James 1: Fruit Of Faith

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:
Greetings.
Testing of Your Faith
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Hearing and Doing the Word
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
 
Meditation
God is light. God is love. God gives His children good gifts that we may know Him and become like Him. Faith in God and the gospel is how we receive God’s goodness, and the planted truth in our hearts, grows to give fruit of a righteous harvest in our lives.
 
James, the brother of Jesus, centers his short epistle (180 verses), that includes almost 60 commands (imperatives), on the goodness and generosity of God: Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, from the Father of Lights, who birthed Christians by the word of truth… Therefore, we receive with meekness the Word He planted in our hearts (18, 21). The goodness and generosity of God is the ground from which fruit of faith grows.
 
Faith gives fruit of steadfastness, turning troubles into treasure when we are formed to look more like Jesus (3-4). Faith fuels us to turn to God for wisdom (5-8) and to rely on God’s resources (9-11) as we live for God’s reward (12). Faith focuses on God’s goodness and faithfulness when trials give birth to temptation (13-15), total trust that the Father of lights will not lead us into darkness (16-18). Faith hears God’s word and obeys God’s word, clearing the weeds and rocks of our heart to receive God’s word with meekness (19-25). Faith gives fruit of love for the Lord and our most vulnerable neighbors, serving orphans and widows, and keeps us unstained by the world (26-27).
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you about how James anchors his directions in the soil of God’s good character and generosity?
 
-Which fruit of faith do you long to see more of in your life and in the life of the Church? What do you think hinders that from happening?
 
-How does the grace of God in Jesus free you to freshly seek the goodness of God and His generosity, meekly receiving the promise of the gospel in your heart?
 
Key Verse
18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 21 … and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.