Hello to the restart of GRG!
The previous week we looked at what we discussed last time GRG was on, and we put down ideas of what we'd like to look at. So, we decided to start with James, chapter by chapter. Let me go dig out my notebook...
Sorry if it's a bit of a jump around, but this is where our train of thought went.
Began looking at the crown of life, in James 1 verse 12.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
The crown of life is:
- everlasting life
- life in the Kingdom
- the head - talking about thinking. we'll think differently in the Kingdom. we will receive something that will change the way we think - for the better.
Who is the book of James written to? Was it to Gentile-only ecclesias, or passed around everyone?
In the book there are many mention of 'man'. Which James is this, is it the brother of Jesus? If so, it highlights the even greater contrast between James and Jesus.
take a peek at verse 5:
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him
and 1 Thessalonians 5:
23Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The only way you can be kept blameless is by God. If you think you've got everything you need, would you stop praying? Can you be completely content..? Waiting for Jesus though, you need to be patient and needing nothing - i mean, no worldly possessions.
A few of us at GRG go to study class, and we've been looking at the Kings for a little while. If you look at James 1:6:
6But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
You have to be aware of the influences around you (the sea [in the water cycle]) because it is very easy to be influenced - who you hang out with makes a difference to the way you're going to act. King Jeroboam or was it Rehoboam?.. i'll check later. Maybe Rehoboam. He first went to the elders for advice, but when he didn't like what they said, he went to the guys his own age for advice - who'd grown up in palaces all their lives and couldn't relate to those normal people living outside, and enforced worse taxes and tasks on them. That makes no sense... I'm off for some tea.
Right, second attempt. Yes, it was Rehoboam. He didn't like what the older and wiser ones advised him in... though they had been assisting with a fairly good kingdom with Solomon. But Rehoboam then went to his friends who had always grown up with royalty and couldn't relate to those out working, and laid much heavier tasks upon them and didn't seem to care - or just realise what it was like for them, because they knew no different.
Basically - this is about the influences around you. Rehoboam was influenced by his bad friends, and things just got worse.
We went on to look at the differences between tempting, and testing.
Tempting, there's a desire; whereas testing, its seeing how far someone will go, seeing if somethings good enough - see 1 Peter 1 and verse 7:
7so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
'tempt' only seems to occur in the New Testament, and its always in a bad context. However: tempting doesn't always have to be bad - you could be tempted to go to a fraternal!
God tests us, he doesn't tempt us, but when we are being tested we tempt ourselves.
Exodus 17 : 2 - why do you tempt the Lord your God? and in other versions, why do you put the Lord to the test? The people here are not trying to make God do something wrong, but they don't believe enough and are wanting to test him.
Next we looked at verse 23-
23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
and in other versions, that last part is "immediately forgets what... (1) kind of man (2) manner of man (3) he looks like "
The mirror is examining yourself in the Law. But it is useless if you have some sort of checklist and say, oh, i've done that. Done that. Done that. Not done that yet, better go do it so I can tick it off. What use is all your knowledge if you don't put it into practise? It'll quickly disappear. If you have faith, aren't you doing the opposite of what God says if you don't go out and tell people what you believe? I'll probably be going to this passage in a minute, but you know the one "faith without works is dead"?
You have to look at yourselves regularly > you need to read regularly so you don't forget. Reading your Bible won't make you preach, but preaching will make you read your Bible.
Now we're back at temptation! Is it a sin or not a sin?
Isn't it what you do about it?
If you don't immediately get rid of the temptation, no matter how small it is in the beginning, it will grow and grow more into your life.
Jesus when he was tempted, he immediately got Scripture back up.
Jesus - tempted - he never sinned.
So temptation is not a sin!
and 'intent', that's from the moment you've decided to do something about the temptation.
desire - sin - death
15Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Is the only thing we have control over - the desire? If we look at the word 'grown',.. growing, can we cut it off at any point? When it gets stronger, fiercer, you need more strength to cut it off, so the worse the sin gets, the more difficult it is to cut it our your life.
GOD and repentance.
and finally, a quick glance at verse 27 which talks about visiting widows and orphans in their affliction.
orphans - no parents
widow - no husband/wife
When we are baptised, we have God as our Father and we are the bride of Christ - so if orphans/widows, it is people without God. So we need to look after people in the world as well, eg preaching.
Hope you got something out of that, and look out for the following blogs about the rest of James. If something doesn't make sense, just add a comment :)
