Luke 2:8-11 NIV 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
Because if His Love
John 3:16-17 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
1 John 4:8 NIV Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
The Gift is freely given to all
Ephesians 1:11-14 NIV 11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
The larger truth James is teaching is that a person may in most respects appear to be a very good person and yet spoil it all before God by one fault, even a so-called respectable fault, a fault for which he may often be praised.
He may appear moral in his action, pure in his speech, and faithful in worship; yet he may be judgmental and self-righteous; he may be rigid, without sympathy; and when this is the case, his so-called goodness is spoiled by his underlying faults.
James 2:9-13 NIV9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
Romans 3:23-24 NIV for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
A person may not have murdered someone or been unfaithful to his spouse, but to harbor resentment against a brother or sister still makes one a transgressor. Prejudice toward the poor makes one guilty
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,
2 Corinthians 5:10 NIV For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
We are reminded here that our judgment will be in three distinct areas of our lives.
Our words will be judged! It was the words of the ushers to the rich and the poor that revealed their hearts.
Our actions will be judged! We must also conduct ourselves as those who will be judged someday by the perfect law of liberty.
Our attitudes will be judged! Either we have shown mercy, or we have not. Someday the truth about our words, our actions, and our attitudes will be known. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that no creature is “hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (4:13).
13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Jesus taught this truth also:
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. (Matt. 5:7)
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matt. 6:14–15)
Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. (Matt. 7:1–2)
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 NIV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation… We all should remember, if not for His Grace, we have no hope at all…
If you have true saving faith, you will practice impartiality (vv. 1–13) and see people in terms of character and not clothing. You will not cater to the rich or ignore the poor, but you will love each person for the sake of Jesus Christ. Christian love simply means treating others the way the Lord treats you and doing it in the power of the Spirit.
The early church was not drawn from the wealthy or ruling classes. It was largely made up of poorer people, those who were “poor in the eyes of the world
James 2:1-9 NIV1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
We can discriminate on the basis of appearance.
We can discriminate on the basis of ancestry.
We can discriminate on the basis of politics
We can discriminate on the basis of age.
We can discriminate on the basis of achievement.
We can discriminate on the basis of affluence.
Matthew 9:10-13 NIV While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
For there is no partiality with God. (Rom. 2:11)
God blesses those who willingly recognize their spiritual bankruptcy (Mt 5:3).
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, and He will pay back what he has given. (Prov. 19:17)
Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard. (Prov. 21:13)
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
The same God who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said “Do not murder.” It is also the same God who gave the royal law of love for one’s neighbor. The person who breaks just one of these laws has “become a lawbreaker.”
Galatians 6:1-2 NIVBrothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. But remember, it is Jesus Christ who saves.
Verses 26–27 point out three specific areas where truth should be put into practice.
The Wisdom of God (1–11). You need wisdom in trials so you will not waste your suffering and miss the spiritual growth that should result. When you trust God, trials work for you and not against you; but be sure your heart is wholly yielded to Him. If your heart and mind are divided, trials will tear you apart.
The Goodness of God (12–20). When you realize how good God is to you, you will have no interest in the temptations the enemy puts before you. When you are tempted, count your blessings; and you will soon have strength to say no.
The Word of God (21–27). The Word gives us spiritual birth (v. 18; 1 Pet. 1:22–23). It is like seed planted in the heart that produces spiritual fruit (v. 21). It is a mirror that helps us examine ourselves (vv. 23–25) and cleanse our lives. We must do the Word of God, not just read it or study it; the blessing is in the doing.
James 1:26-27 NIV 26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
The first is speech. James introduces a hypothetical case. The person involved “considers himself religious” (GK 2580). This word describes a person who performs the external acts of religion, such as public worship, fasting, or giving to the needy, but he exerts no controlling restraint on his speech.
James 1:19-20 NIV My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
James 3:9-10 NIV With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Second The kind of “religion that God our Father accepts” is the kind that exerts a positive influence on one’s life.
James 3:13 NIV Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
Third One whose religion is genuine will also avoid “being polluted by the world.” “World” (GK 3180) here describes the total system of evil that pervades every sphere of human existence and is set in opposition to God and to righteousness.
To summarize, v.22–27 insist that a person’s religion must consist of more than superficial acts. It is not enough to listen to the statement of spiritual truth (vv.22–25), nor is it sufficient to engage in formal religious activity (v.26). The person whose religious experience is genuine will put spiritual truth into practice, and one’s life will be marked by love for others and holiness before God.
It is a mirror that helps us examine ourselves (vv. 23–25) and cleanse our lives. We must do the Word of God, not just read it or study it; the blessing is in the doing.
The call to “do what it says” lies at the center of all that James teaches and sums up the whole book: Put into practice what you profess to believe.
James 1:22-25 NIV 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
Those who listen to the Word do so attentively and at length, so that they understand what they hear. They know what God expects them to do.
25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
The reason for this blessing is fourfold.
(1) He “looks intently” (GK 4160) into God’s truth, a verb that described John’s act of stooping and peering into the tomb of Jesus (Jn 20:5). Here it is as though a person stoops over the Scripture, zealously searching for its message.
(2) “He continues to do this.” He is the blessed man of Ps 1 who meditates on God’s law day and night.
