James 2:15-16: is this situation one of those things God reserves for Himself?

Questioning Brother

Well-Known Member
Apr 29, 2014
495
264
✟77,924.00
Country
United States
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
James 2:15 “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?”

Is this warned against because it is supposed to be that God is the only one who is supposed to tell you to be comforted without actually improving your situation? Is this one of those rights, such as vengeance, He is jealous of for only Himself?
 

1213

Disciple of Jesus
Jul 14, 2011
3,661
1,117
Visit site
✟146,199.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
...Is this warned against because it is supposed to be that God is the only one who is supposed to tell you to be comforted without actually improving your situation? Is this one of those rights, such as vengeance, He is jealous of for only Himself?

No.
 
Upvote 0

public hermit

social troglodyte
Supporter
Aug 20, 2019
10,972
12,055
East Coast
✟830,837.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
Friend, you have got to stop nursing this resentment. I wish you and your loved ones did not have to struggle and suffer. I wish none of us did. But this is life until the consummation of all things. No one has been promised that if they follow Christ they get an exemption from the harsher realities of life. No one.

What has been promised is that this veil of tears will end, God Himself will wipe away our tears, so that life, joy, and peace will never end in the presence of the God who loves us. That is the faith we have been given.

You did not invent our faith. It was offered to you. Either accept what has been offered or not. But you only do yourself a disservice by nursing a resentment about what has never been promised.
 
Upvote 0

Francis Earl

Well-Known Member
Nov 3, 2020
421
109
40
Phoenix
✟2,635.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Friend, you have got to stop nursing this resentment. I wish you and your loved ones did not have to struggle and suffer. I wish none of us did. But this is life until the consummation of all things. No one has been promised that if they follow Christ they get an exemption from the harsher realities of life. No one.

What has been promised is that this veil of tears will end, God Himself will wipe away our tears, so that life, joy, and peace will never end in the presence of the God who loves us. That is the faith we have been given.

You did not invent our faith. It was offered to you. Either accept what has been offered or not. But you only do yourself a disservice by nursing a resentment about what has never been promised.

If you can look into the world today and not weep at the callousness of it you are not paying attention...
 
Upvote 0

bèlla

❤️
Supporter
Jan 16, 2019
20,485
17,646
USA
✟933,730.00
Country
United States
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
In Relationship
James is repeating a principle mentioned in Proverbs.

Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you. —Proverbs 3:28

The refusal to meet the need when you have the means in hand is the problem. It's uncharitable and unloving.

‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ —Mark 12:31

Yours in His Service,

~Bella
 
Upvote 0

Questioning Brother

Well-Known Member
Apr 29, 2014
495
264
✟77,924.00
Country
United States
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
James is repeating a principle mentioned in Proverbs.

Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you. —Proverbs 3:28

The refusal to meet the need when you have the means in hand is the problem. It's uncharitable and unloving.

‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ —Mark 12:31

Yours in His Service,

~Bella
Your means statement is exactly what God is doing. He definitely has the means, but refuses to help.
 
Upvote 0

Francis Earl

Well-Known Member
Nov 3, 2020
421
109
40
Phoenix
✟2,635.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Your means statement is exactly what God is doing. He definitely has the means, but refuses to help.

1 Corinthians 12:12-27

We are the hands and feet of Jesus, he is acting through us...

The problem is few answer this call so nothing is really done... worse, many actively act against it because of the modern culture of greed and selfishness...

(I have not used the right verse, only the one section that came immediately to mind... if anyone can give the correct section it would be appreciated)
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

public hermit

social troglodyte
Supporter
Aug 20, 2019
10,972
12,055
East Coast
✟830,837.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
Then why do you ignore that his is broken?

I don't. This isn't his first thread. @Questioning Brother can explain to you his deep seated resentment against God. I get it, but if he is going to go forward in faith he is going to have look at things differently. I hate that he continues to struggle with this. Maybe you can help him.
 
Upvote 0

bèlla

❤️
Supporter
Jan 16, 2019
20,485
17,646
USA
✟933,730.00
Country
United States
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
In Relationship
Your means statement is exactly what God is doing. He definitely has the means, but refuses to help.

The passage doesn't refer to God. He's addressing humans in that statement.

