Numbers 21:12-13 12From there they set out and camped in Wadi
Zered. 13From there they journeyed and camped on the
other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that comes out of the border
of the Amorites, for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the
Amorites.
Yesterday we saw the first strategy for spiritual victory as pictured by the Brazen Serpent in Numbers 21:6-9, namely the Power of the Cross. In today's blog we will consider the second strategy prescribed by God for spiritual victory - The Person of the Holy Spirit. In the text of Numbers 21 we see reference to dry river beds and water. As you will see, both of these were crucial provisions for the Israelites, and they both point to the Person of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian.
The Significance of the Wadi - the dry river bed
According to the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, a Wadi is "a valley or ravine, that is dry except during the rainy season; also the water that flows through it." In other words, a Wadi is nothing more than a dry river bed.
God had Moses and the Israelites camp in a valley of dry river beds or "Wadis". (Deuteronomy 2:17-18) This episode gives insight into the work the Spirit of God desires to do in the Christian life. Lets explore some truths that we can glean out of this text in Numbers 21:12-20.
1. A Christian is a Wadi, a dry river bed, needing the Spirit's life to ever flow through it Numbers 21:12-15
God will sometimes have you dwell in a dry season of life to make you see the purpose for which He made you. God created you to be a channel, a conduit, a faucet whereby His Spirit can flow. However we often find outselves getting caught up in complaining or carelessnes, much like the Israelites had. However when they had experienced the remedy of the Brazen serpent (picture of the cross - John 3:14-16), God moved them into this dry area. They had complained about having no water before, and God was moving them to a spot that at one time had water flowing through it.
God was reminding these people, as well as us, that He is the One who provides living water - the Holy Spirit. Jesus notes in John 7:38-39 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will
flow rivers of living water.’” 39But this He
spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the
Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."
We will experience dryness at times to see if we are desperate for God. Its not that the Holy Spirit has left us, rather its God prompting us to call out to God and to exercise ourselves to desire the flowing of the life of the Spirit in our lives. Ephesians 5:14 and 18 tells us - 14 For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from
the dead, And Christ will shine on you..... 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is
dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit".
2. A Christian is a dry-river bed that is dependant upon the water of the Spirit for their identity Number 21:12-15
By definition a wadi is a dry river bed which is flooded by water in the rainy season. If there had never been water flowing originally, there would be no wadi. A Christian by definition is a person whose soul has been penetrated by the very life of God. We are those who are identified by the Spirit of God living in our spirit and flowing through the river bed of our soul. 1 Corinthians 12:13 notes - "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one
body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to
drink of one Spirit."
Maybe your life is dry right now as a Christian. Know that He is still there, inside of you. (Romans 8:16; 1 Corinthians 6:19,20) Know that He is desiring you to desire Him to flow through you. Your very life is defined by Him as he communicates to to the life of Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)
3. A Christian is a dry-river bed, rejoicing in the living water that only God can provide Numbers 21:16-18
The Person of the Holy Spirit is the Living water of God's very life flowing through the river bed of the Christian. Living water is flowing water. The Israelites problem through all their desert wanderings was the need for water. In Numbers 21:16 God tells Moses - "From there they continued to Beer, that
is the well where the LORD said to Moses, “Assemble
the people, that I may give them water.”
What did Jesus tell the woman at the well who was in search of satisfying water in John 4:14 "but whoever drinks of the water that I will give
him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a
well of water springing up to eternal life.” Just like the Israelites who sang for joy in Numbers 21:17-18, we as believers need to praise God for the provision of His Spirit to us.
4. A Christian is a dry-river-bed, through whom the Spirit desires to flow to prepare for spiritual victory Numbers 21:19-20
It is His Spirit, that mighty river, who can burst up as a fountain, cleaning out the mind, emotion and will of our souls. When He does this by His Word, we have the necessary power to move on, just as those people in Numbers 21:19-20. They arrived at the plains of Moab, the final stop on their 40 year wandering. Dear Christian, the Person of the Holy Spirit is Who positions us to be prepared to fight and win the fight of faith. These Israelites had a water well, an endless supply of water, given to them by God. We as Christians today have the Holy Spirit, living in us and desiring to flow through us to enable us to have spiritual victory in the Lord. As we close, I point you to Romans 8:2 - "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
has set you free from the law of sin and of death."
Welcome to Growing Christian Resources, where you can search over 2,000 resources pertaining to your Christian walk, the explanation and defense of the Christian worldview and links to audio and video resources. Please checkout the New Hope podcast at www.gcrpodcast.wordpress.com and www.newhope-ny.org. For those desiring to dig-deeper into the scriptures, please check out www.biblicalexegete.wordpress.com.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
God's Strategy for Spiritual Victory - Power of the Cross
Numbers 21:34-35 But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I
have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do
to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.” 35So they killed him and his sons and all his
people, until there was no remnant left him; and they possessed his land.
A New Generation that had to win two battles
The Israelites had been wandering in the Desert of the Sinai Penninsula. They had rebelled against God, and God consigned them to 40 years of wandering. The original generation that God had brought out of Egypt under Moses' leadership had died off, leaving a whole new generation of Israelites. The former generation is recorded from Numbers 1-19, with forty years of unrecorded time lying in between chapters 19 and 20.
The New Generation, some 40 years later, were on the verge of entry into the Promised Land of Canaan. But before they could enter, two strong enemies stood in their way. They not only would have to defeat Sihon King of the Amorites, a people who had been in that area for centuries, but the Giant King Og of Bashan, who may have been as tall as Goliath! (compare Joshua 3:11)
Not only would the Israelites have to defeat physical enemies, but the internal strife and rebellion of their heart. God's victories for His people entails a very specific strategy. As we look at the wider context of Numbers 21:6-39, we can see God preparing his people for these battles, and how it was He was ordaining a strategy for their victory, as well as a spiritual strategy for us as Christians.
