2005 08 August

9 The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. Most people say they believe in heaven and deny there is a hell. After all why would a loving God punish mankind? The very fact that He is a loving and just God is the reason for a place of punishment. If men don't want to fellowship with God down here, heaven would be a hell for them, because they would not want to fellowship with Him there. God did not make hell for the human race; He made it for the Satan and the fallen angels. Man has a choice! There are two ways leading to eternity, the wide road that leads to total damnation and the narrow path that leads to eternal bliss and joy.
10But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness (uncleanness is also translated defilement or pollution), and despise government. Presumptuous are they, and self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. It is amazing how early a small child learns to defy their parents. Authority is one thing the flesh does not want to accept. When people defy the leadership in the church, when they go about sewing seeds of discord against the pastor they are walking in fleshly defilement. When a person assumes leadership that is not theirs by election or designation they are asserting the flesh and not walking in the Spirit. Presumptuous and self-willed people are not afraid to speak evil of leadership.
11Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. Jude 9 gives us the same thought as to judging and condemning others; Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. 9Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst (did not argue with Satan) not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. If we all could put judgmentalism under the blood and leave the judgments of our fellow believers and the unsaved up to God we would have a better testimony. It must be the old nature that leads us into complaining and faultfinding, Amen! RJS

12But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption. It is for our good that Peter speaks of the above and following, and he is not alone. This is not some isolated passage, but is also recorded in 2 Corinthians 11:12-15; Jude 4-19; 2 Thessalonians 2: and also in 2 Timothy 3:1-8 and Revelation 1:2. The words natural brute beasts could also be translated "These are creatures without the power or reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed." The context and the parallel passage in Jude show that the glories are the things that the false teachers understand not and at which they rail. Good angels do not pronounce a railing judgment against angels that sinned. These men, knowing nothing of the angelic sphere of existence, rail at the elect and the fallen angels alike. Men should speak with awe of the sin of the angels; jesting on such subjects is unbecoming and dangerous, and shall utterly perish in their own corruption. The best manuscripts read here "shall also be destroyed in their own corruption."
13And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the daytime. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you. It would be so easy to put all these fleshly people into the category of the unsaved, but such is not the case. Sad to say, but even ministers and missionaries are not above falling into these same sins and destroying their ministry. In my years of ministry I have personally known several that have fallen into sin and are were forced to leave the ministry. 14Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: and hears they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children. With eyes full of adultery is literally, "having eyes full of an adulteress," thinking only of adultery. They never stop sinning is literally, "unceasing in sin," referring to their sinning with their eyes (Matt. 5:28). Such persons should be viewed as unbelievers. John's idea that habitual sinning does not mark one who is born of God (1 John 3:9) is so true. RJS

15Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness. There were three great sins of Balam; 1) The way of Balam. His love of the wages of unrighteousness, and coveting the gifts of King Balak, Numbers 22:7; 17; 37; 24:11. 2) The error of Balam. Accepting the wages of unrighteousness for his service and giving Balak the secret of how to bring a curse on Israel, Jude 11; II Peter 2:15; Numbers 31:8, 16. 3) The doctrine of Balam. This was to teach that if Balak would give the most beautiful women to the Israelite men to commit idolatry and that adultery would cause God to curse Israel, (Numbers 25:1-9; 21:8, 16). 16But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet. This passage in Numbers in too long to copy please read (Numbers 22:22-35). God always has ways of getting to sinners, but like Balam, God's ways or miracles are rejected and ignored because sinners don't want to give up their ungodly ways.
17These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever. These false teachers are likened to a desert country and a person famished for water and finds a well that is dry. And to see the thunder clouds gather and the rain falling, only to see it vector or dry up before it hit's the ground, only make a person's thirst more unbearable. 18For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, empty words that are have no value and may please the appetite of the listeners, but have no spiritual value for here or eternity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. We know a preacher that spends so much time talking about sex and dress codes, that one woman said "His mind is below his belt." It is sad when a man in the pulpit spends so much time on standards and ignores the most importance part of teaching the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the individual. If people are led into that great truth, the Holy Spirit wants to control the heart and mind; then people will not need the standards of men. RJS

19While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. False teachers are still in the bondage of sin and cannot lead others from sin because they themselves don't know the answer.
20For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. There is a great misunderstanding in the church today, and that is the lack of "down to earth Bible teaching." This is not new; it has been around for the past 50 or 60 years. Unfortunately, the great teachings of the Bible also called Doctrines and most Christians are no interested in Doctrine these days. Doctrine will keep a Christian from being led into every whim of men and keep both church and Christian family on the straight and narrow.
21For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. As one of the chosen twelve who walked and talked with Christ, Judas saw that gracious face, and heard those words such as never man spoke, and witnessed his many works of power and love, - if he could fall completely under the dominion of Satan, how jealously ought we to watch against the first suggestions of the tempter! How carefully should we take heed lest we fall when we most seem to stand! It is impossible, we may say to ourselves. We have tasted that the Lord is gracious, and have no taste for the pollutions of this world. But Scripture tells us it is not impossible; experience tells us it is not impossible to fall a way.
22But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. This verse is partially quoted from (Proverbs 26:11) and Peter tells us that without being watchful Satan goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. RJS

1This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance. This expression proves that Peter had written a former epistle, and that it was addressed to the same people. That is, the main object of both epistles is to your remembrance important truths which you have before heard, but which you are in danger of forgetting, or from which you are in danger of being turned away by prevailing errors. The apostle regarded them as "disposed" to see the truth, and yet as liable to be led astray by the errors of others. Such minds need to have truths often brought fresh to their remembrance.
2That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour. Peter refers to the instructions of the apostles and prophets in general. Which were spoken before by the holy prophets The prophets predicted before the advent of the Saviour, respecting his character and work. Peter had appealed to them (2 Peter 1:19-21), as furnishing evidence in regard to the truth of the Christianity. Here, however, when Peter wrote there was a special reason why he referred to the prophets, The New Testament was not completed, and he could not make his appeal to that.
3Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, (Jude 1:18) says that there would be "mockers in the last time.") walking after their own lusts. That there shall come in the last days. In this last dispensation; in the period during which the affairs of the world shall be wound up. He says that during that period it had been predicted there would arise those whom he here calls "scoffers." The Greek word is rendered "mockers." The word means those who reproach, and ridicule the Lord's return. Peter may have been referring a sect called the "Carpocratians," a large sect of the Gnostics (These people denied the literal interpretation of the Bible; they denied the resurrection of the dead, and the future judgment). Walking after their own lusts, and living in the free indulgence of their sensual appetites. Not too different from today's false teachers; just a different name. RJS

