The two chains of James...sermon post


We are making some chains in this first chapter of James.  I will label one God's Chain and the other Man's Chain.  It is important to remember that James is writing to those Jewish converts to Christianity in the 1st century that have been dispersed from Jerusalem because of persecution brought on by their allegiance to Jesus as their risen Messiah.  James is speaking to Christians who are being met by trials of various kinds.  How will they negotiate these trials, God's way or man's way?

God's Chain:

given Faith from God - a Trial of various kinds - producing Endurance - asking for needed Wisdom from above - resulting in single Devotion to God - allowed to Mature - and Christ-likeness

Man's Chain:

given Faith from God - a Trial of various kinds - enticement of Temptation - drawing upon Desires from within - resulting in Sin, a wandering from God's way - allowed to Linger - and physical Consequences (even death)

Simplified God's Chain:

Faith - Trial - Endurance - Wisdom (above) - Devotion - Maturity - Christ-likeness

Simplified Man's Chain:

Faith - Trial - Temptation - Desire (within) - Sin - Linger - Consequences

In your present trial, Christian, what chain are you holding onto?  What is so great is that if you are trying to solve it using Man's Chain and you realize you need to switch chains, you can.

When temptation shows up in the trial, you can pray to your heavenly Father who is generous and gives His children the needed wisdom to navigate the trial in a God glorifying way.  You switched chains.

If you are farther down the chain and have seen the temptation give birth to sin, you can call out to that same heavenly Father with confession of that sin (1 John 1:9). You may still suffer some consequences of allowing that sin to linger but you will be operating with wisdom from above rather than your desires from within which got you into this added trouble.  You switched chains.

I fear there are many Christians holding onto the wrong chain.  Because of this, sin being allowed to linger, we are in a position not to experience the greatness of God because we have chosen not to include Him in this trial and the sooner the better!

Lastly to this blog post, is the final point about keeping our given salvation from God in the forefront of our minds when walking through a trial of various kinds.  I don't know why I have not seen this tremendous verse that James ends this section with.  

James already did a summary in verse 12, "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." (LSB) This is one who is clinging to God's Chain.  

But if you find yourself walking the path of temptation, James encourages us to remember the One who first loved us.  I think this is one of the most concise verses in the Bible about our salvation.  Verse 18 says, "In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures." (LSB)

"In the exercise of His (God's) will..." - This is a deliberate act of God by God.

"...He (God) brought us forth..." - God is the agent to conceive us.  He birthed us.

"...by the word of truth (Jesus),..." - God is deliberate in His will and the agent in which we are brought to life and He is the One who provided the means for it is to happen with Jesus' life, death, resurrection and ascension.

"...so that we (the born again) would be a kind of first fruits..." - What God has willed, conceived and provided has produced the start of a harvest that has come via Jesus' life, death, resurrection and ascension.

"...among His (God's) creatures." - We, the born again, are used of God and by God among others who will witness this type of fruit in the midst of a trial of various kinds.

God saved us and He uses us for His purposes.  When we view our present trial in light of our eternal salvation and the broader plan of God's redemption, we will hold tighter to God's Chain and say no to the temptation presented in Man's Chain.  

As Christians, we need to look at the trials we face in life differently.  This trial is an opportunity to show others a child of God holding fast to Him.  It is also an opportunity to honor God with my loyalty to what He has done for me on the cross and empty grave and what lies ahead with a reunion and a provided and prepared home by Him (John 14:1-3).  

Adam


A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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