The Epistle of James > theology . . . love-ology (c:

[com7fy8]

"Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he is approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." (James 1:12)

So, it is good to not give in to temptation. But we are not only trying to avoid sinning, but we are seeking the LORD's approval! So, how we endure temptation is so very important . . . not only in our own way of controlling ourselves, but how God has us loving and pleasing Him and loving and caring for others while we go through things.

We need how God's grace makes us able, and how this grace of His love has us living, instead of how temptation would have us sin and then deeply suffer.

I think of how Jesus went through the terrible suffering of the cross, and being hated and cursed by evil people; yet, Jesus was caring about even His enemies; so Jesus prayed >

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do," in Luke 23:34.

So, Jesus did not give in to the temptation to be unforgiving and to keep on suffering about people who hated Him. Yes, a number of people have been mean to us, not because of how we are, but because they do not know how to love ! ! So, they are missing out on so much; already, they are deeply suffering much more than any revenge could do to them. And Jesus had mercy and compassion for such people. So, the One who is so superior was so un-conceited, like this.

So, we thank you, O God, for Your example >

"And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, and offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." (Ephesians 5:2)

Also > "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)

Therefore, temptation which we need to endure includes whatsoever would steer our attention away from following the example of Jesus on Calvary.

And if we endure all which would try to keep us from finding out how to really love > > > Jesus will approve us, and give us His "crown of life". Please share what you have about becoming approved by Jesus, and what is this "crown of life"? God bless you

 

[com7fy8]

what is this "crown of life"?

Well, I think there are people who want to be their own kings and queens, with their own crowns of power and authority to get money and honey . . . mainly for themselves.

But this can bring "the corruption that is in the world through lust." (in 2 Peter 1:4) And James is about to warn how lust can bring sin and sin can bring death > next verses, James 1:13-15. And our Apostle Paul says,

"But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives." (1 Timothy 5:6)

So, if someone is living for pleasure, the person is "dead"!! How horrible . . . even while the person is still breathing and living? Yes. I understand this means the person is love-dead, merely using things and people to get pleasure > using what can not love the person or make the person become a truly loving person.

The worldly person uses comparison, complaining, and competition . . .

instead of compassion, communication, and cooperation.

So, the crown of a worldly person would be with power to get what is selfish, so the person can rule his or her own little kingdom for getting pleasure and perhaps vicariously living through others while not giving them all they really need. People hoarders can be like how animal hoarders imprison animals while supposing they are rescuing them, yet they do not give them what they need.

But Jesus can give us "the crown of life", if we succeed in saying no to the lust stuff and all its love-dead nonsense. We can share with Jesus in His own love which has His own lordship for ruling all. And this will be with the outcome of people becoming like Jesus and relating with God and one another in this love. With this is true power and ability to rule, to have a crown with love's ruling power for the good of many and not only for ourselves. One becomes "approved" by Jesus Himself, then one rules mainly by example, feeding others how we all can become in Jesus >

"nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3)

 

[Ron Gurley]

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[Ron Gurley]

James is not ALL huggy / lovey.

My summary of James on FAITH...WORKS
(Saving) FAITH without (spiritually guided and following good ) WORKS is DEAD (judged spiritually useless)...paraphrases of James

Show me your FAITH (without following good works), and I will show you my (good works after salvation)

James NASB
To the twelve tribes...my brethren (for believers ONLY!)
...the testing of your FAITH produces endurance....
...he must ask in FAITH without any doubting...
...for God cannot be tempted by evil, and
He Himself does not tempt anyone....
...Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights...
...But prove yourselves doers of the word, and
not merely hearers who delude themselves...
...to keep oneself unstained by the world...
...did not God choose the poor (in spirit) of this world to be FAITH in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?...

>>>Listen, my beloved brethren:
...For whoever keeps the whole Law and
yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all....(un-believers)
What use is it, my brethren, if someone SAYS he has "FAITH" but he has no (spiritual) works?
Even so (saving) FAITH, if it has no (following) WORKS, is dead, (spiritually useless) being by ITSELF.
..And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him AS righteousness," and he was called the friend of God.
You see, that a man (like Abe) is justified by works (of BELIEF) and not by FAITH alone. For just as the body without (separated from) the spirit is dead, so also (saving) FAITH without (following spirit-led) works is dead.(judged spiritually useless)

>>>justified = a legal plea of innocence and righteousness<<<

...Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.... But the wisdom from above is first pure, then
peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
...Draw near to God and He will draw near to you...
...Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you...
...to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin....