Power of Forgiveness in the Brazen Serpent, Picturing the Cross
Back in Numbers 21:5-7 we read - "The people spoke against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.” 6The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the serpents from us.” And Moses interceded for the people."
If these people were going to survive to even fight those two Kings in battle, they had to first survive and be forgiven. God provided such a remedy. He had Moses fashion a serpent out of Bronze and place it upon a pole, so that all who looked upon it would be saved - having physical life. (Numbers 21:8-9) John 3:14-15 recounts this scene with these words: 14“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life." For us to have spiritual victory, we need the power of forgiveness and the cross to look to by faith, so that we can have eternal life.
Power for the basis for victory, how the Cross is the source of the post-conversion Christian walk
The cross is not only the basis for the beginning of New Life in Christ, but it is also the source of ongoing victory life in the post-conversion Christian walk. Too often Christians think that the cross was only something they needed to consider in order to be saved - which is true. (1 Corinthians 2:2; Ephesians 1:7) However the cross is so much more than just the means of salvation - it is also the tool for sanctification.
Consider the Holy Spirit's words in Hebrews 12:1-3 "1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. "
Those Israelites in Numbers 21 needed to be healed of their snake bite in order to be prepared to fight the military battles against Kings Sihon of Heshbon and Og of Bashan. They needed a soundly provided resource of physical life and vitality to move from where they were into the dry river beds of Zered, just South of these Kings.
If God had not provided the revelation to Moses to put up that Brazen serpent, no one would had survived. If God had not sent Jesus to put Himself upon the cross, no one would have the basis for Eternal life nor power to live the Christian life. The cross is the grounds for victory. It is where we look to. When we look to it, we see it stained with blood, reminding us that our salvation has been paid for. We also see it barren, reminding us that the Savior is Alive and well, ever representing us and ready to strengthen us in battle.
A New Generation that had to win two battles
The Israelites had been wandering in the Desert of the Sinai Penninsula. They had rebelled against God, and God consigned them to 40 years of wandering. The original generation that God had brought out of Egypt under Moses' leadership had died off, leaving a whole new generation of Israelites. The former generation is recorded from Numbers 1-19, with forty years of unrecorded time lying in between chapters 19 and 20.
The New Generation, some 40 years later, were on the verge of entry into the Promised Land of Canaan. But before they could enter, two strong enemies stood in their way. They not only would have to defeat Sihon King of the Amorites, a people who had been in that area for centuries, but the Giant King Og of Bashan, who may have been as tall as Goliath! (compare Joshua 3:11)
Not only would the Israelites have to defeat physical enemies, but the internal strife and rebellion of their heart. God's victories for His people entails a very specific strategy. As we look at the wider context of Numbers 21:6-39, we can see God preparing his people for these battles, and how it was He was ordaining a strategy for their victory, as well as a spiritual strategy for us as Christians.
Power of Forgiveness in the Brazen Serpent, Picturing the Cross
Back in Numbers 21:5-7 we read - "The people spoke against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.” 6The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the serpents from us.” And Moses interceded for the people."
If these people were going to survive to even fight those two Kings in battle, they had to first survive and be forgiven. God provided such a remedy. He had Moses fashion a serpent out of Bronze and place it upon a pole, so that all who looked upon it would be saved - having physical life. (Numbers 21:8-9) John 3:14-15 recounts this scene with these words: 14“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life." For us to have spiritual victory, we need the power of forgiveness and the cross to look to by faith, so that we can have eternal life.
Power for the basis for victory, how the Cross is the source of the post-conversion Christian walk
The cross is not only the basis for the beginning of New Life in Christ, but it is also the source of ongoing victory life in the post-conversion Christian walk. Too often Christians think that the cross was only something they needed to consider in order to be saved - which is true. (1 Corinthians 2:2; Ephesians 1:7) However the cross is so much more than just the means of salvation - it is also the tool for sanctification.
Consider the Holy Spirit's words in Hebrews 12:1-3 "1Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. "
Those Israelites in Numbers 21 needed to be healed of their snake bite in order to be prepared to fight the military battles against Kings Sihon of Heshbon and Og of Bashan. They needed a soundly provided resource of physical life and vitality to move from where they were into the dry river beds of Zered, just South of these Kings.
If God had not provided the revelation to Moses to put up that Brazen serpent, no one would had survived. If God had not sent Jesus to put Himself upon the cross, no one would have the basis for Eternal life nor power to live the Christian life. The cross is the grounds for victory. It is where we look to. When we look to it, we see it stained with blood, reminding us that our salvation has been paid for. We also see it barren, reminding us that the Savior is Alive and well, ever representing us and ready to strengthen us in battle.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Charles Stanley on Listening and Walking with God
Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore
you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called
Today's blog features thoughts from a message I recently heard by Dr. Charles Stanley, Pastor of First Baptist Church, Atlanta Georgia. The title of the message was: "Listening to God - Walking with God". I thought what he preached about listening to and walk with God was one of the greatest summaries I have ever heard on the subject. I could not bear not sharing this with you dear reader.
In the course of the message Dr. Stanley listed 20 items dealing with the subject of listening and walking with God. I have listed them below, and pray you will be as blessed as I was when I first heard them.
Walking with God involves.....
