Righteous Living – Page 36 – Three Minute Bible

April 6, 2020April 6, 2020

James 4: 17 — Do It!

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

To be a Jew in Jesus’ day meant adhering to a strict diet of “clean” foods. These laws were given through Moses which gave them serious legal weight in the eyes of the Jews. The Gentiles, all of us non-Jews, had no such restrictions. Back then and even now we eat pretty much whatever we want. This difference in diets led to a clash of cultures in the early church. Paul felt the need to write several chapters on the topic to the Corinthians in his first letter to them. (See chapters 8-10)

James is still railing against those he calls “rich people.” As we have discussed before, what he means is greedy people who put themselves before God and their neighbor. In the context of this verse, it seems that James is suggesting that these rich people know better.

April 5, 2020April 5, 2020

James 4: 15-16 — Alignment

Close up of the sight glass on a bubble level.

Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.

I was talking with a friend the other day and the word “alignment” came up. It was a way of describing our relationship with God as it should be. We should be in alignment with God’s will.

If what we are doing is something God wants to be done, it will go well. If what we are doing is not God’s will, it will not go well.

April 3, 2020April 3, 2020

James 5: 11 — Summer Storm

Dark clouds and rain sweep across fields and farm.

As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

James began his letter with encouragement to his readers who are facing trials “of many kinds.” He then mentions Job, a man who’s suffering and trials are almost legendary.

As an aside, I used to dread reading the Book of Job in my annual trek through the Bible. But somewhere on my journey, I came to appreciate Job and even look forward to him. The text is Shakespearian in form. Each of the main people in the story is prone to make long speeches and Job is no exception. Yet, the speeches have a purpose and meaning.

April 2, 2020April 3, 2020

James 5: 10 — A History of Pain

A picture of an hourglass sitting on a log.

Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

James, remember, is talking to fellow Jews. Jews, by nature, are innately historical. I know of no other race or tribe that has such an extensive, detailed and authentic written history of their existence. They also seem to have a perverse inclination to record their most embarrassing moments and worst impulses.

God has impressed on them a need to know who they are, and so even Jews who do not believe in a judgment or an afterlife still know their history. It is a long history of failure. Failure to listen to God.

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 29, 2020March 29, 2020

James 5: 1-6 — I Warned You

A cartoon of a person yelling wildly as if in warning.

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.

Well, here it is. I warned you! James’ tirade against the greedy rich. Those who live for money, who hoard wealth, who cheat their workers and live to indulge their own desires. Then he says, “You have condemned and murdered the innocent one…”

James starts his letter by announcing that he is writing to “the twelve tribes.” The people he is writing to are Jews. (James 1:1) It seems safe to assume that James is convinced things are not going well in the early church. Jewish believers are falling into old habits. It is as if he is shouting through pen and ink, “SNAP OUT OF IT!”

March 25, 2020March 25, 2020

Wisdom Wednesday — Soft Hearts

Picture of a teddy bear with a cloth heart.

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
and do not resent his rebuke,

because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.

— Proverbs 3: 11-12

Discipline is almost always a little bit painful. Not because it involves physical pain, although that is sometimes a part of discipline. Instead, it is because it is painful to see ourselves as we really are.

The whole point of discipline is to correct someone’s behavior or attitude. To do that, we have to be made aware of what we were doing wrong. Our underlying character is what determines how well we take correction.

March 24, 2020March 25, 2020

James 4: 11a – Slander

Detail shot of an old pickup front fender.

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another.

What do you think of when you hear the word “slander?” Does it jump out at you as a bad thing? Do you know anyone who has ever been slandered? Have you ever been slandered?

Slander is a difficult word in English. If it is used at all it is either used in its legal sense which is very formal, or in a very casual sense that carries very little weight.

March 23, 2020March 24, 2020

James 4: 9-10 — Preflight Checklist

An airplane waits while the pilot checks it over before taking off.

Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

What kind of person are you? Are you extremely sensitive to the people around you? Are you sent into spasms of guilt simply because someone gives you a stern look? Or, are you one of those people who need to be whacked upside the head with a 2×4 so someone can get your attention? Whatever your personality type, God has some scripture written just for you.

As I look back over James’ letter, his passion for serving God correctly is clear. His understanding of God is acute and sharply honed. His method of sharing that understanding is somewhat akin to a Marine Corps Drill Sergeant barking orders at recruits.

Some people take offense at the bluntness of James’ approach. Yet everything he says is completely in line with the rest of God’s Word. The only difference is how he says it.