DO NOT CONDEMN

 

DO NOT CONDEMN

James 4:11-12 Don't speak evil against each other, my dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize each other and condemn each other, then you are criticizing and condemning God's law. But you are not a judge who can decide whether the law is right or wrong. Your job is to obey it. God alone, who made the law, can rightly judge among us. He alone has the power to save or destroy. So what right do you have to condemn your neighbor? NLT

Why is it that we find it so hard to listen to what James is saying here? There are very few church bodies out there who do not struggle with this. Most of us as individuals struggle with this. We have a need to be right and when someone doesn't agree with us we are quick to dismiss their opinions as wrong. We rarely are able to listen to what others believe and think it through. We know what we believe based on what we have been taught. We accept what the teachings of our particular church teaches and don't question them. We seldom ask ourselves if perhaps there might be another equally valid way to understand a text or doctrinal teaching. Rather than take an honest look at what others teach, we dismiss it and proclaim them to be wrong. Period. Depending on how strong our convictions are, we speak evil of those who think differently than us. We claim to have THE correct understanding of the Word and often avoid those who don't agree with us.

But, who are we to stand in a position of judgment? What makes us so wise that we have perfect understanding of the Word? Granted, we have the Spirit within us who guides us into proper understandings of the truth, but why then are there so many different interpretations of certain texts to the point where we are divided? Perhaps we need to mellow a bit on our staunch stand on some things and strive to be one in Christ instead of so many. As long as we do not mess with what the Lord did for us on Calvary, there is room in the Kingdom for all of us. We are one in Christ. The cross is our rallying point. We all have the same status before God through the cross. Jesus is our Savior and He is all we need in order to make it to heaven.

We waste way too much of our time and energy squabbling over the fine print. We are not called by God to have perfect understanding; we are called to obey the Word as we understand it. Our understanding evolves as we grow into maturity of faith. We often have to readjust our thoughts as we grow older and wiser in the faith. We don't have any right to condemn one another when we think differently about things. We can discuss our differences in a loving way for our mutual benefit, and when we can't agree over something, we accept our differences in love and let Christ unite us together in Him.

If changes in understanding needs to be done, the Lord will see to it that it happens in His perfect timing and ways. In the meantime, let's act like the one body we are in Christ.

BOW DOWN

 

BOW DOWN

James 4:10 When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him; he will lift you up and give you honor. NLT

Notice that it is only when we bow before the Lord and admit our dependence on Him that He lifts us up and gives us honor. Bowing before the Lord is an absolute necessity in our walk of faith. We must always remain humble before the Lord. We must always acknowledge Him as our master and worthy of our allegiance. We must always be in awe of Him for who He is and what He has and is doing in our lives. We must always acknowledge that we are nothing apart from Him.

We depend on the Lord for everything. There is no existence apart from Him. There is no hope apart from Him. There is no salvation for our souls. There is no guidance through the maze of life. There is no help in our many battles with Satan over our souls. There is no understanding of God. There is no one to defend us before God apart from Him. We must always remember that it is the Lord who gives meaning to life. It is He alone who can save our souls.

It is the Lord alone who can lift us up and give us honor. Don’t rely on man to do it for you. The praises and affirmations of man are fickle, fleeting and meaningless. But, the honor bestowed on us by the Lord is eternal. The approval of the Lord is all that matters. Strive to always please Him in all you do and He will lift you up. He alone is whom we must give an account to for our lives. Let us never forget this wonderful truth.

Don’t let sinful pride keep you from humbling yourself before the Lord and acknowledging your dependence on Him. Don’t let Satan deceive you into thinking you do not need to humble yourself before God, that you are okay as you are. God lifts up and honors those who bow down before Him with humble and broken hearts, dependent on Him.

HUMBLY BROKEN

 

HUMBLY BROKEN

James 4:7-10 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites. Let there be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor. NLT

One of the reasons why so many prayers fail is that we fail to approach God in an acceptable way. We must first come before Him in humility of heart. We must recognize our need and helplessness. We must understand that we are not able to overpower Satan without God's help. We must admit our defeat in the face of evil without God's help.

As we approach God, we must do so with a contrite heart. We must admit our sinfulness and our need for His cleansing. We cannot make ourselves pure. We are utterly helpless when it comes to pleasing God on our own.

We must approach God broken. We must have deep within us a sorrow for the things we have done. We must understand the foolishness of our ways and have a sincere desire to change. We must be shaken to the core because of our sinfulness. A broken heart is a grieving heart.

When was the last time that you approached God broken because of sin in your life? Be honest with yourself. Have you recognized sin in your life lately? Have you let the Lord examine your heart? When was the last time you asked yourself if what you are doing or thinking about is sin? When was the last time you judged sin by God's standards rather than your own?

The promise is that when we approach God the right way, He will reach down and lift us up. He honors those who are humbled before him. He blesses those who have pure hearts.

Our problem with Satan usually is our pride. We think we can resist him on our own. We think that we don't to have pure hearts before God in order to be victorious.

Or, we somehow get the idea that it’s not that big of a deal in the first place, that we don’t have to resist Satan in order to be okay with God. We end up simply not trying and not concerning ourselves about sin. Such thinking lands a person in hell.

Is your heart right with God today?

