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Real freedom requires restraint and boundaries
Christianity Out in the World
The book of James
We learned that in approximately 37 A.D., Saul of Tarsus had met with the apostle James (the half-brother of Jesus, also called ‘James the Just’), in Jerusalem. He went to see James to have him authenticate his ‘Christ -calling.’ (See Christ’s Greatest Enemy was Directly Converted by Jesus Himself.)
If we search the scriptures, we can conclude that James was the leader of the church at that time (Ac. 12:17; 15:13 – 21; 21:18, & Gl. 1:19 & 2:9.)
In addition to our studies thus far in the book of Acts, (i.e., looking at the apostles’ efforts to build the first church), there are appropriate times during this continuing study, where we must interweave the various apostles’ epistles – written along the same timeline.
Having said that, biblical scholars attest that James penned his epistle, (the Book of James), in the early 40s A.D. Thus, now is the time to give it a go.
The book of James differs from most of the other epistles, in that it is not a deep theological treatise, but instead, is more of a practical guide for living in a godly manner.
Right at the outset, James lets us know that his epistle is written to the Jews living outside of the region of Palestine – those who fled from Assyrian and Babylonian persecution:
To the twelve [Hebrew] tribes [scattered abroad among the Gentiles] in the dispersion: Greetings (rejoice)! Jas. 1:1 AMP
James begins with teaching us about the importance of how to build your faith and the fruits thereof:
Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let the endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. Jas. 1:2 – 4. CSB
Most of us don’t see trials as a joy-inspiring, or faith-building prospect. Yet, that is exactly what God is telling us here.
It is not the trial itself that is the focus of joy; it is the potential byproduct of the lesson to be learned from that trial, (e.g., greater spiritual maturity), that brings the joy.
When we patiently endure as we move through our trial, we can come out of it on the other side with greater strength and insight and build our faith as we see God’s helping hand.
All trials produce a temptation, a desire to flee from the trial rather that placing our faith in God, or we try to go solo in our efforts instead of enlisting His help. If we cling to Him, He will not leave us helpless and hopeless:
(No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it. 1 Co. 10:13 CSB)
(…the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations… 2 Pt. 2:9 NKJV)
Jehovah loves you and keeps watch over you. When you veer off your God-path, He will lovingly nudge you back, giving you the opportunity to make a free-will choice to do the right thing. These ‘nudges’ may come in the form of a trial, so that you can have a chance to experience His ‘love correction’:
(As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? Heb 12:7 NLT)
Returning to the book of James, we see that God may allow various trials, but He, Himself, will NEVER tempt you:
God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.
These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. Jas. 1:12 – 15. NLT
James shifts his focus to how to gain godly wisdom, to be able to know the right course of action when life throws us a curve:
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Jas. 1:5 – 7. NLT
It’s that faith thing again. Jehovah God will give you anything you ask for, (that aligns with His will), if you believe that He can do it, that He will do it, and that it’s already being done.
We need wisdom, (i.e., the right experiential application of the word of God) in our lives – which requires patience through trial and error:
You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. Jas. 1:19 – 21. NLT
To tap into those ‘planted words,’ we must keep our spiritual ears open. And, to have those words bear fruit, we must act them out:
But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves…if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. Jas. 1:22 & 25. NLT
So, to be a godly person, (a loving person), you must do godly things (do the loving). What does ‘doing love’ look like?
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. Jas. 1:27 NLT
We know that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves[1] (– especially reaching out to those who are less fortunate physically, materially, and / or spiritually. When we walk in the light of God, we become lights for God, spreading the Gospel to all who are willing to receive it:
My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? Jas 2:1 NLT
Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? Jas. 2:5 NLT
There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you. Jas. 2:13 NLT
If we withhold the Gospel from anyone, we are judging that person, finding him or her unworthy – in direct opposition to Jesus’ directive against engaging in judgment.[2]
Next, the apostle gives further examples of doing the love, and why that is an imperative:
What good is it…if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?
Suppose you see a brother or a sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well” – but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? Jas. 2:14 – 16. NLT
Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. Jas. 2:26 NLT
So, James is teaching that faith alone cannot lead to salvation. Yet later we will hear this from the apostle Paul:
For we maintain that an individual is justified by faith distinctly apart from the works of the Law [the observance of which has nothing to do with justification, that is, being declared free of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]. Rm. 3:28 AMP
The apostles seem to be diametrically opposed to one another – appearing to create confusion. They were both Holy Spirit-inspired; and God is not a God of confusion[3] So, who is correct? They both are.
