The following are studies I wrote about 10 years ago in the book of James for my daughters. These links are in order and cover James 1:1-18.
https://istwenty63.blogspot.com/2010/11/james-12-count-it-all-joy.html
https://istwenty63.blogspot.com/2010/11/james-13.html
https://istwenty63.blogspot.com/2010/11/ask-with-believing-heart.html
https://istwenty63.blogspot.com/2010/11/trials-great-equalizers.html
https://istwenty63.blogspot.com/2010/11/crown-of-life-james-112.html
https://istwenty63.blogspot.com/2010/11/james-113-blame-game.html
https://istwenty63.blogspot.com/2010/11/james-114.html
I copied the first study here:
The Book of James...Spiritual Maturity
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,
The Book of James - Introduction
James is such a practical book! It is where the rubber meets the road. Are we a hearer of the Word only? Do we really live what we profess to believe? What our hearts believe, will be reflected in our lives...our actions will follow the beliefs of our hearts. Our faith is something to be believed and acted upon. If it doesn't result in works and a changed life then our faith is dead. If we love God, we will obey His commandments.
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
James introduced Himself as a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was also the Lord's half- brother and a pillar of the early church in Jerusalem, but he thought of himself as a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is how we should see ourselves. We are here as God's servant by His grace to do His will. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
James was not a believer until after the death and resurrection of Christ. (Mark 3:31-35 and John 7:1-5).What convinced James...the resurrection. (See 1 Cor 15:3-7)
James wrote to the 12 tribes scattered abroad ...the Christian Jews who were scattered in the dispersion during the first round of persecution. Persecution that came from their own countrymen. Interestingly, the Greek word scattered means "in the dispersion" and carries the meaning of scattering seed which is what happened when these Jewish believers were scattered abroad. Seed was sown in many places and much of it bore fruit. The gospel went to the Jew first. It was rejected by the nation of Israel but many individual Jews did accept Jesus as their Messiah. The early church was comprised of mostly Jewish believers. Acceptance or rejection of Christ is a personal decision that each and every one of us makes.
Let's pause for a minute to remember that as a Jew they were rejected by Gentiles and as a Christian Jew they were not only rejected by their own countrymen but persecuted as well. They were expelled from the temple which meant that they probably would have much trouble earning a living because a good Jew would no longer have any dealings with them.
We have looked at who James was and to whom he wrote to. Now let's look at why he wrote. James purpose in writing this letter was to address spiritual immaturity, and he talks about several qualities that should mark the spiritually mature believer. Here they are, using Warren Wiersbe's words: A spiritually mature believer is patient in testing, practices the truth, has power over the tongue, is a peacemaker, not a troublemaker, and is prayerful in troubles. I absolutely love how (he) Warren Wiersbe, characterizes the problems that James dealt with. He saw them as characteristics we see in little children. Thinking of it like that makes it so easy for me to remember. James looks at impatience, talking but not living the truth, no control over the tongue, fighting and coveting, and collecting material things.
Okay...I just don't see these characteristics in little children. I see each of them to some extent in me. Imagine, however, if these qualities were still as much a part of our character now as they were when we were young. Suppose chastening had never occurred, or we never had to face the consequences of our actions and we always got what we wanted. Without the trials, chastisements and consequences I received as a child I would be impossible to live with....selfish, unhappy, discontented, obnoxious and probably dangerous. Without the Lord in my life, without Him in my heart I would be a slave to sin. My life would bear fruit unto death not holiness.
Hebrews 12:9-10 says: "Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. (emphasis mine) Looking at it from this point of view we can see how helpful trials can be. As a child of God they reveal to us what we are trusting in, they lead us to our Savior and His word, they make us look up, help us to bear fruit. In short, they mature us. Our job is to surrender and let Him do the work in our hearts.
God wants to produce His likeness in each of us. This necessarily involves suffering, frustration, heartache and confusion. Fruit needs rain as well as sunshine to grow. God wants to make us mature and complete, not to keep us from all pain. Try to remember, however, that afterward trials will produce the peaceable fruit of righteousness if we allow ourselves to be trained by them. Keep your eyes on the goal....Christ-likeness.