SORROW FOR SINS

 

SORROW FOR SINS

James 4:9 Let there be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. NLT

When was the last time you actually shed tears over the sins you have committed? Be honest with yourself. When was the last time your heart was truly broken because you know you had sinned against God? It seems to me that a heart heavy with sorrow, grief and shame because of sin is a good thing. There should be times in which we are broken before God because of sin. If we truly believe that we as believers sin against God, it seems to me that there should be times in which those sins crush our hearts. We should be like King David when he wrote Psalm 51. We should be broken in heart and seek God’s forgiveness. There are times in which shedding tears is necessary for the child of God. If we truly love the Lord, our hearts will be broken when we sin against Him.

There are also times in which we should shed tears over the sins of others. Compassion should drive us to our knees when those we know sin against God. We should daily be praying for those whom we know are living in sin. Grief and sorrow should grip our souls for those whose souls are in jeopardy. Sadly, we aren’t driven to our knees very often over the sins of others. We aren’t moved to plead with the Lord to move upon their hearts to convict them of sin. We seldom spend much time pouring out our souls before the Lord on behalf of others. How can we expect anything to change in their hearts if we aren’t praying for them?

There is much emphasis placed on that which excites and entertains us these days. We stress our happiness and seldom stress our need for sorrow. We seldom are challenged to be driven to our knees in grief and sorrow over sin. It should not surprise us that there is very little life-changing going on amongst us. We reap what we sow. Where there is no vision for the devastating effect of sin on our lives, we will all perish.

DRAW CLOSE TO GOD

 

DRAW CLOSE TO GOD

James 4:8 Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites. NLT

When was the last time you can honestly say that you were close to God? I suspect that most of us would have to admit that we aren’t as close to Him as we should be or want to be. There are many reasons why we struggle with this. Some of us struggle with letting go of those things that keep us from being close to the Lord. There may be certain sins that we enjoy and do not want to let go of. There may be earthly goals that we value more than we do our relationship with Christ. There may be people in our lives that take greater priority to us than the Lord. There may be a lack of concern about the deeper things of life in Christ that causes us to not pursue them like we need to. There may be a distorted sense of our security in Christ that keeps us from sensing the need to grow in our walk with Him. There may be little or no concern about hell that lulls our souls to sleep. Whatever the cause, many of us struggle with getting close to God.

There is always the problem of staying close to God once we get there. Our sinful nature wars against us and often draws us away from God. Many of us are not strong enough in faith to not be lured away. We are not grounded in the Word and disciplined in prayer.

How do we get close to God? We repent of our sins and get serious about our salvation. We resist Satan whenever he rears his ugly head. We take action against him. We become students of the Word and participants in prayer. We put into practice the things we learn from God. We value the things of God more than we do the things of the earth. We purposely keep our eyes focused on Jesus and evaluate everything in light of His righteousness. Holiness becomes our life goal.

Getting close to God and staying there is possible for every believer. In fact, it should be the number one goal in every believer’s life. It takes real determination on our part and much effort. There is no real joy and peace in salvation anywhere except to be near to the heart of God.

If you keep the Lord at arm’s length in your life, you will be miserable. There is no peace for those who do not let the Lord get too close to their heart.

If there is something that is keeping the Lord from a heart connection with you, deal with it right now. Humble your heart before the Lord, admit what it is, ask the Lord to forgive you for not letting Him get close, and vow to never let it happen again. You will be glad you did.

GETTING RID OF SATAN

 

GETTING RID OF SATAN

James 4:7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. NLT

Even though this verse is probably very familiar to you and doesn’t need a lot of explanation, let us pause for a few moments to ponder over it today.

The first step in living in victory is humility of heart. Don’t let pride keep you from seeking help from the Lord. Pride gives us a false sense of our strength and ability. It keeps us from recognizing our weaknesses and Satan’s cunning and deceitful ways. Humility keeps us aware of our constant need for Jesus. It is a reminder to us that we are broken and helpless without Him. If we don’t humble ourselves before God, we won’t find help from Him against Satan.

We are to resist the Devil. Satan is for real. He is the archenemy of the soul. He is evil personified. He is always up to no good and we must be determined in our hearts to resist him. It is never a good idea to cuddle up to him or listen to his promptings. He is determined to lure you away from the Lord and will use every trick in the books to do it. Don’t underestimate his power to lure you away from the God you love. Satan is a master at disguising himself up as people so be on the lookout for those who would lead you away from God.

When we are humble before God and resist the Devil, he will flee from us. This is not an idle promise. Satan will not hang around those who are living in Christ and who persistently resist him. He may come back later to try again, but he will not keep harassing you at the moment. Satan cannot stand up against those who stand strong in Christ. It takes guts to stand up and resist Satan, but the rewards are so great! Victory is certain for those who live humbly before God and shut the door on Satan’s face.

And another thing, Satan is not always so easily recognizable. He is a master at disguise and deception. Sometimes he entices us to get so wrapped up in whatever we are doing that we fail to acknowledge the Lord. Sometimes he will convince us that all we have to do is be and do enough good in life and God will accept us. Sometimes he entices others to misuse or abuse the Scriptures so we can’t tell what God really is saying. Sometimes he uses others to gain our trust before he lures us into sin.

Anyone or anything that lures us away from God is Satan at work to destroy our faith and confidence in God. Stay alert and resist him and he will flee from you.

WORLD FRIENDLY

 

WORLD FRIENDLY

James 4:4 You adulterers! Don't you realize that friendship with this world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again, that if your aim is to enjoy this world, you can't be a friend of God. NLT

Wait a minute. Reread this verse. Let this truth sink into your mind. Take a look at yourself. How friendly are you with this world? Before you answer this question, let us consider for a moment what that might mean.

