TURNING TRIALS INTO TRIUMPHS
James 1:1-12
Not everybody who grows old grows up. There is a vast difference between age and maturity. Ideally, the older we are, the more mature we should be; but too often the ideal does not become the real.
The Epistle of James was written to help us understand and attain spiritual maturity: “That you may become mature and complete, not lacking anything” (1:4b).
WRITER: James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is a half-brother of Jesus.
James and the other brothers did not believe in Jesus during His earthly ministry (John 7:1-5; Mark 3:31-35).
1 Corinthians 15:7 indicates that Jesus appeared to James after His resurrection. This convinced James that Jesus truly was the Savior, and he, in turn, shared this knowledge about Jesus to the other brothers.
James became the leader of the church in Jerusalem. Tradition tells us that James was martyred in A.D. 62. Because of his testimony for Christ, he was beaten to death with clubs by the Pharisees. The story relates that James died, as did His Savior, praying for his murderers, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
TO WHOM DID JAMES WRITE?
“To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations...”James wrote to Jews living outside the land of Palestine. James sent this letter to Christian Jews (Jews who were converted from Judaism to Christianity) – who were scattered throughout the Roman Empire because of persecution.
PURPOSE: To expose unethical practices and to teach right Christian be- havior.
James confronts the unethical practices of his readers head-on. Christianity must not only be believed, it must be lived. The proof that our faith is real is a changed life. And a changed life will inevitably produce good works. This is the central theme of James’ letter, around which he gives practical advice on living the Christian life.
In this letter, we are encouraged to put our faith into action. It is easy to say we have, but true faith will produce good works.
“Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.
If you need wisdom – if you want to know what God wants you to do – ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can’t make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do.
Christians who are poor should be glad, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should be glad, for God has humbled them. They will fade away like a flower in the field. The hot sun rises and dries up the grass; the flower withers, and its beauty fades away. So also, wealthy people will fade away with all of their achievements.
God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” James 1:1-12.
HOW TO TURN YOUR TRIALS INTO TRIUMPHS?
To rejoice in the midst of trials, you must have....
I. A JOYFUL ATTITUDE
“Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy”(1:2).
The word ‘trouble’ as used here refers to ‘trials or testing.’ Once you decide to follow Christ, you are also signing up for a troubled life. James assumes we will have trials. Jesus tells us to expect trials. He warned his disciples, “In the world you will have tribulation” John 16:32.
The believer who expects his Christian life to be easy is in for a shock. Some trials come simply because we are human – sickness, accidents, disappointments, etc. Other trials come because we are Christians – persecution. But if we fail an exam because we did not study, don’t call it a trial; call it laziness. If others are against us because we have a bad attitude, don’t call it a trial; call it attitude problem. If we suffer, if we fail, if we are in pain due to some wrong decisions on our part, don’t call it a trial; call it failure.
It has been said that the Christian life is certainly not a bed of roses, but in one sense of the word it is because, when one lies on a bed of roses, there is not only the fragrance of the roses which arises but also there are the thorns.
We can’t really know the depth of our character until we see how we react under pressure. It is easy to be kind when everything is going well, but can we still be kind when others are treating us unfairly. Instead of complaining about our struggles, we should see them as opportunities for growth. Every trial is an opportunity to grow and experience God’s grace and sovereignty.
Illustration: The Teakettle: Christians should be like the teakettle: sing even though we are up to our necks in hot water.
If we live only for the present and forget the future, then trials will make us bitter, not better. When Jesus washed the disciples feet, Peter said to him, “Lord, why are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now why I am doing it; someday you will.”
So, when trials come, immediately give thanks to the Lord and adopt a joyful attitude. How?
1. Express confidence to the Lord through songs.
“...sings psalms and hymns and spiritual songs...making music to the Lord in your hearts” Ephesians 5:19.
When times are rough, it’s very difficult to sing. We’re not in the mood to sing. We can hardly open our mouth. But we should not allow pressures of life to kill our song. And I believe that THE DEEPEST LEVEL OF WORSHIP IS PRAISING GOD IN SPITE OF PAIN, THANKING GOD DURING TRIAL, TRUSTING HIM IN DIFFICULT TIMES, AND LOVING HIM WHEN HE SEEMS DISTANT.
2. Express gratitude to the Lord through prayer.
“Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18.
II. AN UNDERSTANDING MIND
“Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (1:3).
It is important we understand that....
1. Faith is always tested.
In school, tests are given to determine how much we learned. Our faith is tested to increase it. Trials are hurdles. You have to pass every hurdle before you can move to the nest level, like in computer games. You will go through the same trial if you do not learn the lesson God wants you to learn. And when it comes to spiritual things, we are V.S.L. – as in Very Slow Learners. It is important that in every trial we ask, “Lord, what are you trying to teach me?”
2. Testing works for us, not against us.
The word ‘testing’ can be translated ‘approval.’ So, when our faith is being tested it means that God approves of our faith. And God’s approval of our faith is precious, because it assures us that our faith is genuine.
Trials work for the believer, not against him.
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those of who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” Romans 8:28.
“A man of God went on a journey. All he owned were a book, a candle, and a cock. The book he read and loved, the candle provided him light, the cock crowed to awaken him in the morning.
One evening he arrived in a small town. He asked hospitality from home after home but was rudely refused both food and lodging.
‘God in His mercy and justice does all things,’ said the believing man. He found protection from the wind in the bunch of high bushes, secured his cock nearby and, with praise in his heart, began to read his book.
A sudden burst of wind blew out his light, and the good man found himself without the means to relight his candle.
‘God in His mercy and justice does all things well,’ said the trusting man. And he prepared to lie down to sleep. Suddenly a wild dog came out of the darkness, and the life of his cock was gone.
‘God in His mercy and justice does all things well,’ said the godly man, yet with sorrow. And he lay down and slept.
In the morning, the light awakened him. He gathered his book to his heart and walked back to the unfriendly village. To his horror, he saw that the robbers had come in the night. The village had been plundered and burned. The villagers had been murdered.
The man of God remembered. Had he been granted hospitality, he too would have died; and had his light shone or his cock crowed, the robbers would have been led to him.
‘God in His mercy and justice does all things well,’ said the godly man. And in the light of the day, he read his book and praised God.”
3. Trials rightly used help us to mature.
It is not good to talk about your troubles. 80% of the people who hear them don’t care and the other 20% are glad you’re having trouble.
What does God want to produce in our lives? Patience, endurance, and the ability to keep going when times are tough. Immature people are always impatient. If they want something, they want it now. If they want to say something, they’ll say it now. For them every time is their time. They can’t wait. They do not understand the Law of Timing – there is a time for everything! They do not consider God’s timing.
God wants to make us patient because that is the key to every other blessing. And the only way the Lord can develop patience and character in our lives is through trials.
So, we need to understand that every trial is a blessing in disguise.
III. A SURRENDERED WILL (1:4)
“Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
The testing of our faith develops perseverance. What is perseverance? An English writer once wrote an article in which he examined the traits of many successful people.
“The only common trait that can be discovered among them,” he wrote, “has to do with the capacity for sustained work in an emergency. Someone has said that the chief difference between a big man and a little man is that the little man quits when he is tired and sleepy, while that is the very time the big man presses on harder than ever.”
Along the same lines, another author wrote, “The longer I live the more deeply I am convinced that the difference between one person and another, between the weak and the powerful, the great and insignificant, is perseverance. This quality will do anything that has to be done in the world; and no talents, no circumstances, no opportunities, will make one a successful person without it.”
PERSEVERANCE IS NOT THE ABILITY TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES BUT THE WILLINGNESS TO CONTINUE DESPITE OF OBSTACLES.
God cannot build our character without our cooperation. We need to submit to the power of the Holy Spirit. Without absolute surrender on our part, God cannot make us the people He wants us to be.
God’s goal for our lives is maturity. It would be a tragedy if children remained little babies. God builds our character before He calls us to service. He must work in us before He can work through us.
EMPTY WHAT IS FULL; FULL WHAT IS EMPTY!
God cannot work in us if we are already full. If you come to a point in your Christian life and you feel you don’t need anything anymore from God, you don’t desire for more of God anymore, then, God cannot fill you anymore. There must be total, complete surrender. We must first be empty before God can fill us.
If the Christian life is difficult as it is always difficult, do not complain; persevere. If your ministry becomes difficult, as it will be difficult, do not complain; persevere. When your prayers are not answered immediately, do not give up; persevere. There were times in my life when I thought of leaving the full-time ministry......
William Carey spent over forty years in Burma and India and when asked to explain his astonishing accomplishments, he simply answered, “PERSEVERANCE.”
The life of Job is a classic example of persevering through adversity. His story is found in his self-titled book.
“Job lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless, a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. He had seven sons and three daughters. He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred teams of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys, and he employed many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area” Job 1:1-3.
But tragic events in succession came to Job’s life: all his oxen and donkeys were stolen, all his sheep were burned, all his camels were stolen, all his children were killed while they were partying at the oldest brother’s house, when a strong wind hit the house and the house collapsed. Lastly, he was inflicted with painful sores from head to foot.
Job’s disease has been diagnosed as boils or leprosy. But most likely it is elephantiasis. Throughout the book, the symptoms are described: itching and open sores, feelings of terror, maggots bred in ulcer, sleeplessness, nightmares, depression, fetid breath, failing vision, rotting teeth, weeping, fever, corrosion of bones, and then blackening and falling off of skin.
Job cursed the day he was born. But Job’s turning point is in 13:15 – “Though he slay me, yet I will hope in him...”
Job experienced physical pain beyond imagination, psychological despair, social rejection, and spiritual condemnation. Having given up hope for healing from his friends, he can only turn to God, with nothing to lose but his life.
God never explained to Job why. Job simply came to the place where he accepted whatever God allowed. At the end, God blessed Job double.
“The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. He has fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters...After this Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and grandchildren to the fourth generation. And so, he died, old and full of years” Job 42:12-16.
When we go through adversity, God never explains why. But God is always in control. When you’re going through rough times, remind yourself God will never resign. Trust Him. He knows what He is doing.
But if our suffering comes from our own wrong doings, then, acknowledge it and repent. Meaning, change your ways.
“Not my will but Your will be done.”
IV. A BELIEVING HEART (1:5-8)
“If you need wisdom – if you want to know what God wants you to do – ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can’t make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do.”
Usually, this verse is being used to encourage students who are about to take an exam. But that is taking the verse out of context.
When we are going through God-ordained difficulties, what do we normally pray? We pray for immediate relief, “Lord, take this away from me. Lord, heal me. Lord, give me. Lord, ba, bantay lang gid ka!” But according to James, we should ask for wisdom. Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. Wisdom is the right course of action.
Why do we need wisdom when we are going through trials? Why not ask for strength, or immediate deliverance?
We need wisdom so we will not waste the opportunities God is giving us to mature. We should ask, “Lord what’s Your purpose in this?”
We are to ask in faith. Meaning, when you ask God for wisdom believe that God will surely give you wisdom so that you will know what to do. Believe that He will direct Your steps while you are in the dark. Believe that He wants the best for you even though you may not understand the purpose of the trial that you’re going through. Believe that God can turn the bad into good. Believe that the steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord. The question is, “Are you righteous? Are you living a holy life? Is your life pleasing to the Lord? Are you becoming like Christ? Are you obeying God’s word?”
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is” Romans 12:2.
If you are still the old you, then, there is no way you will know God’s will. God will not reveal His will to those who are disobedient. As a consequence, we make mistakes, we commit wrong decisions and we suffer. Why? Because we are not living in agreement with the will of God.
This kind of experience is evidence of immaturity.
When we’re going through rough times, always remember this:
IT IS NOT OUR BUSINESS TO UNDERSTAND, OUR BUSINESS IS TO TRUST!
NO PAIN, NO GAIN!
WHEN YOU CAN’T SEE HIS HAND, TRUST HIS HEART!
“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” James 1:12.
HOW TO HANDLE TEMPTATION
James 1:13-18
Temptation is an unpleasant fact! If you’re alive, you’re on the list. Temptation will find you. Temptation usually starts in small amount. Just a little bit of this....just a little bit of that. Soon it becomes sticky. No matter what you do, it won’t go away.
Believers don’t have immunity from temptation. In fact, we are the favorite target of temptation. But we have supernatural power available to us to say no to temptation and to live a life that pleases to God.
Trials may be tests sent by God, or they may be temptations sent by Satan and encouraged by our own sinful nature.
Why did James connect the two? What is their relationship? Simply this: if we are not careful, the testings may become temptations.
For example, you don’t have money – it’s a trial, whether you will trust God or not. But Satan can turn it into a temptation – you complain against God and question His goodness.
“And remember, no one who wants to do wrong should ever say, ‘God is tempting me.’ God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either. Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death. So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.
Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven’s lights. Unlike them, he never changes or casts shifting shadows. In his goodness he chose to make us his own children by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his choice possession” James 1:13-18.