...Is anyone among you suffering?
Then he must pray.
Is anyone cheerful?
He is to sing praises.
Is anyone among you sick?
Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him,
anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick,
and the Lord will raise him up, and
if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and
pray for one another so that you may be healed.
The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

 

[Ron Gurley]

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[Ron Gurley]

James 2:22
You see that faith was working with his (Abe's) works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;(matured)

 

[com7fy8]

"faith working through love" (in Galatians 5:6)

Thank you, Ron

 

[com7fy8]

James 1:13 > James tells us not to say we are tempted by God. Then he says God can not be tempted by evil; so, I now see, if God can't be tempted by evil, then evil can not tempt God to tempt us And James does say that God does not tempt anyone; so not only does God not tempt His own children, but also God does not tempt people who are not His children.

So, amen; and thank You, God

 

[com7fy8]

"But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed." (James 1:14)

Other translation work says we can be drawn away by our own "lust" or "lusts". In any case, James is saying it is our own interest, and letting our attention go where it does not belong, which gets us into temptation . . . not because of God, to say the least.

It is our own stuff that gets us into trouble. This is very strong. And there is the understanding that our own desires or lusts can drag us into wrong stuff. It is my experience how I can be seemingly doing good with something, even loving; and I can be disrupted and violated by a lust which can actually change me to be interested in something I do not consider to be right. It can feel pretty convincing . . . converting me, maybe I could say.

So, that will take a real change into how love has me become. I find it does help to pray and trust God to make me loving so I am not giving in to lust things. But I am not so real in love, that I don't give in.

And I'll bet that the way I can still look down on other people . . . for how they are wrong . . . this being able to look down on others can help to keep me weak so I can still get into wrong things, too.

And I think that, in my case, paranoid stuff can be a lust to suspect and criticize and control others, instead of first to care about problem people and have hope for them in prayer to bless them. Loving in prayer does help me get clear of the anti-love stuff of how I get tempted to give in to paranoid stupidity.

"Be still, and know that I am God;" (in Psalm 46:10)

God is the One who is able to win in us against any dominating and won't-take-no-for-an-answer pleasure seeking stuff or any nasty reacting and cursing people with suspicion, instead of loving people and caring for them, in prayer of love.

 

[com7fy8]

"Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death." (James 1:15)

So, lust can give birth to sin, then sin can grow. And we can get worse if we don't stop a wrong thing.

"But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." (2 Timothy 3:13)

"But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives." (1 Timothy 5:6)

Sin things are love-dead and anti-love . . . for examples, arguing and complaining (Philippians 2:13-16) and unforgiveness (Mark 11:25). So, if we continue in such things, this is exercising in what is love-dead. And this can keep us from loving the way God desires and keep us from doing well in our relationships.

 

[com7fy8]

James 1:16 >

"Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren." (James 1:16)

Well, you might feel that anyone would know we should not be deceived; yet, in various places God's word says things which you would think go without saying.

So, yes, I need to not be deceived.

"But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." (2 Timothy 3:13)

Hmm . . . I notice here how an evil person can deceive and be deceived. Possibly, being deceiving can be what comes first in order for someone to be able to be deceived. What goes around can be what comes around!! I myself have gotten more and more into not trying to use and take advantage of people, and with this I find it has become harder for others to trick me. For example of how this can work, if I am not greedy and trying to only use people to get their money, then it is hard to use desire for money to trick and use me And if a scammer tries to get me to suppose I can get a lot of other people's money, but I don't want to use other people, then it is quite hard to lure me into a scam where I would be trying to use other people; and so I avoid being tricked, myself.

So, while we are honest with God and not trying to trick others, our honesty can help us ourselves not to get tricked. And if we are submitting to how God guides us . . . by the way . . . He will guide us always according to what He knows And so it will be rather difficult for us to be fooled, even though we might not have all information about people and things.

Here, where James says not to be deceived, he also calls us "brethren". From this, I see how James is not trying to talk down to us, like he is superior, but he is communicating as family. Jesus is about family. God is our Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit > family caring and sharing Persons ! ! !

All this scripture of James . . . though it is so confrontational against various sin problems . . . this is all with our Heavenly Father's encouragement to how we can be family with God and one another in God's very own love and way of relating as His family ! ! !

Oh . . . James does not only call us "brethren", but "my beloved brethren". So, in dealing with our own and other people's sin problems, are we "beloved brethren" to one another????????

"with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love," (Ephesians 4:2)

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32)

So, I see James is being our example > of loving us as his own family in Jesus while correcting and encouraging us.

 

[com7fy8]

James 1:17 >

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." (James 1:17)

It says "every" gift which is perfect and good is from God. I see, right now, how this means that no being except God is capable of giving us good and perfect gifts. And our Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 12, says the one Holy Spirit is the One who gives all the spiritual gifts. There is not one god for wisdom and another god of healing and other gods for different gifts. But all the good and perfect gifts are from our one God and Father.