Friendship means that you go along with the world. You don't have a problem with what is going on around you. You agree with much of what the world promotes (self-gain; self-worth; liberal morality; lack of accountability; mind your own business mindset; the permanency of life as we know it, very little respect for the sanctity of life etc.). You don't get upset when the world entertains you with stuff contrary to holiness. When you are friendly with the world you don't strive to live a life of holiness in the world. You are more concerned about what others think than what God thinks about things.

What we tend to forget or ignore is that when we become friendly with the world, we become enemies of God. God puts us into the world to change the world, not to let the world change us. When we are in Christ, we are different. We are distinctly more like God than those around us. We value things differently and we live differently. When we live in Christ we are not ashamed of it; rather, we are ashamed of what is going on around us.

If your aim is to enjoy the things of this world, you cannot be a friend of God. Be careful what you live for. Be careful how you think about things. Be careful how comfortable you become with the world around you. If you aren't, you will become like the world and the Lord will not be pleased with you at all. James goes so far as to call those who are friendly with the world adulterers, a people who do not love the Lord. It is impossible to love the Lord and be okay with how things are in the world.

Are you too friendly with the world? Are you living more for what this world offers than for what God offers? Do you find yourself thinking more about earthly things than you do heavenly things?

James calls those who do adulterers and says they cannot be friends of God. You cannot have it both ways. Those who straddle the fence are rejected by God.

QUARRELS AND FIGHTS

 

QUARRELS AND FIGHTS

James 4:1 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn’t it the whole army of evil desires at war within you? NLT

There are so many quarrels and fights amongst God’s people. It shouldn’t be that way, but it is. The main reason why there are so many churches everywhere you go is because there have been splits in the past over meaningless issues. People get miffed at each other and break fellowship with each other. Instead of seeking reconciliation in Christ, lines are drawn and people separate.

The root cause of all broken fellowship is sin. Sometimes broken fellowship is absolutely necessary because there is not a willingness to repent and obey God’s Word. Sometimes people let sin drive them instead of the Lord’s righteousness making fellowship impossible.

However, I believe most broken fellowship is unnecessary. I believe that if there is a willingness to be reconciled at the foot of the cross fellowship can be restored. Instead of digging in our heels, we need to dig in our knees. We need to humble ourselves before God and let Him show us where we are wrong or have wronged others. We need to let Him strip us of our pride and seek the purity of His Word. Sometimes we are simply wrong in our understanding or application of truth and we need the Lord to help us see it. We may not be able to completely be restored to fellowship with others, but we can do our part and seek to live at peace with them.

Fights and quarrels are inevitable because there will always be those amongst us who are being driven by evil desires. Pride prevents many from being humbled in spirit where restoration can take place. Pride convinces the soul that he is right and others are wrong. Pride demands that others conform to our way of thinking. Pride demands that others bend the knee before reconciliation can take place.

Are you at odds with someone today? Have you let pride keep you from seeking restoration of your fellowship? Don’t look at the other person and what their role might be in the problem, look inward and ask the Lord what your role in it might be. Ask Him to humble you and ask Him to purify your heart. Seek peace with the Lord in your heart and you will be able to be at peace with others. Regardless of whether or not the fellowship is restored, you can still love them and seek their good in Christ. Praying for the wholeness of heart before God for you and those you have a problem with is the pathway to peace.

WAR WITHIN

 

WAR WITHIN

James 4:1-3 What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn't it the whole army of evil desires at war within you? You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous for what others have, and you can't possess it, so you fight and quarrel to take it away from them. And yet the reason you don't have what you want is that you don't ask God for it. And even when you do ask, you don't get it because your whole motive is wrong--you want only what will give you pleasure. NLT

Are you at war within yourself? Be honest. Isn't there a constant battle going on in you between wanting to sin and wanting to please God? Don't you want what you don't have and aren't you willing to do whatever you need to do to get it? Think about it. When was the last time you really denied yourself of what you want simply because the price was too great to pay? Most of us find ways to get what we want. There is nothing wrong with wanting things, but we must guard our souls with it. Sometimes we want wrong things and have wrong motives when we try to get them.

If we want the right things: those things which help us in our pursuit of God, those things which help us serve God better, and those things which enable us to help others, then all we have to do is ask the Lord for them and He will give them to us. God does not want us to go without what we need. He gladly gives His children what they ask for, as long as their hearts are right when they do the asking. He denies us those things that we crave for personal pleasure because He knows that they are self-destructive. We seldom have the wisdom to know what we really need.

When we are not driven by selfish desires, we can live in peace with others. Quarrels and fights are not a part of the lives of those who are Christ-centered. When those things happen, it's because we have lost our connection to the heart of God.

Stay close to the heart of God and you will desire those things He wants to give you.

PURE WISDOM

PURE WISDOM

James 3:17-18 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness. NLT

Wisdom, and everything else that comes from heaven, is pure. There is nothing in heaven that is not pure. It is always right and good. Wisdom from God is peace loving, gentle, and submissive to others.

We can tell whether or not what we hear in God's name is from Him or not by whether or not it generates peace, is spoken gently, and is for the good of others. Much of what is attributed to God does not pass this simple test. We need to be careful what we embrace as truth.

Wisdom from God is also full of mercy and good deeds. We do not always tell others what they should hear; instead, we tell them the good news of God's love and grace. We bring words of hope and encouragement and not always words of condemnation. We strive to do good and not harm to others. We do acts of kindness for the good of others. Granted, there are times when bluntness is needed, when for the sake of others we have to do it, but when we are blunt, we do it with godly love.

