James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve [Hebrew] tribes [scattered abroad among the Gentiles] in the dispersion: Greetings (rejoice)!
Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials.
Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace].
And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.
If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him.
But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without doubting [God’s willingness to help], for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is blown about and tossed by the wind.
For such a person ought not to think or expect that he will receive anything [at all] from the Lord,
being a double-minded man, unstable and restless in all his ways [in everything he thinks, feels, or decides].
Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position [as a born-again believer, called to the true riches and to be an heir of God];
and the rich man is to glory in being humbled [by trials revealing human frailty, knowing true riches are found in the grace of God], for like the flower of the grass he will pass away.
For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; its flower falls off and its beauty fades away; so too will the rich man, in the midst of his pursuits, fade away.
Blessed [happy, spiritually prosperous, favored by God] is the man who is steadfast under trial and perseveres when tempted; for when he has passed the test and been approved, he will receive the [victor’s] crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God” [for temptation does not originate from God, but from our own flaws]; for God cannot be tempted by [what is] evil, and He Himself tempts no one.
But each one is tempted when he is dragged away, enticed and baited [to commit sin] by his own [worldly] desire (lust, passion).
Then when the illicit desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin has run its course, it gives birth to death.
Do not be misled, my beloved brothers and sisters.
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes].
It was of His own will that He gave us birth [as His children] by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of His creatures [a prime example of what He created to be set apart to Himself—sanctified, made holy for His divine purposes].
Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving];
for the [resentful, deep-seated] anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God [that standard of behavior which He requires from us].
So get rid of all uncleanness and all that remains of wickedness, and with a humble spirit receive the word [of God] which is implanted [actually rooted in your heart], which is able to save your souls.
But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth].
For if anyone only listens to the word without obeying it, he is like a man who looks very carefully at his natural face in a mirror;
for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he immediately forgets what he looked like.
But he who looks carefully into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and faithfully abides by it, not having become a [careless] listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he will be blessed and favored by God in what he does [in his life of obedience].
If anyone thinks himself to be religious [scrupulously observant of the rituals of his faith], and does not control his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless (futile, barren).
Pure and unblemished religion [as it is expressed in outward acts] in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit and look after the fatherless and the widows in their distress, and to keep oneself uncontaminated by the [secular] world.
Content source: the Amplified Bible (AMP) by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631.
Image source: Our media Team
Santiago does not boast of his personal relationship with Jesus, nor did he identify himself as a religious leader, his greatest honor was being a servant of God, the twelve tribes designated the nation of Israel, and "they are in the dispersion" translates the term Greek (diaspora) which alludes to the situation of the Jews scattered in Gentile land, so, this letter is addressed to Jewish Christians who live outside of Palestine.
Becoming a Christian does not automatically free anyone from difficulties, the right attitude when facing adversity is to have great joy, which is not an emotional reaction, but one of liberated and intelligent evaluation of circumstances from the perspective of God, upon seeing the tests as a means for moral and spiritual growth, we do not enjoy the tests themselves, but in their possible fruits.
Testing is tantamount to checking the genuineness of something, it serves as a discipline to purge the faith of its impurities, by extirpating what is false.
Patience is not passive resignation in the face of adverse circumstances, but firmness and courage that will help us to resist with courage.
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In this chapter we are taught that if we lack wisdom, God is so great that he can give us in abundance, as long as we ask for wisdom with faith and without hesitation, because doubt does not please God.
It also teaches us that temptations do not come from God but, from the person's own desire, therefore he must pray that those desires go out of his life so as not to commit the sin that gives birth to death.
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No person who sins can avoid guilt by accusing God. God can prove believers in order to strengthen their faith, but never with the intention of leading us to sin.
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When you are having problems, do not start to regret as if something terrible had happened to you. Although every problem causes us a negative impact, we should rejoice, and consider as a reason for joy the fact that God is testing him in that way.
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Vs 2-4 is particularly intriguing
Let me break it down for us all..
Most persons see challenges as stumbling block, others see it as stepping stones. And the bible tells to be happy and excited when challenges come.
We can't qualify for next level, and upgrade or promotion, the next class and all if we don't get tested at our present level
Challenges tests our resolve, discretion and capacity. So when they come, the right attitude is paramount, instead of us seeing it as what to keep us down, let us see it as a way we can go higher.
Vs 3-4 says it leads to maturity, capacity to handle more(promotion), mastering arts, handling tasks etc
And we should know that the reward for good work is MORE WORK
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