James Expounds on Faith Volume 14

 Be Doers of the Word of God Part 2

James 1:23-24 For if any be a hearer of the Word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

The Word Picture 🖼 that is given to us next by the Apostle James is something clearly any of us can understand in the natural realm because we often have occassion to look at ourselves in physical mirrors when we wash our 😔 faces or brush our teeth in the mornings when we are awakened by God or at 🌃 night before we go to 🛏 bed. Therefore, we find James now comparing our spiritual journey or 🚶 walk with Christ Jesus our Lord to that very thing with these words, "For if any be a hearer of the Word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was." (James 23-24) (KJV). In other words, how utter foolish would it be for us to behold our 😔 faces in the mirror and go away from said mirror and forget what we look like and then even more ridiculous to even 🤔 think and believe that we are some other person or that we have the face 😔 of someone else and then act out in public like we are that other person. This would be nonsense and we would be looked at by other people as being 🤪 crazy or mentally unstable. How much more then can we read the Word of God and hear what it declares to us and then live in a manner just the opposite of what the Word communicates to us, this is a form of spiritual insanity and it leads us into a defeated, downcast, and destructive life hear on the earth 🌎 as followers of Jesus Christ, for we are now the Temple of God and He will not continously allow us to bring disrepute or discredit to His Name, as it is 📝 written by the Apostle Paul to the Church @ Corinth with these words, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are." (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) (NKJV). We are the Lord God/Elohim's children now and He is a far better Father than any earthly father, therefore, out of love for Him we should desire to glorify His Name on the 🌎 earth and allow God the Holy Spirit to keep us in said state and condition as it is written 📝 with the following words, "I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And I will glorify Your name forevermore." (Psalms 86:12) (NKJV) and also "For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:20) (NKJV). We no longer belong to ourselves or anyone else on the 🌎 earth, but we belong to God, let us then desire to bring Glory to His Name and not blaspheme His Name among unbelievers. Throughout the epistles in the New Testament the subject of 'conduct' (behaving in a certain manner) is communicated often, for example, "This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:17-24) (NKJV). It is as clear as the noon day ☀ sun and our rationalizing our sin, disobedience, and rebellion (and not repenting) to this truth will only hurt us more and more spiritually, for God is not mocked by unbelievers sure, but He will also not be mocked by us (believers) and He will grant to us the fruit of our declarations, deeds, and doings, as it is written, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." (Galatians 6:7-8) (NKJV) Amen!

Here is what Adam Clarke had to say of James 1:23-24, "This metaphor is very simple, but very expressive. A man wishes to see his own face, and how, in its natural state, it appears; for this purpose he looks into a mirror, by which his real face, with all its blemishes and imperfections, is exhibited. He is affected with his own appearance; he sees deformities that might be remedied; spots, superfluities, and impurities, that might be removed. While he continues to look into the mirror he is affected, and wishes himself different to what he appears, and forms purposes of doing what he can to render his countenance agreeable. On going away he soon forgets what manner of person he was, because the mirror is now removed, and his face is no longer reflected to himself; and he no longer recollects how disagreeable he appeared, and his own resolutions of improving his countenance. The doctrines of God, faithfully preached, are such a mirror; he who hears cannot help discovering his own character, and being affected with his own deformity; he sorrows, and purposes amendment; but when the preaching is over, the mirror is removed, and not being careful to examine the records of his salvation, the perfect law of liberty, or not continuing to look therein, he soon forgets what manner of man he was; or, reposing some unscriptural trust in God’s mercy, he reasons himself out of the necessity of repentance and amendment of life, and thus deceives his soul." Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of James 1:23-24, "The ground of the comparison in these verses is obvious. The Apostle refers to what all persons experience, the fact that we do not retain a distinct impression of ourselves after we have looked in a mirror. While actually looking in the mirror, we see all our features, and can trace them distinctly; when we turn away, the image and the impression both vanish. When looking in the mirror, we can see all the defects and blemishes of our person; if there is a scar, a deformity, a feature of ugliness, it is distinctly before the mind; but when we turn away, that is 'out of sight and out of mind.' When unseen it gives no uneasiness, and, even if capable of correction, we take no pains to remove it. So when we hear the Word of God. It is like a mirror held up before us. In the perfect precepts of the law, and the perfect requirements of the Gospel, we see our own short-comings and defects, and perhaps think that we will correct them. But we turn away immediately, and forget it all. If, however, we were doers of the Word, we should endeavor to remove all those defects and blemishes in our moral character, and to bring our whole souls into conformity with what the law and the Gospel require. The phrase 'natural face' (Greek: face of birth), means, the face or appearance which we have in virtue of our natural birth. The word glass here means mirror. While he looks in the mirror he sees his true appearance. As soon as he goes away, he forgets it. The Apostle does not refer to any intention on his part, but to what is known to occur as a matter of fact. How he looked; and especially if there was anything in his appearance that required correction."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