HOW TO HANDLE TEMPTATIONS?
I. CONSIDER WHERE TEMPTATION IS COMING FROM AND ITS RESULTS (1:13-16)
A. TEMPTATION DOES NOT COME FROM GOD
“And remember, no one who wants to do wrong should ever say, ‘God is tempting me.’ God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either” (v.13).
B. TEMPTATION IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACCOMPLISH A GOOD THING IN A BAD WAY, OUT OF THE WILL OF GOD.
Example: To pass an examination is good. But to cheat to be able to pass an examination is wrong.
C. TEMPTATION BEGINS WITH EVIL DESIRE.
“Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires” (v. 14).
The normal desires of life were given to us by God, and of themselves, are not sinful. It is when these desires go out of control that we get into trouble. Eating is normal; gluttony is sin. Sleep is normal; laziness is sin.
“For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world” 1 JOHN 2:16.
1. LUST – gratifying physical desires outside God’s will.
“So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict.... When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God” Galatians 5:16-21.
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” ROMANS 12:2.
2. MATERIALISM – craving and accumulating things for the sake of having them.
“But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows” 1 TIMOTHY 6:6.
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that....God richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” 1 Timothy 6:6-8, 17.
3. PRIDE – obsession with one’s status or importance.
“Clothe yourselves with humility…God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” 1 PETER 5:5.
D. EVIL DESIRES LEAD TO EVIL ACTIONS.
No temptation appears as temptation. The enemy does not come with sungay, buntot, and bangkaw.
“Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light” 1 CORINTHIANS 11:14
The temptation of Eve in Genesis 3:6 – “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some of it.”
Temptation is always appealing to the senses. Satan tried to show Eve that sin is ‘lovely.’ A knowledge of both good and evil seemed desirable and harmless to Eve. People usually choose wrong things because they have become convinced that those things are good, at least for themselves.
Notice what Eve did: she looked, then took, then ate, then gave. The battle is often lost at the first look. Temptation often begins by seeing something we want.
One of the realities of sin is that its effect spreads. After Eve sinned, she involved Adam in her wrongdoing.
WHEN WE DO SOMETHING WRONG, OFTEN OUR FIRST RELIEF FROM GUILT COMES BY INVOLVING SOMEONE ELSE. LIKE POISON SPILLED IN A RIVER, SIN SWIFTLY SPREADS, AND BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE TO RECAPTURE.
When God asked Adam about his sin, Adam blamed Eve. Then Eve blamed the serpent. How easy it is to excuse our sins by blaming someone else. We often fall into the trap of blaming others or circumstances for our personal failures. It is easy to blame others and make excuses for evil thoughts and wrong actions.
EXCUSES INCLUDE:
1. It’s the other person’s fault.
2. I couldn’t help it.
3. Everybody’s doing it.
4. It was just a mistake. No big deal!
5. Nobody’s perfect.
6. The devil made me do it!
7. I was pressured into it!
8. I didn’t know it was wrong.
9. I’m just human!
10. The temptation is so great! I couldn’t resist!
E. EVIL ACTIONS LEAD TO DEATH.
It may take years for the sin or bad habit to mature, but when it does, the result will be death.
Life in the Garden of Eden was like living in heaven. Everything was perfect!
When God first placed Adam and Eve in the garden, He made it clear that complete obedience would be rewarded by immortal life (living forever in the paradise of Eden). But after disobeying, Adam and Eve no longer deserved to live there. So God told them to leave. Then, comes spiritual death (separation from God).
Deal with sin immediately and don’t give it a chance to grow. You can’t play with fire without burning your finger.
II. CONSIDER HOW GOOD GOD IS
“Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven’s lights. Unlike them, he never changes or cast shifting shadows” (1:17).
One of the enemy’s tricks is to convince us that God is not good. That God does not love us. “If your Father loves you, why are you hungry? Why are you poor?” “Why deny yourself pleasure when you can get it now?”
Once we doubt God’s goodness, we will be attracted to Satan’s offers.
The serpent (Satan) tempted Eve by getting her to doubt God’s goodness. He suggested that God was strict, kuripot, and selfish for not wanting Eve to share His knowledge of good and evil. Satan made Eve forget all that God had given her and focus on the thing she couldn’t have.
“But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it” I CORINTHIANS 10:13.
During temptation, God, in His goodness and faithfulness, will always provide a way out. There is always a way out! But the question is, ‘Do you want a way out?’
Illus: ‘Remove the blood...’
A. GOD GIVES ONLY GOOD GIFTS.
Everything good in this world comes from God. If it comes from God, it must be good even if we do not see the goodness in it immediately.
B. GOD GIVES CONSTANTLY.
“Comes” means “it keeps on coming.” God does not give occasionally. He gives constantly. Even when we do not see His gifts, He is sending them.
C. GOD DOES NOT CHANGE.
There are no shadows with the Father of Lights. It is impossible for God to change. He cannot change for the worse because He is holy. He cannot change for the better because He is already perfect.
III. CONSIDER WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST
“In his goodness he chose to make us his own children by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his choice possession” (1:18).
A. YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN NEW BIRTH
God gave us spiritual birth because of His own grace and will, when we put our faith in Jesus Christ. We did not earn it or deserve it.
“Throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God’s likeness – righteous, holy, and true” Ephesians 4:22-24.
B. YOU HAVE GOD’S WORD
“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” PSALM 119:11.
God’s Word is your SWORD. When Jesus was tempted, he used the Scriptures to attack the enemy.
“Then the Devil came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, change these stones into loaves of bread.’ But Jesus told him, ‘No! The Scriptures say, ‘People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God” MATTHEW 4:3-4.
C. YOU ARE GOD’S CHILD
“You are a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people; now you are the people of God. Once you received none of God’s mercy; now you have received God’s mercy”
1 PETER 2:9-10.
“But to all who believed and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God” John 1:12.
Opportunities come only once. But temptation will always give you a second chance.
PRACTICAL STEPS:
1. DON’T PLAY WITH TEMPTATION. KILL IT !
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” JAMES 4:7.
“…do not give the enemy a foothold (space, chance)”
EPHESIANS 4:27.
YOU CAN’T PLAY WITH FIRE WITHOUT BURNING YOUR FINGER!
2. DON’T RATIONALIZE! ADMIT RESPONSIBILITY!
“Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death. So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters” JAMES 1;14-16.
Pornography is pornography! A lie is a lie! Cheating is cheating! Lust is lust! Sexual immorality is sexual immorality! Anger is anger! Temper is temper! Evil is evil! A sin is a sin! Don’t rationalize! Don’t pass the blame to others! Admit responsibility!
2. DON’T JUST PRAY WHEN TEMPTED, PRAY AHEAD!
“And don’t let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” MATTHEW 6:13.
3. DON’T FIGHT TEMPTATION IN YOUR OWN STRENGTH, ASK CHRIST’S STRENGTH!
“This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it” HEBREWS 4:15-16.
4. DON’T BE ISOLATED; BE SURROUNDED!
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” JAMES 5:16.
With all the pressures and trials we face, it’s hard to stand alone. And the fact is, we don’t have to. Scripture tells us that if one can make a thousand flee, two can make ten thousand flee! There is power in linking up with a group that can help us be the men/women we’re called to be.
We need a small group of close friends who are believers and learners to give us support and accountability. Friends who will accept us no matter what, but love us enough to correct us, to check on us, to sympathize with us, and to rebuke us when we need one. Friends who are growing in their walk with God and knowledge of His Word.
5. DON’T JUST THINK OF THE PLEASURE; THINK OF THE CONSEQUENCES!
“These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death” JAMES 1:15.
Think of the effects. Think of your loved ones. Think of your testimony as a Christian.
6. DON’T LIVE IN GUILT; LIVE IN GOD’S GRACE!
“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong” 1 JOHN 1:9.
But God’s grace is not a license to keep on sinning but a motivation to change our ways of thinking and living.
“Don’t you realize how kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Or don’t you care? Can’t you see how kind he has
been giving you time to turn from your sin?” ROMANS 2:4.
“Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires. Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. Instead give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God” ROMANS 6:12-13.
THE GRACE OF GOD IS NOT JUST THE GUARANTEE OF FORGIVENESS IF WE FALL, IT IS THE POWER TO KEEP US FROM FALLING!
GROWING IN THE WORD
James 1:19-27
There are many believers who are fooling themselves concerning their Christian walk. They think they are spiritual when the truth is they are not. It is a mark of maturity when a person faces himself honestly, knows himself, and admits his needs. But the immature pretends that everything is fine and so, he never grows.
One area where we need to grow is in the area of Bible Knowledge and Application. Many Christians are retarded when it comes to knowledge of God’s Word. We are content to be spoon-fed week in and week out. We don’t partake of it ourselves. We allow others to study the Bible for us. The result? Christian mongoloids!
Recent surveys by Barna Research Group have revealed that people do not know even half of the Ten Commandments, do not know who preached the Sermon on the Mount, do not know that the story of Jonah and the fish is from the Bible, and believe that the expression “God helps those who help themselves” is a direct quote from the Bible. (It was actually penned by Benjamin Franklin in the late 1700s.)
The new pastor of a rural church dropped into a Sunday school class and began quizzing the students to test the effectiveness of the teacher.
“Who knocked down the walls of Jericho?” he demanded of one boy. “It’s not me, Reverend,” the boy said.
Turning to the embarrassed teacher, the pastor said, “I suppose that’s a sample of your teaching ability.”
“Now, Reverend. Michael is a good boy and doesn’t tell lies. If he said he didn’t do it, I believe him.”
Thoroughly upset, the pastor took the matter to the Board of Elders. After due consideration the board sent the following message to the pastor: “We see no point in making an issue of this incident. The board will pay for the damages to the wall.”
Do you want to grow spiritually? The first step is to know God through His Word.
“My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Your anger can never make things right in God’s sight. So get rid of all filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls” James 1:19-21.
WHY SHOULD WE STUDY THE BIBLE?
“The Bible is the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable (absolute, unchangeable). Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s character. Paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. Follow its precepts and it will lead you to Calvary, to the empty tomb, to a resurrected life in Christ; yes, to glory itself, for eternity.”
“The Bible contains an answer to just about everything and every problem that confronts us, and I wonder sometimes why we won’t recognize that one book could solve our problems for us”- Pres. Ronald Reagan.
In order to grow in the Word, we must .......
I. RECEIVE THE WORD (1:19-21)
James calls God’s Word the “implanted word.”
He compares God’s Word to seed and the human heart to soil. According to Jesus Christ in Matthew 13, there are 4 kinds of soil:
® Hard soil (represents those who hear the Good News about the Kingdom but don’t understand it.)
® Rocky soil (represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But their roots don’t go very deep. At first they get along fine, but the wilt (wither) as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word.)
® Thorny soil (represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life and the lure of wealth, so no crop is produced.)
® Good soil (represents the hearts of those who truly accept God’s message and produce a huge harvest – thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had planted.)
Before planting the seed, a farmer must first prepare his land. The preparation is the hardest work of all.
If the seed of the Word is to be planted in our hearts, then we must obey the instructions James gives us.
1. BE QUICK TO LISTEN
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” Romans 10:17.
Preaching is God’s appointed means in bringing the message of the gospel to people. The preaching of God’s word must be central in our worship. It should never be replaced by drama, by testimony, by praise and worship, by intermissions, or political speeches.
Just as the servant is quick to hear his master’s voice, and the mother to hear her baby’s smallest cry, so the believer should be quick to hear what God has to say.
A boy was reading aloud in school. The teacher then asked him to tell what he was reading. He answered, “I don’t know. I wasn’t listening.”
It is a sad observation that during times of preaching, instead of listening, people are talking, texting, daydreaming, you name it.
A WARNING TO WORSHIPPERS:
“As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut! Don’t be a fool who doesn’t realize that mindless offerings to God are evil. And don’t make rash promises to God, for he is in heaven, and you are only here on earth. So let your words be few” Ecclesiastes 5:1-2.
When you come to church to worship, you must....
a. PREPARE
J Your clothes (para hindi ma-late o para walang dahilan na hindi maka-attend).
J Your ears (maglinis ng tainga. Maraming mga Christians hindi na tinatablan. Parang walang naririnig. Kung mayroon mang narinig, ‘yon ay hindi para sa kanya kundi para sa iba.)
J Your heart and mind
J Come on time! Isapuso at isaisip ang schedule ng worship para hindi nakakalimutan!
b. PRAY
J For yourself (confession, concentration, conviction)
J For the celebration (songs, congregation, Spirit’s moving, transformation)
J For the preacher of the Word and the Word (that the Word will be preached with power, with anointing, and with the Holy Spirit’s conviction).
c. PARTICIPATE
J Before the service starts, talk to people. Meet new friends. Don’t hide behind your cellphone!