1. Faith
2. Agreement with God
3. Fellowship with God
4. Awareness of His Presence
5. Cheerful Obedience
6. Truth
7. Intimacy with God
8. The Will of God
9. Continuous Surrender
10. The Work of the Holy Spirit
11. Peace
12. Confidence
13. Security
14. Joy
15. Pleasing to God
16. Revolves around Jesus
17. Life separate from sin
18. Life that makes a difference
19. Progressive Journey
20. Its a Godly Life
May you be richly blessed this day as you aim to listen to God through His word and walk with the Lord in prayer.
Today's blog features thoughts from a message I recently heard by Dr. Charles Stanley, Pastor of First Baptist Church, Atlanta Georgia. The title of the message was: "Listening to God - Walking with God". I thought what he preached about listening to and walk with God was one of the greatest summaries I have ever heard on the subject. I could not bear not sharing this with you dear reader.
In the course of the message Dr. Stanley listed 20 items dealing with the subject of listening and walking with God. I have listed them below, and pray you will be as blessed as I was when I first heard them.
Walking with God involves.....
1. Faith
2. Agreement with God
3. Fellowship with God
4. Awareness of His Presence
5. Cheerful Obedience
6. Truth
7. Intimacy with God
8. The Will of God
9. Continuous Surrender
10. The Work of the Holy Spirit
11. Peace
12. Confidence
13. Security
14. Joy
15. Pleasing to God
16. Revolves around Jesus
17. Life separate from sin
18. Life that makes a difference
19. Progressive Journey
20. Its a Godly Life
May you be richly blessed this day as you aim to listen to God through His word and walk with the Lord in prayer.
Monday, November 5, 2012
P5 - Traits of the Strong Christian - Prayer life
James 4:13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.
In recent days we have been blogging on the subject of what traits comprise a strong Christian. We have been examining the life of James, the author of the Epistle of James and Jesus' biological half-brother. We have noted the following four traits of a strong Christian:
1. Personal Testimony
2. Prioritizes Spiritual Maturity
3. Passion for Jesus
4. Persistent Application of God's Word
Todays blog will conclude this particular series on "Traits of the Strong Christian", noting how the strong Christian aims to have a prayer life.
Every Christian can be a strong Christian
My point in these series of blogs has been to demonstrate that any Christian can be a strong Christian. For starters, every Christian has a Personal testimony of what their life was like before Christ, how Christ brought them to the point of conversion and what their life has been like since.
Every Christian has been given the indwelling Holy Spirit through whom they can cultivate a desire to mature in their faith. They have also been given the beginning of a new nature that is inherently inclined to desire Jesus Christ - giving them the base to excercise themselves in focusing their mind, emotions and will upon Him. Then finally if you have a Bible, you have opportunity to know it, meditate upon it and apply it.
Immaturity is our doing alone, maturity is both God's doing and our doing
So why do we see so many Christian's struggling in spiritual immaturity? All the things I just listed in the above two paragraphs are graces given by God. Now salvation is all of God's doing. He brought you the grace and gifting of faith and repentance, whereby you simply received and believed on Jesus. (1 Peter 1:23; James 1:18) However your growth in Jesus Christ following conversion - called sanctification - is both God's doing and your doing. (Philippians 2:12-13) God has done His part, however where we see the break down is due to the fact that we're not doing ours. Prayer, like the other four traits, is a grace given by God whereby the Christian is given the capacity to hear and talk to God. However, as with all sanctifying graces, the Christian must excercise themselves in it if they are expected to be strong in their faith.
A Strong Christian will pray according to the scriptures
James was related to Jesus biologically through Mary, making Jesus his half brother. However we also know that he had other brothers and sisters who, along with himself, were born after Jesus and who were naturally conceived by both Mary and Joseph. Among those, Jude is noteworthy, since he is the only other half-brother of Jesus who is also the author of a New Testament book bearing his name - the Book of Jude. (see Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3)
Both James and Jude write about prayer, since it was such a cornerstone of their lives as strong Christians. I will give you James' statements on prayer, followed by Jude's:
1. James 1:5-7 (Prayer for Wisdom) But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord.
2. James 4:3 (Why your prayers may not be answered) You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
3. James 4:6-7 (The warfare and triumph in prayer) But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” 7Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
4. James 4:15 (The submission in prayer) "Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”
5. James 4:13-18 (Praying for healing) Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit."
6. Jude 20 (Prayer as a means of strengthening faith) "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit"
From those six scriptures in both James and Jude, we can glean much about prayer that is based upon the Word of God. Both men tie together prayer and the Word. James begins and ends his letter with statements about prayer, with fertile discussion about scripture throughout his letter. Jude begins his letter with the intent to urge his readers to embrace God's Word, with a powerful exhortation to persevere in prayer.