James Expounds on Faith Volume 13

 Be Doers of the Word of God Part 1

James 1:22 But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

Deception is defined by our English dictionary as a misleading falsehood. This is the concept of the Apostle James very next discourse to us declaring that we should not just be comfortable, cozy, or content with just reading the Word of God, but we should also do what it says and refrain from doing what it condemns. This isn't within our 🧓 old man to have the willingness or the desire to do, therefore, as we wrote of in the previous study/commentary we need the Power of God the Holy Spirit working ⚒ in us and with us to energize and empower us to hear the Word of God and to do what it says, as the Apostle James here states for us with these words, "But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." (James 1:22) (KJV). When someone else misleads you into falsehood, that's bad, but when you are your very own misleader, then that's worse, because you know better, yet refuse to 👂 listen and adhere to the truth of the Word of God. This is what we did regularly, radically, and routinely before we knew the 😍 love and grace of Christ Jesus our Lord, however, this should not be so now that we know and love Him, for we must remember His Words to us when He said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you." (John 14:15-18) (NKJV). Knowing that He has already come to us, we must not grieve Him, but when we do we must repent and turn our inner 👨 man and inner 👩 woman to Him, then and only then will be able to do the Word of God. The little English word 'doers' is translated by the Greek word poiētēs which means a performer or one who does something. The reading and studying of the Bible (the Word of God) is unlike doing the same with any other man written 📙 book because the Bible is Authored by God the Holy Spirit (3rd Person of the GodHead) through many different men and the Word of God comes with the Power of God, therefore, we have only ourselves to blame when we fail to let this Powerful Word engage us into action, for when we do so we bring blessings upon us and to us just as our Lord Jesus Christ declared with these words, "And it happened, as He (Jesus) spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, 'Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!' But He (Jesus) said, 'More than that, blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it!' (Luke 11:27-28) (NKJV). The Apostle already told us in verse 19 that we should be swift or prompt or ready to hear, that is, 👂 listening to what the Word of God declares to us, but when we 👂 listen only and do not act upon what we have heard or ignore it, then our 👂 listening is in vain or empty and will not produce any fruit in our own lives nor will it bring light to the countless souls who are still in darkness blinded by the devil and all of his 🤥 lies, as it is written, "But even if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age (the devil) has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the Gospel of the Glory of Christ, who is the Image of God, should shine on them." (2 Corinthians 4:3-4) (NKJV). It is our mandate from our Lord Jesus Christ to be His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) here on the earth 🌎 while we are here and we can only do that by hearing and doing what the Word of God commands and the Apostle John expounds to us that what our Lord Jesus Christ calls us to is not something that causes us heaviness of soul, but to the contrary our souls are full, fabulous, and free when we are in obedience, as it is written, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:3-5) (NKJV). We see then that it is foolishness to us and folly for us when we don't do what the Word of God declares, but when we do we are overcomers through Christ Jesus our Lord who loves us and wants to see us live victoriously through Him. Amen!

Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of James 1:22, "We are taught what is to be done after hearing (James 1:22): But be you doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. Observe here, (1.) Hearing is in order to doing; the most attentive and the most frequent hearing of the word of God will not avail us, unless we be also doers of it. If we were to hear a sermon every day of the week, and an angel from heaven were the preacher, yet, if we rested in bare hearing, it would never bring us to heaven. Therefore the apostle insists much upon it (and, without doubt, it is indispensably necessary) that we practice what we hear. 'There must be inward practice by meditation, and outward practice in true obedience.' Baxter. It is not enough to remember what we hear, and to be able to repeat it, and to give testimony to it, and commend it, and write it, and preserve what we have written; that which all this is in order to, and which crowns the rest, is that we be doers of the word. Observe, (2.) Bare hearers are self-deceivers; the original word, paralogizomenoi, signifies men's arguing sophistically to themselves; their reasoning is manifestly deceitful and false when they would make one part of their work discharge them from the obligation they lie under to another, or persuade themselves that filling their heads with notions is sufficient, though their hearts be empty of good affections and resolutions, and their lives fruitless of good works. Self-deceit will be found the worst deceit at last." Here also is what Albert Barnes had to say of James 1:22, "Obey the Gospel, and do not merely listen to it. It is implied here, that by merely hearing the word but not doing it, they would deceive their own souls. The nature of this deception was this, that they would imagine that that was all which was required, whereas the main thing was that they should be obedient. If a man supposes that by a mere punctual attendance on preaching, or a respectful attention to it, he has done all that is required of him, he is laboring under a most gross self-deception. And yet there are multitudes who seem to imagine that they have done all that is demanded of them when they have heard attentively the word preached. Of its influence on their lives, and its claims to obedience, they are utterly regardless." Here lastly is what Dr. John Gill had to say of James 1:22, "And they are such, who spiritually understand it; gladly receive it; and from the heart obey it, and make a sincere and ingenuous profession of it; and who submit to the ordinances it directs to, and keep them as they have been delivered; and live, and walk, becoming their profession of it. The Arabic and Ethiopic versions read, 'be ye doers of the law'; and so one of Stephens's copies, as in Romans 2:13. Though the Word should be heard swiftly and readily, and received with meekness; yet it should not be barely heard, and assented to; but what is heard should be put in practice; and especially men should not depend upon their hearing, as if that would save them; this is deceiving your own selves; such as rest upon the outward hearing of the word will be sadly deceived, and will find themselves miserably mistaken, another day; see Luke 13:25. Arguments taken from hence are like the sophisms, paralogisms, and false reasonings of sophisters, which carry a fair show, and ensnare and deceive."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

James Expounds on Faith Volume 12

 
Get Rid of our Moral Uncleanness & Receive the Word of God

James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted Word, which is able to save your souls. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

It is never unclear or poorly stated and described by God what His desire or will is for those of us whom He has adopted into His Heavenly 👪 family, however, we try to mold, manufacture, or massage the Word of God to fit into our fleshly desires instead of bending our knee to His will and allowing God the Holy Spirit to lead us into all righteouness as He declares it in His Word. The Apostle James wants to make it very clear to each and everyone of us who declare that we belong to Christ Jesus our Lord that we must not only say these words, but we must show them to be true by the new life we live for Him by the Power of the Holy Spirit who implanted deeply within our souls the very desires of God that all the writers (the Apostle James here) of the Word of God have 🖋 penned for our edification, education, and enlightenment. Therefore, we read these next words from the Apostle James to steer us clear of our old behavior that was and is detrimental to our well being while we remain pilgrims here on the 🌎 earth, "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted Word, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21) (KJV). The little English phrase 'lay apart' is translated by the Greek word apotithēmi which means to put away (literally or figuratively): - cast off, lay apart, lay aside, lay down, put off. The English word 'filthiness' is translated by the Greek word rhuparia (used this one time in the New Testament) meaning dirtiness (morally). The English word 'superfluity' is translated by the Greek word perisseia which means a surplus, that is, an abundance. The English word 'naughtiness' is translated by the Greek word kakia which means badness, that is, (subjectively) depravity, or (actively) malignity, or (passively) trouble: - evil, maliciousness, naughtiness, wickedness. In other words, we are to put away or lay aside all the filthiness/moral uncleanness, depravity and badness in our old 👨 man with all the abundance that was front and center in our lives before we belonged to Jesus Christ. It is not the Holy Spirits job to force our wills to bend to His will, but when we bend our knee to Him and say and mean for Him to take over, then He will do just that, but likewise when we grieve Him, then He will become silent in our souls and our lives and we will revert back to the old 🧓 man we were before we came to Jesus Christ our Lord.