Wisdom from God shows no partiality and is always sincere. It comes from the heart and it does not show favoritism. It strives to always maintain peace. It always strives to be a good influence in the world and not always stirring up trouble. Peace amongst men is her goal and goodness is her reward.

TRULY WISE

 

TRULY WISE

James 3:13 If you are wise and understand God's ways, live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth. And if you don't brag about the good you do, then you will be truly wise! NLT

Wisdom involves living a life of steady goodness. It is being governed and guided by the Spirit so that you do not wander away from the holiness of God. Wisdom involves choosing to do what is right before God. Wisdom is seeking to understand the ways of God so that you may do them. Wisdom is understanding that the purpose of all knowledge is to live it.

Living a life of steady goodness means that you don't slack off in your quest for holiness of heart. You are aware of what is God's will for you and you strive to do it. Your desire is to be good and not just talk about it. Living steadily a life of goodness means that it is the way of life for you. It is how you act all the time and not just when you are in the company of other believers. It is who you are at home, work, and play.

When we live rightly before God, others will see it. Our lives will be enough testimony of who we are and we won't need to brag about it. It's good that we brag about the Lord and what He is doing, but it's not good to brag about ourselves as if we had anything to do with it. All of our goodness comes from the Lord. Our ability to do good deeds comes from the work of the Spirit in us. We are powerless to do anything good without God's help and abilities.

Wisdom is giving credit where credit is due. It is giving God the glory and honor in all things at all times. He alone is worthy of our praise.

STEADY GOODNESS

 

STEADY GOODNESS

James 3:13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth. And if you don’t brag about the good you do, then you will be truly wise! NLT

Those who are wise and truly understand the Gospel message will live a life of steady goodness. They will be known for their goodness. All that they do will flow from a heart intent on doing good. What they do in life will be good. They will be positive influencers of the Gospel.

Those who are wise will be steady in their souls. They will not be good one day and not so good the next. They will seek the truth of the Gospel and apply it every day. They will live under the lordship of Christ and not for themselves. They will be conscientious about how they are living and always strive to please the Lord.

Those who are wise will not be braggarts. They will be so secure in their standing with Christ that they will not have to brag about it. The wise just live a life of faithfulness and are satisfied in knowing that God is pleased with them. The wise understand the dangers of self pride and are careful to avoid it.

The goal of every true believer in Christ should be to live a steady and unpretentious life of goodness. If you are not doing so well in this area, you need to confess it before God and seek His help. The Lord wants you to bring it to Him. He wants to forgive you and help you do better. He wants you to be known for your goodness. Won’t you let Him have His way in your life today?

UNTAMEABLE TONGUE

UNTAMEABLE TONGUE

Jas. 3:7-8 People can tame all kinds of animals and birds and reptiles and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison. NLT

We must somehow wrap ourselves around this truth. The tongue is inherently evil. Without restraint it will do its evil. It will destroy those around it, without regard for who they may be. An uncontrolled tongue is full of deadly poison. Why? Because the tongue is the extension of the heart. The tongue expresses what is in the heart. When the heart is full of sin, evil dominates one's speech. A sinful heart cannot be tamed by sheer willpower. What the tongue speaks is full of deadly poison; it naturally spews that which devastates and destroys.

The issue then is, what can we do about it? Without God's help, there is nothing we can do. Our hearts are naturally evil, and unless we allow the Lord to change our hearts, we are going to act naturally and let our tongues spew out its deadly poison. With great effort there may be some who can tame their tongue to some degree, but not completely. Lies are spoken, hurtful things are said, words of anger come out, etc.

The Lord alone can tame the tongue. He purifies the heart so that what comes out of it is good and not evil. His Spirit gives us the willpower to control the tongue. We can have victory over the tongue's deadly poison, but we must let Jesus be our Lord if we are going to do it. It's not an easy thing to do, but with His help, we can do it. The more you let Jesus influence your life, the more you will gain control over your tongue.

If you have no control over your tongue, the chances are good that you have control issues in other areas of your life as well. If such is the case, you need to humble yourself and let the Holy Spirit have His way with you. Remember, one of the evidences of the Spirit being in you is self-control.

Does your tongue need taming today?

TONGUE CONTROL

 

TONGUE CONTROL

Jas. 3:2 We all make many mistakes, but those who control their tongues can also control themselves in every other way. NLT

No matter who you think you may be, you make mistakes in your life. Life is full of mistakes we make. No one is any different than anyone else in this regard. Mistakes are going to happen to anyone who does anything at all in life. We make mistakes in the things we do and say every day of our lives.

If we learn the discipline of controlling our tongues, it helps us in every other area of our lives as well. Great damage is done with our tongues and those who learn how to control it have a much better chance of living a happy and successful life. There are some things we can do to maintain a better control of our tongues and lives.

The best thing we can do is stay close to God and ask Him to help us. We can strive to do more thinking before we speak than we normally do. We can ask the Lord to help us to build others up instead of tearing them down. We can put ourselves on the receiving end of our conversations and examine how it would affect us. We can ask the Lord to give us more love for others so that we might not hurt them with our speech. We can ask the Lord to zip our lips when it’s needed. We can walk away from a conversation that is going nowhere but downhill. We can ask the Lord for greater self-discipline in all areas of our lives.

Gaining control over our tongues and lives is not an easy task. The journey is full of many pitfalls and failures. But, we can gain many victories if we persevere with the determination to win. Let the Lord help you in this area of your life and see what great things He can do for you.