J Put off your cellphone during the service. If you are being interviewed by a possible employer, will you text in front of him or during the interview? That’s being rude! You’ll never get a job if you do that! Ang rason ng iba importante daw. Importante lang siya because you choose to make it important. If you put off your cellphone, then, nothing is important. If you’re expecting a call or text para may rason kang lumabas during the worship, huwag ka na lang umatend. Sa labas ka nalang mag antay ng call at text. What’s the point in attending? Check attendance? Social obligation?
J Listen attentively. Don’t be distracted. Don’t allow your mind to wander. Take notes.
J After the worship, talk to people again. Don’t rush home unless it’s a matter of life and death. Fellowship is about sharing life together.
d. PRACTICE
HOW TO LISTEN TO GOD’S WORD IN YOUR READING?
a. Pray.
b. Read it systematically.
c. Read it aloud quietly to yourself.
d. Interact with what you’re reading. Ask the following questions:
« Sin to confess?
« Promise to claim?
« Attitude to change?
« Command to obey?
« Example to follow?
« Prayer to pray?
« Error to avoid?
« Truth to believe?
« Something to thank God for?
e. Record your discoveries.
WARNING: DON’T BE SELECTIVE!
This doesn’t mean we listen to every preacher and we accept every message that we hear.
If it is God’s Word, receive it. You are not God’s editor! Do not edit the teachings, verses, principles you don’t like.
“For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear” 2 Timothy 4:3.
PROSPERITY THEOLOGY.....
A PROMISE AND A WARNING:
“So be sure to pay attention to what you hear. To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But to those who are not listening, even what they think they have will be taken away from them” Luke 8:18.
GROWING IN THE WORD
James 1:19-27
In order to grow in the Word, we must receive the Word. And to be able to receive the Word, we must be....
1. Quick to listen
2. Slow to speak
We have two ears and one mouth, which ought to remind us to listen more than we speak. Too many times we argue with God’s Word if not audibly, at least in our hearts and minds. Especially, kapag tinatamaan tayo, we try to come up with our own explanation and interpretation of the Scriptures and say, “mali man ang interpretation ni pastor! Dili man ingon ana!”
Worse, they try to convince others of their own interpretation.
“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise” Proverbs 10:19.
“A truly wise person uses few words....even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent; when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent” Proverbs 17:27-28.
All other things equal, we must receive the Word.
3. SLOW TO GET ANGRY
“And slow to get angry. Your anger can never make things right in God’s sight.”
James warns us against getting angry at God’s Word because it reveals our sins to us. When you get angry at God’s Word, you get angry at God. You are in a way saying that you are holier than God is; you are more knowledgeable than God is. By doing so, you are firing God and you are closing your hands to grace.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” Matthew 5:3.
What does it mean to be “poor in spirit?” Jesus here is not talking about material poverty. To be “poor in spirit” is to feel that we are nothing, and that we have nothing, and that we look to God in complete submission and dependence upon Him and His grace and mercy. There is no place for boasting.
4. A PREPARED HEART
“So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls” (1:21).
James saw the human heart as a garden; if left to itself, the soil would produce only weeds. He urged us to “pull out the weeds” and prepare the soil for the implanted Word of God.
It is foolish to try to receive God’s Word into an unprepared heart. You do not plant your seed into an uncultivated soil. That’s a waste of time and seed.
How do we prepare the soil of our hearts for God’s Word”
a. By confessing our sins and asking the Father to forgive us.
“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from every wrong” 1 John 1:9.
b. By meditating on God’s love and grace and asking Him to “plow up” any hardness in our hearts.
“Plow up the hard ground of your hearts! Do not waste your good seed among thorns” Jeremiah 4:3.
ATTITUDES THAT PREVENT RECEIVING THE WORD:
D A CLOSED MIND: is fear, pride or bitterness preventing me from hearing God?
There are only two ways to study the Bible: studying it with your mind made up or studying it to let it make up your mind.
D A SUPERFICIAL MIND: Am I really serious about wanting to hear God speak?
“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins” James 4:17.
This is what we call sin of omission.
D A PREOCCUPIED MIND: Am I too busy and concerned about other things to concentrate on what God has to say?
c. We must have an attitude of meekness.
Meekness is the opposite of anger in verses 19 and 20.
When you receive the Word with meekness, you accept it, do not argue with it, and honor it as the Word of God. You do not try to twist it to conform it to your thinking.
“Every word of God proves true. He defends all who come to him for protection. Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you, and you will be found a liar” Proverbs 30:5-6.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
d. We must accept its authority.
What is your final authority in life? When it comes to establishing a standard for morality, what’s your ruler? What shapes your thinking, your character, your habits? Why you do what you do? When a loved one of yours has a terminal cancer, where do you seek comfort? You go home one weekend and your father told you you’re not going back to school anymore because he’s out of job, where do you get strength to face an uncertain future? A friend who led you to the Lord and has helped you grow in your spiritual life makes an honest confession that he no longer believes in the truth that he once treasured and taught, and is no longer sure whether truth really exists or only an illusion, where do you turn to find hope amidst such confusion? How do you stay on your feet?
UNRELIABLE AUTHORITIES PEOPLE RELY ON:
1. CULTURE (everyone is doing it! The influence of media – culture of violence, culture of immorality, culture of lying, culture of corruption, culture of religion – seeking for experience, culture of substance abuse, culture of materialism).
2. TRADITION (we’ve always done it. Resistance to change. They build monuments of the past).
3. REASON (it seemed logical)
4. EMOTION (it just felt right)
What we need is a perfect standard that will never lead us in the wrong direction. Only God’s Word meets that need. Decide that regardless of culture, tradition, reason, or emotion, you choose the Bible as your final authority in faith and in practice. Why? Because God’s Word is Truth.
Francis Schaeffer pointed out that today, unlike previous generations, people, though they speak of truth and falsehood, are not speaking of truth in the biblical sense or even in the traditional sense to mean that which is true now and will always be true universally. Rather they mean that which is true now but not necessarily tomorrow or yesterday; or it is true for me but not necessarily for you. In other words, truth for contemporary men and women is relative.
But God’s Word is Truth – the Absolute Truth. And God uses His Word to accomplish His purposes, whether men and women believe it or not.
“And we will never stop thanking God that when we preached HIS MESSAGE to you, YOU DIDN’T THINK OF THE WORDS WE SPOKE AS BEING JUST OUR OWN. YOU ACCEPTED WHAT WE SAID AS THE VERY WORD OF GOD – which, of course, it was. And this word continues to work in you who believe” 1 Thessalonians 2:13.
God’s Book, God’s Word is God’s Voice. If our Lord were to make Himself visible and return to earth and speak His message, He would speak the same truth you see in the Scripture – His opinion, His counsel, His commands, His desires, His warnings, His very mind. When you rely on God’s voice, God’s very message, you have a sure foundation.
GROWING IN THE WORD (part 3)
James 1:19-27
It is not enough to receive the Word; we must do it. Many people have the mistaken idea that hearing a good sermon or Bible study is what makes them grow and get God’s blessings. It is not the hearing but the doing that brings the blessing. This is the hardest step of all, because Satan fights it so intensely. He doesn’t mind you going to cell meetings and weekly celebrations as long as you don’t do anything with what you learn.
Some Christians receive the word with joy. In fact, they are very emotional in receiving it. If the preacher gives an altar call they would be the first to respond. But after their emotions have subsided, back to normal, no application.
Too many Christians mark their Bibles, but their Bibles never mark them. If you think you are spiritual because you own a Bible, if you think you are spiritual because you go to church on a regular basis, if you think you are spiritual because you attend cell meetings, if you think you are spiritual because you hear the Word, then you are only kidding yourself.
Putting into practice is what matters! The Bible wasn’t given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.
“And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don’t obey, you are only fooling yourself. For if you just listen and don’t obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you keep looking steadily into God’s perfect law – the law that sets you free – and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it” James 1:22-25.
I. PRACTICE THE WORD
In this paragraph, James compared the Word to a mirror. What’s the purpose of owning a mirror? Why do you look at yourself in the mirror?
1. EXAMINATION
This is the main purpose of owning a mirror, to be able to see yourself and make yourself as clean and neat as possible. We always want to look our best. As we look into the mirror of God’s Word, we see ourselves as we really are. As the mirror shows us our true appearance, God’s Word reveals the true condition of our heart. If you look at the mirror and you see the face of Piolo Pascual or Pokwang, it’s either you’re watching too much TV or you’re high on drugs.
Every time you look at the mirror it will always tell you the truth. You can count on it. It is one of the few things on earth that always tells the truth. Unless what you have, is a magic mirror.
The Word of God has the same quality. It will always tell you the truth – regardless of time and space. It tells us who we are and it exposes our sinfulness.
“A rich Chinese man who visited England took great delight in a beautiful microscope which was shown him. Later he purchased one for himself and took it back to China. One day he examined a tiny bit of his dinner rice with the microscope. To his horror he discovered that there were actually tiny living creatures in it. What should he do? He cannot throw away the rice because it was his daily food. He thought he saw only one way out of it. He would destroy the microscope in pieces.”
Similarly, many people hate the Word of God because it reveals their true condition. Have you ever destroyed a mirror because you didn’t like what you saw?
James mentions several mistakes people make as they look into God’s mirror?
a. They merely glance at themselves.
They do not carefully study themselves as they read the Word. It’s like looking at yourself in the mirror without really looking. Akala mo ok na ‘yon pala may muta ka pa.
Illustration: (personal – hair clip)
Merely glancing is like hearing without listening; reading without understanding.
b. They forget what they see.
After looking at the mirror, mangutana pa jud ‘kampat akong nawong?’ ‘How do I look?’ Ilabay nalang ng imong mirror wala man diay pulos!
After listening to the Word, after reading the Word, they forget the Word. They do not look deep enough into their hearts. We need to constantly examine ourselves in line with God’s Word. God has a message especially for you every time you listen to His Word, every time you read the Bible God is speaking to you. So you have to listen carefully, look intently.
Examining other people’s lives is a lot easier that examining our own. Like the Chinese man, we don’t want to see and we don’t to know that something is wrong with us. But if we want to grow and if we want God’s best for us we have to examine ourselves using God’s Word as our mirror. And it involves asking hard questions?
« Sin to confess?
« Promise to claim?
« Attitude to change?
« Command to obey?
« Example to follow?
« Prayer to pray?
« Error to avoid?
« Truth to believe?
« Something to thank God for?
Record your answers!
c. They fail to obey what the Word tells them to do.
Hearing is not the same as doing. If we are to use God’s Word profitably, then we must look into it carefully and with serious intent. No quick glances will do.
Obedience is the key to God’s blessings.
“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” John 13:17.
“But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted!” John 15:7.
Why does James call the Word of God “God’s perfect law – the law that sets you free?” Because when we obey it, God sets us free.
“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” John 8:31-32.
Illustration: Hinumdumi ang pa.....
Set free from what? From sin, from fear, from bondages – cultural, traditional, emotional, material, generational, from wrong teaching/doctrine, from bad habits and attitudes, from sinful lifestyle, from lustful pleasures, from selfish ambition, from trying to impress people and living to please them.
When we are rooted in the Word of God, He sets us free from all these and He gives us a new ambition: TO LIVE A LIFE THAT IS PLEASING TO HIM.
That is the meaning of true freedom: not satisfying ourselves by doing as we please but satisfying God by living as He pleases.
2. RESTORATION
A mirror not only reveals our true appearance, but it helps to cleanse us as well.
The Word of God not only examines us and reveals our sins, but it cleanses us. It gives the promise of cleansing.
“You are already clean because of the Word I have spoken to you” John 15:3.
3. TRANSFORMATION
After looking and correcting what is wrong with your appearance, there is now a change in the way you look and in the way you carry yourself. If you like what you saw in the mirror your confidence level increases and it gives you the feeling that it’s going to be a great day! You feel beautiful! But if it’s one of those bad hair days (especially sa mga curly....it’s like it has a mind of its own...it’s buhaghag....dili jud mo-straight kahit gamitan mo pa ng pliers at martilyo! mahangin ba sa labas?) You feel ugly! I’m so sorry for you! Pwede na kayo mag self-pity!
After the Lord restores us, He wants to change us so that we will grow in grace and not commit that sin again. Too many Christians realize their sin, confess their sin, and claim forgiveness, but never grow spiritually to conquer self and sin. If you are like that, you will never grow! Like a pig, after cleaning it, always goes back to the mud.
The word change in the Greek gives us our English Word “metamorphosis” – a change on the outside that comes from the inside. When an ugly worm turns into a beautiful butterfly, that is metamorphosis! A change from inside – out. If you look at a butterfly with its beautiful colors, you wouldn’t think that it was once an ugly worm.
The more we expose ourselves to the Word of God, the more we are changed. It transforms our thinking, our feelings, our habits, our attitudes, and our character.