4And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. It is possible that some of the early Christians, even in the time of the apostles, had undertaken to fix the time when these events would occur, as many have done since; and that as that time had passed by, they inferred that the prediction had utterly failed. The laws of nature were uniform, as they had always been, and the alleged promises had failed.
For since the fathers fell asleep. This reference to the "fathers," by such scoffers, was probably designed to be contemptuous. Those old men, the prophets foretold this event. They were much concerned and troubled about it. Their predictions alarmed some and filled others with dread. The laws of nature operate as they always did.
All things continue as they were, from the beginning of the creation. That is, the laws of nature are fixed and settled. The sun rose and set; the tides ebbed and flowed; the seasons followed each other in the usual order; one generation succeeded another, and there was every indication that those laws would continue to operate as they had always done. The specious and plausible objection arising from this source, the apostle proposes to meet in the following verses.
5For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water. The Greek seems to demand this interpretation; and then the sense of the passage will be, "It is concealed or hidden from those who hold this opinion, that the earth has been once destroyed." The adversaries of this teaching affirmed that the laws of nature had always remained the same, and they always would. The apostles denied what they assumed, in the sense in which they affirmed it, and maintain that those laws have not been so stable and uniform that the world has never been destroyed by an overwhelming visitation from God. The pre flood world and all but eight souls were destroyed by a universal flood. It will again be destroyed in God's good time by fire. RJS

6Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. The idea here is, that everything depends on God's word or will. As the heavens and the earth were originally made by his command, so by the same command they can be destroyed. The heavens were of old The word "heaven" in the Bible sometimes refers to the atmosphere, sometimes to the starry worlds as they appear above us and sometimes to the exalted place where God dwells. Here it is used, doubtless, in the popular signification, as denoting the heavens as they "appear," embracing the sun, moon, and stars. And the earth standing out of the water and in the water. He doubtless has reference to the account given in Genesis 1: of the creation of the earth, in which water performed so important a part. The thought in his mind seems to be that the "water" entered materially into the formation of the earth, and that in its very origin there existed the means by which it was destroyed afterward. The thought in his mind seems to be that "water" entered materially into the formation of the earth, and that in its very origin there existed the means by which it was destroyed afterward.
8But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. There is a teaching in Hermeneutics that time with God is very short and we see that by the time of one thousand years being with God as one day. In other words it's only six days from Adam until now as far as God is concerned.
9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. The Lord's patience is beyond our comprehension. We often wonder why He puts up with this old world and all its sin, and then we have to remember that He waited years for some of us to be saved because we had been chosen but were living in rejection. RJS

Peter has completely bypassed the rapture of the church in this passage and turns to the Day of the Lord. This day follows the millennium and ushers in a new dispensation or economy to the world. The world we now know will be destroyed in a baptism of fire that will burn all the dross of this old sin filled world. The re-born world will be sinless. Satan and his unholy trio will be in the lake of fire and never again trouble God or man. 10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. The atomic age ushered in for humanity a new understanding of how this could come about. Every known element is combustible. This present world is waiting for God to set into action a worldwide, atomic explosion and consume all the elements and purge every remaining visage of sin. Paul speaks of this in (Romans 8:21-22). There are so many things that came about in the 20th century that mankind never expected. We learned the secret of mass destruction with the atomic bomb, we sent men to the moon. We developed a worldwide communication via television and other astounding developments in warfare and peace. In all this we have turned away from God and considered we no longer need Him and we can take care of ourselves, but God says, 11Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness. We should feel that there is nothing permanent on the earth that this is not our abiding home; and that our great interests are in another world. We should be serious, humble, and prayerful. A habitual contemplation of the truth that all that we see is soon to pass away. It should produce a most salutary effect on the mind. It should make us serious. It would repress ambition. It would lead us to not accumulate what must soon be destroyed. It would prompt us to lay up our treasures in heaven. Most people think they are going to be here forever and are when life deals them a dreadful and fatal disease. Suddenly, they start thinking about what's after death; however for some it's too late. RJS

Even is These Things Were Not in the Future We Still
Should Live a Spotless and Blameless Life
II Peter 3:14-16

14Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent. That is, in securing your salvation. The effect of such hopes should be to lead us to an earnest inquiry whether we are prepared to dwell in a holy world and to make us diligent in performing the duties and patient in bearing the trials of life. He, who has such hopes set before him, should seek earnestly that he may be enabled truly to avail himself of them and should make their attainment the great object of his life. He who is so soon coming will bring to an end of all weary toil. We should be willing to labor diligently and faithfully while life lasts. What are all these compared with the glory that awaits us? That ye may be found of him in peace. Found by him when he returns in such a state as to secure your eternal peace. Without spot, and blameless. It should be the object of earnest effort with us to have the last stain of sin and pollution removed from our souls by the daily confession of our sins. 15And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you Peter is substantiating his ministry by referring to the Apostle Paul and his writings regarding the Lord's longsuffering, salvation and wisdom. 16As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Peter is reminding us that we need to be students of Bible doctrine, because those who are weak and unlearned are quickly indoctrinated into cults and false teachings that lead to their destruction and falling away from the faith once delivered to the saints. These false teachers wrest or twist the Scriptures to their particular interpretation. The best way to learn the truth is to study the Bible and check the cross-references so that you get a better picture of the teachings and understand what God wants you to know. RJS

17Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 18But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. Seeing that ye know these things; knowing that such results may follow. People should read the Bible with the feeling that it is possible that they may fall into error, and be deceived at last. This apprehension will do much to make them diligent, and candid, and prayerful, in studying the Word of God. With the error of the wicked, wicked men, such as he had referred to in 2 Peter 2, who became public teachers of religion. Fall from your own steadfastness. Your firm adherence to the truth. The particular danger here referred to is not that of falling from grace or from true religion, but from the firm and settled principles of religious truth into error. But grow in grace. Compare Colossians 1:10. Christianity in general is often represented as "grace," since every part of it is the result of grace or of unmerited favor; and to "grow in grace" is to increase in that which constitutes true Christianity. It is feeble in its beginnings like the grain of mustard seed, or like the germ or blade of the plant and it increases as it is cultivated. There is no piety in this world that is not the result of cultivation and which cannot be measured by the degree of care and attention bestowed upon it. No one becomes pious any more than one becomes learned or rich, who does not desire to become a success and ordinarily men people are what they choose to be. They have about as much religion as they wish and possess about all the character they intend to possess. When men reach extraordinary elevations in And in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He who has a saving knowledge of Christ has in fact all that is essential to his welfare in the life and in that which is to come. He who has not this knowledge, though he may be distinguished in the learning of the schools, and profoundly skilled in the sciences, has in reality no knowledge that will avail him in the great matters pertaining to his eternal welfare. To God be the glory for all that we are or shall be. RJS

August 12
The Blessedness of Forgiveness and Trusting God
Psalm 32 - Second of Seven Penitential Psalms by David

David, no doubt, had already had his encounter with The Prophet Nathan and was feeling his guilt in the sins with Bathsheba and her husband, Uriah. David had long struggled with his sin and his conscience was on fire with the knowledge that he had not only sinned against a man and his wife, but first and foremost, he had sinned against God.

Psalm 32:2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. Looking at Roget's Thesaurus and synonyms for "guile", I find the following: "deception, treacherousness, bamboozel, circumvention, underhandedness, false- heartedness, duplicity, insidiousness" and many more. Pilate said of Jesus, John 18:38 Pilate saith … I find no fault (guile) in Him (Jesus).
I want to give you eight references by others as to their awareness of the awfulness of sin. (1) Prayer of Solomon, Forgive Thy people that have sinned, I Kings 8:30, 34, 36, 39, 50. (2) I have sinned, Job 7:20. (3) I am vile, Job 40:4. (4) I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes, Job 42:6. (5) Forgive all my sins, Psalm 25:18. (6) Be merciful unto me; heal my soul; for I have sinned against Thee, Psalm 41:4. (7). The Publican's prayer, God be merciful to me a sinner, Luke 18:13. (8) 1 Tim. 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
When David confessed his sin before the Lord, he received forgiveness; Psalm 32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. The long, hot, burning fire in David's heart was quenched by the waters of God's forgiveness and there was a restored relationship. David's own personal experience with sin and forgiveness is an inspiration to others. David was not perfect, neither are we, but when we go to Jesus and confess our sins, we are forgiven. "Father, I have sinned" were the words of the penitent "Prodigal Son." 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
RJS

In Psalm 32:11 we read, Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart. In this Psalm we see an example of praise offered to God. In offering praise, the Psalmist speaks of his knowledge and experience with God. He not only sees God as the creator and sustainer of all life but also as the One who chose and blessed the nation of Israel. As the Psalmist thinks of his knowledge and experience with God, his heart fills with joy. We try to teach people to praise God, but sometimes I wonder how profitable this is. This statement may sound strange, but have you noticed that when people get excited about something they can't help but talk about it.
There is nothing in this world that is any more exciting than God and His work in this world. To know God is to love God, and to know and love Him is something that ought to stir our hearts to praise. Our heart could be so full that the words cannot be held inside. Therefore, I 'm not sure that we need detailed lessons on worship and praise. Instead, what we need, is a heart of faith that experiences God in life.

Here the Psalmist calls on God 's people to praise Him with joyful music. I often hear people talk about the different kinds of music that they like, but we need to be careful here. Many things including some music may appeal to my sinful flesh that is not pleasing to God. Most important in worship and praise is pleasing and honoring God. We need to ask God to give us the wisdom to praise Him acceptably. Note in particular, the phrase in verse 8, let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. We ought to take care that we maintain reverence to God in our public worship. Some things may be appropriate in our prayer closets and homes that would not be appropriate in public worship. For example, we read in verse 3, play skillfully… In some cases, singing praise is best done in the shower. It is not just the skill, but the heart of the worshiper that is important. In verse 1 we read, sing… you righteous. We have all seen that there are professional entertainers who sing songs of praise to God whose public life is less than righteous. This is not to say that we should look at everyone with a critical eye, but in some cases, God is clearly not honored. Do you have a heart that is full of praise to God? If not, why not? DW

August 14
Wickedness of Men and the Loving Kindness of God
Psalm 36 - Second Psalm of the Wicked

Introduction: This Psalm is in three sections, the first section (verses 1-4) shows the ten sins of the wicked. The second part (verse 5-9) gives the ten characteristics of God's blessings on the righteous. Third, (verses 10-12) we count four requests for the righteous.

The wicked is not bothered by his transgressions, nor is there any fear of God. He is filled with self-flattery and has a bitter heart toward the righteous. His mouth is filled with deceit and he rejects wisdom. (In other words, He is double-tongued and despises wisdom). He rejects any and all forms of goodness or godliness and plans what sin he can get into next. He sets himself against the godly and loves his sins so much that he will use any and all means to attain his sinful goals. The truly born again Christian has difficulty in thinking in the above mentioned circles.

