Monday - Revelation 1 - Jesus and His Church

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AUL wrote, "Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it." (Ephesians 5:25). Without debating the exact point of the commencement of the church age, Christ's church is evidently comprised of believers from the first coming of Jesus until His second coming. John calls the members of the church "Christ's servants" (Revelation 1:1). And obviously the universal church is comprised of many local churches (Revelation 1:11). This great book of prophecy is addressed to all who are the servants of Jesus Christ; to the members of His church. It is a product of God's desire to share His plans with His people (Genesis 18:17 & Revelation 1:1 & 19).

 

Fittingly, this revelation of God's plans is spearheaded with a wonderful description of Christ Himself. Obviously, the apostle knew Jesus firsthand from the 3.5 years that he had been Jesus' personal disciple. Many years had passed since Jesus' ascension. But when Jesus showed up on Patmos, John certainly recognized Him. John had been exiled there to keep him silent, but it didn't work (Revelation 1:9). His greatest and most impactful ministry resulted from this exiling. Glorious descriptions of our glorious Lord came from the pen of this old man who was living alone, waiting to die.

 

This book is both important and applicable now. We have the promise of God that it has the potential to bring great blessings upon those who humbly seek for Him in these pages (Revelation 22:7). Although it is full of war and havoc, the peace of God is obtainable through this book (to those who are willing to take its message to heart - Revelation 1:4). 

 

Friday – Jude - Time to Fight

 

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HIS book is devoted almost entirely to the description of apostates. Remember, an apostate is someone who, knowing the gospel & having followed from afar, is yet guilty of rejecting Christ (vs. 4). An apostate is an unbeliever. Yet not all unbelievers are apostates. Hebrews indicates that apostates are in a hopeless condition (Hebrews 6:4 - 6 & 10:26 - 27). Certainly, there is hope for lost souls in general (which is indicated here in vs. 22 - 23). Still, in our fellowship with God & in our service to Him, there are battles that must be fought. In other words, as we work to bring sheep into the fold (evangelism), there are wolves that we must be willing to ward off.  Jude calls this "contending for the faith" (vs. 3).

 

Jude defines “saints” clearly. We are the ones who are sanctified & preserved (vs. 1). We hold to a "common salvation" - a single faith (vs. 3). We are the recipients of God's grace & the acceptors of the Lord Christ (vs. 4).  We have the Spirit, love, & mercy of God; & eternal life (vs. 19 - 21). We are emissaries of mercy; evangelists bearing the gospel (vs. 22 - 23). To put it simply, we have been saved from our sin (Jude 1:23 - 24). The ungodly apostates (who Jude would have us fight against) have none of these things.

 

An apostate turns from the truth. Jude gives many examples of apostates (& of apostasy in general). Think of the Jews who came out of Egypt, (vs. 5) & the angels who fell with Lucifer (vs. 6). How about the sodomites (vs. 7 & 10). Cain, Balaam & Korah are also examples of men who were guilty of apostasy (Jude 1:11). In every case we can say categorically that they knew better and had opportunities to commit themselves to the truth. EACH ONE chose error instead.

Thursday – 3rd John - Diotrephes & Demetrius

 

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OHN wrote his 3^rd  letter to a man named Gaius. John said that he had a prosperous soul (3^rd John 1:2). This is because he had the truth in him (vs. 3). And the presence of truth in him was evidenced by the fact that he was known for his hospitality to other Christians (vs. 5-6). So, there was plenty to compliment in this man's spiritual life. But that wasn't the main thrust of John's letter.

 

It appears that John simply wanted to encourage Gaius not to let his hospitable tendencies eclipse his spiritual judgment. So, John mentions a couple of men as case examples, so to speak, in order to clarify that some men simply can't be trusted. The 2 men John mentions are Diotrephes & Demetrius (vs. 9 & 12). Diotrephes was evidently a man with much selfish ambition & no hospitality. Demetrius was just the opposite. So, John exhorted Gaius to follow good things, & to accept godly men. He was supposed to be very cautious with religious rebels though (vs. 9 - 11). Gaius had to be on guard.

