Transcript

Today we set sail on our Wisdom Journey into the book of James. And I must warn you, this little book, which you can read in about thirty minutes or less, is going to challenge every corner of your heart and every area of your life. It is not going to leave us any room to hide.

Now as we begin in verse 1, the author introduces himself as, “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Most evangelical scholars put the clues together and conclude that this is James, the half brother of Jesus, born to Mary and Joseph sometime after the virgin birth of Jesus. Matthew 13:55 actually gives us the names of these half brothers: James, Joseph, Simon, and Jude. Jude will later write that little book of Jude, next to Revelation.

This particular James went on to become the pastor/teacher of the church in Jerusalem and a very influential leader in the early church.

I say all of that to point out this: James does not start off his letter by writing, “James, the half brother of Jesus” or “James, the influential pastor of the Jerusalem church” or, “James, the man who grew up in the same house as Jesus did.” None of that. He says simply, “James, a slave (literally) of God and of the Lord Jesus.” He thinks of himself as just a servant of his Lord.

James informs us he is writing “to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion” (verse 1). These are Jewish believers scattered—dispersed—throughout the Roman Empire. They have been exiled because of their faith in Christ. They are now scattered abroad.

James does not waste any time with introductions. He jumps right in with verse 2: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.”

Immediately, James gives us four truths about trials and tribulations. First, trials are unavoidable. James does not write, “Consider it all joy, if you encounter trials” but “when you encounter them”!

Trials and tribulations are going to come, beloved. You do not have to go looking for problems. They are going to find you all by themselves.

By the way, James does not say here that if you have enough faith, trials will leave you alone. Or, if you are really following Jesus, you are going to leave all your troubles behind.

We are not God’s sheltered people; we are God’s scattered people—to this day and until that day when God calls us home.[1]

Second, James tells us that trials are unlimited. He writes here, “when you meet trials of various kinds.” “Various” means “multi-colored, multi-dimensional.” They come in all kinds of packages, shapes, and sizes. They might involve your health, your finances, your past, your relationships, your hopes, your children, and on and on.

Third, James says that trials are unexpected. The New King James translates this phrase, “When you fall into various trials.” That is a good translation because the word picture is one of suddenness.

The word translated “trials” here is linked to the Greek word peirates, which gives us our English word pirates. Here is the picture: You are just sailing along when suddenly, a pirate ship appears. You are unprepared, unsuspecting, but all of a sudden, you are in the clutches of the Pirates of Tribulation. You have been ambushed by trouble.

What do you do? James essentially writes here, “Consider it all joy when you are invaded by pirates.”

Now you might think that since James is an apostle and a pastor, he is supposed to say things like this. That is what he is paid to do.

But the word translated “consider” is a financial term that means to calculate, or evaluate. As slaves belonging to God, we can calculate that whatever happens to us has been granted permission from our Master. And He is not planning on destroying us but developing us.

In verses 3-4 James writes something we need to know:

The testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete [meaning undivided and mature] lacking in nothing.

We are going to need wisdom to view the trials of life with this perspective. Verse 5 promises that God’s wisdom is available: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” God is not going to rebuke you for asking and asking—and asking again!

James does add this condition in verse 6:

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

You might think, Well that rules me out because I have doubts all the time. Well, that is not the kind of doubting James is writing about. He calls the one who is doubting “double-minded” in verse 8. It can be translated “double-hearted,” or “double-souled.” It describes those who are doubting whether they want to follow the Lord at all. They are not really sure they want God’s wisdom, and they doubt they really need it. That is the kind of doubt James is referring to here. God is not going to give wisdom to people who do not really want it!

We find the fourth truth about trials in verses 9-11, which inform us that trials are impartial. They come to both poor people and rich people alike. When trials come, James encourages the poor believer to “boast in his exaltation”—that is, rejoice in his position in Christ. The wealthy person, when under trials, should rejoice that his trust is not in his money but in his Master.

Then we read this in verse 12:

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

This “crown of life” is not eternal life, which cannot be earned through suffering. This is a special reward for those who have suffered with joy.

In verse 13, James shifts from trials to temptation. God uses trials to develop us, but He will never use temptation to deceive us. James writes, “God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one” (verse 13).

Here is the source of temptation: “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” (verse 14). We are most often to blame. If we embrace sin, leaving it unconfessed and unchecked, it will lead to a deathlike existence for the believer. We will lose our testimony, our fruitfulness, and our joy.

With that, James moves on to give us one of Satan’s key strategies. He will not necessarily try to get you to discard your Bible but to disregard it. He is actually happy if you learn the Bible but fail to live it out.

And to that danger, James adds a warning in verse 22: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

James uses the illustration of someone looking at his reflection in a mirror and then just walking away: “He looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like” (verse 24). James is effectively asking—with a touch of humor—“Who would do such a thing?” Looking at a mirror usually leads us to take some kind of emergency action. Our reflection leads us to repair the damage!

In the same way, the person who looks into the mirror of God’s Word ought to do some repair work on his heart and mind.

If you are a doer of the Word, it will give you, among other things, a heart of compassion. James writes about caring for “orphans and widows in their affliction” (verse 27). You are going to care about people who cannot pay you back.

Well, this is a lot of information. Where do we start? Let us start where James started. Let’s tell Jesus that we are grateful to simply be His servants—to simply have Him as our Master.