A Strong Christian prays like Jesus prayed
Why did James and Jude emphasize prayer so much? They both linked prayer with the written word - the Bible. However they both emphasized prayer because of its link to the Living Word - Jesus Christ. Remarkably, both men's teaching on prayer mirrors much of what Jesus' taught on prayer in the Gospels. Over a dozen places in the Gospels record our Lord's teaching on the subject, with parallels found in James' and Jude's writings. Please note the chart below that compares Jesus, James' and Jude's teaching on prayer:
Prayer Topic Jesus teaching James Jude
Wisdom Matt 7:7 1:5-8
Gifts Matt 7:11, 21:21 1:16-18
Promise of Kingdom Matt 6:13; Lk 11 2:5 14-15
Worry Matt 7 4:13-17
Wealth Luke 18:13 5:1-4
Oaths Mt 5:34 5:7-11
Anointing w/ oil/healing Mk 6:14 5:14
God centered prayer Mt 7:7;21:21 1:5-8
Promise based prayer Matt 7, John 14 2:5, 20-27 24-25
Motives in prayer Mt 6:14; 18:34-35 4:2
Corporate prayer Mt 21:13 3:14 20
Since Jesus emphasized prayer, and the Biblical authors emphasized prayer (some 600 times) and since James and Jude along with them emphasized it - why shouldn't we? Prayer is to the strong Christian like oxygen is to the lungs. Without prayer, the faith-life suffocates. May we take to heart these considerations of what it means to be a strong Christian, namely:
1. Personal Testimony
2. Prioritizing Spiritual Maturity
3. Passion for Jesus
4. Persistent Application of God's Word
5. Prayer
In recent days we have been blogging on the subject of what traits comprise a strong Christian. We have been examining the life of James, the author of the Epistle of James and Jesus' biological half-brother. We have noted the following four traits of a strong Christian:
1. Personal Testimony
2. Prioritizes Spiritual Maturity
3. Passion for Jesus
4. Persistent Application of God's Word
Todays blog will conclude this particular series on "Traits of the Strong Christian", noting how the strong Christian aims to have a prayer life.
Every Christian can be a strong Christian
My point in these series of blogs has been to demonstrate that any Christian can be a strong Christian. For starters, every Christian has a Personal testimony of what their life was like before Christ, how Christ brought them to the point of conversion and what their life has been like since.
Every Christian has been given the indwelling Holy Spirit through whom they can cultivate a desire to mature in their faith. They have also been given the beginning of a new nature that is inherently inclined to desire Jesus Christ - giving them the base to excercise themselves in focusing their mind, emotions and will upon Him. Then finally if you have a Bible, you have opportunity to know it, meditate upon it and apply it.
Immaturity is our doing alone, maturity is both God's doing and our doing
So why do we see so many Christian's struggling in spiritual immaturity? All the things I just listed in the above two paragraphs are graces given by God. Now salvation is all of God's doing. He brought you the grace and gifting of faith and repentance, whereby you simply received and believed on Jesus. (1 Peter 1:23; James 1:18) However your growth in Jesus Christ following conversion - called sanctification - is both God's doing and your doing. (Philippians 2:12-13) God has done His part, however where we see the break down is due to the fact that we're not doing ours. Prayer, like the other four traits, is a grace given by God whereby the Christian is given the capacity to hear and talk to God. However, as with all sanctifying graces, the Christian must excercise themselves in it if they are expected to be strong in their faith.
A Strong Christian will pray according to the scriptures
James was related to Jesus biologically through Mary, making Jesus his half brother. However we also know that he had other brothers and sisters who, along with himself, were born after Jesus and who were naturally conceived by both Mary and Joseph. Among those, Jude is noteworthy, since he is the only other half-brother of Jesus who is also the author of a New Testament book bearing his name - the Book of Jude. (see Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3)
Both James and Jude write about prayer, since it was such a cornerstone of their lives as strong Christians. I will give you James' statements on prayer, followed by Jude's:
1. James 1:5-7 (Prayer for Wisdom) But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord.
2. James 4:3 (Why your prayers may not be answered) You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
3. James 4:6-7 (The warfare and triumph in prayer) But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” 7Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
4. James 4:15 (The submission in prayer) "Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”
5. James 4:13-18 (Praying for healing) Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit."
6. Jude 20 (Prayer as a means of strengthening faith) "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit"
From those six scriptures in both James and Jude, we can glean much about prayer that is based upon the Word of God. Both men tie together prayer and the Word. James begins and ends his letter with statements about prayer, with fertile discussion about scripture throughout his letter. Jude begins his letter with the intent to urge his readers to embrace God's Word, with a powerful exhortation to persevere in prayer.
A Strong Christian prays like Jesus prayed
Why did James and Jude emphasize prayer so much? They both linked prayer with the written word - the Bible. However they both emphasized prayer because of its link to the Living Word - Jesus Christ. Remarkably, both men's teaching on prayer mirrors much of what Jesus' taught on prayer in the Gospels. Over a dozen places in the Gospels record our Lord's teaching on the subject, with parallels found in James' and Jude's writings. Please note the chart below that compares Jesus, James' and Jude's teaching on prayer:
Prayer Topic Jesus teaching James Jude
Wisdom Matt 7:7 1:5-8
Gifts Matt 7:11, 21:21 1:16-18
Promise of Kingdom Matt 6:13; Lk 11 2:5 14-15
Worry Matt 7 4:13-17
Wealth Luke 18:13 5:1-4
Oaths Mt 5:34 5:7-11
Anointing w/ oil/healing Mk 6:14 5:14
God centered prayer Mt 7:7;21:21 1:5-8
Promise based prayer Matt 7, John 14 2:5, 20-27 24-25
Motives in prayer Mt 6:14; 18:34-35 4:2
Corporate prayer Mt 21:13 3:14 20
Since Jesus emphasized prayer, and the Biblical authors emphasized prayer (some 600 times) and since James and Jude along with them emphasized it - why shouldn't we? Prayer is to the strong Christian like oxygen is to the lungs. Without prayer, the faith-life suffocates. May we take to heart these considerations of what it means to be a strong Christian, namely:
1. Personal Testimony
2. Prioritizing Spiritual Maturity
3. Passion for Jesus
4. Persistent Application of God's Word
5. Prayer
Sunday, November 4, 2012
P4 - Traits of a Strong Christian - Persistent Application of God's Word
James 1:25 "But one who looks intently at the perfect law,
the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful
hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does."