Paul rightly teaches that salvation is a gift of God’s grace – given in exchange for one’s faith in Christ – who He is and what He’s done, and that He died and was resurrected to the Father’s right hand.
Being that salvation is a gift; it is not something that you can earn – even through good works.
James rightly states that if we turn from our worldly ways and walk in the love of God, our character will change, which cannot help but change what we do, i.e., our ‘works.’ This resonates with the Holy Spirit’s message to King David:
(Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Ps. 15:1, 2. NLT
Jesus also preached that our works are a product of our godly transformation – to be exercised for the glory of God:
(…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Mt. 5:16 CSB)
So, we see that James is just as correct as Paul. If there is no change in a person’s heart, and thus no change in the way that they conduct themselves, then their conversion was not in earnest. They are trying to straddle the Kingdom and the world. It cannot be done.
More of James next time. Goodnight and God bless.
[1] Mt. 22:39
[2] Mt. 7:1
[3] 1 Co. 14:33
Building Better Americans 205
https://www.prageru.com/videos/two-tiered-justice-in-england
In the UK, Christians are arrested for praying silently in public while radical Muslims threatening local Jews continue unpunished. Winston Marshall explains how a two-tier system is destroying his country.
Christ’s Greatest Enemy was Directly Converted by Jesus Himself
Prior, we had watched the Holy Spirit empowering all the apostles to work miracle. Also, we witnessed one of Christ’s disciples, Stephen, speak of the Sanhedrin’s crime of killing Jesus by crucifixion and addressed them of blasphemy. They responded by having him stoned to death. (See First to Give Up His Life for Christ).
Let’s return briefly to the day of Stephen’s death.’
At that time, a certain ‘Saul of Tarsus,’ was present at the event. He was leading a campaign of persecution against the church of Christ:
Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.
A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. Ac. 8:1 NLT
Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there.
He wanted to bring them – both men and women – back to Jerusalem in chains. Ac. 9:1, 2.
So, just who is this Saul, and why did he have such a hateful attitude towards the followers of Christ?
Well, it just so happens that Saul tells us himself – in later scriptures that the Holy Spirit revealed to him:
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did…” Ac. 22:3 NLT
I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin – a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law.
I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. Phil. 3:5, 6. NLT
Thus, Saul was born of Jewish parents in the capital city of Tarsus, in the region of Cilicia (modern-day Turkey), raised in Jerusalem and educated as a Pharisee.
Remembering how hostile that they were to Jesus, Saul too must have hated Him, along with His followers. He felt He / they conflicted with the Pharisaic orthodoxy. Saul felt that it was his righteous duty to persecute the church of Christ:
…I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. Gl. 1:13 NLT
Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many believers there to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death. Many times I had them punished in the synagogues to get them to curse Jesus. I was so violently opposed to them that I even chased them down in foreign cities. Ac. 26:10, 11. NLT
Yet, Saul was totally ignorant of the Gospel:
For I did not receive it from a human source and I was not taught it… Gal. 1:12 CSB
Let’s return to Saul’s campaign against the church.
He and his entourage were on the road to Damascus to hunt more of Jesus’ followers, when suddenly a light from heaven shines all around him and he falls to the ground.
[When Saul would retell this event later, he said the light was brighter than the sun, and his entourage fell as well (Ac. 26:13, 14):
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
“Who are you lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!” Ac. 9:4, 5. NLT
Saul knew that he was in the presence of the power of God, but unsure of its exact nature. I’ll bet when Jesus identified Himself, his knees started knocking. (When Saul would later recount this event, he said that his entourage only saw light, and they heard a voice, but it was unintelligible).
Jesus adds:
“Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Ac. 9:6 NLT
Again, when Saul would later recall this event, he would provide greater detail about what Christ said:
“Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell the people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future.
And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.” Ac. 26:16 – 18. NLT
What a turnaround of events! I’m sure at that time, that Saul had been a most ‘reluctant apostle’.
The light from heaven rendered him blind, so he had to be led by the hand to Damascus.
He remained blind for 3 days, and he fasted during that period as well.
Simultaneously, Christ appears to one of His disciples in Damascus by the name of Ananias. Jesus told him to go to a street called ‘Straight,’ (which still exists today). There, He said Ananias would find a certain house where Saul was praying in. Jesus added that He gave Saul a vision regarding his coming.
