by tascha
Last post I tried to prepare myself for the difficulty of what these next verses mean… There is a reason there are so many promises for God’s strength and grace for us in Scripture. 🙂
Diving right into it:
in answering the question from verse 1: LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
3~He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
4~In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
5~He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
So these verses continue with how am able to dwell in God’s Holy Hill (His tabernacle, now ME)…
I must NOT:
backbite:
slander or spy out against
do evil to my neighbour
be disagreeable, vicious, unkind or unethical towards ALL MEN [“who is my neighbour?” ~Luke 10:27-37]
take up a reproach against [anyone]
taunt or scorn or disgrace–my neighbor [anyone].
{{Is this convicting anyone else?}}
still NOT:
put out money in usury
to be honest, this sounds as though we are not to make investments… and I cannot say that it is not saying that, though I doubt it; but I do know positively that in the OT, God warns us against lending money to a friend and charging a usury [interest fee] but encourages rather that we GIVE graciously to a friend in need… and only expect back the exact of what we lent [if anything].
take a reward against the innocent
a reward against would be a bribe… against the innocent. Do not let yourself be bought. If you have a price, someone will ‘buy you.’
They will buy your silence “if you want to keep your job” … buy your loyalty “if you want the connections”…, etc. We must stand for right and NOT “have a price.”
{{ouch… seriously, is anyone else even still reading this?}}
and a few things we MUST DO:
In whose eyes a vile person is contemned
This one is hard, difficult… our eyes must find vileness contemptible. And not just that, but the person becomes loathsome to us. I think, this is difficult because as a society, we are so “into God’s Grace” and often tend to ignore His Justice.
BUT this is NOT a license to treat people with disdain or to think of ourselves a better person. We ALL have the capacity to become a vile person. If you feel differently about yourself, I would send you to Jeremiah in chapter 17: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
This IS having discernment. We must not allow ourselves to become calloused to recognizing wickedness. And we must recognize when a person is habitually vile. And we must realize that these people should not be our regular companions… [Psalm 1]
honoureth them that fear the LORD
We must give honor to, make weighty or heavy [the testimony of] people who fear the Lord… and prove it with their actions. These people deserve our respect and, to an extent, our emulation [1 Corinthiasn 11:1]… as they continue following Christ. [Many Proverbs, 1 Corinthians 11:1…]
sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not
We must keep our promises, even when it causes discomfort to ourselves… and not let it change who we are. This is difficult. This is one reason I try to give great thought to anything even remotely like a “promise.” We are bound by our word, whether we actually carry it through or not. God knows.
If you’re still here… thank you for sticking it out.
As I mentioned before: Becoming a mature Christian is not an easy path, but God does promise to help us.
Please share your thoughts on these verses in the comments! I enjoy different perspectives.
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by tascha
I am not lightning quick when I study through a book. I would say a snail’s pace describes me. 🙂
But, I am going to attempt to review a a thought or 2 from a few verses at a time… and there will be several references for looking up, if you choose.
The best way to explain Scripture is with other Scripture!
James 1:1-12
¶ 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
¶ 2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
James is speaking to Jews. But he is also writing to CHRISTIANS… of which I am one. I pray you are also!
And he is starting with the basics… having Joy ~ facing trials ~ learning patience. {It’s a circle of events in my own life. 🙂 }
As a believer, my joy will not come from the circumstances around me.
It will not come from the people around me.
It will not even come –from inside me.
My joy will come from following God
–into and through the storms that rage.
And when I follow Him, there will arise temptations [1 Corinthians 10:13].
…count it all joy when ye fall… Count: to see the end of a matter. We must look ahead and… | when: KNOW it WILL happen
We will have need to rebuke one who desires to devour our very soul [1 Peter 5:8 & 9 | James 4:6-8].
…into divers temptations… diverse: various types- the devourer knows our weaknesses
We will have a fight on our hands…but God did not leave us defenseless! [Ephesians 6:10-18]
But it will be a JOY to us to have these temptations, these tempestuous times, because they work PATIENCE in us.
And Patience wishes to have HER way with us,
in completing a perfect work,
that will make us whole.
The devil wishes to devour our testimony so that we may not [or so we choose not to] serve GOD. Satan desires that we serve him. Satan uses our mistakes and folly to make us think we are no good for the Work of God.
But Patience… oh, sweet Patience, she wants to bring about perfectness in our hearts so that we lack nothing we need, thus bringing perfect Glory to our Savior.
My friends… rejoice in the difficulties that come... even when they arise from our own foolishness, because Patience works.
And God can cause ANYTHING bring Himself Glory, when we are following His call. [Romans 8:26-28 & 31]
[EDIT: if you click over here, I have this drawing available as a coloring page.]
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by tascha |
A little bit more from James 1:
[you can read about the first few verses Here]
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.
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.
Wisdom is one of the most valuable things we can possess … but godly wisdom ONLY comes from God. [the book of Proverbs 🙂 ]
Wisdom: the discernment to make the right {Biblical} choice, before acting in haste {in emotion}
I cannot rely on my experiences in life to give me God’s view of a matter.
Thus: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God…
He WILL give to us… liberally: simply and openly. [Proverbs 2:1-6]
And He upbraideth not: He will not reproach or cast us down for asking!
BUT, we must ask in faith, nothing wavering: not doubting {like Peter: Matthew 14:25-33}
If we waver, we are like the sea–being driven and tossed to and fro. We will not be stable in our wisdom.
