Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
JAMES 1
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Greetings.
Trials and Temptations
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. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 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. 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. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
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. 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.
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. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
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.
Listening and Doing
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. 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.
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. 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.
26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 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.
Application Notes
1:1 The writer of this letter, a leader of the church in Jerusalem (see Acts 12:17; 15:13), was James the half-brother of Jesus, not James the apostle. This was one of the earliest New Testament letters, probably written before AD 50. After Stephen was martyred, persecution increased, and Christians in Jerusalem were scattered throughout the Roman world (Acts 7:55-8:3). The original 12 tribes of Israel were no longer distinct and intact. By the time James wrote, the "twelve tribes" referred to the renewed and gathered Israel that God would create in the last days through Jesus the Messiah (see Ezekiel 47:13; Matthew 19:28). There were thriving Jewish Christian communities in Rome, Alexandria, Cyprus, and cities in Greece and Asia Minor. Because these early believers did not have the support of an established, centralised organisation of Christian churches, James wrote to them, as a concerned leader, to encourage them in their faith during these difficult times.
1:2-4 We can't really know the strength of our character until we see how we react under pressure. We may find that being kind to others is easier when everything is going well, but will we still be kind when others treat us unfairly? God wants to develop us into complete human beings, not simply insulate us from all pain. Enduring through trials generates a whole person--seasoned, experienced, well-developed, and fully trained. It gives us the life skills to see our blind spots and anticipate mistakes before we make them. Instead of complaining about our struggles, we should see them as opportunities for growth. Ask God for wisdom to help you solve your problems or to give you the strength to endure them. Then be patient. God will not leave you alone with your problems; he will stay close and help you grow. Thank him for walking beside you in rough times.
1:2-3 James doesn't say if you face trials, but whenever you face them. He assumes that we will have trials and that we can profit from them. We should not pretend to be happy when we face pain, but we can have a positive outlook ("consider it pure joy") because trials can strengthen and develop our character. James tells us to regard our hardships as times of learning and growth. They build our perseverance. (For other passages dealing with perseverance, also called patience and steadfastness, see Romans 2:7; 5:3-5; 8:24-25; 2 Corinthians 6:3-7; 2 Peter 1:2-9.)
1:2 Joy springs from a deep sense of well-being that can coexist with the full range of human emotions-sorrow, happiness, anger, pain. Joy born out of our troubles is more of an attitude or a decision than a feeling. We can choose to live with joy while not denying our normal emotions. God's faithfulness teaches us to respond to all of life's circumstances with joy. It helps us be grateful in all circumstances and to delight in the goodness of God. Joy brings contentment when we realise that nothing "will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39).
1:5 By "wisdom," James means the ability to make wise decisions in difficult circumstances; this is not just knowledge. Whenever we need wisdom, we can pray to God, and he will generously supply what we need. Christians don't have to grope around in the dark, hoping to stumble upon answers. We can ask for God's wisdom to guide our choices. God always answers this prayer when we ask him.
1:5 The wisdom that we need has three distinct characteristics:
(1) It is practical. God's wisdom relates to our lives even during the most trying times. It is not isolated from suffering and trials, but it gives us resources to overcome them. An intelligent person may have profound ideas, but a wise person puts profound ideas to use in order to choose the best course of action.
(2) It is divine. God's wisdom goes beyond common sense. Common sense does not help us react joyfully in the middle of adversity. God's wisdom begins with respect for him, leads us to follow his direction, and increases our ability to tell right from wrong. This kind of wisdom is described at length in James 3.
(3) It is Christlike. When we ask for wisdom, we are ultimately asking to be more like Christ. The Bible identifies Christ as the "wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24; 2:1-7). 1:6-8 If you have ever seen the constant rolling of huge waves at sea, you know how restless they are--subject to the forces of wind, gravity, and the tide. Doubt leaves a person as unsettled as the restless waves. If you want to stop being tossed about rely on God to show you the best path. Ask him for wisdom, and trust that he will give it to you. Then your decisions will be sure and solid.
1:6 To "believe and not doubt" means believing not only in the existence of God but also in his loving care. It includes relying on God and expecting that he will hear and answer us when we pray. We must put away our critical attitudes when we come to him. God does not grant every thoughtless or selfish request. We must have confidence that he will align our desires with his purposes. (For more on this concept, see the note on Matthew 21:22.)
1:6 A person who doubts is not completely convinced that God's way is best. Such a person treats God's Word like a merely human source and reserves the right to follow it or not. He or she vacillates between allegiance to subjective feelings, the world's ideas, and God's commands. If your faith is new, weak, or struggling, remember that you can trust that God's words to you are accurate, final, and best. To stabilize your wavering or doubtful mind,. commit yourself wholeheartedly to whatever he says.
1:9-11 Believers who are poor should be glad that riches mean nothing to God; otherwise, they would be considered unworthy. Those who are rich should be glad that money means nothing to God because they can easily lose it. We find true wealth by developing our spiritual lives, not by developing our financial assets. God cares about us, not about our accumulation of earthly treasures. Strive to treat other people as Christ would treat them.