In the second section (verses 5-9), God's mercy is revealed, (loving kindness) to the angels in heaven and to men upon the earth. The sky, mountains are recipients of God's faithfulness and God is long suffering to mankind, not willing that any should perish. The Psalmist refers to many of God's attributes. Encouraged by the consideration of goodness, the children of weak, frail, sinful man shall take heart and lay aside their natural timidity and gather themselves under the shadow of His ever protecting wings. (vs. 9) For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. From the following we see Jesus, 1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, (Jesus) and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
Finally, we see the third time one of the attributes of God is referred to "THY LOVING KINDNESS." David's petition to God is brought to light in verse 11, Don't let the feet of the proud come near me, nor allow me to walk in pride as they do and let not the hands of the wicked draw me away from you, my God. This should be the prayer of every believer, "Let not my hands touch any wicked thing nor my feet walk in the ways of the ungodly. Please help me to keep my good testimony before the wicked ones and may the words of my mouth glorify You my Saviour." RJS

15th

August 15
The Security of the Believer
Psalm 37

One day in Bible College, I was very frustrated over some things that were just plain wrong. This happens to all of us from time to time. So, I opened my Bible and asked God for help and encouragement. My Bible opened to Psalm 37 and my eyes caught the first phrase, fret not because of evil doers. I was fretting so much about evil doers that I almost closed my Bible and went on to something else. Thank God that I didn't. For in those next few moments, as I read this Psalm, the Spirit of God brought peace to my heart and soul. God has never promised us that evil will never triumph in this life.
Like the Psalmist, we need to remember the big picture. In some cases, we may even have to wait for eternity to see the books balance. This was not the experience of the Psalmist. He said that it was just a little while and the wicked were no more. I remember when I was a student in Bible College. Things were in turmoil because of the doctrinal defection of some. Today the churches are as doctrinally strong as ever and those who trouble us are gone along with their error. Evil and error don't last. It is interesting to note in this regard that only orthodox Christianity has survived, unbroken, since Jesus walked this earth. All other doctrines, on the other hand, come and go like fads. The wicked do not hurt God's purpose on this earth, they serve God's purpose. God works all things together for good. He is able to take the wrath of man and work it to His praise. Why is it that we look for favor in places where our Lord found only hatred and death?
When evil prospers, we need to purpose in our hearts not to give way to evil, because if we do, we will reap as we have sown, and come to ruin. We will pass along with the evil. Let us not succumb to evil, but take hold of faith, love and hope, and live our lives with humility and patience. Then, we will learn wisdom. We will learn that both the suffering of the righteous and the prosperity of the wicked is short lived. Remember, weeping endures only through the night, but joy comes in the morning. Thank God even through the night, our God will never leave us nor forsake us! If we are to find security and blessing in this life, we must take hold of faith and righteousness. I wonder have you found the peace and security that David did? If not, open your heart to God. DW

16th

August 16
Spiritual Maturity
James 1:1

The book of James appears to take a different position than the book of Galatians. It does not. It just looks at the same truth from a different perspective. Human language is limited by human experience. God is beyond human experience. Therefore, as we study the Bible, we need to remember that there will be the appearance of contradiction as spiritual truth transcends the human experience.

James is our Lord's brother or half brother according to the flesh not the apostle by that name. He was an unusual man that became the pastor of the Jerusalem church very early. This is true in spite of the fact that many of the apostles including Peter were a part of the Jerusalem church. In Jerusalem, James was as respected by Jews as he was by Christians. He prayed on his knees so much that many called him "camel knees". In this book, James calls on believers to manifest righteousness. He speaks of the perfect law, the law of liberty, and the Royal law. In this book, James (not the apostle) paraphrases Jesus more than all of the other apostles combined do. He writes this book about 62 AD. He writes some time before the Jerusalem council recorded in Acts 15. When Herod lifted up his hand against Christians and killed the apostle James brother of John about 44 AD, many Jews fled Jerusalem. God used these believers and called Paul in order to spread the gospel to gentiles.

The books of Galatians and James do not contradict. They just look at truth from different perspectives. In Galatians, Paul upholds faith in the gospel as the only basis of salvation. James looks at the evidence of salvation in the life. The evidence of salvation that people see is works. As sure as there is a change in the heart, there will be outward evidence of it. Paul addressed the only foundation of salvation in Galatians. James addresses the building God builds on that foundation because of faith. James gives us great perspective on true spirituality. The legalists respected the outward life of James, as he did many of the same things. However, he did so from a very different heart and doctrinal perspective than the legalist. In Acts 15 we see James and Paul in perfect agreement on these issues. However, practically Jews and Gentiles outside of Jerusalem didn't measure up to the Jewish legalists in Jerusalem. Therefore, they hated Paul. Culture clearly has an impact on the standards we should have. DW

17th

August 17
Maturity Developed by Trials
James 1:2-11

The book of James appears to take a different position than the book of Galatians. It does not. It just looks at the same truth from a different perspective. James looks at the truth from the standpoint of the evidence of salvation. The only evidence of salvation people can see is in works. As sure as there is a change in the heart, there will be outward evidence of it in the life.

How do we feel about trials? I know how I feel. I don't like them one bit. I usually feel some frustration and at times even anger. These feelings are of the flesh and not the Spirit. If we are born of the Spirit, we will understand that trials are a good thing for us. We should rejoice in trials. When we face trials, God is working in our lives for good. God strengthens genuine faith through trials. The way we grow in grace is through trials. There are no shortcuts. Growing in grace is painful but blessed.

In verse 8 we read, a double minded man is unstable in all his ways. The Greek word translated doubled minded is . It comes from the Greek words for soul and two. It is a man with two souls. According to the Greek dictionary it pertains to being uncertain about the truth of something - 'doubleminded, doubting, doubter. (1)

In Christ, we are born of the Spirit of God. We recieve the divine nature. Yet we are also of the race of Adam. As such, we by nature have been touched by the unclean. This can put us in the position of trying to please two masters. This is unstable and cannot last long. In the end, we will turn to self and sin, or Christ. Growth through trials and a settled purpose in life are important evidence of salvation. The false disciple was a sentimental, plausible, self-deceived pietist, who knew and approved the good, though not conscientiously practicing it;… in conduct he was the slave of base, selfish passions; one who, in the last resource, would always put self uppermost, yet could zealously devote himself to well-doing when personal interests were not compromised-in short, what the Apostle James calls a two-minded man. DW
(1) Louw, Johannes P. and Nida, Eugene A., Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains, (New York: United Bible Societies) 1988, 1989.
(2) Bruce, Alexander Balman, The Training of the Twelve, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) 1995.