 

I suppose the dilemma here is not so much the need to be able to tell good men from evil men, but to be able to differentiate between evil men who are our mission field & evil men who are our opponents. They are to be treated differently you know. Jesus interacted regularly & kindly  with  "publicans & sinners" – so much so that he was accused of being like them; of being one of them. On the other hand, Jesus treated the religious leaders of His day with strong & hostile language.  And there was actually a third group too: a group of loyal disciples. 

Wednesday – 2nd John - Truth

 

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LL truth is God's truth. In fact, Jesus even called Himself, "The Truth" (John 15:6). But some truths are more impactful than other truths. When it comes to truth, surely there is no truth more important to us than the gospel (Luke 9:25 & Mark 8:36). The eternal destiny of souls is dependent upon the purity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So, in this brief book, John the apostle wisely elevates (to the highest level possible) the importance of the accuracy of the doctrine of Jesus Christ.

 

It was the truth about Jesus Christ that drove John to write this letter.  It was THAT truth that John had in common with the "elect lady" to whom he was writing. And it was the truth of Christ that John wanted to promote continually in the life of every believer. Now, as born-again believers, brotherly love is the most important expression of the gospel in us. In fact, we love God by loving each other (Matthew 25:40 1^st John 3:23). It's just another angle on "The Greatest Commandments" presentation of Matthew 22:36-40. Out of His love for humanity, Jesus Christ (the eternal Son of God) became a man. If through faith in Him we have been made His disciples, then His love is in us. If His love is in us, then it will be seen in our interactions with one another (John 13:34-35 & 15:12).

Tuesday – 1st John 5 - Spiritual Confidence

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 know that I'm saved. I have a "know-so" salvation. Now, this spiritual confidence is not the same thing as self-confidence. Self-confidence tells me that I am able. That is intensely evil & dangerous. But a person with spiritual confidence is persuaded fully that God is able.  So, when I say that I know that I know without a doubt that I have eternal life (or even that I know that God has called me to preach the gospel) my statement is NOT about me. My statement is about God. God has made some unequivocally clear promises concerning salvation, & the gift of His Spirit. All we are doing when we latch on to these words is admitting that God is God & that He is good. And be assured, God wants to develop spiritual confidence in all of His children.

 

John clearly wrote this letter to exalt Christ, but in so doing, he was also lifting the confidence of his believing readers to a very high plateau indeed. You should take note of the word "know" in 1^st John (it occurs 27 times). We know who Jesus is. We know that we are His. We know that faith is the key to God's heart, & to our victory in Christ. We know that He has given us His Spirit. We know that the Father, His Son & His Spirit are one & the same; all three eternally divine & unified. We know that God's word is always true. We know that life in Christ is eternal. We know that without Christ, a man has no hope. We know that God hears & answers our humble prayers. We know that God is willing to forgive. We know that our new nature is sinless.  We know that that world is doomed.  And we know that due to all of these spiritual truths (which we know), we have some very real & serious responsibilities. 

Monday – 1st John 4 - God's Only Begotten Son

 

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ESPITE the time designation of Psalm 2:7, Acts 13:33, Hebrews 1:5 & 5:5, the word "begotten" (in reference to Jesus Christ) is a word of relationship, not a word of origination (John 3:16). The "day" designated in those passages is the day of Jesus' resurrection. Of course, even if He had a point of origin – which, He does not – the day of His resurrection couldn't possibly be that day. HE is the originator of all things. Jesus is the one & only eternal Son of the God (Isaiah 9:6). His relationship with His heavenly Father is an eternal relationship. There was a point in time when the Son of God became a human baby (1^st Timothy 3:16), & there was a point in time when He became our perfect intermediary (Hebrews 9:11), but He has always been God's Son. There has never been a time when the Trinity did not exist. God is immutable. He is who He is, & He has always been the same (Malachi 3:6). Jesus is the Creator, not the created (John 1:1 & 17:5). This is a key factor in the true gospel. In fact, the Apostle John makes this theological doctrine the one most important litmus test for determining spiritual orthodoxy (1^st John 4:2-3 & 14-15). It is true that God wants to have many sons (Hebrews 2:10); many human sons (John 1:12). He is working to make many creatures – creations in His own image. But He only has one eternal Son who was, & is, & is to come (John 8:56 & 58). On August 13, 1985, at the age of 10, I became an everlasting son of God (1^st John 3:2). But Jesus alone has always been God's eternal Son.