Ananias protested, because he had heard of the evil things that Saul was doing to his brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus sets him straight:
“Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.” Ac. 9:15 NLT
Only Jesus would transform His greatest enemy into His mightiest champion.
Ananias did as he was told and laid hands on Saul, whereupon he immediately regained his sight. The disciple baptized Saul, who was subsequently filled with the Holy Spirit.
Saul immediately went out to preach to the synagogues in Damascus, that Christ was the Son of God – to the amazement of those who knew his past.
This new apostle traveled to Arabia, where it is thought by some biblical scholars, the place where God gave him the deep revelations of the Gospel that he would later come to preach.
Indeed, when Saul returned to Damascus 3 years later, he was filled with irrefutable, Holy Spirit-inspired preaching – witnessing to all, that Jesus is the Messiah.
The non-converted Jews wanted to kill Saul. However, other disciples in Damascus lowered him over the city wall and he escaped.
Saul journeyed to Jerusalem but was initially ostracized because of his history of persecution of the church. However, the disciple Barnabas brought Saul to the apostles and told them about his conversion. (Saul would add additional detail when he later reiterated it – saying that he only met with 2 of the apostles: Cephus (Peter), and James the brother of Jesus, who was now an apostle as well.)
Saul preached while he was in Jerusalem, but the Jewish non-converts wanted to kill him as well. So, the apostles sent Saul off to Tarsus, where he would minister in Cilicia and Syria. Fourteen years would pass since Saul’s conversion…
(I have spent all this time talking about Saul, who would become the apostle ‘Paul,’ who happens to write most of the New Testament. So, I’m thinking he’s important.)
Finally, let’s shift to a short stretch of the apostle Peter’s path, to keep us in chronological harmony.
He begins to preach outside of Jerusalem, along the coast of Judea. Peter came upon a paralyzed man named Aeneas and spoke to him:
“Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up and roll up your sleeping mat!” And he was healed instantly. Acts 9:34 NLT
All the people in that community became converts. Peter travels to another town in the same region, where he was urged to come to the bedside of a woman named Tabitha, who had just died. He told everyone to leave the room and knelt and prayed over her, declaring:
“Get up, Tabitha.” And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up! Acts 9:40 NLT
More converts.
Peter journeyed 30 miles north to the city of Caesarea, the center of the Roman civil government in Judea. It is there that we get to meet a Roman Centurion called Cornelius:
He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God. Acts 10:2 NLT
Cornelius, obviously a Gentile, followed the Old Testament teachings, but was not a convert to Judaism. One afternoon, an angel presents itself to him in a vision, telling him that God has heard his prayers.
The angel gives Cornelius directions to where the apostle Peter is staying and tells him to send men to fetch Peter to him.
As the men were approaching the town where Peter is, we find the apostle on the rooftop praying, where he too receives a vision from God. In it, there is a large sheet descending from heaven, filled with all kinds of animals – both clean and unclean, as dictated by Mosaic Law. He hears the voice of Jesus saying:
“Rise, Peter, kill and eat.” Acts 10:13 NKJV
Peter balks by saying that he had never eaten anything unclean. Jesus counters:
“What God has cleansed and pronounce clean, no longer consider common (unholy).” Acts 10:15 AMP
Peter was trying to make sense of his vision, when the Holy Spirit told him that there were 3 men outside, looking for him, and that he was to accompany them, because they had been driven to find him by the Holy Spirit.
The apostle took some Jewish disciples with him and began the journey to Cornelius, who, filled his house with family and friends in high anticipation of Peter’s arrival.
When Peter arrived, Cornelius fell at the apostle’s feet and began to worship him. Peter immediately forbade him to do so, telling him that he, Peter, was just a man like him.
Instantly, Peter realized the meaning of his vision and revealed it to the household – saying that the Gentiles were considered to be ‘unclean’ to the Jews, but now God has made that prohibition (including against foodstuffs, or anything else that would get in the way of advancing the Gospel) null and void!
Peter elaborates:
“Most certainly I understand now that God is not one to show partiality [to people as though Gentiles were excluded from God’s blessing], but in every nation the person who fears God and does what is right [by seeking Him] is acceptable and welcomed by Him. Ac. 10:34, 35. AM
While Peter is still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those present in Cornelius’ house, and all the Jewish disciples that accompanied Peter were astounded to see Gentiles empowered by the Spirit. Peter responds to them:
“Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Ac. 10:47, 48. NLT
There can be no doubt now. The call of Christ is a world-wide summons…
Goodnight and God bless.