A continual talker cannot hear what anyone else is saying and by the same token will not hear when God speaks. Finally, the restraint of anger is demanded, for anger closes the mind to God’s truth. A fiercely argumentative attitude is not conducive to the humble reception of truth.
The Word gives us spiritual birth (1 Pet. 1:22–23). It is like seed planted in the heart that produces spiritual fruit (v. 21).
James 1:19-21 NIV 19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
Ephesians 4:2-3 NIV Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
“Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness” (3:18).
21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Colossians 3:16 NIV Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
When you realize how good God is to you, you will have no interest in the temptations the enemy puts before you. When you are tempted, count your blessings; and you will soon have strength to say no.
James 1:12-18 NIV 12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.
Romans 7:19, 22-23 NIV For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.
15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Romans 6:23 NIV For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
God is the giver of “every good and perfect gift.” The concept of God’s goodness rules out the possibility that he would send an influence as destructive as temptation. His gifts are marked by kindness and helpfulness, not destructiveness. They are “perfect” (GK 5455), which in this context excludes any possibility of moral evil as coming from God.
Ex 34:22 and Lev 23:10 “Firstfruits” refers to the first portion of the harvest given to God, a foretaste of that which was to come. The many that would be Born Again.
James 1:9-12 NIV 9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.
Trials erase any superficial distinctions that one may think separates the rich brother from the poor one.
The very same treatment that exalts the poor and gives them a new sense of worth also humbles the rich.
Suffering shows the rich that, instead of having a lasting lease on life on this earth, their lives are no more permanent than “a wild flower”
11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
1 Peter 5:5b-7 NIV “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
“Blessed” (GK 3421) speaks of the distinctive religious joy that is a benefit of salvation. This word describes the enviable state of the person who does not give up when confronted with trying circumstances but remains strong in faith and devotion to God.
“Stood the test” suggests the process of successfully testing precious metals and coins and their consequent approval as genuine. Perseverance under trial results in approval, and approval results in
“the crown [GK 5709] of life. For James, this word refers to the reward given to believers who are victorious in their struggles against trials.
This life “that God has promised” is more than the eternal life given to every believer at the time of his or her salvation
In time of trouble, say,
“First, He brought me here. It is by His will I am in this strait place; in that I will rest.”
Next, “He will keep me here in His love, and give me grace in this trial to behave as His child.”
Then say, “He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace He means to bestow.”
And last, say, “In His good time He can bring me out again. How and when, He knows.”
Therefore, say, I am here
(1) in His keeping
(2) under His training
(3) for His time.
We can mentally prepare ourselves by:
1. “consider” the other side of trials;
2. calculating the results of our trials;
3. calling on God’s resources in our trials;
4. considering our reactions to our trials; 5. contemplating the reward of our trials.
James 1:1-8 NIV 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Separated from family
Separated from homes
Separated from God
Persecuted in a foreign land
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Everyone encounters trials in life.
Paul portrayed his Roman imprisonment as “the things which happened to me” (Phil. 1:12).
It is the same term used in the story of the good Samaritan of the man who “fell among thieves” (Luke 10:30).
The word consider “should rather be translated, ‘think forward, consider, regard.’
No one enjoys trials nor does God expect for us to
James does not say if you encounter trials, butwhen you encounter trials.
4 Letperseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
We must learn to look at the experience from God’s perspective and recognize the trial not as a happy experience in itself but as the means of producing something very valuable in life.
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5:3-4)
The thing which amazed the heathen in the centuries of persecution was that the martyrs did not die grimly; they died singing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
A prayer to be said When the world has gotten you down And you feel rotten, And you’re too doggone tired to pray, And you’re in a big hurry, And besides, you’re mad at everybody … “Help!”
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. (Romans 8:26)
Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. (Romans 8:34)
6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Unless there is within us that which is above us, we will soon yield to that which is around us.
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. (2 Timothy 4:3)
7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. The Good News
It’s not because God doesn’t want to help
Doubt prevents us from trusting Him to help
This grieves (not angers) our Heavenly Father (Luke 15)
But He is always waiting for us to turn our hears towards home…
He prayed at His baptism (Luke 3:21–22); before feeding the 5,000 (Luke 9:16) and the 4,000 (Matthew 15:36); and at the moment of His transfiguration (Luke 9:29). Before Jesus chose His twelve disciples, He “spent the night praying to God” on a mountainside (Luke 6:12).
As He spoke of His coming sacrifice, Jesus prayed a very short prayer: “Father, glorify your name!” (John 12:28).
Spending a last few minutes with His disciples on the night of His arrest, Jesus prayed an extended prayer known today as His “high priestly prayer” (John 17) on behalf of His own, those given to Him by the Father (verse 6).
Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane just before His arrest (Matthew 26:36–46). He had asked His disciples to pray with Him, but they fell asleep instead.
Jesus also prayed for the forgiveness of those who were torturing Him to death: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). In His final breath, Jesus continued to express His faith in God: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46).
To this day, Jesus continues to pray for His own from His exalted position in heaven at the right hand of God. Scripture says He makes intercession for those who belong to Him (Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1). Christians must never neglect to “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
Paul also emphasizes pray over worry
Paul said we should pray continually
Ephesians 6:18-24 NIV18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 NIV Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
1 Peter 5:6-9 NIV Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you. 23 Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
Closing Promise Regarding Prayer
Luke 18:1-8 NIV Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