“Ramad was the most dangerous man in all of India. His gang attacked, plundered, and terrified the remote villages of the area. He was wanted dead or alive. While ransacking a small home in one of these villages, he found a small black book. At first he started to throw it away, but he noticed that the paper was very thin and just the right size for roll-your-own cigarettes. Each evening after a meal, Ramad would relax with a smoke. He would take out the little book, tear a page out, and fold it over for the tobacco. One evening while folding the paper, he noticed the writing was in his own language. So each evening after eating, he would read a page of the little book and then smoke it. One evening he knelt down and asked Jesus to forgive his sins and to be his Savior. The small black book was the Bible.
He turned himself over to the police, much to their surprise, and turned from a bandit to a prisoner for Christ. The prison became Ramad’s mission field where he led many other prisoners to Jesus. God’s Word made the change in his life.”
When we spend time looking into the Word and seeing Christ, we will be transformed. Change does not happen by chance but by choice! It is always our choice – to listen or not to listen, to obey or not to obey!
Our prayer should be:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” Psalm 139:23-24.
The promise:
“And I will forgive their wrongdoings, and I will never again remember their sins” Hebrews 8:12.
If we do not practice the Word, we are only deceiving ourselves! The key to God’s blessing is – OBEDIENCE!
GROWING IN THE WORD (part 4)
James 1:19-27
Pure religion has nothing to do with ceremonies, temples, or special days. Pure religion means practicing God’s Word. If we do not practice God’s Word we are only deceiving ourselves. The key to God’s blessing is – OBEDIENCE. If you don’t obey it, you don’t believe it. And if you don’t believe it, you are denying the faith. When it comes to God’s Word we can’t be neutral. God has not given us that option. It’s either you believe it or you don’t. And if you believe it, you must practice it.
“If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the word corrupt us” James 1:26-27.
HOW DO WE PRACTICE GOD’S WORD? WHAT ARE THE EVIDENCES THAT WE ARE TRULY PRACTICING GOD’S WORD?
I. BY CONTROLLING OUR TONGUE
“If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless” (v.26).
One small part of our body can deny or proclaim the faith. The power of speech is one of the greatest powers God has given us. With the tongue, man can praise God, pray, preach the Word, and lead the lost to Christ. But with that same tongue he can tell lies that could ruin a man’s reputation or break a person’s heart.
“Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” Matthew 12:34.
“What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him unclean, but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him unclean” Matthew 15:11.
“He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin” Proverbs 13:3.
“Words satisfy the soul as food satisfies the stomach; the right words on a person’s lips bring satisfaction. Those who love to talk will experience the consequences, for the tongue can kill or nourish life” Proverbs 18:20-21.
What you say and what you don’t say are both important. Proper speech is not only saying the right words at the right time, but controlling your desire to say what you shouldn’t. Examples of wrongly using the tongue include gossiping, putting others down, bragging, manipulating, false teaching, exaggerating, complaining, flattering, and lying. Before you speak, ask, “IS IT TRUE, IS IT NECESSARY, IS IT KIND?”
1. LYING
“So put away falsehood and ‘tell your neighbor the truth’ because we belong to each other” Ephesians 4:25.
Satan is called the ‘father of lies.’ The Christian who is characterized by the habit of lying is not a Christian. Revelation 21:8 declares that all liars go to hell.
But lying has become a social habit of Christians. Those who are given to white lies will later on become color blind. If the tongue is inconsistent, there is something radically wrong with the heart. We lie to cover up our sins and we make further lies to cover up the first one. The result? Naprito sa sariling mantika.
“A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will be destroyed” Proverbs 19:9.
2. GOSSIPING
Perhaps the worst and most damaging lie we speak is not the lie we say to someone but the lie we say about someone. This is slander or false witness forbidden explicitly by the ninth commandment:
“Do not testify falsely against your neighbor” Exodus 20:16.
“A woman repeated a bit of gossip about a neighbor, and within a short period of time the whole town knew the story. The person it concerned was hurt deeply and was very unhappy. Then one day the lady responsible for spreading the rumor learned it was completely untrue. She was very sorry and went to a wise old man to find out what she would do to repair the damage. After listening to her problem, he said, ‘Go to the marketplace, buy a chicken, and have it killed. Then on your way home, pluck its feathers one by one and drop them along the path.’
Although surprised by this unusual advice, the woman did as she was told. The next day she returned and informed the man that she had done as he instructed. ‘Now, go and collect all those feathers and bring them back to me,’ he said. The lady followed the same path, but to her dismay the wind had blown all the feathers away. After searching all day long, she returned with only two or three in her hand – all that could be found. ‘You see,’ said the old gentleman, ‘it’s easy to drop them, but impossible to bring them all back. So it is with gossip. It doesn’t take much to spread a false rumor, but you can never completely undo the wrong.”
“Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you” – Spanish proverb.
“Gossip not only hurts others, it can also boomerang and hurt the one who starts it.”
“A gossip tells secrets, so don’t hang around with someone who talks too much” Proverbs 20:19
“Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with s sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow” Proverbs 25:18.
3. OBSCENE STORIES, FOOLISH TALK, AND COARSE (vulgar, rude, foulmouthed, bad-mannered) JOKES
“Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes – these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God” Ephesians 5:4.
“Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them” Ephesians 4:29.
Where do we get this kind of talk? From cellphone and internet messages and graphics, TV shows and movies you watch, and people you go with.
Avoid people who are full of obscenity, foolish talking, and coarse joking. Bad company corrupts good character. It is contagious. Better run away.
4. BLUNT SPEECH AND AN ABRUPT MANNER (mataray)
Avoid blunt speech and an abrupt manner, instead seeking to answer everyone with sensitivity and respect. The gentle Christian does not feel he has the liberty to “SAY WHAT I WANT TO SAY WHEN I WANT TO SAY IT!” Instead he is sensitive to the reactions of others to his words, and considerate of how others may feel about what he says. When he finds it necessary to wound others with his words, he also seeks to bind up those wounds with words of consolation and encouragement.
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger” Proverbs 15:1. (the way we talk to our parents, our teachers, to our peers)
There are people who have the gift of assaulting others verbally. They always have bad things, mean things to say. They enjoy insulting people, hurting people with their words. And I can’t really understand how they can be so mean and insensitive to other’s feelings. But these people, on the other hand, tend to be very sensitive when they are at the receiving end. And it’s very difficult for them to forgive and they never forget.
“There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking” Proverbs 29:20.
5. CONSTANT COMPLAINING
Constant complaining, parang laging galit sa mundo.
“A complaining tongue reveals an ungrateful heart.”
“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise” Proverbs 9:19.
“If you talk about your troubles, and tell them over and over, the world will think you like them and give you plenty more.”
“A man was placed in a monastery and was given the opportunity to say only two words every five years. After the first five passed, he was called in and allowed two words.
He said, “Food bad.” Five years later, his two words were, “Bed hard.” After a total of fifteen years, he said, “I quit.”
The bishops responded, ‘We’re not surprised. You’ve been complaining ever since you got here.”
“It is not the greatness of our trouble but the littleness of our spirit that makes us complain.”
6. NAGGING (irritating, distressing, troublesome, harassing)
Yawyawan. Kahit walang rason or maliit lang na bagay, sige na yawyaw! It really is irritating! You know how it is. We all have mothers. And mothers and wives have the tendency to be naggers. Some men are also naggers but they are the ‘exceptional men.’
Most married men have the exceptional ability to baby talk (la pa! o! oo! Deh!).
During courtship, the man talks the woman listens. During the relationship, the woman talks the man listens. During marriage, both talk the neighbor listen.
“Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome (difficult, irritable, hot-tempered) wife” Proverbs 21:9.
“Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife” Proverbs 21:19.
“Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife” Proverbs 25:24.
“A nagging wife is as annoying as the constant dripping on a rainy day” Proverbs 27:15.
7. ANGER
A hot head and a hot heart can lead to burning words that later we will regret.
“Speak when you are angry and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret.”
“My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. You anger can never make things right in God’s sight” James 1:19-20.
Thomas Jefferson, a great American statesman, worked out a way to handle his anger. He included it in his “Rules of Living,” which describe how he believed adult men and women should live. He wrote this: when angry, count ten before you speak; if very angry, a hundred.
Outbursts of temper are harmful not only because they release our own ungoverned, sinful passions, but more importantly because they hurt those who are recipients or such outbursts. It damages the self-respect of others, creates bitterness, and destroys relationships.
“Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city” Proverbs 16:32.
“Keep away from angry, short-tempered people, or you will learn to e like them and endanger your soul” Proverbs 22:24-25.
James says, “if you can’t control your tongue, your faith is useless.” Meaning, if we can’t control lying, gossiping, coarse joking, blunt speech, complaining, nagging, and anger – we are denying the faith, we are denying God’s Word, and we are not yet a Christian. It’s a sad conclusion, but that’s what the Word of God says.
But the problem, of course, is the heart. Jesus says, “What is in your heart determines what you say” Matthew 12:24. Every day, we need a heart surgery. Ask the Lord to change you and empower you with His Holy Spirit. As you choose to fill your heart with God’s word, God will change the speech of your tongue.
GROWING IN THE WORD [part 5]
James 1:26-27
James says if we can’t control our tongue our religion is worthless…we are denying the faith…we are irreligious…we are atheists…regardless…..
Very strong and solemn statement.
According to James true religion means….
I. CONTROLLING OUR TONGUE
II. SERVING OTHERS
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…” (v.27).
After we have sin ourselves and Christ in the mirror of the Word, we must see others and their needs.
Service/ministry means using whatever God has given me to serve Him and the needs of others.
You were put on earth to make a contribution. You weren’t created just to consume resources – to eat, breath, and take up space. God designed you to make a difference with your life. If you aren’t serving, you’re just existing, because life is meant for service!
Jesus says in Matthew 16:25, “For anyone who keeps his life for himself shall lose it; and anyone who loses his life for me shall find it again.”
Jesus is saying that living is serving. If you don’t serve, you’re not really living.
HOW TO BE PERFECTLY MISERABLE
1. Think about yourself.
2. Talk about yourself.
3. Use ‘I’ as much as possible.
4. Mirror yourself continually in the opinion of others.
5. Listen greedily to what people say about you.
6. Expect to be appreciated.
7. Be suspicious.
8. Be jealous and envious.
9. Be sensitive to insults.
10. Never forgive a criticism.
11. Trust nobody but yourself.
12. Insist that you be respected.
13. Demand that people agree with your own views with everything.
14. Feel sorry for yourself if people are not grateful to you for favors shown them.
15. Never forget a service you may have rendered.
16. Treat yourself to a good time always.
17. Avoid your duties if you can.
18. Do as little as possible to others.
19. Love yourself supremely.
20. Be selfish.
The recipe is guaranteed to be perfect!
There are people who I call ‘TAONG KABAONG.’ A coffin is good for one person only, there’s no room for another. A ‘TAONG KABAONG’ lives only for himself.
But Jesus says if you live only for yourself because you are protecting yourself from pain, from trouble, from hassle, you create your own prison or kabaong because you begin to die spiritually and emotionally. When you live only for yourself, your life becomes meaningless. But when you give your life in service to Christ, you discover the real purpose of living, the real meaning of life.
A CASE STUDY: THE SAMARITAN (Luke 10:30-37)
Jews and Samaritans were not in good terms for hundreds of years.
The priest left the man half dead and passed by the other side.
A Levite (temple worker) came but did the same thing.
Upon seeing the man, the Samaritan stops, and goes across the road to where the victim, a Jew, was lying. The others have seen the man but have gone on. They may have felt compassion and pity yet they have not done anything about it. But the Samaritan goes across the road, dresses the wounds, takes the man to a hospital, takes care of him, and pays his hospital bills.
THE SAMARITAN’S ATTITUDE:
1. He saw the need. He did not pass by the other side. Are our eyes open to the needs of others?
2. He did not treat him as enemy although by race, they were.
“But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” Matthew 5:44.
3. He responded to the need. He did not pray, ‘Lord, please send someone to take care of this man….”
“Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, ‘Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well’ – but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?” James 5:15-16.
4. He did what he could to meet the need.
5. He was committed to meet the need. He cancelled all his appointments. He did not consider it an interruption to his schedule. He even used his own resources.
“You can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving.”
Helping others requires our time, talent, and treasure.
6. He did more than what was required. He went the extra mile.
7. He gave without expecting a Return of Investment.
There are countless opportunities for service. We just need to open our eyes.
“The world measures greatness by success; God measures it by service.”
Let go of yourself in service to others. You will be hurt, abused, criticized – but Jesus says that’s the way to live.
At the end of your life on earth you will stand before God and He is going to evaluate how well you served others with your life. At that point all our excuses for self-centeredness will not be accepted: ‘I was too busy’ or ‘I had my own goals.’ To all excuses God will respond, ‘Sorry, wrong answer. I created, saved, and called you and commanded you to live a life of service. What part did you not understand?’