Friday – 1st John 3 - When He Appears

  

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ERSE 2 is key in understanding the point John is making in chapter. Notice the timing element in John's statement. We are already the children of God, now; presently! But there is also something that we aren't yet.  We aren't yet perfectly holy like Jesus is. We will be someday. When we see Jesus at His coming (in the rapture), we will be changed (1^st Corinthians 15:51 & 52)! We will become completely godly; no longer susceptible to temptations and failures. But for right now, we still lack some things.

 

Verse 3 is almost as important as the previous verse in this context. Everyone who is looking sincerely for Christ to return will be in the process of self-purification (1^st John 3:2). We wouldn't need to purify ourselves if we were already pure and somehow incapable of transgressions. The point of both of these verses is to admit that we are still works-in-progress. This is the foundation for the great calls to sanctification that fill the remainder of this chapter. Without 1^st John 3:2 & 3, this chapter would be a bit harder to swallow. But let's not yank the teeth out of the shark here.

 

The salient point here is that saints cannot continually revel in sin and get away with it. If sin dominates a man professing to be a saint, one of two things should be expected. 1. The saint is actually an ain't or 2. retribution and/or revival is just around the corner. If we are God's children, then God will deal with us like family. If we are imposters or pretenders, then no wonder we can't quite fit in. Saints just can't hang happily and continually with the devil (vs. 6). Like it or not, on the authority of God's Word we must admit that salvation either has a real impact on behavior, or it isn't salvation at all (vs. 3:7, 8 & 10). 

Thursday – 1st John 2 - Light & Darkness

 

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HERE has been some confusion in Christendom throughout the centuries about which perspective is correct concerning the sanctification of the saints. There are basically two views that seem at first to be mutually exclusive. 1. True believers demonstrate the authenticity of their conversion by doing right things. 2. True believers should do right things, but too often we fail to do so. Actually, both views are true. And John addresses both & from multiple angles. Right from the start he instructs us not to sin, but he admits immediately that he we will sin (vs. 1). He gives us a solution for when we do (1^st John 1:9 & 2:1-2). But he turns right around & lists obedience as a basic proof of our conversion (vs. 3). So again, one might ask, "Which one is it? Is obedience a sure thing in the life of every Christian, or isn't it?" To this, we answer, "Yes!"

 

It is part of the plague of having two very different natures existing within one body. Our human nature (inherited from Adam) is absolutely incapable of victoriously holy living (Romans 7:18). On the other hand, our spiritual nature (inherited from Jesus Christ our Savior - see 2^nd Peter 1:4) is absolutely incapable of defeat (1^st John 3:9). Morally, I'm schizophrenic and so am I. As I allow myself to be filled by the Spirit, I can do no wrong. On the other hand, as I fail to yield to the Spirit, I can do nothing right.  This is the awful conflict of which Paul wrote in Romans 7:25. It is the struggle that Peter had in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:38). It is the frustrating dilemma that every honest believer has had since time immemorial. 

Wednesday – 1st John 1 - John's Declaration

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F you think back to John's gospel you will surely remember that (when compared to the other 3 gospel accounts) the apostle's introduction of Jesus Christ was both unique and special. There are distinct and obvious similarities between John 1 and 1^st John 1. In both cases, he properly places Christ on the highest pedestal that he can possibly construct with his words. Here in verses 3 & 5 John tells us that his purpose (and the purpose of all of the apostles) in ministry (and certainly in writing) was to make a clear declaration concerning who Christ was (and is), and to point out just exactly what His gospel message was (and is). Now of course, because of Christ's passion for souls and because of the content of the gospel, John properly weaves our place, privilege, and responsibilities into His writings as well. In fact, whether you are reading his gospel, his letters, or his revelation, there is truly a constant applicability that arises right out of the text. In his Gospel it is abundantly clear that he was calling his readers to believe in Jesus. Here in his first epistle it is again evident what his purpose is. Here he is speaking to believers, and his desire is to promote holiness, confidence, and fellowship among all believers. Not surprisingly, the same tool John used to draw us to salvation in his gospel is the one he uses here to push us forward in sanctification. He exalts Christ. 