This is unacceptable and we must repent and turn back to the truth of the Word of God as the Apostle Paul wrote of in this manner likening it to one changing or taking off their old clothes and put on some new and better clothes, as it is written, "This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:17-24) (NKJV). When we humbly welcome the Word of God that has been implanted within our souls when we were regenerated and born again, then we can do exactly what the Apostle Paul declares above and we will be living out our true lives as Christ wants for us and requires for us to do. We must know and understand that the Moral Law of God (the Ten Commandments) were given to Moses to give to the Hebrew Nation outwardly on Stone Tablets, however, through and by the hearing and believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10) the Moral Law of God is then written in our inner man 👨 and inner woman 👩 just as God promised He would do through the Prophet Jeremiah with these words, "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:31-34) (NKJV). Therefore, with this being our reality, we should watch with all vigilance against the wiles/trickeries of the devil trying to lead us back into sin, but instead we should allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into the truth of the Word of God.

Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of James 1:21, "In view of the fact that God has begotten us for His own service; in view of the fact that excited feeling tends only to wrong, let us lay aside all that is evil, and submit ourselves wholly to the influence of truth. The word here rendered filthiness, occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, It means properly filth; and then is applied to evil conduct considered as disgusting or offensive. Sin may be contemplated as a wrong thing; as a violation of law; as evil in its nature and tendency, and therefore to be avoided; or it may be contemplated as disgusting, offensive, loathsome. To a pure mind, this is one of its most odious characteristics; for, to such a mind, sin in any form is more loathsome than the most offensive object can be to any of the senses. And superfluity of haughtiness - Literally, 'abounding of evil.' It is rendered by Doddridge, 'overflowing of malignity;' by Tindal, 'superfluity of maliciousness;' by Benson, 'superfluity of malice;' by Bloomfield, 'petulance.' The phrase 'superfluity of naughtiness,' or of evil, does not exactly express the sense, as if we were only to lay aside that which abounded, or which is superfluous, though we might retain that which does not come under this description; but the object of the Apostle is to express his deep abhorrence of the thing referred to by strong and emphatic language. He had just spoken of sin in one aspect, as filthy, loathsome, detestable; here he designs to express his abhorrence of it by a still more emphatic description, and he speaks of it not merely as an evil, but as an evil abounding, overflowing; an evil in the highest degree. The thing referred to had the essence of evil in it; but it was not merely evil, it was evil that was aggravated, that was overflowing, that was eminent in degree. The particular reference in these passages is to the reception of the truth; and the doctrine taught is, that a corrupt mind, a mind full of sensuality and wickedness, is not favorable to the reception of the truth. It is not fitted to see its beauty, to appreciate its value, to understand its just claims, or to welcome it to the soul. Purity of heart is the best preparation always for seeing the force of truth. And receive with meekness - That is, open the mind and heart to instruction, and to the fair influence of truth. Meekness, gentleness, docility, are everywhere required in receiving the instructions of religion, as they are in obtaining knowledge of any kind. The Gospel is here represented under the image of that which is implanted or engrafted from another source; by a figure that would be readily understood, for the art of engrafting is everywhere known. Sometimes the Gospel is represented under the image of seed sown; but here it is under the figure of a shoot implanted or engrafted, that produces fruit of its own, whatever may be the original character of the tree into which it is engrafted. The meaning here is, that we should allow the principles of the Gospel to be thus engrafted on our nature; that however crabbed or perverse our nature may be, or however bitter and vile the fruits which it might bring forth of its own accord, it might, through the engrafted word, produce the fruits of righteousness. It is not, therefore, a weak and powerless thing, merely designed to show its own feebleness, and to give occasion for God to work a miracle; but it has power, and is adapted to save."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

