command and it takes courage to wipe off our feet in the face of our enemy. Do not let your heart receive what your brain anticipates as fear. We can’t get rid of fear, but we can handle it wisely with the help of our Lord. Every human being is built with a sense of fear which can help us live a long productive life, if we treat our fears with God’s sovereignty in mind & soul.

Biblically there are only two types of fear: 

Commanded (Lk. 12:5 & Ac. 9:31) not to be confused with blind enthusiasm.

Forbidden (Lk. 12:32 & Mt. 8:26) not to be confused with caution.

Being brave for Jesus is not for brand new Christians. Courage for a Christian comes with time, maturity & wisdom. The church as a whole in today’s society is probably hurt more by immaturity than we are with complacency. Some preachers may complain about apathy in the church, but that complaint is empty, in view of the lack of spiritual exercise by new Christians. If that is the case for you, then the heart disease of cowardice can set in like a plague and stop you from growing into bravery.
Most people fear failure. In Matthew 25:25 we can see the “one talent man” did nothing because of his fear. Is it right for Christians to be fearful of failure? The Lord Jesus promised Christians inevitable and assured victory over sin and death. The apostle Paul proclaimed to beloved Christians in Corinth that we should be abounding in the work of the Lord, KNOWING our labor is not in vain. 1st Cor. 15:58. Jesus said, “Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal of approval on Him.” (Jn. 6:27) Even when Jesus worked as a carpenter it was not in vain. Every effort you put into being a Christian is worth it, because a Christian is in Christ, giving us eternal food! That’s a victory in itself! If a brand new Christian can start being a Christian by being brave in our fight against temptation, then we will grow with Christ’s eternal food in the Word, to be brave in our work for the Lord to spread the gospel. Do you believe this?