Tuesday – 2nd Peter 3 - Willingly Ignorant

 

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HESE are words that I've uttered many times: "I don't want to hear it!" I suppose that in some arenas, I simply have no curiosity. There are certain things that I don't know, and that I have no desire to know. Gossip about you, for example? I'm just not interested. However, when it comes to the things of God, curiosity is a blessing. It is smug ignorance that is dangerous. Think of people who do not believe the Bible. How many of them have actually read it? A few perhaps. It's hard enough to get true believers to read the whole thing. But rejecting the Bible without actually knowing what it says is rather foolish. Peter points out here that many fools are foolish by choice (vs. 5).

 

Looking into the future, Peter saw that there would come a day when the idea of Jesus' return to earth would be mocked in the marketplace, as if the very idea were a complete absurdity (vs. 4).  I believe that such a day has arrived. But Peter also gives us the reason for this unbelief. The worldly mind chooses to ignore the past. Specifically, the story of Noah's flood should be sufficient evidence to convince a man that the same God who judged the human race before will certainly be willing to do it again (vs. 5-6). But no, unbelievers are essentially in denial. They doubt the reality of hell and justice. Never mind that harsh justice does indeed exist all around us in our world today.  It's a strange kind of mushy eschatology that denies our present reality. It isn't worth the paper it's written on.  Our world is not a giant flower nursery.  The souls who sin will die (Ezekiel 18:4).  God will judge the world.

Monday – 2nd Peter 2 - Strange Faith

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 faith that doesn't actually save anyone must indeed be categorized as a strange and wasted religiosity. If Peter presented "like precious faith" in 2^nd Peter 1 (and he did), then here in 2^nd Peter 2 he presents the false apostate philosophies of the many religions; religions that are deviations from the gospel truth.  He labels the proponents of renegade gospels as "false prophets" and "false teachers" (vs. 1). These are heretics in the realest sense.  They are the proponents of heterodoxies that detract from the exclusivity of Christ; espousers of false doctrines that damn every soul that follows their hellish lies.  Peter classifies all of these vain faiths as apostate religions, implying that in every case there was truth in their past that was willingly forsaken (Romans 1). Each religion that teaches anything other than salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ is a strange faith. Faith in a powerless object is blatant foolishness. So, Peter pulls no punches as he decries the evils of any religious teaching that contradicts the gospel of Christ.

 

While the death of Christ was certainly aimed at every soul (vs. 1 & 1^st John 2:2), the leaders of spiritual coups d’état are categorized as hopelessly lost (Psalm 2:1-9, Jude 1:4-19, 1^st John 2:18-19, Hebrews 6:4-8, 10:25-31, 12:8, 15-17 & Revelation 17). Specifically, those who once held the full gospel of Jesus Christ during the dispensation of grace (who were formerly professors of faith in Christ and were appendages of the church - 1^st Timothy 3:15 & Matthew 16:18) are in more trouble than Peter can find ways to describe (vs. 4-9). 

Friday – 2nd Peter 1 - Like Precious Faith

 

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LL of us who own a mansion in heaven (John 14:2) have the very same religion. We may attend churches with different denominational names on the sign out front, but money that is legal tender is legitimate whether it's a 1, 5, 20, 50 or 100. There is only one church, one Lord, one faith, & one experience of regeneration (Ephesians 4:4-6). There is one Bible, one gospel, & one body of truth that has been revealed to us. There are, then, only two kinds of people: those in on this, & those not. So, Peter wrote this letter to an esoteric audience. He only addresses those of us who are born again; who are the followers of Christ; who possess the same precious faith that was preached by Christ & His apostles (vs. 1). We are the ones to whom (through the person of His Son) God has given all good things (vs. 3). He has made marvelous promises to us. We are "partakers of the divine nature" - Hallelujah! We have "escaped the corruption that is in the world" (vs. 4). We are truly blessed beyond measure.