You want to make a difference? Live a life of service. Without service, your religion is worthless!
A ‘NO COMPROMISE’ LIFESTYLE
Daniel 3
Go with me to Babylon (now Iraq), where King Nebuchadnezzar had summoned every leader – governors, princes, judges, advisers, treasurers – from his vast empire. Imagine the sight – multitudes of people wearing different costumes, speaking different languages. And they all had gathered for one purpose – to honor the gods of the king.
Nebuchadnezzar had erected a huge, golden image ninety feet tall. And now, these leaders are gathered for the inauguration and were to bow in worship as soon as the royal orchestra began playing. If you don’t bow, you’re a dead meat.
But three young Hebrew men – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – refused to bow. These men are captives from Jerusalem. But because of their abilities they were appointed as leaders in the government. But they disobeyed the order of the king. And they were reported by other leaders (mga sipsip).
The punishment for the violators was simple and easy. They were to be cast into a burning oven (litchon ang labas).
When the guards brought the three Hebrew men before the king, Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “So – you refused to bow before my god when you heard the music? Well, I’m going to let you try again. When you hear the music and you are ready to bow and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a burning oven. Then what god will be able to rescue from my hand?” DANIEL 3:13-15.
These 3 young men didn’t want to die. They were human beings, like you and me. Anyone would be crazy to want to die sinugba in a fire. Hindi ka pa nga namamatay, crenimate ka na agad. But the Holy Spirit has placed an incredible faith in their hearts, and they said to the king:
“O king, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. The God we serve is able to save us…and he will rescue us from your hand. But even if he does not, we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” DANIEL 3:16-18.
We don’t see much of that commitment nowadays, do we? These guys know God’s law and they were committed to obeying it.
“Do not worship any other gods besides me. Do not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything…I am a jealous God…” EXODUS 20:3-4.
And the Hebrew were taken captives because they worshipped other gods.
The king was furious and he ordered the oven to be heated seven times than usual. Then these 3 guys were brought in, bound hand and foot. The strongest soldiers in the king’s army had picked them up and were carrying them to the mouth of the oven to cast them in. But the flames were so hot and killed the soldiers – one after another.
Somehow, the 3 young men finally were cast into the oven. What happened next was really amazing! It’s a miracle! You can smell litchon right away, kahit medyo malayo. Burn a single hair and you can smell it from a distance.
The king was puzzled. There was no smell or burning flesh. He saw the 3 young men walking, dancing, praising God in the fire.
And the king said, “I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods” DANIEL 3:25.
How could a pagan king recognize the Son of God? It was because Christ’s glory cannot be hidden! He was brighter than the flame!
Christ appeared with the Hebrews in their crisis! It was a hopeless situation but Christ came to rescue and deliver them because He loved them. But let us remember that these 3 young men were totally committed to Him – even in the face of death!
It is one thing to believe that Jesus is God and Savior – but quite another to commit everything to Him. Commitment to Christ is all about giving your whole life to Him completely – entrusting everything to His care. And, in turn, He commits Himself to those who are totally committed to Him.
We want to be committed to Christ like the 3 Hebrew young men, what shall we do? Let us examine their commitments.
I. THEY WERE COMMITTED TO A PURE, UNDEFILED LIFESTYLE IN THE MIDST OF A WICKED SOCIETY!
“But Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief official for permission to eat other things instead” DANIEL 1:8.
These Hebrew men committed to eat vegetables and drink water only for ten days. These men were not vegetarians.
The chief official urged them to eat their share from the king’s table because if something happens to them, he will be killed.
What were the reasons why these young men?
1. The food were first offered to idols.
2. Their relatives and friends were already influenced by their new environment.
3. Babylon was a society so loose, immoral, full of cursing, full of drunkards. And their spirits were disturbed. They were shocked beyond belief.
4. It was not only an issue of food – but their entire lifestyle. They were committed not to compromise their beliefs and live a life of separation.
And because of their commitment, they became God’s voice when God wanted to speak to that nation and its people.
Look at our own society. Wickedness abounds. And that includes the church. The church has been infiltrated by the Babylonian spirit – a mix life, conforming to worldly standards.
It’s very difficult to differentiate the true from the false Christian.
Today, we need Christians like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
But you cannot be a voice for God unless you lead a separated, holy life! God cannot use you if your heart is influenced by this wicked age.
I ask you: When you’re in crisis, do you cry out, “Lord, where are You when I need you?
But what if the Lord should say to you, “Where are you when I need a voice? I need voices in these sinful times, holy people whom I can use. You say you want Me to come to you in your crisis – yet you remain a part of the wicked, worldly system. Tell Me – are you committed to My purposes?”
We need to take a stand! We need a live holy, separated lives so God can use us. They did not advertise their commitment. It was strictly a matter between them and God.
Among our youth, sex before marriage, getting married because the girl is pregnant, alcoholism, smoking, drug addiction, pornography, cybersex, phone sex, physical relationship, lying, disrespect to parents and authorities, laziness, prostitution, homosexuality, etc have become ‘normal.’ And our youth are being destroyed.
I dare you not to compromise! Don’t you allow this wicked system to destroy you and your friends!
Take a stand! Be a voice for God today. Live a separated, holy life and God can use you! We need to be committed to God and His purposes! Or else, we too will be destroyed.
“LORD, WE LOVE TO OBEY YOUR LAWS; OUR HEART’S DESIRE IS TO GLORIFY YOUR NAME” Isaiah 26:8.
II. THEY COMMITTED TO BECOME SEEKERS AFTER GOD – MEN WHO PRAY!
“So I turned to the Lord my God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting…I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people…” DANIEL 9:3,20.
The first commitment they had made – to live a separated life – had to be backed up by a second commitment, to be seekers after God. Indeed, it is impossible to live a holy life without spending much time in prayer, seeking God for the power and authority to live such a life.
But prayer will not keep you from crisis. It will prepare you to face it all with trust – to become a living sacrifice for God.
Prayer is very important. You can make a commitment to live a separated life – but that commitment is impossible to fulfill without also having a commitment to seek God.
ONE WEEK WITHOUT PRAYER MAKES ONE WEAK.
All the powerful sermons, all the exhortations in the world can’t make you committed to a separated, holy life. Everything will fail – unless you have committed yourself to seek God’s face in prayer.
The Lord requires prayer for everything. Prayer moves the hand of God. It shows our dependence on Him. That without Him we can do nothing. Prayer connects us to the power source. Like a plug that is connected to an outlet. Unplug it and there is no power.
Prayer is the process of giving up our bodies to the Lord. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did this long before they were thrown into the burning oven.
“I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and p and perfect his will really is” Romans 12:1-2
III. THEY MADE A COMMITMENT TO WHOLLY TRUST GOD – LIVE OR DIE!
“[NEBUCHADNEZZAR] Is it true that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? I will give you one more chance….But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. What god will be able to rescue you from my power then?” DANIEL 3:14-15.
These men were facing the worst possible crisis any human could face. If God didn’t come and deliver them by a miracle, they were dead!
But the three Hebrew young men were committed to trusting God no matter what:
“[THEY] O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need the defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, Your Majesty can be sure that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up” DANIEL 3:16-18.
In short, they were saying, “Live or die – we will trust Him!”
This is the kind of faith that causes angels to rejoice and blesses the very heart of God. It is a faith that says, “Lord, I am convinced, fully persuaded that You are able to deliver me. If You just speak a word, it will be over.
But, if not – I’m not going to run. I won’t accuse you of abandoning me. I will remain faithful and true. My life is in Your hands. Though You kill me, yet will I trust You!”
Most of us don’t have a faith that would use the daring words these men used: “But even if…”
I ask you – what will you do if you don’t get the answer to your prayer? Will you accuse God of failing you, of not loving you? Will you say, “Lord, where are You when I needed you? You’ve failed me! I hate You! I don’t trust You anymore!”
We are always to pray in faith believing that God will answer; yet we are to trust Him completely with our situation, saying in our hearts, “But even if, Lord – I’m still going to trust You.”
“[NEBUCHADNEZZAR] Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore, I make this decree: If any people, whatever their race or nation or language, speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be torn limb from limb, and their houses will be crushed into heaps of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue like this!”
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to even higher positions in the province of Babylon.
DANIEL 3:28-30.
RELATING WITH OTHERS (part 1)
James 2:1-13
A mature Christian is patient in testing, able to overcome temptations, practicing the truth. Hearing God’s Word and talking about God’s Word can never substitute for doing God’s Word.
But that’s not all. Spiritual maturity can also be seen in the way we relate with others. The way we behave toward other people indicates what we really believe about God!
“My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim that you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people more than others? For instance, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in shabby clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, ‘You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor’ – well, doesn’t this discrimination show that you are guided by wrong motives? Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the kingdom God promised to those who love him? And yet, you insult the poor man! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear? Yes, indeed, it is good when you truly obey the Lord’s royal command found in the Scriptures: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you pay special attention to the rich, you are committing a sin, for you are guilty of breaking the law. And the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the person who has broken all of God’s laws. For the same God who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ So if you murder someone, you have broken the entire law, even if you do not commit adultery. So whenever you speak, or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law of love, the law that set you free. For there will be no mercy for you if you have not been merciful to others. But if you have been merciful, then God’s mercy toward you will win out over his judgment against you.”
HOW TO RELATE WITH OTHERS?
I. THE DONT’S
1. DON’T SHOW FAVORITISM
“How can you claim that you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people more than others?” (v. 1)
A deplorable incident occurred in the life of Mahatma Gandhi. He said in his autobiography that during his student days he was interested in the Bible. Deeply touched by the reading of the Gospels, he seriously considered becoming a Christian. Christianity seemed to offer the real solution to the caste system that was dividing the people of India. One Sunday he went to church to see the minister and ask for instruction on the way of salvation and other Christian doctrines. But when he entered the sanctuary, the ushers refused him a seat and suggested that he go back and worship with his own people. He left and never went back. He said to himself, ‘If Christians are like that I might as well remain a Hindu.’
a. We judge people by their past mistakes, not by their future possibilities.
Jesus Christ never condemned anyone except those who thought they were already good enough. The way he related with a woman caught in adultery is a perfect example of the graciousness of our Lord (John 8:1-11).
We judge people as if they are not capable of changing for the better. We can’t get past their past. We look at them as incorrigible – beyond reform.
Paul says, “….forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead…” Philippians 3:13.
b. We judge people by their outward appearance.
1 Samuel 16:1-13 (the anointing of David as the next king of Israel by prophet Samuel).
“Don’t judge by his appearance or height…The Lord doesn’t make decisions the way you do! People judge by the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at a person’s thoughts and intentions” 1 Samuel 16:7.
During one of my lectures, we were talking about this verse, one of my students said, “kaya pala mga pinipili ni Lord na maging pastor hindi mga gwapo.” I said, “kaya nga e. Buti nalang dumating ako. Naputol and monopoly ng mga hindi gwapo.”
We live in a society where people value the externals much more than the internals. Listen to people’s conversations after attending worship. What do they usually talk about? The Sermon? I doubt! They talk about the preacher, the worship leader, anything but the message.
“For instance, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in shabby clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, ‘You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor’ – well, doesn’t this discrimination show that you are guided by wrong motives?” James 2: 2-4.
WALKING PAWNSHOP.
For some Christians, dress code is a matter of life and death issue. They equate your dress with your spirituality. But if you read the Gospels, Jesus never taught, never talked about these superficial things that we are so concerned of. So why would we make them an issue?
For me, there’s only one guideline when it comes to dress code: BASTA DILI LANG MAULAW ANG HOLY SPIRIT!
KEY PRINCIPLE: IN NON-ESSENTIALS LIBERTY; IN ESSENTIALS UNITY; BUT IN ALL THINGS CHARITY.
As Christians, what should we wear?
“...clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience…forgive the person who offends you…and the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony” Colossians 3:12-14.
2. DON’T FAVOR THE RICH (V.2-3, 6-7)
“If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, ‘You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor’ – well, doesn’t this discrimination show that you are guided by wrong motives?”
“And yet, you insult the poor man! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?”
WHEN MONEY SPEAKS, EVERYBODY LISTENS!
The rich have political and economic power. They control government institutions and business establishments. Their influence is felt everywhere. They can buy positions, justice, power, votes, etc. They can silence people with their money.
Tapos pagdating sa church, sila pa rin ang bida? That should not be!
THE CRIMES OF THE RICH:
a. They oppress the poor (Christians).
b. They slander the name of Jesus Christ.
3. DON’T DISCRIMINATE THE POOR (V.3-4, 5-6).
“If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, ‘You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor’ – well, doesn’t this discrimination show that you are guided by wrong motives? Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the kingdom God promised to those who love him? And yet, you insult the poor man! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?”