JUDGING TEACHERS

 

JUDGING TEACHERS

James 3:1 Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged by God with greater strictness. NLT

This is a verse that needs to be taught in the Church today. Most of us like to hear ourselves think. We like to make an impression on others with what we think we know. We like to be looked up to as knowledgeable. We want others to value our understanding of things. We feed off of the attention and respect that often comes our way. But, we need to understand that not all of us are qualified to be teachers of the Word.

Good teachers are good students of the Word who practice what they teach. Good teachers teach from experience as much as they do knowledge. They are people who are mature in faith and have gleaned much wisdom from the Word. Good teachers have compassion for those they teach. They are humble in spirit knowing that they don’t have all the answers to life and are striving to learn more than they know. Good teachers are growing in faith and teach with the goal of personal application of what they teach.

Teachers are everywhere, but not all teachers are good teachers in the Church. Teaching should be sought after very carefully and with much prayer because God judges those who teach by a stricter standard than those who are listeners rather than teachers. A good teacher knows the art of listening to God even as they teach. It is good to have teachers who teach well the Word of God.

In all things we are to strive to give our best effort to the Lord. If you teach, be the best teacher you can be. If you listen, be the best listener you can be. In all things, strive to put into practice the Word proclaimed.

If you are a teacher in the Church, teach humbly, compassionately, carefully and clearly. If you are not a teacher, pray faithfully for those who teach you for they are held accountable to God for what they teach and how they teach.

We need to be careful here. Being entrusted with preaching or teaching in the church is a sacred trust. It is not to be entered into lightly. It is not a popularity or power thing. God expects teachers to do well in handling His Word and He will judge them for how they do.

If you are a teacher of the Word, study well to show yourself approved of by God, one who does not bring shame to the name of the Lord. Souls depend on you to get things right to the best of your ability. What you teach may very well eternally affect those you teach.

God is listening to you when you teach and will strictly judge you for how you do.

BELIEVING AND DOING

 

BELIEVING AND DOING

James 2:17 So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is no faith at all--it is dead and useless. NLT

Believing in Christ and His ability to save us from our sins is not enough for our salvation. It is essential, but being right with God involves more than just what we believe. Most people, if they are honest, will admit that they believe in God and Jesus as our Savior. Satan himself knows that the Gospel message is true. Yet, in spite of the fact that most believe, most do not live lives that reflect their belief. Faith does no one any good if it doesn’t impact the way they live.

Saving faith is a changing faith. It changes who we are from the inside out. It changes the way we see things. It changes the way we respond to life. It changes our motives so that we are not self-motivated but Christ-motivated. We live to do good. We desire to help others become viable children of God. We treat others out of love for their souls. We serve the Lord out of our love for Him.

All who profess to have faith and do not live the life of faith have no real faith at all. The Lord demands evidence in our lives that we are sincere in our profession of faith. If you are not living what you profess to believe, you need to re-examine your life and repent of your unfaithfulness. You need to dedicate yourself to the Lord and start acting like you are saved. You must quit making excuses as to why you aren’t showing your faith and serving the Lord. If you don’t take your faith seriously, neither will God.

And no, I am not saying that works are an essential part of becoming a child of God. We are saved by grace alone. It is the finished work of Christ at Calvary that cleanses us from our sins. Nothing more and nothing less. Works is a by-product of our salvation. It is clear evidence that Christ lives in us. We change and start living for Christ and not ourselves or the world. Words of salvation are important, but so also are the works of salvation. Faith that is not seen through how we live and what we do is useless, meaningless—dead. Saving faith is seen in the fruit that we bear. Gal. 5:22-23

PROVE IT

 

PROVE IT

James 2:14 Dear brothers and sisters, what's the use of saying you have faith if you don't prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can't save anyone. NLT

Faith that is not backed up by action is no faith at all. It does no good to believe something to be true and never put it to the test. Anyone can believe in God and what He has revealed about himself. Anyone can claim to know God. But, unless it shows in the way he lives, it's just talk.

Only God knows the sincerity of the heart, but we can get a pretty good idea from how a person lives as to whether or not his talk is really what is true in his heart. Actions are a reflection of the heart. If how you live and talk don't line up with godliness, then you are not saved.

Jesus changes us from the inside out. He changes how we see things, what we think about, and how we live in relationship to others. He never enters into the heart of someone without changing him. The change varies in speed with the individual, but indeed change happens. In place of sinfulness, Christ makes us holy and righteous. It is who He is and He cannot be anywhere where He does not affect the person in whom He resides.

If your living does not match up to your profession, you need to fall on your knees before God today and get things right with Him.

MOTIVES MATTER

MOTIVES MATTER

James 2:12-13 So whenever you speak, or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law of love, the law that set you free. For there will be no mercy for you if you have not been merciful to others. But if you have been merciful, then God's mercy toward you will win out over his judgment against you. NLT

The Lord does not judge us for what we do. Rather, He judges us for why we do what we do. Our actions are the fruit of our hearts. God is love and commands love from us, His children. We may not always do the right thing, but if our love for God motivates us, it is okay. He knows we will mess up, but He is okay with that if our hearts are right before Him.

On the same token, if we do all the right things for the wrong reasons, we might as well not do them at all. God will use what we do in spite of us, not because of us. It does no good at all as far as our relationship with God is concerned when we are not properly motivated by His love and our love for Him.

God knows our hearts and will reward those who live in His love and let His love flow through them to others. Where there is no love from God, there can only be judgment. A loveless heart is a condemned heart. There is no mercy towards those who do not have godly love moving them in their living.