 

But, to whom much is given much is required (Luke 12:48). Peter reminds us of our privileged position in Christ (vs. 1-4), that's for sure. However, he moves on into the deeper waters of obligation & spiritual growth. So, we all possess the same faith. It is our duty, though, to build something eternal on that good foundation (1^st Cor. 3:11-15). We are called to move ever onward & upward to higher plains of virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, kindness & love (1^st Peter 1:5-7). Life & abundant life: that's the recipe, right (vs. 8)? Life alone is not our destination, even though it is eternal (1^st Cor. 3:15). God saved us for some purpose (Eph. 2:10). We must not waste God's grace or space. Our lives are supposed to be invested. Peter exhorts us as believers to confirm our salvation through a continual demonstration of godliness (vs. 9-11).

Thursday – 1st Peter 5 - A Submissive Spirit

 

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NE of the telltale signs of a Satanic influence in a person's life is an evident hatred for authority (1^st Samuel 15:23). The Spirit of Christ in us brings an opposite reaction into our disposition. Jesus Himself was willingly humble, meek, submissive & obedient. His presence produces these good characteristics in His children as well. Peter speaks of this in 1^st Peter 5.

 

He begins with the actions & attitudes of spiritual elders in the church (vs. 2-3). Notice what Peter forbad: self-indulgence, bitterness, greed, stubbornness & authoritarianism.  These are all taboo in the heart & life of a pastor, deacon, elder, apostle, evangelist or teacher. Any Christian who has been given spiritual gifts, influence & responsibility in the church has a duty to carry out their calling with generosity, thoroughness, eagerness, preparedness & authenticity. And, agreeing to do "leadership" this way (that is, God's way) obviously requires a submissive spirit. Good human leadership begins with a recognition & appreciation of God's ultimate authority over us. If that gets messed up, everything else down the line will also be out of whack.

 

Not only should Christian leaders be submissive to God, all Christians should be submissive to each other in general. Elders should be respected, of course.  But no matter where a person stands in the hierarchy of the church, we are all made in the image of God & are saved by the same grace. Every believer owes every other believer a constant debt of humility (vs. 5). Whatever our title or position, we are all required to have a servant's attitude toward every other member of the congregation. 

Wednesday – 1st Peter 4 - The Problem of Pain

 

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. S. Lewis wrote a book entitled, "The Problem of Pain." I have neither the space before me nor the intellect within me to attempt a Lewis style apologetic. However, we have arrived at 1^st Peter 4 & are faced with this problem, so let's deal with it. There are many reasons for pain & suffering in this life. Simply put, Adam's sin has brought a curse of anguish & evil on us that will not be eradicated from the universe until God makes all things new (Romans 8:22 & Revelation 21:1 & 4). But there is both an antecedent & many derivatives of Adam's fall. Obviously, we must wonder why God allowed it in the first place. Knowing His infinite power & goodness, there must be some greater benefit that the possibility of evil & suffering supplied. To me, love is the answer. C.S. Lewis wrote, "Try to exclude the possibility of suffering which the order of nature & the existence of free-wills involve, & you find that you have excluded life itself." I fully agree. A world without choice would be a world without love, faith, or relationship. What glory or pleasure could God get from that kind of a world?

Tuesday – 1st Peter 3 - The Real You

 

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N the Bible there is a perfect mixture of commandments regarding overt morality & instructions concerning our internal spiritual condition. As we saw in the book of James, both are important; & in Hebrews 11, they are also inextricably connected. However, it is the inner man that matters most (1^st Samuel 16:7 & 2^nd Corinthians 4:16). Or, maybe we should say (as Christ did) that it is our inside that matters first (Matthew 23:25-26). Such is the case in our salvation. Our physical baptism is an outward demonstration of an inward reality (1^st Peter 3:20-21). The outside of our cup can be cleaned automatically (as it were) as we focus on making sure that our inside is thoroughly washed (Matthew 15:10-11). Indeed, God fully intends to deal with our entire being (1^st Thessalonians 5:23), but if the outside is all that is adjusted then there will be no lasting benefit (Matthew 23:27-28).  On the other hand, if the real me is adjusted my outer shell will certainly be affected too (2^nd Corinthians 5:17 & James 2:18). Our outward issues are merely platforms upon which our inside is demonstrated.