Because we also learn that: A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
And a man that wavers cannot: think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
Ask God for His wisdom
Be confident that He will lead you.
Continue in this direction with faith!
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by tascha
On to the next few verses…
As believers, we’ve learned that trials work patience in our life.
There are some basics in our Christian life: having Joy ~ facing trials ~ learning patience
…back to having Joy.
It’s a cycle.
And we’ve learned that we must be single minded and
Ask God for His wisdom ~ Be confident that He will lead us ~ Continue in this direction with faith!
Today we’re talking through James 1:9-12
9 ~Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
10 ~But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
11 ~For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
12 ~Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
I must admit, I do not recall ever having heard these verses taught, outside of the last one. It’s easy to want to talk about receiving a crown! 🙂
But the poor should rejoice in being exalted and the rich should rejoice in being made low… and the reason for this upside-down-thinking is that we are each going to fade away from this life, as the grass withereth and the flower falleth.
Since James is speaking to believers about trials and patience and asking for wisdom, I tend to think that James is telling us to realize we are all equal before God.
No matter our social or economic positions on this earth {which can change quickly, God see us each, equally, as His child [those of us who are believers]. Just as we, as moms [since I mostly write from my mom-perspective], love each of our children with all of our being, God loves each of us equally.
Of course, sometimes one child or another will be worthy of a blessing whereas another will be in need of gentle correction and guidance back to the right path… so it is in our Spiritual Lives.
There are days when I feel that prod from the Lord that I am not where I need to be… and I’ve had a few days where I felt very close to Him and know that certain situations were a direct blessing from my obedience.
In the end, we will ALL fade away from this life and enter into His Presence on equal ground. No amount of poverty or riches from this life will influence our rewards in Heaven.
Through faith-trials, Patience works her Perfect Work in each of us.
And God offers His Wisdom to anyone who will ask it of Him… with a steadfast faith.
And when we endure the temptations, we will be blessed. We can receive a Crown of Life… which is promised to those that love the Lord and endure through the tribulation {even being faithful unto death [Revelations 2:9-11]}.
I do believe there is so much more we could learn just from verse 12 and the cross-reference mentioned about trials and patience and faithfulness and our testimonies; but this is a blog post, not a book 🙂
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by tascha |
Still in James 1:
verses 13-16
13 ~Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 ~But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 ~Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
16 ~ Do not err, my beloved brethren.
Two things strike me as I continue with this reading. 1)-God wants us to have a proper view of temptations; and 2)-finding proper context is vital.
The previous verse tells us that enduring temptation, being tried, can bring us a crown of life.
And even further back tells us to count it JOY when we have multiple temptations, because that works patience–and she has a perfect work to do in us.
But today I read that God will not tempt me.
My temptations come when I am drawn away...
away-–from the previous admonition: ASK GOD FOR WISDOM… in faith, not wavering.
And yet I know that temptations are to be counted joy. Find JOY in being drawn away? Find JOY in the wavering of our faith? This almost sounds… contradictory.
I think the simple way to state what our view of temptations should be is found in another Scripture:
Romans 8:27 & 28 ~ 27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
God searches our hearts–whether a difficulty we face is of our own foolishness or another’s, He knows.
Our view of temptations is a HEART ISSUE…
{do we repent? do we have remorse over our sin? or do we revel in Grace, thinking that Grace gives us permission for our fall? Romans 6:1-2 gives a good reply: 1 ~What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 ~ God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?}
And The Spirit intercedes for us— Stop and think about that.
I’ll wait.
Pretty amazing, isn’t it?
And continuing… God will work it out for our good. Not “for good” in a manner that would make sense to our finite minds; but “for OUR good” —in a manner that will be good for us.
But this is not arbitrary that God makes anything work for the good of just all and any… He works this good to them who are the called according to His purpose.
Keeping that thought in mind, God does not temp me; but He can take the temptations and work them for my {our} good….
This reminds me of another Scripture passage:
1 Corinthians 10:6-14 ~ 6 Now these things [the Israelites in the wilderness] were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
Wow… so much to contemplate. But I want to focus in on verse 13: all temptations are common to each of us. **But God is faithful**… He always provides a way of escape [meaning we do not have to succumb to the evil].
AND the previous verse… TAKE HEED, because no one is immune to temptations. Some are just more overt in their fall than others.
But regardless, all sin brings death.
Infidelity can bring death to a marriage… but God can restoreLIFE!
Anger can bring death to a relationship… but God can restore LIFE!
Jealousy can bring death to a friendship… but God can restore LIFE!
Complaining can bring death to a spirit of unity among believers… but God can restore LIFE!
I think you get the picture… THERE IS HOPE, even amid the death that our sin brings.
Oh, so many verses are about our HOPE…
But first… the last verse in our passage today: Do not err, my beloved brethren.
To err means to be deceived, enticed, seduced, to go astray or wander…
…sounds a little as though we are being admonished to not be drawn away to begin with.
But because our Lord knows we will… we all have that sin we war against… He provides HOPE in Himself:
I will leave you with a few verses written out, and a few more with just references for you to see for yourself… but I have barely scratched the surface of what our HOPE is and means!
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Titus 3:4-7 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
and a few from Psalms:
Psalm 31: 24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.
Psalm 39:7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.
Psalm 42:11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Psalm 43:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Psalm 71: 5 For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.
Some more references for your own study…
Romans 12:9-18 | Romans 15:1-6 | 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 | Galatians 5:1-6 | Philippians 1:18-20 | Colossians 1:12-23
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