Notes compiled from my BSF group
James 3
Teachers will be judged more strictly because they are viewed as authorities of truth. People take what teachers with more weight say seriously, and more often than not, no one questions what they say. Therefore, if teachers are not diligent about teaching the truth, it is very easy for them to spread half-truths or false truths, thereby leading people astray.
* Zondervan NIV footnote: Because teachers have great influence, they will be held more accountable (cf. Mt 23:1-33; Lk 20:46-47; Heb 13:17).
James 3:3-6
Don't underestimate the power of small objects.
Examples of how small objects control:
- Bits placed in mouths of horses are used to make the horses obey us, to turn the whole animal.
- A small rudder can steer large ships.
Examples of how small objects destroy:
- The tongue makes great boasts.
- A small spark can set a great forest on fire.
- The tongue can corrupt the whole person, destroying his life, condemning him to Hell.
If a man is unable to tame his own tongue, he should first admit that his tongue causes him to sin. He then should repent of it and open himself up to be changed by Jesus. He needs to be serious about changing and be committed to changing.
Changes such as this are significant and very difficult to accomplish on his own. He therefore should pray for the guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit. To start, he must learn to just hold his tongue and not speak without deep considerations.
James 3:13-18
Wisdom allows us to understand that we know a lot less than we think we do. This realization alone is enough to make us humble.
Earthly wisdom:
- Harbors bitter envy and selfish ambition
- Boastful
- Denies the truth
- Not from heaven but of the devil
- Source of disorder and every evil
Heavenly wisdom:
- Comes from heaven
- Pure
- Peace-loving
- Considerate
- Submissive
- Full of mercy and good fruit
- Impartial
- Sincere
- Source of harvest of righteousness
To gain more heavenly wisdom, we can study the Bible and pray to God to sincerely ask for understanding.
James 4:1–3
Source of worldly antagonisms:
- Within ourselves, not from God (James 4:1-2)
- When we ask for things with the wrong motives, with the goal to satisfy our own pleasures (James 4:3)
James 4:4
John 15:19
1 Corinthians 3:19
2 Corinthians 10:3
1 John 2:15
- If you befriend the world, you become an enemy of God (James 4:4).
- Those chosen by God will be hated by the world (John 15:19).
- We are not of this world (John 15:19)
- The wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight (1 Corinthians 3:19).
- For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does (2 Corinthians 10:3).
- The love for the Father is not in anyone who loves the world (1 John 2:15).
To refrain from worldly thinking, do not desire or lust after worldly objects. Keep our focus on God. Keep our eyes on Jesus and only Jesus.
James 4:10
Matthew 23:12
Luke 14:11; 18:14
Philippians 2:5–11
1 Peter 5:6
People get too caught up with the definitions of humble versus prideful.
The big picture here is heart. God wants our heart. When we think we can achieve success all our own, we are exalting ourselves. We are prideful because we believe that all that we do, we do based on our own “amazing” abilities.
However, this is obviously prideful thinking and obviously not true. We are created by God. The abilities that we have, we have because God gave them to us when he created us. Throughout the Bible, we read about stories that show us that we succeed because of God’s blessings. Without God’s blessings, it doesn’t matter how hard we work; we would fail.
To KNOW that everything we do, we do because of God; that everything we succeed at, we succeed because of God—This is true humility. Such a humble heart is a heart that belongs to God.
James 4:11–17
We are not to slander each other (James 4:11). None of us have the right to judge, because we all have faults and our own problems. God is the only just judge, because He is perfect and righteous (James 4:12). However, nowadays, everyone readily judges other people. They like to look ONLY at what they are great at and compare it to other people. They don’t talk about the things they are bad at. Also, when other people don’t measure up against their own standards, they put others down. They never stop to think that in other people’s eyes, maybe they also do not measure up to other people’s standards. Worse, they never stop to think that no one measures up to God’s standards, so who's to judge anyway!
We are all imperfect, so why compare? Why put other people down so that we can feel better about ourselves? (We are all sinners anyway. What's to feel great about that?) Why not help each other become better people? God wants us all to be united in Him. That is the ultimate goal. Why don’t we all work together to make that happen?
Compare James 4:11 with the following verses:
Exodus 23:1, 7
Exodus 20:16
Leviticus 19:11, 16
Deuteronomy 5:20
Zondervan NIV footnote:
* James 4:11 speaks against his brother...speaks against the law. See note on 2:8; see also Ex 20:16 and Ps 15:3; 50:19-20; Pr 6:16, 19 and note. To speak against a Christian brother or sister is to scorn the law of love.