How does one know for sure that he is being directed by God's love? He stays in intimate contact with God. He sincerely seeks God and submits to His lordship. He nurtures his love for God and lovingly yields to His leading. He makes his relationship with God the priority of his life. You cannot actively seek God with a sincere heart and not be saturated by His love.

How much effort are you putting into your love relationship with God? Are you living out your love for the Lord? If you are, others will know it and be drawn to it.

THE LAW OF LOVE

THE LAW OF LOVE

James 2:12 So whenever you speak, or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law of love, the law that set you free. NLT

Notice that the child of God will be judged by the law of love. I find this to be interesting. What this means is that God will not judge us on our performance. Instead, we will be judged on the motives behind our performance. We may act like a Christian, but our actions do not make us a Christian. There is a two-fold dynamic to the law of love, proclamation and performance.

The law of love is first of all Christ living in me. Everything connected to Christ is love based. God is love and we cannot have God in our hearts without our being a people of love. Everything we do and say is affected by the love of God. We are characterized by loving hearts. We care about others and it shows. We strive to make life better for others. We enter into other people’s lives because we want to help them find their way to God.

The law of love is the basis upon which we will be judged. Whatever we do or say will be seen in the light of godly love. Godly love is love with character. It is unwavering and dependable. It endures regardless of circumstances. It is character building at all times. It always strives to help and not hinder the spiritual growth of others. It is kind and gentle, yet firm when it is needed. It is a steady stream flowing outward from the steady stream that flows inward in us. It is always fresh, being renewed constantly from Him who is love.

We are set free from all that hinders our ability to live in godly love. Jesus frees us from the sin that keeps us away from God’s love. He floods our souls with God’s love so that we can love others God’s way. We must always strive to keep sin out of our souls so that we can speak and do what pleases God. We will be judged on how well we love those whom Jesus loves.

BREAKING GOD'S LAWS

 

BREAKING GOD’S LAWS

James 2:10 And the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the person who has broken all of God's laws. NLT

James reminds us of a very important truth: we cannot ever be good enough to make it to heaven on our own. No amount of effort will enable us to be able to live good enough lives to earn God's favor. If you were to be able to perfectly keep all of God's laws but one, you are as guilty before God as if you weren't able to keep any of them. All of our efforts to live good lives are a waste of life as far as God is concerned. God wants you to know today that you are guilty of sin. Period. You are under the curse of the law. He who sins will face God's wrath. No amount of submission to a church's rules will save you. Your only hope is in God's provision for your salvation, Jesus Christ our Lord.

You cannot earn your salvation and you cannot keep your salvation by your efforts. What saves us is our personal relationship with Christ. Jesus did everything that needed to be done at Calvary for our salvation. It is in Christ alone that we find forgiveness and pleasure in God's eyes. It is He who makes us and keeps us. Our efforts to please Him must be rooted in our relationship with Him.

There is a lot of misinformation floating around in the Church today. Our standing with God does not depend on our efforts. We must strive to live godly lives, but our efforts do not make us right with God. Our righteousness and holiness is rooted in Christ alone. He frees us from our own efforts. He frees us up so that we can live guilt-free lives. Our only hope for perfected lives is found in our relationship with Christ.

Do yourself a favor and quit trying to please God by your own efforts. Jesus already did for you what you are trying to do. Live in Christ and let Him live through you and you will find favor in God's eyes.

NOT GOOD ENOUGH

 

NOT GOOD ENOUGH

James 2:10 And the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the person who has broken all of God’s laws. NLT

This verse should cause all who think that they are good enough to make it to heaven on their own to change their minds. Anyone who takes the time to consider all the various laws of God quickly realizes just how impossible it is to live by the law and make it to heaven. You may be able to perfectly obey all of the law except one (which no one can do) and obey the other one half the time, and you would be guilty of the full punishment of the law for sin, which is God’s condemnation, eternity in hell. The law of God demands perfection in order to be good enough to make it to heaven and perfection includes the heart motive as well as the performance.

The message is very clear: forget trying to make it to heaven by doing good. It is a path of life that leads to certain destruction. No matter how hard you try, you will never be able to be saved through the law. The only one who has ever been able to live by the law and make it to heaven is Jesus. He alone was able to enter heaven on His own merit. He alone was able to fulfill all the demands of the law for holy living. Not only was Jesus able to not sin against God, He was able to take upon himself our sins and make us right with God and satisfy the law’s demand for justice.

We will make it to heaven only through Christ. Only when His righteousness becomes our own through Calvary are we able to be accepted by God. Only Jesus is able to forgive sin and cast them into the sea of God’s forgetfulness. When God looks upon the soul of man and sees the righteousness of Christ, all is well. If Jesus is not there, then the soul is condemned to hell.

Dear friend, are you living in the righteousness of Christ today? Are you depending on Him alone for your salvation? Is your conscience clear before God? Do you know for a fact that all is well with your soul? Does your life reflect the righteousness of Christ? Do you live for Christ out of a pure heart full of love for Him?

Warning: If you have wandered away from Christ’s protective care where His righteousness no longer covers you, you are in grave danger and need to repent of your sins today! Jesus is the only way anyone is going to avoid an eternity in hell for all who sin fall short of God’s demand for righteousness and holy living. Jesus is our righteousness and holiness from God.

LASTING FAITH

 

LASTING FAITH

James 1:27 Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us. NLT

Faith that stands the test of time is faith at work and faith that refuses to let the world corrupt it. Faith at work is seen in how one treats others. A child of God is compassionate; he cares for those who are in need. He does what he can do to help those in need. He is wise enough to know that he can't help everyone, but he knows he can help some. Jesus said that all the law of God can be summarized in our love for God and our love for others. John said in his epistle that we cannot love God without loving others. And you can't love others without doing what you can to help them when they are in need. We live in the world and are given a mandate to serve Christ in it.