 

Here in 1^st Peter 3 we find plenty of good counsel on how to be right & do right. First, Peter offers direction for wives & husbands (1^st Peter 3:1-7). It is certain that a sincere love for God is the key ingredient to a successful marriage. And, expressing love for God should definitely begin at home. But Peter doesn't stop there. He moves on & addresses the totality of our spiritual responsibilities, which is to be righteous & to live justly (Micah 6:8). 

Monday – 1st Peter 2 - The Bishop of My Soul

 

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IBLICALLY speaking, a bishop is an overseer or a watcher. According to Peter, Jesus is "the Shepherd & Bishop of our souls" (vs. 25). He watches over my soul. This is why I can sing, "It Is Well with My Soul." Sometimes I feel it & sometimes I don't, but at all times I am actually completely safe & secure in Christ. Our keeper never slumbers or sleeps (Psalm 121:4). We have Christ, & more importantly, He has us. This is all we need. He is The Chosen One; our Messiah and Savior. He is the Chief Cornerstone. He is our Lord & Master. We are safe in Him (Prov. 18:10). We are His fruitful children (1^st Peter 2:9-10); His sheep (Psalm 23 & Isaiah 53:6).

 

The fact that Christ is watching over us constantly should be (first & foremost) a comfort & an inspiration to us. But there is another side to this reality.  Remember that in 1^st Peter 1 we were shown that spiritual purity is God's will for us. Chapter 2 defines for us some of the ways that we can go about living this pure life that Christ has called us into. He is watching us, so to begin with we need to set aside those evil ways of thinking & speaking which we previously cultured throughout our unregenerate life (vs. 1). We have a new direction.  Thirst for biblical truth - this is where it's at.  When Jesus looks over your shoulder & mine to see if we need any help, He should frequently find us pouring over His words (vs. 2). This is where we find Him & His grace (vs. 3-4 & John 5:39). He is "a living stone" foundation & we are His "lively stones" - each of us in our own proper place in His spiritual house (1^st Peter 2:4 & 5).  And, it is our faith in Him that completes this bond (vs. 6-7).

Friday - 1st Peter 1 - Spiritual Purity

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N the long list of advantages that accompany salvation is a wondrous thing that might be properly called "spiritual purity" (Matthew 5:8). After all, we are saved FROM sin, right? In 1^st Peter 1:22 the great Apostle Peter wrote, "Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently..." In this context Peter was talking about the conversion of his audience as well as their continuation in pure faith. In coming to the Father through faith in the Son, these believers had (and all believers have) "purified souls." Of course, Peter was challenging them to continue on their journey of purity by continually maintaining pure hearts in their interactions with other believers.

 

You may have read somewhere, "Cleanliness is next to godliness." While this might be a utilitarian way to encourage good hygiene or a tidy house, there is a deeper and more significant point to be made with that good proverb. In James 3:17 we read "the wisdom that is from above is first pure..." Certainly, our Savior is nothing if He isn't pure. Which, of course, He is. He is holy (1^st Peter 1:19) and we are called to be holy and pure also (1^st John 3:3 & 1^st Peter 1:15-16). Our heavenly inheritance is a pure one. Peter called it incorruptible (1^st Peter 1:4). The source of our salvation is pure. Again, Peter called it incorruptible (1^st Peter 1:23). Our sinless Messiah is perfect; flawless. The crucifixion demonstrated & proved it once & for all!

Thursday - James 5 - The Judge is Standing at the Door

 

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HRIST'S return is getting closer all the time (vs. 7-9). It is as if He is standing at heaven's door with His hand on the doorknob, just waiting for the signal from the Father. And, in light of Christ's return, James gives us a healthy list of a few things in which we should be involved.

 

At the top of the list is the importance of us investing in heavenly things rather than in earthly things (Matthew 6:19-24 & James 5:1-5). Given the choice of doing something that only has immediate benefits, or another thing that only has eternal consequences – we should always choose the eternal. 

 

Along these same lines, James calls on us to live patiently (vs. 7-8 & 10-11). We might not think of patience as a primary spiritual necessity, but it is (see Romans 2:5-8, & especially verse 7).  