* James 2:8 royal law. The law of love (see Lev 19:18 and note) is called "royal" because it is the supreme law that is the source of all other laws governing human relationships. It is the summation of all such laws (see Mt 22:36-40; Ro 13:8-10 and notes on 13:8-9).
James 4:13–16
We should move forward in life with the will of God in mind. Why do people wake up and think only about, say, making money? Where is the security in work like that, especially when we have no idea what would become of that money? Where is the eternal purpose in working for money? Inflation, deflation; bankruptcy, etc. None of these factors lay in our hands. In fact, the more paranoid would say many of these factors are manipulated by the powerfully rich few. But the bottom line is, one dollar today may not worth the paper it's printed on tomorrow. Where is the security in that?
We are children of God. We should move forward in life with the goal of accomplishing the will of God. We pray for guidance, and when we know what God’s will is for us, we then proceed. We shouldn’t move without a clear plan that is in line with the will of God. As Biblical stories teach us, plans without God's blessing is doomed for failure.
God always provides. Food, shelter, anything. He made this entire world in 6 days. I think it's safe to say there is nothing that God cannot provide for us. For me, the choice is pretty clear: Seek security in world things (money, power, social status, etc.) or seek security in God. Seek God is my choice, obviously. And when I place my focus on accomplishing God’s will, I don't need to worry about anything else, because God will provide.
James 5:1-6
Four crimes for which rich oppressors will be judged:
- Hoarded wealth (James 5:3)
- Failed to pay wages (James 5:4)
- Lived in luxury and self-indulgence (James 5:5)
- Condemned and murdered innocent men (James 5:6)
One BSF question asks, "Do you think the rich people in verses 1–6 were Christians?"
I think this is a very dangerous question to ask, because when we ask such questions, we put ourselves in the seat of God, deciding who is a Christian and who is not.
Honestly, there are only two people in the world who would know truly whether I am a Christian: Me and God. That's it. No one else would know because no one else knows my heart.
Similarly, who am I to think I can determine whether this person is a Christian or not? What's it to me anyway? If someone says he's a Christian, more power to him! If he falls astray, I would of course lovingly rebuke him and try to pull him back to the path of God--Who doesn't have bad days; who doesn't make rash decisions? But not once would I ever doubt his claim to be a Christian. It's simply not my place.
Having said the above, I do believe that true Christians not only understand what it means to be a follower of Christ but also strive to LIVE it. In terms of the crimes committed in the Biblical passage above, I'd just like to remind us all that we were told to love God and love others as ourselves. If we obey these two commands given to us by Jesus, there would be no way we would ever commit the crimes listed above and feel no shame.
When man start falling away from God, they fall away from the Word of God. They start to get self-centered and greedy to meet their own needs for their own pleasures. They no longer have God at the center of their lives. They no longer care to carry out God’s will. They only care about what they want, and what will give them pleasure. This is the path toward becoming "rich oppressors."
These rich oppressors were told to "weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you" (James 5:1). This means that they will be judged for their sins. Christians are people who admit they are sinners and realize that the only way to be "sinless" is for Jesus' blood to wash them of their sins. As Christians, we are not judged for our sins because we readily admit them and accept God's grace of forgiveness. Those who do not think they need forgiveness are the ones who will be judged by God. And because no one is perfect, those judged will also be punished by God for their sins.
* James 5:1 rich. These (as also in 2:2, 6) are not Christians, for James warns them to repent and weep because of the coming misery. Verses 1-6 are similar to OT declarations of judgment against pagan nations, interspersed in books otherwise addressed to God's people (Isa 13-23; Jer 46-51; Eze 25-32; Am 1:3-2:16; Zep 2:4-15).
James 5:7-12
While we wait for the Lord's return, we should be patient and stand firm (James 7:9).
James 5:13-18
God is our creator. He is our Father. Like our earthly parents who know us best, God, the Father, knows us best. Whatever problem we run into, He will always have the patience and wisdom to guide us through our problems. We just need to go and talk to Him—go and pray—so that He may guide us to our solution. Pray earnestly, seeking God’s wisdom and help, and God will provide.
James 5:19-20
We have the ability to save the souls of the people around us. When we reach out in God’s name to help others return to Him, that brings glory to God. It is our best way to show others how God works through us.
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