Also, a faith that lasts is a pure faith. We cannot let the world into our souls. We cannot participate in the world's life. We cannot let the world determine our perspective on life. We cannot listen to the world regarding what is truth or sin. We must always base our understanding on the Word of God. We must let the Spirit of God guide us through life. We must always operate out of a godly mindset. We must value the things of God instead of the things of the world.

Anyone who wants to make it to heaven must let their faith work in the world without letting the world work in their faith. We are to be in the world doing good but not let the world influence our faith. When we live life God's way, our faith will endure the test of time and we will see our Lord face-to-face when we die.

UNCONTROLLED TONGUE

 

UNCONTROLLED TONGUE

James 1:26 If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. NLT

Words can either make or break you. They either are your friend or your enemy. What you say and how you say it are a reflection on who you are. If you have trouble biting your tongue, you need to take an inventory of your soul. If you use words to berate others, gossip, or demean them, you have a sin problem. If you use words recklessly when you are emotionally charged and say things that hurt others or disrespect God, you have a sin problem. If you have a tendency to always speak before you think, you have a problem. What we say comes out of the heart. If what we say is not good, then it means that the bad in us is ruling the heart.

Our profession of faith is meaningless if it is not backed up by self-control. Words do matter to God. He takes seriously what we say and holds us accountable for it. He knows what we say and why we say what we do. While no one is going to perfectly control his tongue, we can have great control over it. Don't kid yourself. If you have an uncontrolled tongue, you have a very serious sin issue. Your words speak for themselves. Unholy words do not come from a holy heart. Don't fool yourself. An out-of-control tongue renders your profession of faith meaningless.

Words can either make or break one's spirit. Demeaning words crush the soul while edifying words build up the soul. We must take what comes out of our mouths seriously. What we say may be what determines the eternal destiny of someone's soul. Think about it. Many people wallow around in self-defeat and darkness because of ill-advised words spoken to them. It is also true that some rise up to become believers in God and themselves because someone was there to encourage them at just the right time in their lives. Don't kid yourself; your words do matter.

If you have a problem with what comes out of your mouth, ask the Lord right now to help you. Admit you have a problem, ask Him to forgive you, and ask Him to take control of your heart so that you can gain control over your words. You can do it with His help. He wants you to have victory in this. Will you let Him help you?

TONGUE CONTROL

TONGUE CONTROL

James 1:26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. NLT

This verse hits home doesn’t it? We say things that we wish we wouldn’t say. We know better, but we do it anyways. We sometimes say things that are out of character with our profession of faith. We say things flippantly about God that pricks our hearts later. We say things that are hurtful to others. We say things that are not sound Biblically. We say things that are to our advantage at the expense of others. We say things that we don’t mean because at the moment it spares us from embarrassment or a conflict we don’t want to be involved in. There are so many things we say that we shouldn’t say to others and about others. How do we stop doing it?

The only way to get our tongues under control is to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. We cannot do it by ourselves. We must have the help of God. The more we are controlled by the Spirit, the less problem we will have. Godliness breeds godliness. If our hearts are pure before God, what comes out of our mouths will be good and not bad or evil. The Lord tempers our tongues with His righteousness. “Out of the heart, the mouth speaks.” If you think you are right with God and cannot control what comes out of your mouth, you are only fooling yourself. Your profession of faith isn’t worth much if you have a loose tongue.

If you find yourself guilty of not being able to control your tongue, give it over to the Lord right now. Ask Him to take charge of your tongue that you might get a handle on this. Will we do it perfectly from now on? Of course, not. But, we will find that we will do better. And the more we live under the Lord’s control; we will find we will do better. An uncontrolled tongue is a spiritual problem and can only be fixed in Christ.

LISTEN AND OBEY

 

LISTEN AND OBEY

James 1:22 And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don’t obey, you are only fooling yourself. NLT

It is good to listen to the Word of God; it is far better to listen to it and obey it. We tend to be good listeners, but poor when it comes to obeying it. We give mental agreement to what we hear and we may even say “Amen” to it, but if we don’t obey it, it is a waste of our time. Think about it for a moment. When was the last time you heard something in a message that was a life-changer for you?

We gather together to study the Bible. We gather together in worship where the Word is proclaimed. We enjoy the time spent in the Word, but it hasn’t any real impact on the way we live and think. We take great delight in listening to dynamic speakers proclaim the Word. However, if we don’t apply the things we learn and know, we are only fooling ourselves. Hearing from God is more than a spiritual duty we perform; it is a life-changing event. We won’t hear life-changing messages all the time, but we will hear them often enough to change our behavior and thought lives if we will but listen and apply it to life.

If you never hear anything that really makes a difference in your life, then a couple of things need to happen. You need to first examine your heart and seek to discover what is keeping you from hearing from God. Is there sin plugging up your ears so you can’t hear? If so, you need to repent of it so you can once again hear the voice of God.

If you can’t hear from God because he who speaks never speaks clearly from God, then either get rid of the speaker or go somewhere else where God is clearly speaking. Hearing from God is too important of a matter to not be in a position where you can hear what He has to say.

You will not hear from God if you are not into His Word where He clearly speaks. Daily you need to be in the Word with the expectation that God will speak to you. God will move you if you listen to Him.