They have no money. No power. They suffer injustice. Always the victims. Walang boses. No influence. Oppressed.
Pagdating sa church, ganon pa rin? Ang saklap naman ng buhay nila!
THE REWARDS OF THE POOR:
a. THEY ARE CHOSEN BY GOD TO BE RICH IN FAITH.
“Remember…that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful…so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God” 1 Corinthians 1:26-29.
b. THEY WILL INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” Luke 6:20.
“God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them” Matthew 5:3.
It is possible to poor in this world and rich in the next, or rich in this world and poor in the next. Or you could be poor both in this world and the next, or rich in this world and the next. It’s your choice.
RELATING WITH OTHERS (part 2)
James 2:1-13
The way we behave toward other people indicates what we really believe about God!
In relating with others James says……
· DON’T SHOW FAVORITISM. DON’T JUDGE PEOPLE BY THEIR PAST MISTAKES AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE.
· DON’T FAVOR THE RICH. THEY OPPRESS THE POOR AND SLANDER THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST.
· DON’T DISCRIMINATE THE POOR.
II. THE DO’S
1. DO OBEY GOD’S COMMAND (8-11)
“Yes, indeed, it is good when you truly obey the Lord’s royal command found in the Scriptures: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ But if you pay special attention to the rich, you are committing a sin, for you are guilty of breaking that law. And the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the person who has broken all of God’s laws. For the same God who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ So if you murder someone, you have broken the entire law, even if you do not commit adultery.”
“Love your neighbor as yourself…” Leviticus 19:18.
But who is my neighbor?
Jesus Christ answered this question in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. According to Jesus, our neighbor is anyone who needs our help (Luke 10:25-37).
What about our enemies, how should we treat them?
Jesus says, “Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you…. If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect”
Matthew 5:44-47.
“Love your neighbor” is the royal law because it rules all the other laws concerning relationships with men. Paul says in Romans 13:10, “Love is the fulfillment of the law.” If you love your neighbor, you don’t need to be told ‘do not steal’, ‘do not kill’, ‘do not covet’, ‘do not lie’. Because you love your neighbor you wouldn’t do anything that would hurt him, harm him, or endanger his person and property.
It is also the royal law because obeying it makes you a king. Hatred, bitterness, grudges, temper make a person slave. With these, we create our own prison cell and imprison ourselves. But love sets us free from selfishness and enables us to reign like kings.
“If you want to be miserable, hate somebody.”
“Bitterness always inflicts a deeper wound on the person who harbors it than the person against whom it is directed.”
Christian love does not mean that I must like a person and agree with him on everything. It does not mean we should look alike, think alike, and talk alike. That’s what we call cracker-box mentality – uniformity and unanimity.
Christian love does not leave the person where it finds him. Love always builds up.
If we fail to obey God’s command – “loving our neighbors” – then we will also fail with the lesser commands.
2. DO REMEMBER GOD’S JUDGMENT (v. 12)
Illus: people were lining up at heaven’s entrance….spell God…spell God… spell kelieflagelistiloscious.
“God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad” Ecclesiastes 12:14.
Someday, we will stand face to face with God. We will give an account of the life we have lived. Whether we believe it or not it’s going to happen because God said it in His Word. And I absolutely believe it regardless of the evidence. If it’s not true, I lose nothing. But if it’s true, I gain everything. The Bible does not give us a complete picture of what’s going to happen on that day. But there’s going to be a replay of our lives. How?
Dr. Wilbur Penfield, a neuro-surgeon, reports:
“Your brain contains a permanent record of your past that is like a single continuous strip of moving film, complete with sound track. The film library records your whole waking life from childhood on. You can live again those scenes from your past, one at a time, when a surgeon places a gentle electrical current and applies it to a certain point on the temporal cortex of your brain. As you relive the scenes from the past, you feel exactly the same emotions you did during the original experience.”
“So whenever you speak, or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law of love, the law that set you free.”
a. OUR WORDS WILL BE JUDGED
What we say to people and how we say it, will come up before God.
“But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” Matthew 12:36-37.
“If you are angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the high council. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell” Matthew 5:22.
“Don’t talk too much, for it fosters sin. Be sensible and turn off the flow” Proverbs 10:19.
“Those who love to talk will experience the consequences, for the tongue can kill or nourish life” Proverbs 18:21.
b. OUR DEEDS WILL BE JUDGED
“Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism” Colossians 3:25.
“I hate all your show and pretense – the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings. Away with your hymns of praise! They are only noise to my ears. I will not listen to your music, no matter how lovely it is. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, a river of righteous living that will never run dry” Amos 5:21-24.
“So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters” Galatians 6:9-10.
MATTHEW 25:31-46.
YOU WERE PUT HERE ON EARTH TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION, NOT JUST TO CONSUME!
3. DO EXEMPLIFY GOD’S MERCY (v. 13)
“For there will be no mercy for you if you have not been merciful to others. But if you have been merciful, then God’s mercy toward you will win out over his judgment against you.”
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” Matthew 5:7.
Mercy means a sense of pity plus a desire to relieve the suffering. MERCY MEANS PITY PLUS ACTION.
To have a merciful spirit means the spirit that is displayed when suddenly you have the power to get even to someone who has wronged you. This person now is in your power; is there a vindictive spirit, or is there a spirit of pity and sorrow, a spirit of kindness to your enemy in distress?
MATTHEW 18:22-35.
a. If you are merciful, you will obtain mercy.
You already have it, but will have it every time you sin, because when you realize what you have done you will come back to God and say, “Have mercy upon me, O God.”
b. If you are not forgiving your brother, your prayer will not be answered.
If you are forgiving your brother, you can ask God for forgiveness, but you will have no confidence in your prayer, and your prayer will not be answered.
“If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, my Lord would not have listened” Psalm 66:18.
We proclaim, therefore, whether we have received forgiveness or not by whether we forgive or not. If I am forgiven, I shall forgive.
c. We shall need mercy at the day of judgment when every one of us stands before the judgment seat of Christ and has to give an account of the deeds done in the body.
For certain, there will be things that are wrong and sinful, and we shall need mercy in that day. And if we are merciful, we shall obtain mercy in that day.
So, if I am not merciful there is only one explanation; I have never understood the grace and mercy of God; I am outside Christ; I am yet in my sins, and I am unforgiven.
THE EVIDENCE OF FAITH (part 1)
James 2:14-20
FAITH IS A KEY DOCTRINE IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
FAITH IS ESSENTIAL FOR SALVATION.
Faith, complete trust in Christ alone, is essential for salvation.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast” EPHESIANS 2:8-9.
FAITH PLEASES GOD.
For the genuine Christian, the major motivating factor for all of life is the desire to please God, not man. The key to pleasing God is faith.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” HEBREWS 11:6.
FAITH OBEYS GOD
Abraham is called the father of faith. His faith in God always manifested itself in obedience to God’s commands.
“It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going” HEBREWS 11:8.
FAITH OVERCOMES THE WORLD.
The foundation of all spiritual victory is absolute trust and faith in God.
“Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” 1 JOHN 5:4-5.
FAITH IS NOT JUST A FEELING. FAITH IS THE CONFIDENCE THAT GOD’S WORD IS TRUE, AND THE CONVICTION THAT ACTING UPON THAT WORD WILL BRING HIS BLESSING.
The Apostle James discussed the relationship between faith and works. What kind of faith really saves a person? Is it necessary to perform good works in order to be saved?
“Dear brothers and sisters, what’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can’t save anyone. Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, ‘Well, good bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well’ – but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is no faith at all – it is dead and useless.
Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds .’ I say, ‘I can’t see your faith if you don’t have good deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds.’
Do you still think it’s enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?”
James is saying that faith without work is dead. But Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, THROUGH FAITH – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – NOT BY WORKS, so that no one can boast.”
Are they contradictory? Will this satisfy the questioning of the skeptics who are in search of evidence to disprove the Bible?
No. They are not contradictory. In fact, they are complementary. Salvation is by faith in Christ alone. There’s nothing you can do to earn your salvation. You only have to receive the gift of God – the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. That’s it? Yes. Do don’t have to do penance, magpapaku sa cross, lumuhod patungong altar, kumain ng apoy, at kung anu-ano. To work for your salvation is actually an insult to the finished work of Christ on the cross. So what do I have to do to be saved? Receive Christ. Put your complete trust in him. When you do that sincerely the Bible says, you are saved right there and then. You become a child of God and if you die after that you are assured of heaven. That simple? Yes. Salvation is free but not cheap. Jesus Christ bought our salvation with his own blood.
Now that you are saved, what do you do? James says there must be evidence of your faith. So what James is saying here is actually a continuation of what Paul said in Ephesians 2:8-9.
I. HOW DO WE SHOW THAT WE HAVE TRUE SAVING FAITH?
1. BY OUR GOOD WORKS
“Dear brothers and sisters, what’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can’t save anyone. Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, ‘Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well’ – but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is no faith at all – it is dead and useless” JAMES 2:14-17.
PEOPLE WITH DEAD FAITH SUBSTITUTE WORDS FOR DEEDS. They know the correct vocabulary for prayer and testimony, and even quote the right verses from the Bible; but their walk does not measure up to their talk.
A. WE ARE CREATED TO DO GOOD WORKS
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” Ephesians 2:10.
Not only are we created in Christ Jesus – born again for the purpose of doing good works – but we are created to do good works that God prepared in advance for us to do. Before we came to Christ and before we were even born, God prepared certain good works for us to do.
“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” Psalm 139:16.
These good works will arise out of the course of our daily lives. They may not be glamorous or exciting – like the saving of the world ala batman or spiderman or superman. They may not be featured in the Evening News. The challenge to us is to be alert for these opportunities and to see them not as interruptions or inconveniences, but as occasions for doing the good works God has planned for us.
1. DOING GOOD AT WORK
Perhaps one of the most obvious areas in which God has prepared good works for us to do is our life’s calling or vocation. The good works God has prepared for us individually are consistent with the abilities He has given us and the circumstances in which He placed us.
Most of us spend half or more of our waking hours at our vocations. If we fail to do good works there, we are throwing away half of our lives as far as fulfilling God’s purpose for us here on earth.
Evaluate your work situation; if you are a student, consider the work you are thinking of pursuing. Does it lead to doing the good deeds God has planned for you?
What about your attitude toward your job? Do you view the job as an opportunity to do many of the good deeds God has planned for you by meeting the needs of people, or do you view it only as a way or earning the money you need? If we are to grow in the grace of goodness we must have the right attitude about our vocation.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” Colossians 3:23-24.
Enjoy your work. A worker who does only what he has to is a slave. One who willingly does more than what is required is truly a free man.
2. DOING GOOD AT HOME
“Whoever does not work should not eat” 2 Thessalonians 3:10.
“Stay away from any Christian who lives in idleness and doesn’t follow the tradition of hard work we gave” 2 Thessalonians 3:6.
“If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” 1Timothy 5:8.
As students, spend wisely. You don’t have the right to ask money if you don’t know how to spend it the right way. Honor your parents by the way you spend their hard-earned money. Study hard. Work hard. That way you can repay all their hard works. Huwag sige sa internet.
During vacation or weekends na umuuwi kayo, magtrabaho kayo. tumulong kayo sa mga magulang ninyo. Huwag pasosyal sosyal kahit may mga katulong kayo. Ayaw sige laag. Sa mga lalaki, ayaw sige dula basketball unya dli mo manglaba.
Those of you whose parents are abroad, huwag sige hingi. Huwag sige pabili ng bagong cellphone, bagong sapatos, at kung anu-ano. Hindi niyo alam kung anong pinagdadaanan nila para lamang kumita ng pera. ‘Yong iba talagang kinakapalan nila mukha nilang umutang para lamang may maipadala sa inyo. Honor your parents.
“Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. Honor your father and mother. This is the first of the Ten Commandments that ends with a promise. And this is the promise: if you honor your father and mother, you will live a long life, full of blessing” Ephesians 6:1-3.
Good deeds should begin at home. Let us do good to all, but especially to our own family.
3. DOING GOOD TO ALL PEOPLE
As believers, we have an obligation to help meet the needs of people, no matter who they may be.
“Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters”
GALATIANS 6:10.
“When you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” MATTHEW 25:40.
To help a person in need is an expression of love, and faith works by love.
“Faith expresses itself in love” GALATIANS 5:6.
“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and truth”1 JOHN 3:17-18.
Good deeds in our vocations and in our homes are important, but there is still a big world out there for each of us – to meet the physical, spiritual, and eternal needs of others. Here again, God has prepared good works for each of us, consistent with our gifts and circumstances. We need to pray, “Lord, what will You have me to do?” and then we should do it.
Opportunities for doing good are virtually unlimited. Only we need to be sensitive to God’s Holy Spirit as he selects opportunities for us.
One behavior we must guard against is the impulsive and often superficial response to the needs of others.