James Expounds on Faith Volume 11

 Listen to God's Word; Speak Less; Be Slow to Wrath

James 1:19-20 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. KJV

Having received what we just read above, the Apostle James now begins to give us some direction in how we should yield to God the Holy Spirit. Despite the grace of our undeserved salvation from our Father in Heaven, we still have that old man 👨 (Ephesians 4:22) inside of us and therefore we need to hear what God's will for us is in all matters of life in our flesh as we sojourn our way home to heaven, so we find the Apostle giving us these instructions next to give us illumination on what we should be doing and not doing to keep our old man 👨 in check ☑ and keep disaster, dissappointment 😞, and 😒 dissatisfaction from coming into our 🌏 world, as it is written 📝, "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." (James 1:19-20) (KJV). When the Apostle says first, 'swift to hear', he is prioritizing our need for time spent reading 📖 and studying the Word of God, as it is written 📝 in these following verses of Scripture, "And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God." (Nehemiah 9:3) (KJV) and also "Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil." (Ecclesiastes 5:1) (KJV) and finally these words, "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so." (Acts 17:11) (KJV). When the Apostle says 'slow to speak', he is ⚠ warning us again just as some of the other 📝 writers of the Books 📚 of the Bible have also done exhorting us to be wise in the use of our words, as it is written with these passages of Scripture, "He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction." (Proverbs 13:3) (KJV) and also "He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit." (Proverbs 17:27) (KJV) and also "Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles." (Proverbs 21:23) (KJV) and finally these haunting words from our Lord Jesus Christ, "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." (Matthew 12:36-37) (KJV). When the Apostle says 'slow to wrath', he means that not every confrontation needs to be resolved with violence (however, self-defence with deadly force is necessary in some occasions to keep yourself from being hurt or killed) and this is why he says be slow because intense anger (usually on an epic scale) does not allow for the assessment of the situation to see if it can be resolved without any problems, as it is written in these Scriptures, "He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly." (Proverbs 14:29) (KJV), and also "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city." (Proverbs 16:32) (KJV), and also "He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls." (Proverbs 25:28) (KJV) and finally these words from the Apostle Paul, "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil." (Ephesians 4:26-27) (KJV).

Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of James 1:19-20, "To restrain the workings of passion. This lesson we should learn under afflictions; and this we shall learn if we are indeed begotten again by the word of truth. For thus the connection stands - An angry and hasty spirit is soon provoked to ill things by afflictions, and errors and ill opinions become prevalent through the workings of our own vile and vain affections; but the renewing grace of God and the Word of the Gospel teach us to subdue these: Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, James 1:19. This may refer, 1. To the Word of Truth spoken of in the verse foregoing. And so we may observe, It is our duty rather to hear God's word, and apply our minds to understand it, than to speak according to our own fancies or the opinions of men, and to run into heat and passion thereupon. Let not such errors as that of God's being the occasion of men's sin ever be hastily, much less angrily, mentioned by you (and so as to other errors); but be ready to hear and consider what God's Word teaches in all such cases. 2. This may be applied to the afflictions and temptations spoken of in the beginning of the chapter. And then we may observe, It is our duty rather to hear how God explains His providences, and what He designs by them, than to say as David did in his haste, I am cut off; or as Jonah did in his passion, I do well to be angry. Instead of censuring God under our trials, let us open our ears and hearts to hear what He will say to us. 3. This may be understood as referring to the disputes and differences that Christians, in those times of trial, were running into among themselves: and so this part of the chapter may be considered without any connection with what goes before. Here we may observe that, whenever matters of difference arise among Christians, each side should be willing to hear the other. People are often stiff in their own opinions because they are not willing to hear what others have to offer against them: whereas we should be swift to hear reason and truth on all sides, and be slow to speak any thing that should prevent this: and, when we do speak, there should be nothing of wrath; for a soft answer turneth away wrath. As this epistle is designed to correct a variety of disorders that existed among Christians, these words, swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, may be very well interpreted according to this last explication. And we may further observe from them that, if men would govern their tongues, they must govern their passions. When Moses's spirit was provoked, he spoke unadvisedly with his lips. If we would be slow to speak, we must be slow to wrath. II. A very good reason is given for suppressing: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God, James 1:20. It is as if the Apostle had said, 'Whereas men often pretend zeal for God and His glory, in their heat and passion, let them know that God needs not the passions of any man; His cause is better served by mildness and meekness than by wrath and fury.' Solomon says, The words of the wise are heard in quiet, more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools, Ecclesiastes 9:17. Dr. Manton here says of some assemblies, 'That if we were as swift to hear as we are ready to speak there would be less of wrath, and more of profit, in our meetings. I remember when a Manichee contested with Augustine, and with importunate clamour cried, Hear me! hear me! the father modestly replied, Neither let me hear thee, nor do thou hear me, but let us both hear the Apostle.' The worst thing we can bring to a religious controversy is anger. This, however it may pretend to be raised by a concern for what is just and right, is not to be trusted. Wrath is a human thing, and the wrath of man stands opposed to the righteousness of God. Those who pretend to serve the cause of God hereby show that they are acquainted neither with God or His cause. This passion must especially be watched against when we are hearing the Word of God."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

James Expounds on Faith Volume 10

Every Good Gift Comes from God

James 1:17-18 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of His own will begat He us with the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. KJV

The Apostle James next gives the testimony of God to all who are willing to 👂 listen, for He (God) is not as man is and He thinks not like man does nor does He have any inclination to that which is evil as man does, therefore, it is the desire of the Lord of Heaven and 🌎 earth to give good 🎁 gifts to His adopted 🧒 children. He does not want to see us receive the consequences of our sin or to see us defraud one another in matters of infidelity which will cause Him to render punishment to all of us who do so, for as it is written this is His desire to and for us, "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly." (Psalm 84:11) (KJV). The Apostle James desire in these next two verses of Scripture is to remind us that we have a Father in Heaven who seeks only our good and never seeks our hurt or harm no matter where we are in our walk of faith with Him. When we are 🚶 walking our way into trouble He always and at all times tries to poke us, pinch us, or prod us to steer us back onto the right path (even this process is His good and perfect 📦 gift to us) because He can see the danger we are walking into as we walk away from Him and the truth of His Holy Word. The Word of God needs to be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalms 119:105). However, we all have feet of clay that are heavy and clumsy and stumble onto wrong pathways far too often, but that being said these words from the Apostle John still should 🔔 ring true at all times in our mind/soul, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (James 1:17) (KJV). When the Apostle James uses the English word 'variableness', which is translated by the Greek word parallagē (used this one time in the entire New Testament) meaning transmutation (an act that changes the form, character or substance of something) that is, (figuratively) fickleness: - variableness. In other words, unlike us God's Character, Form, or Substance remains the same and will never change, for He does not change with the passing of ⌚ time nor is He fickle like we human beings are in our unfaithfulness and unreliability which makes Him above all that He has created or made, as it is written with these words, "God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19) (KJV) and also these words, "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure:" (Isaiah 46:9-10) (KJV) and also these words, "For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." (Malachi 3:6) (KJV) and finally to conclude the reality of our unchanging God these words, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." (Hebrews 13:8) (KJV). Here is what John Wesley said of James 1:17, "No evil, but every good gift - Whatever tends to holiness. And every perfect gift - Whatever tends to glory. Descendeth from the Father of lights - The appellation of Father is here used with peculiar propriety. It follows, 'he begat us.' He is the Father of all light, material or spiritual, in the kingdom of grace and of glory. With whom is no variableness - No change in His understanding. Or shadow of turning - in His will. He infallibly discerns all good and evil; and invariably loves one, and hates the other. There is, in both the Greek words, a metaphor taken from the stars, particularly proper where the Father of lights is mentioned. Both are applicable to any celestial body, which has a daily vicissitude (fluctuation) of day and night, and sometimes longer days, sometimes longer nights. In God is nothing of this kind. He is mere light. If there is any such vicissitude, it is in ourselves, not in Him."

