Lesson
15 June 16
James
Chapter One
Summary
1. Just as the poor
believer the rich brother must also acclimate to his niche, situation, his
status in life or he will quickly become a casualty as a believer.
2. Key is orienting
to the brevity and uncertainty of life.
3. The humiliation
may in part be a result of experiencing suffering and persecution as he applies
the BD he is learning in his life.
4. Suffering -
testing shows the rich brother that he doesn't have a lasting lease on life -
his life on earth is no more permanent than the wild flowers of the field. Isa 40:6-8
5. To keep one's
balance in time you have to have eternity in your F/O/R. Ps 103:15-18
James illustrates here the transitory
nature of life through a very common occurrence. One familiar
to all from the area.
Just as the overt beauty /
attractiveness offers no security against the scorching heat or the searing
wind; so too ones wealth and all that it can bring offers no security against
the transitory nature of life.
So too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits
It pictures one who is restlessly
busy in their pursuits with no thought of the end.
Observations 1:11
1. Make no mistake, God is not in any way
repudiating wealth or riches. The key is always one's perspective related to that
wealth, one's motivations and priorities.
1 Tim 6:7-11; 17-19 Paul gives us
the proper perspective towards wealth.
2. Need to remember that whether poor or rich in
the end both will face death. Heb 9:27
3. As believers your status at death will be
determined by how you fix your priorities now in time.
- seek first the kingdom, the things
above Mt 6:19-34;
- the
ultimate evaluation of the motivations, use of BD will be at the JSC
Summary
to this point -> Thinking through
the context.
1. vs:2
- Add up the facts, evaluate your situation by the known BD, DVPT, with the
result you have a MA of peace and contentment regardless of your
situation. Consider it all joy!
2. vs:3-4
- Must have patient endurance as we face the tests, the CHP's, the
suffering that will come. How? Knowing that that situation when acclimated to
is refining our faith and leading us on to spiritual completeness &
maturation, that
is being a spiritually well balanced believer.
3. vs:5
If we discover that we're deficient in the resources to handle the situation we
are to ask God for the spiritual wisdom to do so.
4. vs:6 We are to ask according to a Standard; in
faith, believing - trusting - having
confidence in Him to provide.
5. vs:7-8
The one who asks in doubt, double-souled, the unstable one, can expect nothing
from God. Zip!!
6. vs:9-11
Must adjust to our niche whether poor or rich and to the transitory nature of
life.
Reward and blessing for patient
endurance under testing resulting proven character;
Blessed
is a man who perseveres under trial
REM: This state of being blessed is
not one in which the Believer is free from trials - tests in life, but rather
blessed in the patient endurance, bearing up under the load.
JAMES IS SAYING: this believer
characteristically endures in the tests, the chp's of
life; he/she refuses to give up - give in to the pressures that we all have and
experience.
What does this say about this
believer? It points to the genuineness
of their faith, the word in them and their willingness to use it.
For once he has been approved he will receive the crown of life.
** When we're tested as we will be whether its:
- in areas of
personal relationships husb/wife or children, we know
our responsibilities
- on the job
we're solid on business ethics
- in our vpt on
life we're oriented to establishment principles
he will receive the
crown of life