18th

August 18
The Truth about Temptation
James 1:12-18

The book of James appears to take a different position than the book of Galatians. It does not. It just looks at the same truth from a different perspective. James looks at the truth from the standpoint of the evidence of salvation. The only evidence of salvation people can see is in our works. As sure as there is a change in the heart, there will be outward evidence of it in the life.

As we look at this text, we see a deep divide between trials and temptations. God allows our faith to be tried, but God is not the author of temptation. The evil one and his associates are not even the main source of temptation. The problem of sin is a matter that lies deep within the human heart and soul. The tempter can sow the seeds, but we must provide the soil. Similarly, as God sows the seed of the Word in our hearts by His servants, we provide the soil. There is a reward for successfully overcoming temptation. In verse 12 we read, Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. If we give in to temptation, we suffer loss. If we allow the heart to give way to lust, we start a fire that can and will produce sin.

Some saw God as the author of sin and evil. He is not. We read in the book of I John, God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If this were not true, we would be without hope in this world. After reading the words of Einstein, I wonder if evil really exists. It may be just the absence of God as he suggested. Because of the sin nature, we cannot help but sin. However, if we find ourselves tempted and turn in faith to Christ for help, God can and will deliver us. We read in the book of Hebrews, 15 For our high priest is able to understand our weaknesses. When he lived on earth, he was tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin.16 Let us, then, feel very sure that we can come before God's throne where there is grace. There we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He prayed, lead us not into temptation… God does not expect us to overcome temptation in and of ourselves. He does not expect us to be miserable. He expects us to trust Him to meet all our needs. The most glorious and joyful life we could ever find is that which is found in Christ. DW

19th

August 19
False Professions
James 1:19-27

James looks at the truth from the standpoint of the evidence of salvation. The only evidence of salvation people can see is in works. As sure as there is a change in the heart, there will be outward evidence of it in the life. According the gospel record, the enemy counterfeits the conversion experience. Satan works in this way to put his children in with God's children. It was for this reason that Judas became an apostle. His conversion was a false profession of faith.

If our spirit is full of anger over trials and temptations there is no room for God. For God's grace to enter the heart there must be room. When we are (v. 19) … swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, God can work in our hearts. If anger is in control of our hearts, there is no room for the Spirit of God. In this text, we see how the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to transform our hearts. It is not enough to be under the ministry of the Word of God. In verse 22 we read, … be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. This is interesting. The one lacking in faith is lacking in works. The one lacking in faith has deceived his own heart. If we have been born of the Spirit of God, the ministry of the Word of God will change our lives. The one who struggles to bring the life into conformity with the Word of God is lacking in grace. Grace works deep in our hearts to transform our understanding and desires. To those who struggled to bring their lives into conformity with the Word of God, Jesus said, (Matthew 11:28) Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. In this sense, spiritual and physical growth are alike. We don't struggle to try and grow an inch. We eat, sleep, exercise and we grow. Christians who open their hearts to the Word of God and yield to the Spirit will grow.
What is the character of true spirituality? It is faith working in the life through love. We read in verse 27 Pure religion … is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. True spirituality is a deep matter of the heart and soul. It includes purity of heart and life. When the inside is right, the outside will be right. However, the outside can appear right while the heart is still unbelievably corrupt, and dominated by self and sin. We see this in the life of Judas Iscariot. DW

20th

August 20
The Sin of Partiality
James 2:1-13

James looks at the truth from the standpoint of the evidence of salvation. The only evidence of salvation people can see is in our works. As sure as there is a change in the heart, there will be outward evidence of it in the life. Sin manifests itself in the heart of fallen humanity in the form of selfishness. In sin, people put their own interests first. God's glory and the rights of others don't mean anything next to the selfish desires of the heart. We read in verse 1 of the second chapter of this book, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

Why are people treated with partiality in ministry? It is because of selfishness and sin. The verb here is an imperative and has the force of a commandment. In ministry, we should give as God directs and not in order to get something from others. The one who gives to receive in ministry is spiritually corrupt. In our text, this truth is illustrated as people direct a rich man to a choice seat, while a poor man is told to sit on the floor. This is terribly absurd when you consider, 1 Corinthians 1:26 … not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called… In other words, very few of God's people are rich. Furthermore, the rich are often the enemies of God and the truth. Those who conspired to crucify Jesus were not beggars.
The law forms a unified whole. The legalists sought to show that they were godly. However, they were also dominated by self interest. Therefore, it is possible to pray, fast, and give money in the most impressive ways and still be dominated by self-interest. False religion would not impress people as much without the great appearance of goodness. The works of people dominated by self-interest will always exceed those who are led by the Spirit. False religion places terrible burdens on people. Jesus (Matthew 11:30) said … my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. There is simply no peace, no joy, no contentment, and even no excitement like that which is found in yielding to the Spirit of God. I wonder, what kind of life are you leading today? Is it the life of the flesh, is it the very difficult life of religion, or is it the blessed life of faith? Self interest and partiality are difficult to discern even in our own lives. However, the direction of the Spirit of God should not be difficult to discern. Our hearts will experience perfect peace if we just follow His direction in our lives. DW

21st

August 21
The Fruit of a Transformed Life
James 2:14-26

Faith in Christ has a great impact on the life by making us also the partakers of the divine nature. The divine nature enables us to rise above self and serve the greater good. As sure as we partake of the divine nature, there will be evidence of it in our works. As we look at our own lives and as we look at those who have been born of the Spirit, we ought to see the evidence in the works of faith working through love.