To solidify this great goodness of God to we undeserving sinners the Apostle James concludes this 💼 brief but profound discourse of the goodness of God by reminding each and everyone of us that are blessed beyond measure to be 🤙 called His son or daughter that we had nothing to do with our adoption into His Heavenly family just as in the 🌎 earth realm it is the adoptive parents who choose the child they want to become a new part of their family, and so is it with our Heavenly Father as it is written here by the Apostle James with these words, "Of His own will begat He us with the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures." (James 1:18) (KJV). No human being is born into the 🌎 earth as a child of God, but only a creation of God. We become children of God by hearing and believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the Gospel is so written here by the Apostle Paul to the Church @ Corinth, "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures:" (1 Coritnhians 15:1-4) (KJV). The faith that the Apostle James writes of in this entire ✉ letter comes from hearing and believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why we praise and worship Him so with our 💕 hearts because we deserve hell, yet we have received grace and mercy, so we can say what the Apostle Peter wrote with these words, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you," (1 Peter 1:3-4) (KJV). No one is a child of God if they have not come to Jesus Christ and His sacred, sacrificial, and substitutional death on the Cross for sin that each and every human being has in them and manifest outwardly in their lives, for Christ died to take our sin unto Himself and give us (what we do not have at our human birth) His righteousness, therefore, when we believe upon Him (truly in our inner 👨 man or inner 👩 woman) we are then born again (John 3:3), that is, born twice (not another physical birth but a spiritual birth that makes us 🧒 children of God). This is what the Apostle James means by the English word 'begat' which is translated by the Greek word apokueō meaning to breed forth, that is, (by transformation) to generate (figuratively): - beget, bring forth. In other words, somewhat like God the Holy Spirit inpregnated Mary with the Holy Seed that was and is our Lord Jesus Christ, so has God the Holy Spirit birthed us into His family by placing His seed within our inner man 👨 or inner woman 👩 while we are still down here on the 🌎 earth, which is what the Apostle means by us being a kind of first fruits, as it is written, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." (1 Peter 1:23) (KJV). Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of James 1:18, "Here let us take notice, (1.) A true Christian is a creature begotten anew. He becomes as different a person from what he was before the renewing influences of divine grace as if he were formed over again, and born afresh. (2.) The original of this good work is here declared: it is of God's own will; not by our skill or power; not from any good foreseen in us, or done by us, but purely from the good-will and grace of God. (3.) The means whereby this is affected are pointed out: the word of truth, that is, the Gospel, as Paul expresses it more plainly, 1 Corinthians 4:15, I have begotten you in Jesus Christ through the Gospel. This Gospel is indeed a word of truth, or else it could never produce such real, such lasting, such great and noble effects. We may rely upon it, and venture our immortal souls upon it. And we shall find it a means of our sanctification as it is a word of truth, John 17:17. (4.) The end and design of God's giving renewing grace is here laid down: That we should be a kind of first-fruits of His creatures - that we should be God's portion and treasure, and a more peculiar property to Him, as the first-fruits were; and that we should become holy to the Lord, as the first-fruits were consecrated to Him. Christ is the first-fruits of Christians, Christians are the first-fruits of creatures."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…