These past three days we have been observing a series of traits from the life of James that characterizes what we are calling: Traits of a Strong Christian. Why James? James wrote the first book of the New Testament - the Epistle of James. James was half-brother of Jesus according to the flesh, as well as the first leader of the church at large in the book of Acts. According to Paul in Galatians 2:19, James, along with the Apostles Peter and John, was considered a "Pillar of the Church". Ample reasons serve to prove why James would be worthy of consideration as a model of a strong Christian.
Thus far in this study we have noted three traits of a strong Christian, strong Christians have....
1. Personal Testimony
2. Prioritize Spiritual Maturity
3. Passionate about Jesus
In today's post we are going to consider another trait of a strong Christian, as seen particularly in the life of James, namely Persistent Application of God's Word.
James - a strong Christian who knew God's Word Acts 15:13-15
If we are going to be stronger Christians who persist in our application of God's Word, we must know God's Word. Acts 15 is the account about the Jerusalem Council, an event wherein the predominately Jewish Church had to deal with a terrific problem. The problem was how to instruct Gentiles who were being converted to faith in Jesus Christ. The terrific aspect of this problem was the fact that people were being won to Jesus Christ.
The dilemma was acute - if the early church relaxed its convictions on matters of holiness and compromised too much - then the character of God would be in question. On the other hand, if James and these church leaders placed too many restrictions on the Gentile converts, the Christian movement would had been mired in legalism and dead, dry religion.
James, the strong Christian, stood up in Acts 15:13-14 "After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. 14“Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name." What was he going to say next? Simeon (Peter) just delivered a glorious missions report. People by the hundreds were getting saved. James states in Acts 15:15 “With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written".
Notice what he says "with this the word of the prophets". James knew where to go in his Bible. He knew God's Word. To apply God's Word, we need to not only know what area of life to apply God's Word, we need to know what area of God's word to bring life's problems to. God's specific solutions are more than enough to deal with life's problems, but you and I need to know God's Word.
But notice second....
James - a strong Christian who memorized God's word Acts 15:16-19
As James addressed this assembly of the early church, he quoted scripture. He not only knew scripture, he memorized it. He was a walking Bible. As a man who memorized scripture, he could speak as God would to the problem this church was facing. 1 Peter 4:11a "Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God..."
We as Christian people are living in a day an age that is full of words of men. Many folks can tell you what they heard on the news, or heard what so and so said on T.V. Often when I am on Twitter, I tell my wife what such and such said. We are saturated by the words of men. But what happens when you and I are faced with a crisis, a crossroads? What occurs when the bottom falls out of your life? A word of man will fail, however a Word from God will prevail. When you and I memorize scripture, we will be able to recall it at a time when a man-made problem needs a God-sized solution. Much more could be said, but lets move onto what else constitutes persistent application of God's word....
James - A strong Christian acts out what He has memorized and read Acts 15:19-35
James the strong Christian knew his Bible. He quoted what he memorized to a needy people. But now James was going to instruct them on how to act on what they heard, read and memorized. Unless you and I apply God's Word, we cannot claim we have understood it nor believed it. James himself writes in James 2:22-24 "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was."
James quoted more scripture and then he gave further instruction. The assembly agreed, and the church sent out a letter. They not only put prayer to their feet but feet to their prayers. They acted on what they claimed they stood upon. James' influence was not only apparent but evident. These folks rejoiced. God had spoken through this strong Christian. Every child of God has this same opportunity to take their Bible, know it, memorize it and act it out.
May you and I persist in our application of God's Word as strong Christians!
These past three days we have been observing a series of traits from the life of James that characterizes what we are calling: Traits of a Strong Christian. Why James? James wrote the first book of the New Testament - the Epistle of James. James was half-brother of Jesus according to the flesh, as well as the first leader of the church at large in the book of Acts. According to Paul in Galatians 2:19, James, along with the Apostles Peter and John, was considered a "Pillar of the Church". Ample reasons serve to prove why James would be worthy of consideration as a model of a strong Christian.
Thus far in this study we have noted three traits of a strong Christian, strong Christians have....
1. Personal Testimony
2. Prioritize Spiritual Maturity
3. Passionate about Jesus
In today's post we are going to consider another trait of a strong Christian, as seen particularly in the life of James, namely Persistent Application of God's Word.
James - a strong Christian who knew God's Word Acts 15:13-15
If we are going to be stronger Christians who persist in our application of God's Word, we must know God's Word. Acts 15 is the account about the Jerusalem Council, an event wherein the predominately Jewish Church had to deal with a terrific problem. The problem was how to instruct Gentiles who were being converted to faith in Jesus Christ. The terrific aspect of this problem was the fact that people were being won to Jesus Christ.
The dilemma was acute - if the early church relaxed its convictions on matters of holiness and compromised too much - then the character of God would be in question. On the other hand, if James and these church leaders placed too many restrictions on the Gentile converts, the Christian movement would had been mired in legalism and dead, dry religion.
James, the strong Christian, stood up in Acts 15:13-14 "After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. 14“Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name." What was he going to say next? Simeon (Peter) just delivered a glorious missions report. People by the hundreds were getting saved. James states in Acts 15:15 “With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written".
Notice what he says "with this the word of the prophets". James knew where to go in his Bible. He knew God's Word. To apply God's Word, we need to not only know what area of life to apply God's Word, we need to know what area of God's word to bring life's problems to. God's specific solutions are more than enough to deal with life's problems, but you and I need to know God's Word.
But notice second....