So, thank You, O God our Heavenly Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus

 

[com7fy8]

In James 1:17 > with God, this says,

"there is no variation nor shadow of turning."

So, God does not change. So, most of all we want Him

 

[com7fy8]

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, from the Father of lights" (in James 1:17)

There are special people who are God's gift. Of course, they are not perfect, but they give us God's own love and help us get more with God and loving any and all people.

And His gifts which are good and perfect help us to become more the way God in His love is, in our nature more and more. And His gifts help us to do loving things for people.

So, gifts and special relationships are not only for ourselves, or for status.

In my case, for years I thought I had the teaching gift; so I would talk talk and more talk the Bible. And people would walk walk and walk away. And I would get bent out of shape and be criticizing people about how they were not loving me.

But I did know the Bible, including how Jesus says to love people who are not good to us. Pray for them, care about them, sweetly and kindly forgive them and do them good. Oh . . . and this was not exactly what I was doing; so I needed to teach this to myself. And it came to me, then, that in case I really did have the teaching gift, it was for teaching myself . . . not only for showing everyone else how much I knew God's word, but I so needed my teaching gift so I myself could learn how to love

 

[com7fy8]

James 1:17 says God is "the Father of lights".

Sunlight can show us much more than words alone can tell us; so if we are God's "lights", we show and do much more than only our words can tell and claim! Our example and God's action through us speaks much louder than words > for example, we see how Christian wives, "without a word", can win a disobedient man > 1 Peter 3:1-4.

Plus, sunlight can do so much more than we could try to think and do. And light energy of sunshine, in a green plant, becomes life energy after plant photosynthesis converts sunlight into the energy of sugar which plants use and we eat.

So, light is a form of life energy. Note John 1:4

We as God's "lights" minister the light and life energy of God's love > I offer that God's grace includes the effect of God's own love in us > God's gifts in us make us able to minister this grace which includes the effect and life of God's own love in us >

"Be hospitable with one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." (1 Peter 4:9-10)

So, yes in God's grace we become "lights" spreading His own light which can become the action and life energy of His grace in one another. As we grow in love, as God's children, we are more and more like Jesus who rose from the dead, "a life-giving spirit" (in 1 Corinthians 15:45 > this is more and more as we grow in Jesus > Galatians 4:19, 2 Corinthians 3:17-18.

Our gifts minister us this grace to grow more to be like Jesus so we are spreading the effect of God's own love while we do things >

"Let all that you do be done with love." (1 Corinthians 16:14)

So, we do not only minister while using our gifts; but, all the time while we live in Jesus love, we are spreading God's own grace . . . more and more maturely.

Our example in the sight of God can constantly be feeding God's grace to everyone around us, and God is able to have His grace effect people. This does not depend only on things we say and do, then, but deeper than words God is spreading how we are becoming like Jesus, in order to help others become the same way.

But our good and perfect gifts in us can help to change us to also be holy in love like the Holy Spirit who is operating in our gifts. And the grace of our gifts is able to have us doing all things well, like Jesus who is growing in us . . . more and more maturely. Because God's love in us has all God's creativity being shared with us, however God pleases to trust us.

1 John 4:17

 

[com7fy8]

"Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures." (James 1:18)

So, God "brought us forth" . . . "of His own will". To me, this means God made the choice to save us. And we in our unloving wills were not able to choose what is loving except after God changed us, first. So, all the credit and thanks is to God > Romans 6:17.

But our destiny is not only to go to Heaven >

"For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren." (Romans 8:29)

So, predestination is not only about who makes the choice; control of choice can be merely an ego issue. But predestination is mainly about how God desires to share with us by changing us to become like His own Son Jesus. This is destined, therefore guaranteed for all His children ! ! ! So, it is wise to expect this and not accept and excuse less.

Even in our human experience, we can see how love can destine things. If you fall in love with someone, what happens after this can be a done deal . . . destiny. God's love for Jesus destined us to be His children who would become pleasing to our Father like Jesus is so sweetly pleasing.

And Ephesians 5:2 commands us to now become loving in the way Jesus was so sweetly pleasing to our Father, even while on the cross. So, now is the time to seek how our Father succeeds to do this in us >

"for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)

And because God alone is truly loving, He alone could desire and choose for us to be changed to become like Jesus. Before the creation of this earth, our Father and Jesus were in such loving sharing with one another. Our Father was so pleased with His Son, that He then decided and destined that He would have us as His children and change us to become like His own Son Jesus is so pleasing > Romans 8:29.