1:9 Jesus and his brother James were likely poor for their entire lives. Jesus spent part of his childhood as a refugee in Egypt. Christianity brings a new dignity to the poor and not-so-influential people of this world. That dignity becomes most evident in the church, where there are not (or should not be) any class distinctions. All believers share the distinction and dignity of being changed by the gospel and the honour of being charged with the mission of taking that same gospel to the rest of the world. Believers know they have dignity before God because Christ died for them. Mary, the mother of Jesus, vividly displayed this quality when she gave her prayer of praise, called the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), in response to all that God had done for her. Whatever our social or economic situations, James challenges us to see beyond such things to our eternal advantages. What we have in Jesus Christ outweighs anything in this life. Knowing him gives us our identity and purpose, where we find our true dignity.
1:10-11 If wealth, power, and status mean nothing to God, why do we attribute so much importance to them and so much honour to those who possess them? Is managing and accumulating material possessions one of your primary goals or the thing that gives you the most meaning in life? If they were gone, what would you do? How would you feel? What you have in your heart, not your bank account, matters to God and endures for eternity. (For Jesus' words on this subject, see Mark 4:18-19.)
1:12-15 Temptation comes from evil desires inside us, not from God. It begins with a sinful thought and then becomes a sinful action when we dwell on the thought and allow it to affect our behaviour. Like a snowball growing as it rolls downhill, sin grows more destructive the more we let it have its way. The sooner you stop a tempting thought or desire, the easier you can control it, before it takes control of you. (For more about escaping temptation, see Matthew 4:1-11; 1 Corinthians 10:13; and 2 Timothy 2:22.)
1:12 In the same way the victory wreath was given to winning athletes, God blesses those who patiently endure adversity for his sake with the crown of life (see 1 Corinthians 9:25). God's crown of life means living with him forever, not getting glory and honour on earth. To be in God's winner's circle, keep on running toward him. As you do, you will grow in your relationship with him and stay faithful even under pressure.
1:13-15 It is easy to blame others and make excuses for our evil thoughts and wrong actions. We use excuses like these: (1) It's the other person' fault; (2) I couldn't help it; (3) Everybody's doing it; (4) It was just a mi take; (5) Nobody's perfect; (6) The devil made me do it; (7) I was pressured into it; (8) /didn't know it was wrong; (9) God is tempting me. A person who makes excuses is trying to shift the blame from himself or herself to something or someone else. A strong believer, on the other hand, accepts responsibility for his or her wrongs, confesses them, and asks God for forgiveness.
1:13-14 People who live for God often wonder why they still face temptations. Does God tempt them? God tests people, but he does not tempt them by trying to seduce them to sin. God allows Satan to tempt people, however, and through these temptations God refines their faith and helps them grow in their dependence on him. We can resist the temptation to sin by turning to God for strength and choosing to obey his Word. Temptation always presents us with a choice. Will we say yes or no?
1:17 The Bible often compares goodness with light and evil with shadow and darkness. God is the sovereign creator of the sun, moon, and stars. He gives us good gifts and illuminates our minds to see the goodness in these gifts. As his prized possessions, we are the ones to receive a foretaste of future blessings (see Romans 8:22-23). (For other passages associating God with light, see Psalm 27:1; Isaiah 60:19-22; John 1:1-14.)
1:19-20 James warns against anger that erupts when our egos get bruised: "I am hurt"; "My opinions are not being heard." Outrage has become the normal reaction to anyone who disagrees with us. When injustice and sin occur, we should become angry because others are being hurt. But we should not become angry when we fail to win an argument or when we feel offended or neglected. Selfish anger never helps anyone.
1:19 When we talk too much and listen too little, we communicate to others that we think our ideas are more important than theirs. James wisely advises us to reverse this process. Put a mental stopwatch on your conversations, and keep track of how much you talk and how much you listen. When people talk with you, do they feel that their viewpoints and ideas have value?
1:21 James advises us to get rid of everything that is wrong in our lives and ·humbly accept· the salvation message we have received (·the word planted in you·), because it alone can save us.
1:22-25 It is important to listen to what God's Word says, but it is much more important to obey it and do what it says. We can measure the effectiveness of our Bible study time by the effect it has on our behaviour and attitudes. Do you put into action what you have studied? 1:25 It seems paradoxical that a law could give us freedom, but God's law offers us a true reflection of our sinful condition and gives us the opportunity to ask for God's forgiveness (see Romans 7:7-8). When we are saved by God's grace, and salvation frees us from sin's control, we are no longer slaves to our selfish desires. As believers, we are free to live as God created us to live. Of course, this does not mean that we are free to do as we please (see 1 Peter 2:16); rather, now we are free to obey God (see the note on James 2:12).
1:26 Inward change must affect outward conduct. (For more on taming the tongue, see the notes in James 3.) No matter how spiritual we may think we are, we could all control our speech more effectively.
1:27 James's instruction to care for orphans and widows tells us what our Christian conduct should look like. In the first century, orphans and widows had very little means of economic support. Unless family members were willing to care for them, they were reduced to begging, selling themselves as slaves, or starving. By caring for these powerless people and others in need, the church was putting God's Word into practice. Claiming loyalty to God means more than worshipping in church; it involves truly serving others.
1:27 To keep ourselves from being polluted by the world, we need to commit ourselves to Christ's ethical and moral system, not the world's. We are not to adapt or conform to the world's value system, which is based on money, power, and pleasure. True faith will dissipate if such values drive us. Ask the Holy Spirit to keep your heart and mind closely connected to Jesus.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)