The great illustration of this in the life of Abraham is when he demonstrated his willingness to offer his son in obedience to God's command. His own desire was that his son would live. This is according to nature. Another illustration is seen in physical life. As sure as one is alive physically, there is evidence of it. They may walk, talk, see, and breathe. They may not do some of these things. This is also according to nature. By nature we understand this. Similarly, if we know God and have been born of the Spirit, we know something of the working of the Spirit. All those who have been born of the Spirit recognize the voice of God. Abraham's faith brought him into a relationship with God. After years of walking with God Abraham's faith was tested with the sacrifice of his son. All those who are born of the Spirit face testing. In and through this testing they rise above selfish desire and have a fresh experience with God and His blessing. Sin brings destruction. Abraham experienced the blessing, and he is the father of faith in the sense that all who believe must go through similar experiences. It is a very dangerous thing to turn from light and God, to self. As we are tried, the enemy will try to seduce us. We need to remember that there is the greatest difference between truth and error. Light and darkness couldn't be any further apart. Righteousness demonstrates love for God and others by setting self aside for the greater good. Evil demonstrates hatred for God and others, by subordinating every thing else to itself. These works are very different. DW

22nd

August 22
The Sins of the Tongue
James 3:1-12

James looks at the truth from the standpoint of the evidence of salvation. The only evidence of salvation people can see is in our works. As sure as there is a change in the heart, there will be outward evidence of it in the life. The easiest way to look at the heart is to listen to what is said with discernment. Error speaks according to both truth and error, but in the end error is what has real meaning. The power of self interest in the heart makes truth easy to set aside. Examine any false religion closely and you will see this.

As sure as there is evil in the heart, it will come out in our words. In the book of I Corinthians, Paul gives us important understanding of truth. In 1 Corinthians 12:3-4 we read, I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. In other words, it is impossible for one to say from the heart that Jesus is Lord except the Spirit of God is speaking through him. In Isaiah 8:20 we read, To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. The enemy is a deceiver. Darkness cannot embrace the central truths of the written Word.
When it comes to false teachers, they manifest great power, but always move against God. Deuteronomy 13:1-3 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; 3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Those who seek power (success, results, etc.) at the expense of truth will find darkness and not light. We must know God, trust God and love God above these. All who aspire to power, success and results are at great risk. When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, from a human perspective all would be lost, but Abraham loved and trusted God above all these. Therefore, he willingly risks the loss of all to do right. DW

23rd

August 23
Walking in Wisdom
James 3:13-18

James looks at the truth from the standpoint of the evidence of salvation. The only evidence of salvation people can see is in our works. As sure as there is a change in the heart, there will be outward evidence of it in the life. Sin manifests itself in the heart of fallen humanity in the form of selfishness. Those who give way to selfishness aspire for the things of this world. They aspire for power over others. It is this aspiration for power over others that manifests itself in (verse 14) bitter envying and strife…

Those who walk in wisdom learn to wait on God. They discern what is in the heart. They know bitter envying and strife… in the heart is evil. They refuse to glory… in success, and lie not against the truth. They know, 15This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. They manifest a meekness of wisdom that … is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

Those who are full of self cannot leave things in the hands of God. They must exercise power and try to control outcomes. It is essential that we fight the right battle in the right way. It is difficult to fight with an enemy that plays by no rules without becoming like our enemy. However, if we give way to evil in order to fight evil, we have lost the battle. How can we fight such an enemy in battle and win? The only way we can fight evil is at the direction of God and in His power. God is the only one who can win. According to the book of Hebrews, we can experience the victory through defeating the enemy or defeating our fear of death. God will deliver us from the trial or in the trial according to His purpose, but either way we win. Winning is not living. Winning is doing right. Doing right may bring victory and doing right may bring destruction in this life, but being right is essential. The enemy will ever deny and distort the truth of God's Word. Also, the enemy will manifest deception and hate. God will always manifest truth and love. If we would walk in wisdom, we must manifest truth and love. If we let go of love, we have lost truth. If we let go of truth we have lost love. Evidence of Godly wisdom in the works of our life is an important manifestation of God's Spirit working in our hearts. DW

24th

August 24
Worldliness
James 4:1-10

James looks at the truth from the standpoint of the evidence of salvation. The only evidence of salvation people can see is in our works. As sure as there is a change in the heart, there will be outward evidence of it in the life. Sin manifests itself in the heart of fallen humanity in the form of selfishness. Those who give way to selfishness aspire for the things of this world. Worldliness in the life is evidence of a lack of grace in the heart. A lack of grace in the hearts of people produces strife. James 4:1 1From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain… The idea is strife among God's people.

The deepest needs in the human soul are spiritual not material. Therefore, in order to find peace and contentment, we need to seek God. Seeking God involves the right kind of prayer. The right kind of prayer comes from a heart that manifests grace. The wrong kind of prayer lacks grace in the heart. When grace is lacking, the focus of prayer is self and material lusts.

Opening the heart to grace involves turning from self and sin. The one who is born of the Spirit of God is a partaker of the divine nature. However, he still retains the old sin nature. Failure to humble ourselves and turn from sin results in a divided heart. It is comparable to what can happen in the marriage relationship. Those in adultery for whatever reason have not been able to break their marriage relationship, but neither can they maintain faithfulness within it. The same thing can happen to believers when it comes to their faithfulness to God. Sadly, we live in a day when many Christians still take physical adultery very seriously while they engage in spiritual adultery. In so doing they fail to understand that faithfulness to God is what is most important. This language here is designed to shock these believers into understanding the terrible evil of worldliness and friendship with this world. There is a view of spirituality that sees holiness as peace and goodwill to all. Make no mistake; the devil has a crowd that surrounds us. Seeking peace with them is the path of apostates not saints. Worldly and apostate believers seek peace with the world while they strive with saints. Jesus noted that all spoke well of false teachers. DW

25th

August 25
Strife among Brethren Forbidden
James 4:11, 12

James looks at the truth from the standpoint of the evidence of salvation. The only evidence of salvation people can see is in our works. As sure as there is a change in the heart, there will be outward evidence of it in the life. Sin manifests itself in the heart of fallen humanity in the form of selfishness. Those who give way to selfishness aspire for the things of this world. Worldliness in the life is evidence of a lack of grace in the heart. A lack of grace in the heart results in speaking evil of other believers.