Yours in His Service,

~Bella
 
  • Agree
Reactions: Hazelelponi
Upvote 0

Questioning Brother

Well-Known Member
Apr 29, 2014
495
264
✟77,924.00
Country
United States
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
It is not an issue that a worldly source can fix. I need a miracle to improve the situation. The only one that CAN help is God, and He refuses to do so. His words of comfort (insert whatever spiritual term or reason is meaningful to you) are the person speaking in the passage. Empty, with no good being actually done.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

Francis Earl

Well-Known Member
Nov 3, 2020
421
109
40
Phoenix
✟2,635.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
I don't. This isn't his first thread. @Questioning Brother can explain to you his deep seated resentment against God. I get it, but if he is going to go forward in faith he is going to have look at things differently. I hate that he continues to struggle with this. Maybe you can help him.

It is not very helpful to tell a story about another in your mind.

I think it is right to question at least the Church which is the representative of Christ on the earth today, for it is clear that something is amiss. I think it wrong to be angry with God about this, he has invited us to act rightly and we refuse.

We would rather praise men like Trump and base our priorities around money... we do not seem to care at all about love, everyone is full of fear which causes hate and violence.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

Francis Earl

Well-Known Member
Nov 3, 2020
421
109
40
Phoenix
✟2,635.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
It is not an issue that a worldly source can fix. I need a miracle to improve the situation.

Close your eyes and beg God to come into your heart, ask him to show you how to be the start of the fix... do not open them again until there is an answer.

Hebrews 5:7 says even Jesus did this, yet what have you practically done?
 
Upvote 0

Francis Earl

Well-Known Member
Nov 3, 2020
421
109
40
Phoenix
✟2,635.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
It is good to question and doubt until you KNOW God... until divinity is revealed to you... if you merely accept that it is already so then you will not mature in the Body of Christ... you cannot, because you already think it is finished and everything is taken care of for you...

The reality is baptism by water is the start, and it is not helpful to receive in Church essentially a self-help guide to life... the self is not supposed to be empowered, it is supposed to be surrendered that Gods will act through you, your will is an impediment and moved by the beastly aspect of our nature.

Indeed, even Jesus asked "why hast thou forsaken me"...
 
Upvote 0

OtherSheep

Active Member
Nov 1, 2020
81
23
wi
✟1,154.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
James 2:15 “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?”

Is this warned against because it is supposed to be that God is the only one who is supposed to tell you to be comforted without actually improving your situation? Is this one of those rights, such as vengeance, He is jealous of for only Himself?

The whole point of James is Faith Without Works Is Dead.

God sends the rain upon the just and the unjust... does that seem like an improvement to a man who is dying of thirst? or to the man whose garden is the only source of food for him? God clothes the lilies of the field and cares when a sparrow dies. God owns all of the things He created; in Him we live and move and have our being, says the Greek poet.

God judges rightly, from His vantage point; humans cannot judge impartially what they believe is happening to them. Utley proves all this in her book The High Cost of Vengeance.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

OtherSheep

Active Member
Nov 1, 2020
81
23
wi
✟1,154.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
The reality is baptism by water is the start, and it is not helpful to receive in Church essentially a self-help guide to life... the self is not supposed to be empowered, it is supposed to be surrendered that Gods will act through you, your will is an impediment and moved by the beastly aspect of our nature.

Indeed, even Jesus asked "why hast thou forsaken me"...

The baptism by water is the human birth. John says he came for one purpose: baptizing by water to find the one upon whom the Holy Spirit stayed. This has been accomplished.

Baptized in the Holy Spirit... this is done as Jesus tells us: If ye love Me keep My commandments, and My Father will love you, and We will come to you and make Our abode. Making Their abode with us is the conduit of the Holy Spirit joining us to Them. Those who do not love the Son and thereby do His commandments do not have God loving them or the Holy Spirit keeping them.

If you are saying you think Jesus had a beastly aspect to His nature... I caution you to consider your words. Jesus says not My will but Thine be done; He never changed any part of that ideology. The Father forsook the Son not at all. But in the one thing... dying... Jesus must have felt Himself abandoned. It wasn't beastly. It was human.

The Theanthropic Jesus was dying to give the way of the Resurrection to those who love Him and do His commandments.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0