ACCEPT GOD'S MESSAGE

 

ACCEPT GOD’S MESSAGE

James 1:21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls. NLT

Those who are truly saved stand out amongst men. They are a people who do not act, think or speak like the world. They are a pure people who live by God’s standards and not man’s. They are a people who are constantly changing into godliness. They do away with all that is filthy and evil in their lives.

Notice that those who are truly saved have the responsibility of getting rid of all that is evil in their lives. We must have the desire to get rid of it all. We must take measures to get rid of it. We cannot just sit back and expect the Lord to do it for us. It takes work on our part, because some evil habits and ways of thinking are stubborn and not easily gotten rid of. Purifying the heart and mind is a process that never ends. Progress depends on the amount of effort we put into it.

Those who are truly saved listen carefully to what God has to say and humbly embrace it as their own. They understand the importance of listening to God. They are interested in what the Word says and strive to apply it to their lives. They do not try to make it say what they want it to say. They don’t care how uncomfortable the Word may make them feel because they know that it is true and must be applied to their lives. They are a people who welcome the implanting of God’s Word into their hearts.

Those who are truly saved understand the importance of God’s Word because they know that if accepted and embraced, it leads to the salvation of their souls. The Word has all that the soul needs in order to be saved. The written Word becomes the Living Word when it is embraced in the heart of man. Wise is he who listens carefully to the message God implants in his heart.

LISTEN & SPEAK SOFTLY

 

LISTEN & SPEAK CALMLY

James 1:19-20 My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Your anger can never make things right in God’s sight. NLT

If you are sincere about your faith, you will consider carefully these verses. Applying these verses to life doesn’t come naturally. We are prone to speak quickly and listen slowly. James instructs us to do just the opposite. It is a life lesson we must learn.

Those who are good listeners have a humble spirit. They understand they don’t know it all and are willing to learn more. They are a people who are teachable. They are a people who take a genuine interest in others and want to hear what they have to say. They are a people who do not have to tell others what they know, or what they think they know. They exercise self-control and speak out when it is beneficial to others. They are slow to speak because they know that they don’t have all the answers and they don’t want to weary others with what little they may know or lead others astray by false teachings.

Those who are good listeners and controlled speakers have a much better track record when it comes to angry outbursts. Anger is reactionary. It crops up when we feel others must hear what we have to say and they aren’t listening. It is self-centered. It flows from the desire to make others hear us. Anger pushes people away instead of embracing them. Only anger that is rooted in righteousness is acceptable to God. An angry heart is a heart out of sorts with God.

When you are the instigator of anger, it is never right in God’s eyes. The only anger that is right before God is anger against sin and injustice. We should be angry at those things which bring dishonor to our Lord. We should speak out emotionally against all that is unholy. But, when we do, it should be a controlled anger not a reactionary anger. A controlled anger is expressed in a constructive and not a destructive way.

Apart from a holy anger, it is best to put into practice being quick to listen and slow to speak. We will certainly be much more successful living in peace with both God and man.

GOD CHOSE US!

GOD CHOSE US!

James 1:18 In his goodness he chose to make us his own children by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his choice possession. NLT

God in His goodness chose us to be His children. He chose us long before we chose Him. He worked in our lives in such a way that we opened up our hearts to Him. No matter what it took to bring us to the point of repentance, He did it because He is good and He loves us.

He is working in the same way in the lives of many who are not now saved. We don't know who they are or what needs to be done yet in them for them to be saved, but God does. He is giving everyone ample reason to turn from sin and turn to Him for salvation.

God in His goodness has given us His Word to help us be saved and to help keep us saved. His Word is God's truth revealed. It teaches us who we are, why we need Christ in our lives, what happens when we don't and what happens when we do. It teaches us all about God's demand for holy living and how to do it. It teaches us about God's character and the future home He is preparing for us in heaven. Without God's Word, we simply would not make it.

God's children are His choice possession. We are the shining glory of His creation. We are loved by God and He pours out His blessings upon us daily. God is always working out His goodness in our lives and making us more like Christ all the time so that we will be fit for heaven. God has made us uniquely different and wonderful from everything else He has created. We are created in His own image, and He calls us His children. We are the only created being who can know Him and have fellowship with Him. To God be the glory, both now and forever.

GOD DOESN'T TEST

 

GOD DOESN’T TEMPT

James 1:13-15 And remember, no one who wants to do wrong should ever say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone either. Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. These evil desires lead us to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death. NLT

If you are tempted to sin, it's Satan leading you there. If you fall into sin, it's because you listened to him. You have no one but yourself to blame for sinful behavior and thoughts. You alone make the choice to sin. You sin because you want to, not because you have to. We can't sugarcoat this.

God is holy love. He loves us and desires nothing but holiness for us. Why? Because He knows that only a holy heart can satisfy and make us happy. He knows the guilt and shame that comes from sinning will make us miserable and rob us of peace. He know that sin does nothing but eats away and destroys the soul. He knows the agonizing pain that sin brings upon the soul of man. He knows the full fury of hell's wrath. And because He loves us so deeply, He wants to spare us from it all.

It is impossible for God to sin or lead any of His children into sin. It is impossible for God to not love us and do everything He can to keep us out of sin. It is impossible for us to avoid the responsibility and consequences of our sin. It's our own fault when we fall and we must do our best to guard our souls so that we don't. Christ can protect us and keep us from falling into temptation, but we must be totally surrendered and committed to Him in order for it to happen.

May the Lord help us today to be aware of sin when it rears its ugly head. May we resist the temptations to sin as we stay near to the heart of God. May we strive to always do the right thing and resist the temptations to sin we face every day.