Definitions – Page 28 – Three Minute Bible

April 1, 2020April 1, 2020

James 5:9 — Reflections

Image shows reflections of trees in the water of a still lake.

Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

In yesterday’s post, “Job or Joy?,” we posed the question, “How do we apply this truth in our fellowship with other Christians?” The “truth” we were discussing had to do with what James said about faith and deeds. He wrote:

“…faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2: 17b)

So how do we apply this truth to others in the fellowship of believers?

March 31, 2020April 1, 2020

James 5: 7b-8 — Job or Joy?

A farmer harvest wheat with a combine and truck.

See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

I want to continue the thought that we started yesterday in, “Two Sides.” In short, we contrasted what Paul writes in Ephesians 2: 8-9 with what James writes in James 2: 24. Paul tells us that we are saved by faith, not by works. James writes, “…a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.” Are these two statements contradictory?

The key here is in Paul’s use of the word, “works.” The word “work” comes from the Greek, ergon. It describes the kind of work one does for pay. In other words, a job. At the end of the day, one who works at a job is paid in coin or currency. Both parties have what they bargained for. But salvation is not something any of us can afford. The price for our salvation is so far out of reach that we might as well believe that we could jump over the moon by using our own two legs.

March 30, 2020March 31, 2020

James 5: 7a — Two Sides

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming.

At the beginning of his letter, James encourages his readers to face trials with joy. The goal, he says, is to produce perseverance. Now he says to be patient. I wonder, aren’t perseverance and patience two sides of the same coin?

James’ letter is sometimes disparaged because he ties what we do to what we believe. Martin Luther, in particular, was critical of James’ letter. Luther had broken free of the legalism imposed by the Catholic Church. His means of breaking free was Paul’s assertion that we are saved by faith alone. Paul writes:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2: 8-9)

March 28, 2020March 28, 2020

James 5: 1a – Rich or Greedy?

Picture of man opening his shirt to reveal gold coins where his heart should be.

Now listen, you rich people…

With these five words, James begins a tirade against the “rich.” Those who live in the richest country in the world can easily lose sight of what it means to be “rich” in material terms. Even the poor are rich compared to some. But God does not oppose wealth for the sake of opposing wealth.

March 22, 2020March 22, 2020

James 4: 8b — Cleansed

Close up picture of hands being washed in a sink.

Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Way back in chapter 1, verses 6 – 7, James writes about the double-minded person. He says a person who doubts is “double-minded.”

The Greek for “double-minded” is interesting. The word is, “dipsychos.” The prefix, “di-“ means two, or double. To say one is “double-minded” is a very literal way of saying a person has divided interests. More than that, James suggests the division is spiritually debilitating.

As I look back on my life, it seems to me that I have always suffered from some form of dipsychos. This world is very convincing. It claims to be the only thing that matters. It clammers for my attention every day. Yet the clues God has given us to His presence are very real. They have tugged at me my whole life.

March 21, 2020March 22, 2020

James 4: 8a — Closeness

A man's hand touches a child's hand, fingertip to fingertip.

Come near to God and he will come near to you.

I’ve always thought this statement to be a little bit odd. But then, I don’t think I have always thought about God the right way. If God is a stationary object, it makes sense (in a worldly sort of way) that if I get nearer to Him, He will be closer to me. But that is not what James says.

God doesn’t just wait for us to come to Him. He wants to be united with us. So he is very willing to come to us. Like the father in the parable of The Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-32) when God sees us coming home he comes out to meet us.

March 20, 2020March 20, 2020

James 4: 7b — Running Scared

A stone gargoyle looks like the devil flees.

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Do you believe in the devil? As a kid, I remember being told “ghost stories.” Some of them were pretty scary! Some were scary and funny at the same time. All of them challenged my thinking about ghosts.

It was very common for little kids to challenge each other by saying, “You don’t believe in ghosts, do you?” It was always said in a taunting way that mocked the idea of ghosts. Many a time I agreed that I didn’t really believe in ghosts. The problem was when I was in church they were always talking about this being called the “Holy Ghost.” Everyone at church seemed to believe that the Holy Ghost was real, but … well … what was a ghost, anyway?

March 19, 2020March 19, 2020

John 4: 7a — Goads

A man stands next to two oxen with a goad.

Submit yourselves, then, to God.

Since God opposes the proud and favors the humble, do the right thing. As Jesus said to Paul in Acts 26: 14, it is hard to kick against the goads.

Goads are not something we know much about these days. They are common in rural areas where people still use animals for pulling carts or plows. If you want an animal to move when the animal doesn’t want to move you goad it. Basically, you poke at it with a sharp stick or a stick with an iron point. Wanting to get away from the pain, the animal moves. If it still doesn’t want to move, it might try and kick the goad away. That tends to hurt more.

God’s opposition to the ungodly is a goad. It is a pain that is intended to drive us toward God. More accurately, towards reliance on God. If we resist, we are kicking “against the goads.”

Why do we do that?

March 18, 2020March 17, 2020

John 4: 6b – Pride

That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”

This scripture passage is a bit of a puzzle. James writes, “That is why…”

What is why?

What did I miss??

James was talking about fights and quarrels. About not receiving what we ask for, about having the wrong motives. He talks about being an enemy of God and adulterous. Then he writes, “That is why scripture says God opposes the proud…”

Why?

Why does God oppose the proud?

Like so many words in our language, “proud” has more than one meaning. The common usage is to feel pleased with what one has done. A blogging example might be, “I feel proud of the post I wrote yesterday.” The other definition has to do with having a high opinion of one’s self. This kind of pride leads to arrogance and an unwillingness to listen to others. It is this second kind of pride that God opposes.

The prideful person does not accept correction. They do not see a need for help. They do not think they need God. When it comes to God’s gift of grace, they reject it.

The humble person sees themselves for what they are. They know they need help. When God offers them grace, they accept it gratefully. (I wanted to say ‘gracefully.’ 🙂 )

If God opposes the proud, it is because the proud oppose God. James lists our shortcomings and points out our need for God. The humble recognize the truth in James’ words and are thankful for God’s grace.

Application: Take a personal inventory: What kind of pride do you see in your life? The pride of self-importance, or the pride of service rendered to God?

Food for Thought: How does God oppose the proud and favor the humble?

Please click ‘’Continue Reading” for comments.

March 17, 2020March 17, 2020

James 4: 6a — Grace

A female ballet dancer appears to float in the air as others look on.

But he gives us more grace.

In my post a few days ago called, “Troubleshooter,” we noted the pattern that James follows in his writing: Problem – Analysis – Solution. The problem James sees is that God’s people are fighting and quarreling. They are adulterous people. They ask things of God and do not receive anything.

Why are people like this?

James’ analysis is that our desires battle within us. We covet things we cannot have. We fight and kill. We have the wrong motives. We are, in fact, enemies of God.