Finally, our intense attention must be placed on the things that we say (1^st Peter 1:13-25).  Whether we are speaking to ourselves, to our fellow men, or to the God of heaven – our words matter. Simple and honest speech is the kind to which we should limit ourselves (James 5:12). Prayer, holy songs, confessions and exhortations: these are the types of utterances that (from an eternal perspective) are useful and wise. Going beyond these limitations will only get us into trouble (Matthew 5:37). 

Wednesday - James 4 - It's a Struggle

 

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HE Christian life is a real struggle, both inside and out. We struggle against the world. We struggle against the invisible forces of evil. We struggle among ourselves. And, we struggle within ourselves. Of course, if it weren't for our surviving natural nature, our spiritual journey would be more peaceful.  But, until death parts us from our body, we will continually face this dilemma.  According to James the source our conflicts is internal (James 4:1). Our old Adamite nature is selfish and self-centered. We naturally want our own way.  We naturally seek to satisfy our own covetous hearts.  We tend toward pride and ambition (and not noble ambition either).  As a result, when someone stands in the way of our agenda: Voilà! Conflict. James teaches us here that unfortunately this model is not unusual in the church. It's evil, but sadly very common. What church have you known that never had a conflict or a disagreement about its direction?

 

Now, James gives the solution for this problem. In every case, we should take our desires to the Lord in prayer (vs. 2). Sometimes God will have to adjust our passions; giving us new desires. But there will also be many times when He will simply grant our wish (vs. 2-3). Especially as we learn to humble ourselves and yield our wills to the will of God, we will find God's grace generously distributed to us (vs. 4-6). Victory over the world, the conquest of our flesh, and the defeat of the devil – these all come through submission to God & through fellowship with His dear Son (vs. 7-8). To put it simply: the way up is down (vs. 9-10). Humility is the key to avoiding conflict.  Spiritual humility in action (vs. 15) opens doors of opportunity.

Tuesday - James 3 - The Words of My Mouth

 

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HE Psalmist David prayed, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Your sight, 0 LORD, my strength, and my Redeemer" (Psalm 19:14). This is a prayer all of us should be praying. Why? Well, Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks... Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment... by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:34, 36-37). Solomon wrote, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver' (Proverbs 25:11). Paul wrote, "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man" (Colossians 4:6). Yet, here in James 3 we see that controlling our speech is the most difficult (and important) task that we could ever undertake (James 3:2 & 8).

 

As believers, we are capable of saying the most glorious things, yet we are still able to use our mouths in the most despicable and abominable of ways as well (James 3:9-10). This is evidence of the spiritual struggle that rages within the mind of every saint. On the one hand we each possess the strongest of self-serving perspectives (James 3:14-16). Yet the Spirit of God within us counters those thoughts constantly with "wisdom that is from above," which is, "pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy" (James 3:17). Speech is a product of thought. It is our responsibility then to root out the thoughts that contradict God's wisdom. 

Monday - James 2 - Justified by Works?

 

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OW do we reconcile vs. 20-26 with Romans 4:1-9? Either works is part of the salvation equation, or it is not. If all we had was the book of Romans, we would say categorically that it is not. If all we had was James, we would have to conclude that it is. But, with both letters in hand we are forced to find a reasonable explanation for the divergent emphases. 

 

The simplest and easiest answer here is to separate the horizontal from the vertical.  That is to say that Paul was speaking of our justification in the eyes of God and James is referencing our justification in the eyes of those around us.  

 

A second approach would be to simplify our definition of faith. In James 2:19 we read that even the devils "believe that there is one God... and [they even] tremble" before Him too. And yet they are not accepted or acceptable in the eyes of God. What's missing? James might say that their problem is that they have no works expressing any submission to the knowledge which they possess. 

 

To put it bluntly James is teaching us that any brand of faith that does not surface through action is impotent and useless. We know that we must be saved by God's grace. We can never and could never live righteously enough to make ourselves acceptable in His sight (Hebrews 7:18-19). But genuine faith in God DOES manifest itself in us in ways that are perceivable (Romans 10:10). And really, there is no wiggle room on this matter.