Love
Mom
Addendum from 9/3/2013: a bondservant (doulos) in its Hebrew sense it is defined as a slave....one who gives himself up voluntarily to another's will. It describes a servant who willingly commits himself to serve a master he loves and respects. (Exodus 21:5-6. Gal 1:10, Titus 1:1, A doulos is devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interest. I. Love. That.
The Book of James - Introduction
James is such a practical book! It is where the rubber meets the road. Are we a hearer of the Word only? Do we really live what we profess to believe? What our hearts believe, will be reflected in our lives...our actions will follow the beliefs of our hearts. Our faith is something to be believed and acted upon. If it doesn't result in works and a changed life then our faith is dead. If we love God, we will obey His commandments.
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
James introduced Himself as a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was also the Lord's half- brother and a pillar of the early church in Jerusalem, but he thought of himself as a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is how we should see ourselves. We are here as God's servant by His grace to do His will. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
James was not a believer until after the death and resurrection of Christ. (Mark 3:31-35 and John 7:1-5).What convinced James...the resurrection. (See 1 Cor 15:3-7)
James wrote to the 12 tribes scattered abroad ...the Christian Jews who were scattered in the dispersion during the first round of persecution. Persecution that came from their own countrymen. Interestingly, the Greek word scattered means "in the dispersion" and carries the meaning of scattering seed which is what happened when these Jewish believers were scattered abroad. Seed was sown in many places and much of it bore fruit. The gospel went to the Jew first. It was rejected by the nation of Israel but many individual Jews did accept Jesus as their Messiah. The early church was comprised of mostly Jewish believers. Acceptance or rejection of Christ is a personal decision that each and every one of us makes.
Let's pause for a minute to remember that as a Jew they were rejected by Gentiles and as a Christian Jew they were not only rejected by their own countrymen but persecuted as well. They were expelled from the temple which meant that they probably would have much trouble earning a living because a good Jew would no longer have any dealings with them.
We have looked at who James was and to whom he wrote to. Now let's look at why he wrote. James purpose in writing this letter was to address spiritual immaturity, and he talks about several qualities that should mark the spiritually mature believer. Here they are, using Warren Wiersbe's words: A spiritually mature believer is patient in testing, practices the truth, has power over the tongue, is a peacemaker, not a troublemaker, and is prayerful in troubles. I absolutely love how (he) Warren Wiersbe, characterizes the problems that James dealt with. He saw them as characteristics we see in little children. Thinking of it like that makes it so easy for me to remember. James looks at impatience, talking but not living the truth, no control over the tongue, fighting and coveting, and collecting material things.
Okay...I just don't see these characteristics in little children. I see each of them to some extent in me. Imagine, however, if these qualities were still as much a part of our character now as they were when we were young. Suppose chastening had never occurred, or we never had to face the consequences of our actions and we always got what we wanted. Without the trials, chastisements and consequences I received as a child I would be impossible to live with....selfish, unhappy, discontented, obnoxious and probably dangerous. Without the Lord in my life, without Him in my heart I would be a slave to sin. My life would bear fruit unto death not holiness.
Hebrews 12:9-10 says: "Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. (emphasis mine) Looking at it from this point of view we can see how helpful trials can be. As a child of God they reveal to us what we are trusting in, they lead us to our Savior and His word, they make us look up, help us to bear fruit. In short, they mature us. Our job is to surrender and let Him do the work in our hearts.
God wants to produce His likeness in each of us. This necessarily involves suffering, frustration, heartache and confusion. Fruit needs rain as well as sunshine to grow. God wants to make us mature and complete, not to keep us from all pain. Try to remember, however, that afterward trials will produce the peaceable fruit of righteousness if we allow ourselves to be trained by them. Keep your eyes on the goal....Christ-likeness.
Love
Mom
Addendum from 9/3/2013: a bondservant (doulos) in its Hebrew sense it is defined as a slave....one who gives himself up voluntarily to another's will. It describes a servant who willingly commits himself to serve a master he loves and respects. (Exodus 21:5-6. Gal 1:10, Titus 1:1, A doulos is devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interest. I. Love. That.
