April 23, 2017 Doers Are Not Deceived (James 1:5-27)

April 23 2017 James 1: 5-27 Doers Are Not Deceived

  Our Walk Thru The Word for Today is: James 1: 5-27. 

 James 1: 5 – 12 ESV  5If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

9Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grassc he will pass away. 11For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

12Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

 13Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

16Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.d 18Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

9Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

Congregation joins Jon for reading James 1: 22 – 27. 

22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

26If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Message Map: “Doers Are Not Deceived”

 What Is God’s Wisdom & Why Do We Need It?

James 1: 5 5If any of you lacks wisdom (divine insight, and intelligence), let him ask God,

knowledge  is know-how, technical skill or ability.

Wisdom is the art of applying knowledge in cooperation with God’s Will and in ways that demonstrate the Fruit of the Spirit.

Wisdom can be exercised in every diverse matter, so we are effective by discerning the context for the application of knowledge in each situation.

Wisdom generally comes with lots of long-term experience, during which God crucifies the flesh, because wisdom is far more than the intellectual prowess of knowledge.  Wisdom includes the operation of the Holy Spirit through our emotions, so in each situation we not only say what’s right, we do so with God’s values and emotions that fit the situation.

James 1: 5 5If any of you lacks (is wanting and being left behind) wisdom, let him ask (request, petition because you see your lack/need) God, who gives  generously (graciously, bountifully and continuously) to all without reproach (fault-finding or creating blame or shame), and it will be given him.

Let’s Take a Quick Quiz:

Failing to ask for wisdom means we are …

  1. going within our own strength
  2. leaning on our own understanding
  3. too proud either thinking we got it
  4. too proud to admit we need it
  5. forgetful and/or neglectful, so we don’t ask

God gives wisdom without reproach because we need it!

Without God’s Wisdom We Are Waves Tossed About

Jame 1:6 6But let him ask in faith, (belief, trust, confidence, assurance in God’s warranty, certifying that the revelation He in-births will come to pass;) with no doubting, for the one who doubts (hesitates, wavers, has misgivings) is like a wave (billow or surge) of the sea that is driven (blown) and tossed by the wind (motions of the air). 7For that person must not suppose that he will receive (lay hold of)  anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, (one who vacillates between two souls or two selves – and never quite settles as one who is committed to the Lord,) unstable (almost anarchic) in all his ways.

A double-minded person’s wavers in uncertainty between hope and fear, between doing and not doing God’s Will,  A double-minded person is like a “spiritual schizophrenic,”  vacillating between two souls or two selves – and never quite settling as one who is committed to the Lord, Who Is Our Solid Rock.  A double-minded man is inconstant, meaning he/she is not faithful to God and not dependable to do His will.

Doubting separates us from God, because Heb 11: 6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. ”

James 1: 16-18 16Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. James 1:17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.d 18Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

A deceived person …

Perfect gifts mean God gives us what is designed to complete our Christian character in stages to reach the end-goal.

The process of God giving gifts is likened to a  telescope, unfolding (extending out) one stage at a time to function at full-strength (capacity effectiveness).  God has a plan to give us gifts that gradually grow us to maturity.  We can’t speed up His growth process for us, but we certainly can slow it down.

Remember God tests the quality of our faith, and does not tempt us to sin.  James 1:12 12Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Tests the quality of our faith we are tempted by our own desire

James 1: 13-14 13Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

From the abundance of sin in our hearts is source of our temptation.

Ans Yes/No:

Doers bridge to righteousness by bridling their tongue.

James 1: 19 & 26 19Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

26If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Jas 1:22 be doers of the word, & not hearers only, deceiving yourselves

James 1: 22-27 22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only,  deceiving yourselves = (beguile, reason falsely)

We deceive ourselves in four ways:

 The Bible Is Facial Recognition Software – James 1: 23 

James 1: 23  23For if anyone is a hearer (a casual listener who neglects and fails to notice the importance) of the word and not a doer,he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror – that is supposed to reflect who we are in christ!  24For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like – in Christ

Doers Obey The Word. The Deceived Only Hear It & Don’t Obey It. 

James 1: 25 But the one who looks [looks intently, stoops and examines closely] into the perfect law (complete in all its parts to operate at full-strength, capacity and effectiveness to produce completeness of Christian character.) the law of liberty [KJV = freedom] , and perseveres (continues doing so, and “continues alongside” in a close-working partnership with The Holy Spirit), being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

The “Law” = divine laws of force and influence that impel us to action. It encompasses the Mosaic law; aka the Pentateuch, and the Old Testament scriptures in general.

Liberty = 2 Corinthians 3:17; freedom from the dominion of corrupt desires, so that we do by the free impulse of the soul what the will of God requires:

We never are blessed in forgetting to commit or omit what God says.

We are blessed by doing!

James 1: 25 – a hearer who forgets is one who properly, forgetfulness (failing to notice), emphasizing the natural effects that go with (build on) the neglect

To forget means to be an inattentive listener.

We take everything God says in isolation and somehow divorce it from all the other Scriptures and apply it in a narrow self-justifying way.  So we actually practice a command, in a way that violates other commands and especially what jesus called “The Weightier aspects of the law, when He says, you tithe, mint and cumin, which you should do, but you.

 James 1: 25 the Bible’s Law of liberty includes… :

  1. liberty to do or to omit things having no relation to salvation and in holy character,
  2. 1 Corinthians 10:29; from the yoke of the Mosaic law, Galatians 2:4; Galatians 5:1, 13; 1 Peter 2:16; from misinterpretations of Scripture so blinding the mental vision that it does not discern the majesty of Christ,
  3. 2 Corinthians 3:17; freedom from the dominion of corrupt desires, so that we do by the free impulse of the soul what the will of God requires, which includes right living which is attained through liberty – as Christ sets us free from the bondage of wrong thinking and sin.
  4. James 1:25; James 2:12; freedom from the restraints and miseries of earthly frailty:

The obedient get blessed with The Liberty To Receive God’s benefits. 

The obedient get blessed. They receive the working of God’s benefits.

To be blessed includes: 3107 /makários (“blessed”) describes a believer in the “fortunate” position of receiving God’s favor and provisions.

This happens with receiving (obeying) the Lord’s in-birthings of faith.

Hence, faith (4102 /pístis) and 3107 (makários) are closely associated (Ro 4:5-7,14:22,23; Rev 14:12,13).

See also the notes page below this slide.

Peter —  Facial Recognition Software & The Storm

When we look in the mirror, our goal is to see beyond the physical into Christ. We want to see how we are reflecting Christ.

The Bible reflects Christ, and we need to see ourselves in relation to what the Word clearly and objectively says about Christ and what it says about who we are in Christ.

When challenges come our way, do we forget we are growing in dependence upon Christ so we strike off in our own unction before we ask Christ to fill us with His?

Peter was able to walk on water when his eyes were on Christ.  While walking on water, which is impossible for man to do. Peter was reflecting Christ. When Peter looked around at the storm, he forgot Christ. He forgot that he asked for the Lord to call Him to come to him on the water. Christ granted what Peter asked, and Peter sank when he forgot what he looked like in Christ Who enabled him to walk on water.

Loving God Most Means Letting God Liberate Us So Christ Is Reflected Through Us!

LET’S PRAY & to present ourselves to god for Christ’s reflected glory!

To view the recorded message, go to:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDRTHU3skFA

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