*James 1:2-27
James instructs believers to consider trials as opportunities for growth, explaining that perseverance produces maturity and faith that is complete.
- Joy in Trials:
- Believers are encouraged to consider it pure joy when facing trials of various kinds.
- Trials are seen as a testing of faith, which produces perseverance, and perseverance must finish its work so that the believer may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
- Wisdom from God:
- If anyone lacks wisdom, they should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to them.
- However, when asking for wisdom, one must ask in faith, without doubting, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
- Humility and Exaltation:
- The humble circumstances of the poor should be a cause for boasting in their high position.
- Conversely, the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.
- Enduring Temptation:
- 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.
- Believers are warned not to say they are tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.
- Source of Temptation:
- Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.
- After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
- Listening and Doing:
- James emphasizes the importance of not merely listening to the word, and so deceiving yourselves, but doing what it says.
- Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
- True Religion:
- True 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.
James 1:2-27 teaches us to see challenges as opportunities to grow stronger in our faith. It reminds us to trust God when life gets hard, seek His wisdom, and put our faith into action. Instead of just listening to God’s Word, we should live it out by being kind, patient, and helping those in need. We can apply this by staying hopeful in tough times, asking God for guidance, and making sure our actions reflect His love and truth every day.
James 1:2-27 (WEB)
1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. 7 For that man shouldn’t think that he will receive anything from the Lord. 8 He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.9 Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position; 10 and the rich, in that he is made humble, because like the flower in the grass, he will pass away. 11 For the sun arises with the scorching wind and withers the grass; and the flower in it falls, and the beauty of its appearance perishes. So the rich man will also fade away in his pursuits.12 Blessed is a person who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love him.13 Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed. 15 Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin. The sin, when it is full grown, produces death. 16 Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation nor turning shadow. 18 Of his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.19 So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom and continues, not being a hearer who forgets but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.26 If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.