Lights In The World

James says in 2:13, “For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.” I think there as an interesting application for us. What a blessing it is to have a merciful God and Father who constantly is willing to forgive and forget. In fact, God’s mercy is one of the greatest spiritual blessings we have access to by our faith in Jesus Christ. I hope and pray that we never forget how merciful God is and how many times He has displayed His mercy to every one of us throughout the course of our walk with Him. The truth is all of us are in need of His mercy and without it we would find ourselves in a awful state with no hope of escaping judgment. Continue reading →

Over the course of time alot of things in the religious world have changed. One of those things has been the amount of respect that we, as a culture, give the Bible. Unfortunately for many, their religion has become picking and choosing. In other words, many people will accept what they like and reject what they don’t. Paul tells us in Romans 10:17 that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” If we only choose to hear part of it, what does that say about our faith? It is unfortunate how many people make such an investment in certain parts of the Bible, while totally ignoring other parts of it, often times offering excuses for why that part does not pertain to them.
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The world respects those who achieve success by its standards. The people who receive the most respect are the ones who are the most attractive, the smartest, the funniest, the most wealthy, the most distinguished, most accomplished, etc. In fact, you can see evidence of that in every arena of your life. The shameful part is, most of the time, it doesn’t even matter what a person’s character is from a morality and values standpoint. Our society celebrates success even in those who live in such a way that doesn’t deserve celebration. It is a sad but true reality. Continue reading →

James makes it apparent that true religion is not just based on believing, but on being a doer of the word as well. As he continues toward the close of chapter 1, he is going to make some more important observations about what is and what is not the essence of true religion. Let’s take a closer look at what he says. Continue reading →

The word is able to save your soul…but only if you accept it with humility. Yesterday we studied from this section of passage in James 1:21. As James continues, he builds on that thought progressing to an utimate point. The word can save our soul, it is our choice as to whether or not we allow it to. Humility leads us to live for God, no longer for our own desires and passions. Arrogance and selfishness lead us to disobey, refusing to follow, or refusing to give up that which God would have us to. Either way the point is made by James in the following verses that we must be doers of the word. Our faith is evident by our actions, not by merely expressing that we believe. Notice what James says. Continue reading →

“Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21).

One of the greatest themes of the New Testament is change. Becoming a Christian is an appeal to change who you are, the way you think, the way you act, and the way you talk. Without making a change, we can’t become what God wants us to become. The message of change begins with the Sermon on the Mount and rings clear all the way through the closing pages of John’s Revelation. There are fewer places where that message is more clearly communicated than the book of James. Take the verse above as an example for today. Continue reading →

One of the common themes throughout the letter of James is the idea of controlling the tongue. It is so vital that the Christian learns to exercise self control in this arena. The most influence that we have on other people comes from our mouths. It is by our words that people get a glimpse into the inside, the things we say reveal our character. We always notice when we are around an individual who talks about others, who is negative, who uses inappropriate language, who makes unnecessary remarks, or who talks about themselves all the time. These are just a few of the examples of the misuse of the tongue. James will visit this idea several times in his letter, but he introduces it here in verse 19, “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.” Continue reading →

Temptation can be hard at times. In fact, temptation can bring us completely down. It can remove us from God entirely. There are a great deal of misunderstandings about temptation though, and most of them come from the imagination of man. James addresses those in the next few verses (beginning with v. 13) of chapter 1. There are some very important lessons here for us to apply. We need to study these words with an honest heart that seeks only to be right with God, because all of us have probably found ourselves in these positions. Let’s take a look… Continue reading →

As we move into verse 12 of James 1, James writes, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” There is so much in this verse that we can make application to in our lives. Let us take some time to notice just  a few of these things. Continue reading →