The command here has the force of stop doing something you are doing. They were speaking evil of one another. You heard about the poor wife who was married to an impossible man. She cooked a wonderful breakfast for him and stopped to ask him how he wanted his eggs. He said that he wanted two one scrambled and one fried. She put his eggs on the table and he glared at here with exasperation. She asked, "What is wrong?" He replied that she had fried the wrong egg. Sadly, experience with people like this is not rare in ministry.

When we take it upon ourselves to criticize other believers, we give way to foolish ambitious self-seeking behavior. It is my understanding that when Woodrow Wilson was the governor of New Jersey, an ambitious young man called him at 3:30AM. He said that the state auditor had just died and asked if he could take his place. Wilson didn't skip a beat. He said that if it was alright with the undertaker, it would be alright with him. I think we all understand that such behavior is offensive and presumptuous. What we don't understand is that when we speak in a negative way about other believers, we are just as presumptuous. Now the reality is that spiritual leaders must make choices, judgments, and try to help people. However, the spiritual heart is very careful to deal accurately and as privately as possible. The spiritual heart seeks to help, restore, and bring healing. The ambitious person seeks power, money, and the destruction of all who stand in his way. The way a spiritual heart handles negative information differently than the way a self-seeking heart handles it. We need to be very careful in the way we deal with other believers. My work in Christian schools has taught me to be very careful in our dealings with the children of others. Believers are God's children and we need to be even more careful. DW

26th

August 26
Godless Living
James 4:13-17

The way we go about our day-to-day lives flows from our values and beliefs. James looks at the truth from the standpoint of the evidence of salvation. Salvation is founded on faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. As sure as there is real faith, there will be evidence of faith through the works of the life. An example of godless living is presumptuous planning. Presumptuous planning is stated in the spirit of the heart which says, today or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain… Such a statement ignores important truth. It ignores that we may plan, but ultimately God is in control. We have neither the knowledge nor the power to secure outcomes in life.

Such a spirit ignores the uncertainties of life, and God's sovereignty. To walk by sight with confidence in our abilities and plans in life is evil. We read in verse 16, …ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. The idea is that of being satisfied in our ability in bringing our desires to pass. It is mindless arrogance. What should be the spirit of our heart? If there is an understanding of truth and reality we should say … If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

If we believe, we ought to experience God in this life. Before coming to faith in Christ, we walk by sight. We see life in terms of our choices and our desires. That is the main force in our lives. It is not reality, but that is our perception. The one who believes begins to see the hand of God at work in this life. We still have our choices and desires, but we come to experience God's hand as a more powerful force in our lives than either our choices or our desires. Consequently, God's will becomes the focus of our desire and choices in life. It is even as Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said, not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. This is the spirit and life of those who believe. It flows naturally from knowing and experiencing God. It is one thing to profess to believe something. It is another thing to connect with the God and begin to see and understand His working in this world. As surely as this understanding exists, the will of God will become an important part of our choices and desires. DW

27th

August 27
Power and Responsibility
James 5:1-6

There is not a person living that does not bear important responsibility in life. All of us are responsible for the choices we make in life. However, some have more responsibility than others do. The greater our influence and power, the greater our responsibility. Knowledge and ability involves power. Money involves power. Leadership positions involve power whether that leadership is ecclesiastical or political. In this chapter of James, corrupt rich people are called to account for abuse of economic power. As sure as there is a just and powerful God, there will be a day of reckoning. In that day the books will balance. That balance is prophesied here. Today the rich enjoy the fruits of their abuse of power, but the day is coming when they will experience misery in just recompense for the misery they bring to the lives of others.

This is true for all not just the rich. The rich here are called into account for being poor stewards of wealth. The poor stewardship involved a very selfish use of wealth. Wealth should be used, not stored, horded and consequently wasted. The instruction here does not exclude wise saving, but the wealthy often waste wealth in storage when they could do much good. We read in the previous chapter that to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. According to what is said here, the profit made by these folk on their fields was unjust. Justice demanded higher wages for their workers. There is no system of economics or law that can make wrong right, and these rich folk were wrong.

Note what is said here in verse 6. Here we read, Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. Why is it that the just do not resist? We know that Jesus did not resist as He was killed, but does that mean that we should all follow the same path. At some point, we all must recognize that good people must resist evil with force. I often wonder though if my lack of resistance flows from real righteousness or just a desire for peace at any price. There are those who love this country and still condemn those who would oppose tyranny. We need to be mindful that opposing tyranny is not wrong. God has given us the right to defend our lives and our property. No one has the right to take what is ours just because they have the power, and yet the sad reality of these verses is that some rich people were doing just that. DW

28th

August 28
Patience in Suffering
James 5:7-11

There is no guarantee that if we do right we will not suffer for it. The sad fact is as these verses recount, some of the best of God's people have suffered greatly at the hands of evil people. At some point in life, we will encounter evil and we simply will not have the power to do anything about it.