James - a strong Christian who memorized God's word Acts 15:16-19
As James addressed this assembly of the early church, he quoted scripture. He not only knew scripture, he memorized it. He was a walking Bible. As a man who memorized scripture, he could speak as God would to the problem this church was facing. 1 Peter 4:11a "Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God..."
We as Christian people are living in a day an age that is full of words of men. Many folks can tell you what they heard on the news, or heard what so and so said on T.V. Often when I am on Twitter, I tell my wife what such and such said. We are saturated by the words of men. But what happens when you and I are faced with a crisis, a crossroads? What occurs when the bottom falls out of your life? A word of man will fail, however a Word from God will prevail. When you and I memorize scripture, we will be able to recall it at a time when a man-made problem needs a God-sized solution. Much more could be said, but lets move onto what else constitutes persistent application of God's word....
James - A strong Christian acts out what He has memorized and read Acts 15:19-35
James the strong Christian knew his Bible. He quoted what he memorized to a needy people. But now James was going to instruct them on how to act on what they heard, read and memorized. Unless you and I apply God's Word, we cannot claim we have understood it nor believed it. James himself writes in James 2:22-24 "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was."
James quoted more scripture and then he gave further instruction. The assembly agreed, and the church sent out a letter. They not only put prayer to their feet but feet to their prayers. They acted on what they claimed they stood upon. James' influence was not only apparent but evident. These folks rejoiced. God had spoken through this strong Christian. Every child of God has this same opportunity to take their Bible, know it, memorize it and act it out.
May you and I persist in our application of God's Word as strong Christians!
Saturday, November 3, 2012
P3 - Traits of a Strong Christian - Passion for Jesus
James 1:1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord
Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.
For the past two days we have been exploring traits of a strong Christian. So far in our exploration of the life of James - the half brother of Jesus according to the flesh, we have discovered the following traits:
1. Strong Christians, like James, have a Personal Testimony
2. Strong Christians, like James, Prioritize Spiritual Maturity
In today's post we will notice the third trait of a strong Christianity, namely a Passion for Jesus Christ
James' passion for Jesus' Lordship
As you look at the life of James, the strong Christian, you see the passion he had for the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In James 1:1 we see the NASB and most English translations render James as being a "bond-servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ". In the original text, the term translated "bond-servant" is better translated "slave". As a slave, James is recognizing that he is not his own, he has been bought with a price. (compare 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) As a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, James clearly recognizes himself as the follower, and Jesus as the Master.
Unlike 19th century slavery in America, where slaves were viewed as no better than animals, first century slaves in many instances had the potential to have a good life in accordance to the nature of their master. The idea of "Lordship" assumes there having to be a slave. In spiritual terms, this concept carries with it that the nature of the slave comes to mirror the nature of the Master. Romans 6:16 explains - "Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?" 2 Peter 2:19b states even more briefly - "for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved."
James was touched by God's saving grace to see Jesus for who He truly is - Lord. Though growing up in the same household as Jesus, nevertheless the veiled Deity of God the Son was made known in Christ's post-resurrection appearance to James. (1 Corinthians 15:7). James' passion for Jesus stemmed from the fact that He prized the Lordship of Jesus.
James' passion to live for Jesus
The pages of history tell us of the passion that James had for Jesus Christ. Eusebius, the first church historian, tells the story of how James, the half-brother of Jesus and author of the self-named Epistle was passionate for Jesus due to His desire to live for Jesus. Writing in the fourth century, Eusebius notes the following about James from Book 2, chapter 23:4-7 of his work "Ecclesiastical History":
"4. James, the brother of the Lord, succeeded to the government of the Church in conjunction with the apostles. He has been called the Just by all from the time of our Saviour to the present day; for there were many that bore the name of James. 5. He was holy from his mother's womb; and he drank no wine nor strong drink, nor did he eat flesh. No razor came upon his head; he did not anoint himself with oil, and he did not use the bath. 6. He alone was permitted to enter into the holy place; for he wore not woolen but linen garments. And he was in the habit of entering alone into the temple, and was frequently found upon his knees begging forgiveness for the people, so that his knees became hard like those of a camel, in consequence of his constantly bending them in his worship of God, and asking forgiveness for the people. 7. Because of his exceeding great justice he was called the Just, and Oblias, which signifies in Greek, 'Bulwark of the people' and 'Justice,' in accordance with what the prophets declare concerning him.'"
James' life centered around the Lord and His interests. He loved to live for Jesus and He was serious about Christ's Lordship - two essential ingredients for a strong, passionate Christianity. Are you and I passionate about Jesus' authority, Lordship over our life? Are you and I passionate about living for Jesus?
As we close today's blog, I'm reminded of the first stanza of the precious hymn: "Living for Jesus" by Thomas O. Chisholm, written in 1917:
"Living for Jesus, a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,
This is the pathway of blessing for me.
For the past two days we have been exploring traits of a strong Christian. So far in our exploration of the life of James - the half brother of Jesus according to the flesh, we have discovered the following traits:
1. Strong Christians, like James, have a Personal Testimony
2. Strong Christians, like James, Prioritize Spiritual Maturity
In today's post we will notice the third trait of a strong Christianity, namely a Passion for Jesus Christ
James' passion for Jesus' Lordship
As you look at the life of James, the strong Christian, you see the passion he had for the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In James 1:1 we see the NASB and most English translations render James as being a "bond-servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ". In the original text, the term translated "bond-servant" is better translated "slave". As a slave, James is recognizing that he is not his own, he has been bought with a price. (compare 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) As a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, James clearly recognizes himself as the follower, and Jesus as the Master.