True goodness is not merely impulsive, but rational and considerate – It will therefore pause, and be at some trouble to inquire what service, and how best may it be rendered....Goodness should be willing to give time, and thought, and patience, and even labor; not mere money and kind words and compassionate looks.
True goodness is self-sacrificing, not only of money but of time. One of the less obvious but more critical needs that many people have is for someone to listen to them. They don’t need our advice as much as our attention. Just a little bit of concern from someone who cares goes a mighty long way.
True goodness is not only self-sacrificing, it is also untiring. It does not “become weary in doing good” Galatians 6:9.
True goodness does not look up to the recipients, or even to the results. It looks to God alone, and, finding His smile of approval, it gains the needed strength to carry on.
B. WE WILL BE JUDGED ACCORDING TO OUR GOOD WORKS
Jesus’ account of the judgment day is found in Matthew 25. There the test is good deeds: feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, clothing the needy, showing hospitality to the stranger, attending to the sick, and visiting those in prison. Jesus is teaching in that passage not that doing good deeds earns our admittance to heaven, but that they are necessary and vital evidences that we are bound for heaven.
OUR GOOD WORKS WILL PROVE THE VALIDITY OF OUR CHRISTIAN
EXPERIENCE AND OUR POSSESSION OF ETERNAL LIFE.
Consider your gifts, your talents, your vocation, and your circumstances as a special trust from God with which to serve Him by serving others. As Peter says, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” 1 Peter 4:10.
Remember that you are responsible not for doing all the good that needs to be done in the world, but for doing what God has planned for you.
Remember also that most opportunities for doing good come across the ordinary path of our day. Don’t look for the spectacular – saving planet earth, saving the president from an assassin, pulling a victim from the wreckage of a flaming automobile. All of us have the opportunity to administer the kind or encouraging word, to do the little, perhaps unseen, deed that makes life more pleasant for someone else.
Opportunities for doing good are not interruptions in God’s plan for us, but part of that plan. We always have time to do what God wants us to do. Ask God to enlarge your soul and enable you to look beyond yourself to the concerns and needs of those around you.
“...lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love” EPHESIANS 4:1-2.
“Be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days” EPHESIANS 5:15-16.
As believers, we have an obligation to help meet the needs of people, no matter who they may be.
“Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters”
GALATIANS 6:10.
“When you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” MATTHEW 25:40.
To help a person in need is an expression of love, and faith works by love.
“Faith expresses itself in love” GALATIANS 5:6.
“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and truth”
1 JOHN 3:17-18.
THE EVIDENCE OF FAITH (part 2)
James 2:14-20
2. BY OUR CHANGED LIVES
“Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds.’ I say, ‘I can’t see your faith if you don’t have good deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds.’
Do you still think it’s enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror” JAMES 2:18-19.
It comes as a shock to people that demons have faith! What do they believe? For one thing, they believe in the existence of God; they are neither atheists nor agnostics. They also believe in the deity of Christ. But they are still demons!
The man with dead faith was touched only in his intellect; but the demons are also touched in their emotions. They believe and tremble. But to believe and tremble aren’t enough. A person can be enlightened in his mind and even stirred in his heart and be lost forever.
JUDAS ISCARIOT.
There are people who are very emotional …
Being emotional does not mean being spiritual…(Pastor, yang pigsa ko pastor).
True saving faith involves something more, something that can be seen and recognized: A CHANGED LIFE.
“...lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love” EPHESIANS 4:1-2.
“Be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days” EPHESIANS 5:15-16.
Jesus Christ is in the business of changing lives. He changed a prostitute into a missionary (John 4). We cannot have Christ in our life and remain the same.
a. A NEW ATTITUDE
“Throw off your old nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God’s likeness – righteous, holy, and true” EPHESIANS 4:22-24.
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” EPHESIANS 4:31-32.
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude in life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one thing we have, and that is our attitude…. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you…. We are in charge of our attitudes.”
b. A NEW SPEECH
“So put away falsehood and ‘tell your neighbor the truth’ because we belong to each other. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them” EPHESIANS 4:25, 29.
“Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes – these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God” EPHESIANS 5:4.
c. A NEW MINDSET (way of thinking, outlook, attitude, state of mind)
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of the world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is” ROMANS 12:2.
“Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth” COLOSSIANS 3:2.
We must have a Kingdom Mindset.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” Matthew 6:33.
d. A NEW AMBITION
“Dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God...You are doing this already, and we encourage you to do so more and more....God has called us to be holy, not to live impure lives” 1 THESSALONIANS 4:1, 7.
Our one ambition should be to please God. We are done away with self.
God demands our all – body, soul, spirit. He will not settle for anything less. It is only when we have come to total surrender to Gog can we experience His power in our lives.
3. BY OUR OBEDIENCE TO GOD
“Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless? Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was declared right with God because of what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, he was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to do. His faith was made complete by what he did – by his actions. And so it happened Just as the Scriptures say: ‘Abraham believed God, so God declared him to be righteous.’ He was even called the ‘friend of God.’ So you see, we are made right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.
Rahab the prostitute is another example of this. She was made right with God by her actions – when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is dead without good deeds” JAMES 2:20-26.
James mentioned two persons who showed their faith by obeying God:
a. ABRAHAM
God called Abraham out of his hometown to lead him into Canaan and to make out of him the great nation of Israel. It was through Israel that God would bring the Savior into the world.
God promised him a son when he was 75 years old. After 25 years of waiting the promise was fulfilled (Genesis 15,18,21).
When Isaac (Abraham’s son) was about 13, God told Abraham to offer his son to Him. Abraham obeyed (Genesis 22).
ABRAHAM WAS NOT SAVED BY FAITH PLUS WORKS, BUT BY A FAITH THAT WORKS.
b. RAHAB (Joshua 2, 6)
Israel was about to invade their Promised Land and take the city of Jericho. Joshua sent spies into the city to get the layout of the land. There they met Rahab, a prostitute, who protected them and affirmed that she believed in what God had said and what God was going to do. When the spies departed, they promised to save her and her family when the city was taken; and this they did.
Rahab risked her own life to protect the Jewish spies, and she further risked her own by sharing the good news of deliverance with the members of her family.
“Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but they still won’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven. THE DECISIVE ISSUE IS WHETHER THEY OBEY MY FATHER IN HEAVEN” (emphasis mine) MATTHEW 7:21.
He is the Judge, and it is what he thinks of us that matters. It is he who will say to these people, ‘I don’t know you! The word ‘know’ is very strong. It does not mean that he is not aware of their existence. He knows all things, he sees everything. ‘Know’ means being in a particular relationship to.
The most important thing is our relationship to the lord Jesus Christ. do we know him, and does he know us?
We must realize that God wants, above all, is ourselves – our heart. He wants our submission. He does not want merely our beliefs, our works, our enthusiasm, or anything else. He wants us. He wants our obedience, not only our sacrifices or offerings.
It is possible for a man to say the right things, to be very busy and active in the Lord’s work, to achieve wonderful results, and yet not give himself to the Lord. That is the greatest insult we can offer to God – a life that is not fully and entirely surrendered. And whatever else we may do – however great our offerings and sacrifices, however wonderful our works in his name – it means nothing.
God is entitled to the whole of our lives. That means that He must have control not only in the big things, but in the little things also; not only over what we do, but how we do it. We must submit to Him and His way as revealed in His Word.
James emphasizes that the mature Christian practices God’s Word. His faith is practical. He does not merely hold to his doctrines; he practices those doctrines in his everyday life.
HIS FAITH IS SEEN IN HIS GOOD WORKS, IN HIS CHANGED LIFE AND IN HIS OBEDIENCE TO GOD.
MONEY TALKS
James 5:1-6
“Look here, you rich people, weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. Your gold and silver have become worthless. The very wealth you were counting on will eat your flesh in hell. This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment. For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The wages you held back cry out against you. The cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.
You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every whim. Now your hearts are nice and fat, ready for the slaughter. You have condemned and killed good people who had no power to defend themselves against you.”
When money speaks, everybody listens. Money is a basic need. It’s so difficult to buy when you don’t have money. What is the Golden Rule?
The Golden Rule is: “He who has the gold makes the rules.”
Money can buy:
A bed, but not sleep,
Books, but not brains,
Food, but not appetite,
Finery, but not beauty,
A house, but not a home,
Medicine, but not health,
Luxuries, but not culture,
Amusement, but not happiness,
Companions, but not friends,
Flattery, but not respect.
“A man’s treatment of money is the most decisive test of his character – how he makes it and how he spends it.”
Paul says, ““But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of money. And some people, craving for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows” 1 Timothy 6:10.
Money is not evil, but the love of money is. According to Jesus, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Matthew 6:21.
What does He mean by this? “TREASURES” is a very large term and all-inclusive. It includes money, but it is not money only. Our Lord is concerned here with our attitude towards our possessions. It is not what we have, but what we think of what we have, our attitude towards what we have.
There is nothing wrong with being rich, Jesus Christ is not against it. What can be very wrong is our relationship to our wealth or possessions.
This warning is not only for the rich. We all have treasures in some shape or form. It may not be money. It may be a husband, wife, children, boyfriend, girlfriend; it may be a degree, a diploma, a land, a house, a photo album, a cellphone, or something that has sentimental value. No matter what it is, or how small it is, if it is everything to you, that is your treasure, that is the thing that brings you satisfaction. This is the danger against which our Lord is warning us at this particular point.
Treasures on earth are almost endless. Not only love of money, but love of honor, love of position, the love of status, the love of one’s work or career and so on and so forth.
James is not against the rich. After all, Abraham was a wealthy man, yet he walked with God, and was greatly used of God to bless the whole world. James was concerned about the selfishness of the rich.
I. THE SINS OF THE RICH
1. HOARDING
“This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment” (5:3c).
These rich men were hoarding grain, gold, and garments. They thought they were rich because they had these possessions. During national crises, hoarders are the traitors because their resources are not available to others.
“Bertha Adams died alone at the age of seventy-one. According to the report the cause of death is malnutrition. After wasting away to fifty pounds she could no longer stay alive. When the authorities made a preliminary investigation of her place, they found a veritable ‘pigpen….the biggest mess you can imagine.’ The pitiable woman had begged food from neighbors and gotten what clothes she had from a charitable institution.
Amid the jumble of her unclean, messy belongings, two keys were found which led officials to safe deposit boxes at two different local banks. This discovery was absolutely unbelievable. The first box contained over 700 stock certificates, plus hundreds of other valuable certificates, bonds, and solid financial securities, and cash amounting to nearly $200,000. The second box had more currency - $600,000. adding the net worth of both boxes, the woman was a millionaire. Her great wealth did her no good whatsoever. Its proper use could have meant good health for her and many others.”
What did Jesus mean by “laying up treasures in heaven?” Did he mean we should “sell everything and give to the poor” as he instructed the rich young ruler? I think not. He spoke that way to the rich young ruler because of his covetousness.
To lay up treasures in heaven means to use all that we have as stewards or caretakers of God’s wealth. You and I may possess many things, but we do not own them. God is the owner of everything, and we are His stewards.
“…All the world is mine and everything in it” Psalm50:12.
The Bible does not discourage saving, or even investing; but it does condemn hoarding.
2. HOLDING BACK WAGES
“For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The wages you held back cry out against you. The cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty” (5:4).
Laborers were hired and paid by the day and did not have any legal contracts with their employers.
“Never take advantage of poor laborers, whether fellow Israelites or foreigners living in your towns. Pay them their wages each day before the sunset because they are poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they might cry out to the Lord against you, and it would be counted against you as sin” Deuteronomy 24:14-15.
These rich men had hired the laborers and promised to pay them a specific amount. The men had completed their work but had not been paid (hindi minimum wage, tax evasion).
“Thou shall not steal” is still the law of God. As Christians, we must be faithful in paying our bills.
“Pay all your debts, except the debt of love for others. You can never finish paying that!” Romans 13:8.
3. LUXURIOUS LIVING
“You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every whim. Now your hearts are nice and fat, ready for the slaughter” (5:5).
Chavit Singson sa Sharon….
Sharon: “What can you buy with 1000 pesos?”
Chavit: “A pair of socks and a hanky.”
Luxurious living is sin. Even if we what we have has been earned lawfully and in the will of God, we must not waste it on selfish living. There are too many needs to be met.
Baka sinasabi natin, “hindi ako kasali diyan kasi hindi naman ako luxurious.”
Well, let’s examine our buying habits.
a. Do you buy things for their usefulness or because of their status?
b. Consider your clothes. People buy more clothes not because they need clothes, but because they want to keep up with the latest fashion. Stop trying to impress people with your clothes and impress them with your life.
c. Evaluate your spending: How much is devoted to God, to God’s work, to God’s workers, and to people in need? How much is devoted to our wants?
d. Are you addicted to something?
e. Do you have the habit of giving things away?
Masses of things that are not needed complicate life.