In these verses, patience is defined in terms of grudge not. What does it mean to grudge? The Greek word behind the translation has the idea of groaning. It is the groaning we read of in the translation of Romans 8:23 … we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. The word is a present imperative and has the force of stop your groaning in the face of suffering. It is hard not to groan in the face of suffering and evil. As the prayer of St. Francis goes, we need to learn to accept those things we cannot change, but also change those things which we can. In this regard, it is not our judgment, but God's will that needs to differentiate between these two.
The example here is instructive. It is taken from agriculture. No farmer groans because of the time between planting and harvest. He knows according to nature and God's plan in creation the harvest will come. So too, we ought not to groan because of the time between evil and judgment. When Jesus comes again, there will be a reckoning. Evil people hurt themselves more than they will ever hurt anyone else. They sin primarily to their own confusion.
Furthermore, God is working all things together for good. God reveals this to us in the book of Romans. Therefore, though our suffering is difficult and painful, God is working a good purpose in our lives through it. Therefore, if we empower our faith, we can and should grow in faith and grace through suffering. Nothing good is accomplished through groaning. As sure as we have the goodness of God working in us, we will face unreasonable hatred and abuse. Yet even this hatred and abuse will work to great blessing. The death of Jesus Christ is a great example. It was the most terrible evil ever to take place on this earth, but it worked to the greatest blessing that this world has ever known. When Jesus died, the veil of the temple was torn in two. The demands of divine justice were satisfied, and now we are forever free from the curse of sin and death. DW

29th

August 29
Truth in the Life
James 5:12

When self interest dominates a culture, truth is lost. The point of the verse is not that affirmations of the truth are wrong, but if we live in a culture where you can depend on what people say, they are unnecessary. The way we represent the truth in our lives should be so accurate that we shouldn't ever feel the need to swear or take an oath. Others may ask such of us, but we shouldn't ever feel a need to invoke an oath. If we are careful and consistent in our representation of truth, we wouldn't even think of using an oath to support truth in our lives.

Speaking truth does not involve helping evil people or enemies who would try to use our goodness against us. However, it does involve being faithful in representing the truth to everyone to whom we have a moral obligation to give the truth. As sure as we have been born of the Spirit of God, this characteristic will be a part of our lives. The world knows nothing of this, and there are even some who profess faith that seem to know little of this. I heard of a situation just this week where a respected spiritual leader advocated a view of diplomacy that involved misleading those close to us. Jesus did not follow this path. This text in James does not teach such a view. According to our text, if we misrepresent the truth to the people close to us, we fall into condemnation. The Greek word translated condemnation has the idea of us falling under the chastening hand of God as believers. A good parent would not let a small child steal from the store. God is a good parent and will not let His children misrepresent truth to others with impunity. He will chasten and correct this kind of behavior.

In the book of James, we have been looking at the works that flow from faith. We cannot buy salvation and God's favor. However, if we believe, we enter an all important relationship with God, and he transforms our hearts in and through this relationship. This transformation of heart and God's dealing in our lives through that relationship guarantees that we will develop a certain way as His children. Therefore, when we see one who professes grace. but lives in disgrace and seems to be void of understanding and God's chastening hand, we are probably looking at an example of false conversion. However, it is not the lives of others that James has in view. It is our own lives. Our lives should manifest the truth. DW

30th

August 30
Power in Prayer
James 5:13-18

An important evidence of our experience with God, and our understanding of spiritual things, is our prayer life. Can we discern what God is doing and relate that to power in prayer? If we can, we will have confidence in our prayer life and our faith will grow. Rather than groan, we will learn to seek peace of heart and mind in prayer. As we come before God with our feelings and desires, we will have an important experience with God. If we are on track with God, we will see His work in this world and link our lives with it. If we are off track, He will redirect our hearts and minds. We see this with Paul's thorn in the flesh. As Paul seeks God for deliverance, God reveals His purpose in this affliction to Paul and Paul's heart about the problem changes. Where he groaned, he came to glory. What was the difference? The difference was his understanding of the plan and purpose of God in his suffering.

Job never really came to understand the plan and purpose of God in his suffering, but God brought him to the point where Job could leave his problems in God's hands. Job's prayers played an important part in his growth.

This kind of praying involves humility, and humility involves love of truth over self. All those who love truth over self are very aware of the sins that so easily beset them. They understand the importance of transparency and accountability in ministry. Some isolate spiritual leaders in order to exercise power over them and hide truth from the flock. This model comes from the world. James teaches otherwise. We read in the book of James that we should, Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. When transparency is lost in ministry, this important principle is subverted. I believe much of the moral and ethical problems we face in ministry today is due to a lack of respect and trust for the fellowship as a whole. In speaking to a carnal church we read an interesting question. We read, Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? I have noticed that when people lose perspective it is when they look at themselves. They usually are much more objective in looking at others. Therefore, even a carnal church is capable of judging individual matters correctly. Furthermore, it is essential that they do so. DW

31st

August 31
The Conversion of Saints
James 5:19-20

We know that the lost need conversion, but what we fail to understand is that there are saints that need to be converted. Some may object to this, but consider verse 19. Here we read, Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him… The language here clearly speaks of those who are in the faith and not the lost. How is it that the saints need conversion? The minds of some saints are held captive to worldly thinking. In Colossians 2:8 we are warned, Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Those who have not studied the Bible and not been taught of the Holy Spirit through the Word, are held by the thinking of this world. Furthermore, there are false teachers who the enemy uses to captivate the minds of believers.
Ministry involves freeing people's minds from false philosophies, corrupt traditions, and even so called scientific thinking. The apostle Paul spoke of such unbiblical so-called scientific thinking in his day. We read in 1 Timothy 6:20, O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called… True science is never in conflict with Biblical revelation. These falsities always underpin selfish desires and corrupt practices. If they did not, there would be no temptation. Saints are not immune from this evil influence. Indeed saints whose sins have been forgiven, are often more prone to the influence of evil. Therefore, when saints are converted, it shall hide a multitude of sins. I have noticed that those who are trying to buy salvation can be more zealous in their outward righteousness than saints can. They carry the most impossible burdens through the power of darkness. Therefore, an important part of ministry involves the conversion of saints.

Only a transparent ministry can help promote this. Whenever we try to protect people from themselves, we empower the enemy in his work. For example, I know some who think that leadership should always project perfection. They think that if parents admit error to children it will destroy their leadership. The opposite is true. When we admit error, we acknowledge that we are not perfect. Furthermore, we assure people that things are as they ought. To do otherwise is to deceive. DW

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