Unlike 19th century slavery in America, where slaves were viewed as no better than animals, first century slaves in many instances had the potential to have a good life in accordance to the nature of their master. The idea of "Lordship" assumes there having to be a slave. In spiritual terms, this concept carries with it that the nature of the slave comes to mirror the nature of the Master. Romans 6:16 explains - "Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?" 2 Peter 2:19b states even more briefly - "for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved."
James was touched by God's saving grace to see Jesus for who He truly is - Lord. Though growing up in the same household as Jesus, nevertheless the veiled Deity of God the Son was made known in Christ's post-resurrection appearance to James. (1 Corinthians 15:7). James' passion for Jesus stemmed from the fact that He prized the Lordship of Jesus.
James' passion to live for Jesus
The pages of history tell us of the passion that James had for Jesus Christ. Eusebius, the first church historian, tells the story of how James, the half-brother of Jesus and author of the self-named Epistle was passionate for Jesus due to His desire to live for Jesus. Writing in the fourth century, Eusebius notes the following about James from Book 2, chapter 23:4-7 of his work "Ecclesiastical History":
"4. James, the brother of the Lord, succeeded to the government of the Church in conjunction with the apostles. He has been called the Just by all from the time of our Saviour to the present day; for there were many that bore the name of James. 5. He was holy from his mother's womb; and he drank no wine nor strong drink, nor did he eat flesh. No razor came upon his head; he did not anoint himself with oil, and he did not use the bath. 6. He alone was permitted to enter into the holy place; for he wore not woolen but linen garments. And he was in the habit of entering alone into the temple, and was frequently found upon his knees begging forgiveness for the people, so that his knees became hard like those of a camel, in consequence of his constantly bending them in his worship of God, and asking forgiveness for the people. 7. Because of his exceeding great justice he was called the Just, and Oblias, which signifies in Greek, 'Bulwark of the people' and 'Justice,' in accordance with what the prophets declare concerning him.'"
James' life centered around the Lord and His interests. He loved to live for Jesus and He was serious about Christ's Lordship - two essential ingredients for a strong, passionate Christianity. Are you and I passionate about Jesus' authority, Lordship over our life? Are you and I passionate about living for Jesus?
As we close today's blog, I'm reminded of the first stanza of the precious hymn: "Living for Jesus" by Thomas O. Chisholm, written in 1917:
"Living for Jesus, a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,
This is the pathway of blessing for me.
- Refrain:
O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee,
For Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me;
I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne;
My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone."
Friday, November 2, 2012
P2 - Traits of a Strong Christian: Prioritizes Spiritual Maturity
James 1:1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes
who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.
Yesterday we began exploring the traits of a strong Christian, noting that a Personal testimony is how one is able to maintain the personalized aspect of one's walk with Jesus Christ. If we think of God's Word, prayer and God's people as cornerstones for how one grows stronger in Jesus Christ, keep in mind one's personal testimony will keep such a pursuit ever fresh. Out of a personal testimony comes the second trait of a strong Christian: Prioritizing Spiritual maturity.
What is spiritual maturity?
Spiritual maturity is not only concerned with how much I know as it is in applying what I know. Its not merely about good moral living or right attitudes as it is in using my life and attitudes to point others to Jesus Christ rather than myself. Spiritual maturity is not merely about strength and giftedness as it is excercising great strength and giftedness in the right measure and situation. You can have a Christian who knows much, is eager to live morally right and have incredible talent, and yet still not be mature in their faith.
Three passages come to mind when defining spiritual maturity:
a. Micah 6:8 - "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" The word for "require" in the original language speaks of the Lord's sought-after desires for my life. Thus spiritual maturity is measured by how well I line up the sought-after desires of my heart with God's sought-after desires outlined in His word. Thus spiritual maturity is defined as simply desiring God.
b. Colossians 1:4 "since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints." Not only is spiritual maturity defined by a desire for God, but secondly a delight in the things of God. Do I love Jesus Christ and His people? My love for Christ is visibly seen in my attitude towards His Word. My love for His people is also another indicator of whether or not I delight in the things of God - His Word and His people.
c. Hebrews 5:14 "But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil."
Spiritual maturity is when you and I desire God, delight in the things of God and discern good and evil. How well we excercise ourselves in these three areas measures how spiritually mature we are.
With spiritual maturity defined, lets see it illustrated in the life of James:
James desired God
The testimony of both scripture and history tells us that James prioritized spiritual maturity. Both scripture and history testifies that James was regarded as a Christian who desired God. For example in Galatians 2:9 Paul states: "and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised." James is considered, along with Peter and John, to be a "Pillar" of the church.
John, the beloved disciple who leaned on Jesus at the last supper, the disciple of love, is certainly somebody to look at when considering what it means to desire God. Then who can forget Peter, who was so eager to follow Jesus that he was willing to die for Him. Church history tells us that Peter willingly was martyred for His faith, counting it as a privileged, choosing to be crucified upside down for His Lord. That's desire for God!
So too with James we read in the annals of church history that he was known as "James the Just". So desirous for God was James that we are told his knees had callouses due to the long periods he spent in prayer. Is it no wonder that he could be termed a pillar of the church along with Peter and John - since He desired God.
James delighted in the things of God
The golden verse (main verse) of James' little letter or Epistle is James 2:17 - "Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." For James, true biblical faith is a working faith. Delight in the things of God should be expected if one's heart is desiring God. James' epistle is full of exhortations to delight in trials (James 1:3-4); God's word (James 2:8); God's wisdom (James 3:17); God's people (James 4:11) and prayer (James 5:16). These are examples of the things of God. Not all of them will appear positive (especially trials)! However their value is measured in Whom they lead us to - God in Christ!