So, all which is good for us started from the love relating of our Father and Jesus before the earth was made.

And, by the way, if we are "the firstfruits" of God's creation, I would say this means we are superior to animals and plants and other things of creation. So, why would we be very busy with seeking pleasures of what is inferior???? Instead, we should first be about seeking God for Himself and becoming more how His love cures us to be "as He is" "in this world" > 1 John 4:17. And enjoy discovering how we become able to relate in love with one another and in reaching to lost souls, running our cup over to minister for others to become the same way in God's love.

 

[com7fy8]

"So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;" (James 1:19)

This comes right after James says God begot us "of His own will". We have not gotten ourselves anything really right. So, we need to not be listening only or mainly to our own thinking, but be "swift to hear" God, all the time

But I can be thinking about what others are thinking about me, what others are going to do to me, and if they accept me. And I can be imagining how to defend myself against others and how to control them and put them down. But this is not having compassion for people who may be a problem for me. Jesus has me knowing I need God's correction so I become real with compassion.

Also, we can think things, without making sure with God. Look at what happened to the Jewish leaders when they judged by how things were made to look, "but they did not ask counsel of the LORD." (in Joshua 9:14) Joshua 9

But when David had a problem . . . how the Amalekites had taken their wives and children . . . he did not just assume he could go get their families back, but first he encouraged himself in the LORD and made sure with God about if God wanted Him to succeed. 2 Samuel 30:1-8

Also, we have Proverbs 18:13 >

"He who answers a matter before he hears it,
.It is folly and shame to him."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Proverbs 18:13)

 

[com7fy8]

"slow to speak" (in James 1:19)

Be prayerful about what we say. If others speak the wrong way or hastily against us, this does not excuse us to do the same thing to them.

"not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing." (1 Peter 3:9)

But, yes, there are politicians who badmouth each other and do not bless one another; and they are no excuse for us to also disobey God.

And be a good example of this >

"nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 3:4)

God uses good example

And Philippians 2:14 says,

"Do all things without complaining and disputing," (Philippians 2:14)

So, our slow way of speaking includes not complaining or arguing.

It can save us a lot of trouble, then

 

[com7fy8]

"slow to wrath" (in James 1:19)

God Himself is "slow to anger" > Nehemiah 9:17, Psalm 103:8, Psalm 145:8, Joel 2:13, Jonah 4:2, Nahum 1:3. And yes God loves us "unconditionally". But this is our example required of us, how God expects us to become and love.

God is our example of how we need to become and love > Ephesians 5:1-2.

So, in order to connect and relate well with God, we need to become more and more "slow to anger" in His love. And this includes doing everything "without complaining and disputing" (in Philippians 2:14). Arguing and complaining are ways of anger.

"Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain." (Philippians 2:14-16)

It is not enough to just act like we are not angry and complaining and disputing. In us, we need how God makes our character so these things can't even get started in us. So, this does not mean only how we might be able to discipline ourselves to act, but we need the fact of love's character!

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32)

This is what God's grace does in us because He loves us Our Heavenly Father corrects us, because He loves us > Hebrews 12:4-11.

 

[com7fy8]

About being "slow to wrath" (in James 1:19)>

In another thread I was just offering about boredom and loneliness being anti-love and forms of complaining. And complaining is a way of anger. And ones can be very swift to complain and pain about something, instead of being "slow to wrath".

And God does not want us to complain >

"Do all things without complaining," our Apostle Paul says in Philippians 2:14-16. So, in us we need to not allow even what can start to get us complaining, and this would include not giving in to boredom and loneliness, and not going along with what these things would have us doing. As soon as that stuff starts or is trying to start, be seeking God to get rid of it, and to guide our attention to where our attention needs to be, instead.

"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)

"nor give place to the devil." (Ephesians 4:27)

Stay busy with loving, instead.

"Let all that you do be done with love." (1 Corinthians 16:14)

Now, I would say that boredom and loneliness are things of anger and wrath. So, being "slow to wrath" can mean staying with love, instead, and trusting the LORD, instead of trusting howsoever boredom and loneliness would have us thinking and feeling and whatever they would have us understanding and deciding what to do. Boredom and loneliness can bring frustration which is a more obvious form of anger and wrath; and this can bring desperation and/or depression so we are making decisions with caring more or mainly only about what we want, instead of first being about pleasing God.

So, in our caring we need to care for others as well as we care about our own selves.

And in our prayer we need to first be about pleasing You, O Heavenly Father; so thank You so much in the name of Jesus, for this . . . how You are succeeding in us and making us more how Your own Son Jesus in us (Galatians 4:19) is pleasing to You