“Beware! Don’t be greedy for what you don’t have. Real life is not measured by how much we own…. A person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God” Luke 12:15, 21.
4. CONTROLLING THE COURTS
“You have condemned and killed good people who had no power to defend themselves against you (5:6).
Economic power begets political power. The Golden Rule: “Whoever has the gold makes the rules.”
The poor workers could not afford expensive lawsuits, so they were not given justice, and were abused and ruined [imprisoned or killed].
II. THE CONSEQUENCES OF MISUSING RICHES
“Look here, you rich people, weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you” (5:1).
1. DECAYING OF WEALTH
“Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. Your gold and silver have become worthless” (5:2-3a).
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty…” Matthew 6:19.
There is an element of decay in all these things. Jesus is saying that these things do not fully satisfy. There is always something wrong with them; they always lack something. Some people appear to have everything that they desire, still they want something else. Happiness cannot be purchased.
Another problem with material things is that we get tired or bored of them. We may enjoy them for a while, but later we lose interest in them. The Law of Diminishing Returns. That is why we are always talking about new things, the latest, the best, top of the line. Fashions change. And we don’t want to
be out of fashion.
It is not true that as we get older, the desire for material things fades. The only thing that changes is the object of desire.
And the last fact about these things is that they will inevitably perish. They will fade – beauty, strength, charm, intelligence, power, money, etc. However wonderful and beautiful and glorious things may be, they all perish.
2. ERODING OF CHARACTER
“The very wealth you were counting on will eat your flesh in hell” (5:3b).
These things control our feelings, our affections, and our whole personality. We love these things. We pretend that we only like them, but really, we love them. They move us deeply.
Have you seen the change, the subtle change that tends to take place in men’s lives as they succeed and prosper in this world? They become slaves of what they love.
3. PREPARING FOR JUDGMENT
“This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment… Now your hearts are nice and fat, ready for the slaughter” (5:3, 5).
The witnesses against them: their wealth, the wages they held back, the workers.
“You are storing up terrible punishment for yourself because of your stubbornness in refusing to turn from your sin. For there is going to come a day of judgment when God, the just judge of all the world, will judge all people according to what they have done” Romans 2:5-6.
4. LOSING OF A PRECIOUS OPPORTUNITY
“The last days” indicates that James believed that the coming of the Lord was near. Think of the good that could have been accomplished with that hoarded wealth. People could have been helped.
“Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may take hold of real life” 1 Timothy 6:17-19.
It is possible to be ‘poor in this world’ and yet rich in the next world. It is also possible to be ‘rich in this world’ and poor in the next world. The return of Jesus Christ will make some people poor and others rich, depending on the spiritual condition of their hearts. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Matthew 6:21.
What we keep, we lose. What we give to God, we keep, and He adds interest to it.
THE POWER OF PATIENCE
James 5:7-12
“Dear brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who eagerly look for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They patiently wait for the precious harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. And take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.
Don’t grumble about each other, my brothers and sisters, or God will judge you. For look! The great judge is coming. He is standing at the door!
For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. Job is an example of a man who endured patiently. From his experience we see how the Lord’s plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy.
But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned for it.”
All through out the New Testament the return of Jesus Christ is emphasized. Two-thousand years ago, it was the message of the apostles – “Jesus Christ is coming soon!”
And the Apostle James writes to the believers during his time to patiently wait for the Lord’s return.
The word patience means “to stay put and stand fast when you’d like to run away.”
Many have fallen away from the faith because they can no longer wait. Some engaged in inventing formulas to calculate the exact date of Jesus’ return. So far, lahat ay bagsak!
Jesus says, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” Matthew 24:42.
If that is the case, how can we as Christians experience this kind of patient endurance as we wait for the Lord to return? James gives three encouraging examples of patient endurance.
I. THE FARMER
“Dear brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who eagerly look for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They patiently wait for the precious harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. And take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near” (5:7-9).
If a man is impatient, then he had better not become a farmer. No crop appears overnight, and no farmer has control over the weather. Too much rain and too much sun can destroy the crop.
It takes time for plants to grow.
Why does he willingly wait so long? Because the fruit is “precious” (5:7).
“So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time” Galatians 6:9.
The Christian is a “spiritual farmer” looking for a spiritual harvest. Our hearts are the soil, and the “seed is the Word of God.”
There are seasons to the spiritual life just as there are seasons to the soil.
The seed must be buried for it to grow. In the same way, the Christian goes through trials and troubles and sufferings.
The farmer does not stand around doing nothing waiting for the harvest. He is constantly at work as he looks toward the harvest.
James did not tell these believers to put on white robes, climb a hill, and wait for Jesus to return. We must do God’s work until Jesus returns.
Nor does any farmer get into fights with his neighbors. “Don’t grumble against each other brothers or you will be judged” (5:9).
II. THE PROPHETS
“For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. Job is an example of a man who endured patiently. From his experience we see how the Lord’s plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy” (5:10).
The prophets encourage us by reminding us that God cares for us when we go through sufferings for His sake.
1. ELIJAH (1 Kings 17-19)
« He announced to wicked King Ahab that there would be a drought for 3 and ½ years and he himself had to suffer in that drought. He went into hiding.
« Queen Jezebel threatened his life. Elijah ran. He was afraid, depressed, and abandoned.
« During those sad moments, Elijah wanted to die. He witnessed a windstorm, and earthquake, and God’s fire from heaven. But the Lord was not in any of those powerful things. Instead, God displayed His presence in a soft whisper.
2. JEREMIAH – “the weeping prophet”
« He spoke, nobody listened. He urged the people of Israel to act, nobody moved. He was poor and underwent severe deprivation to deliver his prophecies.
« He was thrown into prison, and into a well. He was rejected by his neighbors, his family, the false priests and prophets, friends, his audience, and the kings.
« Regardless of opposition and personal cost, Jeremiah courageously and faithfully proclaimed the Word of God.
3. DANIEL
« He was thrown into a lion’s den because he violated the king’s order banning prayer.
4. EZEKIEL
« During his ministry God told him to illustrate his messages with dramatic object lessons.
« Lying on his left side for 390 days during which he could eat only one 8-ounce meal a day cooked over manure. Another 40 days on his right side.
« Shaving his head and beard.
« Showing no sorrow when his wife died.
Why were they willing to suffer?
“All these faithful ones died without receiving what God had promised them, but they saw it from a distance and welcomed the promises of God…..But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a heavenly city for them” Hebrews 11:13-16.
Why is that those who “speak in the name of the Lord” often must endure difficult trials? It is so that their lives might back up their messages. The impact of a life carries much power. We need to remind ourselves that our patience in times of suffering is a testimony to others around us.
This example that James used from the Old Testament prophets ought to encourage us to spend more time in the Bible, getting acquainted with the heroes of faith. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” Romans 15:4.
Like the farmer, we keep working, and, like the prophets, we keep witnessing, no matter how trying the circumstances may be.
III. THE LIFE OF JOB
“Job is an example of a man who endured patiently. From his experience we see how the Lord’s plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy” (5:11).
Job is a prosperous farmer. He has thousands of sheep, camels, and other livestock, a large family, and lots of servants. Suddenly Satan comes before God claiming that Job trusts God only because he is wealthy and everything is going well for him. And so the testing of Job’s faith begins.
Satan is allowed to destroy Job’s children, servants, livestock, herdsmen, and home; but Job continues to trust in God. Next Satan attacks Job physically, covering him with painful boils. Job’s wife tells him to curse God and die, but Job suffers in silence.
His friends were against him, for they accused him of being a hypocrite, deserving of the judgment of God. And it seemed like God was against him! When Job cried out for answers to his questions, there was no reply from heaven.
Finally, God speaks out of a mighty whirlwind. Confronted with the great power and majesty of God, Job falls in humble reverence before God – speechless. God rebukes Job’s friends, and the drama ends with Job restored to happiness and wealth.
The exhortation in verse 12 seems out of place:
“But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned for it.”
It is easy to say things you do not mean, and make promises you don’t intend to keep when you are going through difficulties.
Look at the example of Job:
“I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be stripped of everything when I die. The Lord gave me everything I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord.’ In all this, Job did not sin by blaming God” Job 1:21-22.
James wanted to encourage us to be patient in times of suffering. Like the farmer, we must work while we wait for the harvest. Like the prophets, we look for opportunities to share the truth of God. And like Job, we wait for the Lord to fulfill His loving purpose, knowing that He will never cause His children to suffer needlessly.
And, like Job, we shall have a clearer vision of the Lord and come to know Him better for having been in the furnace of affliction.
Let us patiently wait for the Lord’s return.
THE POWER OF PRAYER
James 5: 13-20
Intro:
Speech is that which distinguishes men from animals, but prayer distinguishes the children of God from the children of this world. Speech we use to communicate our thoughts to each other, but prayer is the speech used by the believer to commune with God.
The gift of speech is a marvelous blessing, if it is used to the glory of God. James mentioned some of the lowest uses of the tongue: complaining and swearing. But he also named some of the highest uses of the tongue: proclaiming God’s word and praying and praising God.
Prayer is certainly a high and holy privilege. To think that, as God’s children, we can come freely and boldly to His throne and share with Him our needs! Instead of complaining about his situation, he talks to God about it; and God hears and answers his prayers. “Taking it to the Lord in prayer” is certainly a mark of spiritual maturity.
“Is anyone of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is anyone of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain in the land for three and a half years. Again, he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” James 5: 13-20
In this section, James encourages us to pray by describing four situations in which God answers prayer.
I. PRAYER FOR THE SUFFERING (5:13)
The word trouble means “suffering in difficult circumstances”. As God’s people go through life, they often must endure difficulties that are not the results of sin or the discipline of God.
What should we do when we find ourselves in such trying circumstances? Complain? Blame the Lord? No. we should pray, asking God for the wisdom that we need to understand the situation and use it to His glory.
James 1:5- “If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask Him and He will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking.”
Prayer can remove affliction, if that is God’s will. But prayer can also give us the grace we need to endure troubles and use them to accomplish God’s perfect will. Paul prayed that God might change his circumstances (his thorn in the flesh), but instead, God gave Paul the grace he needed to turn his weaknesses into strength. (2 Cor. 10: 7-10)
But not everybody is in trouble. “Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” God balances our lives and gives us hours of suffering and days of singing. The mature Christian knows how to sing while he is suffering. Our singing reveals our inner spiritual life. Our singing must come from the heart, must be based on the word of God, and motivated by the Holy Spirit. If a song is not biblical, it is not acceptable to God.
II. PRAYER FOR THE SICK (5: 14-16)
There is no formula prayer for healing the sick. I have prayed for sick people—others were healed, others were not.
What are the special characteristics of this case that James is describing?
1. The person is sick because of sin (15b-16)
“…and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.”
James has described a church member who is sick because he is being disciplined by God. This explains why the elders of the assembly are called: the man cannot go to church to confess his sins.
2. The person confesses his sin (5:16)
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
3. The person is healed by “the prayer of faith”
It is not the anointing that heals, but the praying. The Greek word translated “anointing” is a medical term; it could be translated “massaging”. James suggests using available means for healing along with asking the Lord for his divine touch. God can heal with or without means; in each case, it is God who does the healing.
The “prayer of faith” is a prayer offered when you know the will of God. The elders would seek the mind of God in the matter, and then pray according to His will. James does not instruct the believer to call for a faith healer. The matter is in the hands of the leaders of the church.
III. PRAYER FOR THE NATION (5: 17-18)
“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective”. James is talking about Elijah.
Elijah prayed in faith. Elijah prayed persistently. Elijah prayed earnestly (pray in your prayer. Not just saying religious words).
Prayer power is the greatest power in the world today. Elijah prayed for his nation, and God answered. We need to pray for our nation today, that God will bring conviction and revival, and that “showers of blessing” will come to the land.
2Chro. 7:14- “If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land.
IV. PRAYER FOR THE STRAYING (BACKSLIDER) (5:19-20)
Somebody said, “We spend so much time praying for sick Christians who, if they die—and they will eventually—will go to be with Jesus, but we spend almost no time praying for the sinners who, when they die, will go to the Christless eternity.
What are we to do when we see a fellow believer wandering from the truth? We should pray for him; but we must also seek to help him. He needs to be “converted”—turned back into the right path again.
It can also be applied to the lost sinner.
This brings us to the end of our study of James. This would be a good time for us to examine our hearts to see how mature we really are.
1. Am I becoming more and more patient in the testing of life?
2. Do I play with temptation or resist it from the start?
3. Do I find joy in obeying God’s word, or do I merely study it and learn it?
4. Am I able to control my tongue?
5. Do I make plans without considering the will of God?
6. Am I selfish when it comes to money? Am I faithful in the paying of my bills?
7. Do I naturally depend on prayer when I find myself in some kind of trouble?
Don’t just grow old—grow up!