Christians don't delight in the things of God merely for the sake of the things themselves as much as where the things lead us. If I take a plane to see the Grand Canyon, am I excited about the plane ride only for the sake of the ride or the destination? This is why my attitude toward the things of God is factored into how I measure spiritual maturity. James no doubts exhibited this in his life.
James discerned good from evil
In the Jerusalem counsel of Acts 15 we see James presiding over the Jerusalem council in regards to how the predominately Jewish church was going to preach the Gospel to a pre-dominately Gentile world. His wording at that meeting demonstrates the incredible ability to excercise proper discernment. As I noted earlier - you can have a man who is incredibly gifted, knowledgable and powerful, and yet still not possess true spiritual maturity.
James had all three qualities, and he proved his level of maturity in knowing how to excerise all three in the proper measure and timing. If too many restrictions had been issued at the council of Jerusalem - the church's mission would had been hampered. Too little restrictions would had compromised the consciences and biblical foundations of the church itself. If anything, James' desire for God and delight in the things of God cultivated in him an keen ability to discern.
May you and I grow in our Christian faith. May we be those who prioritize spiritual maturity: Desiring God, Delighting in the things of God and Discerning good from evil.
Yesterday we began exploring the traits of a strong Christian, noting that a Personal testimony is how one is able to maintain the personalized aspect of one's walk with Jesus Christ. If we think of God's Word, prayer and God's people as cornerstones for how one grows stronger in Jesus Christ, keep in mind one's personal testimony will keep such a pursuit ever fresh. Out of a personal testimony comes the second trait of a strong Christian: Prioritizing Spiritual maturity.
What is spiritual maturity?
Spiritual maturity is not only concerned with how much I know as it is in applying what I know. Its not merely about good moral living or right attitudes as it is in using my life and attitudes to point others to Jesus Christ rather than myself. Spiritual maturity is not merely about strength and giftedness as it is excercising great strength and giftedness in the right measure and situation. You can have a Christian who knows much, is eager to live morally right and have incredible talent, and yet still not be mature in their faith.
Three passages come to mind when defining spiritual maturity:
a. Micah 6:8 - "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" The word for "require" in the original language speaks of the Lord's sought-after desires for my life. Thus spiritual maturity is measured by how well I line up the sought-after desires of my heart with God's sought-after desires outlined in His word. Thus spiritual maturity is defined as simply desiring God.
b. Colossians 1:4 "since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints." Not only is spiritual maturity defined by a desire for God, but secondly a delight in the things of God. Do I love Jesus Christ and His people? My love for Christ is visibly seen in my attitude towards His Word. My love for His people is also another indicator of whether or not I delight in the things of God - His Word and His people.
c. Hebrews 5:14 "But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil."
Spiritual maturity is when you and I desire God, delight in the things of God and discern good and evil. How well we excercise ourselves in these three areas measures how spiritually mature we are.
With spiritual maturity defined, lets see it illustrated in the life of James:
James desired God
The testimony of both scripture and history tells us that James prioritized spiritual maturity. Both scripture and history testifies that James was regarded as a Christian who desired God. For example in Galatians 2:9 Paul states: "and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised." James is considered, along with Peter and John, to be a "Pillar" of the church.
John, the beloved disciple who leaned on Jesus at the last supper, the disciple of love, is certainly somebody to look at when considering what it means to desire God. Then who can forget Peter, who was so eager to follow Jesus that he was willing to die for Him. Church history tells us that Peter willingly was martyred for His faith, counting it as a privileged, choosing to be crucified upside down for His Lord. That's desire for God!
So too with James we read in the annals of church history that he was known as "James the Just". So desirous for God was James that we are told his knees had callouses due to the long periods he spent in prayer. Is it no wonder that he could be termed a pillar of the church along with Peter and John - since He desired God.
James delighted in the things of God
The golden verse (main verse) of James' little letter or Epistle is James 2:17 - "Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." For James, true biblical faith is a working faith. Delight in the things of God should be expected if one's heart is desiring God. James' epistle is full of exhortations to delight in trials (James 1:3-4); God's word (James 2:8); God's wisdom (James 3:17); God's people (James 4:11) and prayer (James 5:16). These are examples of the things of God. Not all of them will appear positive (especially trials)! However their value is measured in Whom they lead us to - God in Christ!
Christians don't delight in the things of God merely for the sake of the things themselves as much as where the things lead us. If I take a plane to see the Grand Canyon, am I excited about the plane ride only for the sake of the ride or the destination? This is why my attitude toward the things of God is factored into how I measure spiritual maturity. James no doubts exhibited this in his life.
James discerned good from evil
In the Jerusalem counsel of Acts 15 we see James presiding over the Jerusalem council in regards to how the predominately Jewish church was going to preach the Gospel to a pre-dominately Gentile world. His wording at that meeting demonstrates the incredible ability to excercise proper discernment. As I noted earlier - you can have a man who is incredibly gifted, knowledgable and powerful, and yet still not possess true spiritual maturity.
James had all three qualities, and he proved his level of maturity in knowing how to excerise all three in the proper measure and timing. If too many restrictions had been issued at the council of Jerusalem - the church's mission would had been hampered. Too little restrictions would had compromised the consciences and biblical foundations of the church itself. If anything, James' desire for God and delight in the things of God cultivated in him an keen ability to discern.
May you and I grow in our Christian faith. May we be those who prioritize spiritual maturity: Desiring God, Delighting in the things of God and Discerning good from evil.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)