James Chapter 1 - November 18, 2008

1:4 - We can attain perfection - SWEET! Oh wait, perfection as the Jewish readers would have understood it meant, "a complete, whole person." So James is telling us that the only way for us to truly become whole is to persevere through trials and keep our trust in God. So being allowed to go through tough times is actually for our own good. When you remain faithful in trials and see that God can and will get you through anything, you start to more fully understand that you really do "lack nothing."

1:6 - Does this mean that every time we doubt we are worthless, double-minded people not worthy of carrying the name of Christ? I sure hope not! I don't believe James is referring to our occasional personal doubts and questions, he is referring to a duplicity of nature. You see this theme throughout the chapter. If you are a Christian your life should reflect that. If you doubt the validity of the word of God and you refuse to apply it to your personal life outside of church...you live in a state of hypocrisy and mock the very truth you claim to follow. That is a little more intense than your occasional momentary doubts.

1:9-11 - Why can't we see how true this is? Chasing after wealth is the ultimate way to chase humiliation. How humiliating is it to live your whole life to acquire as much money as possible and then you die and it is all meaningless. Your whole life would then be meaningless. Is that not humiliating? Why can we not see that as human beings?

1:14-15 - In case you were confused, James throws down a nice little sin-cycle diagram for you. 1.) We are all tempted by our own sinful desires (So don't go blaming God the next time you are struggling with temptation...instead turn to Him for strength and help). 2.) That same sinful human nature that tempts us, also draws us into the sin (Seriously, turn to God...it is the only way to break free from sin and temptation). 3.) Sin leads us by the hand skipping merrily into death. Brutal, brutal cycle. So we have within us, everything we need to bring about our own demise and no possible way to save ourselves.

1:23-24 - If you call yourself Christian and you have believe the word of God, let that word be reflected in your daily life. Living contrary to the truth you have believed in is like looking at yourself in a mirror and immediately forgetting what you look like as you turn away. You are forgetting yourself - who you are - it is absurd...so is living a dual life.

1:26 - How about this for a nice little wake up slap in the face - if you can't control your tongue, your religion is worthless. Why? Because you ignore so many aspects of the message of Christ - self-control, humility, honor, respect, using the gifts God has given you appropriately, etc. The mouth is the communication system from our heart to the world - what yours communicates says alot about what you believe.

1:27 - True religion - taking care of widows and orphans. We've all heard it a million times and I hope you agree. But there is another part in there too...keep yourself unstained by the world. It all goes back to that theme of have one perfect, whole life as opposed to the dual-natured life.