James 3:9-12

In James 3:9-12 he continues to discuss the power of the tongue. The tongue can be used for the highest calling (to bless our God) and it can be used for the lowest evil (to curse men). In those who are born again, it shouldn’t be said that out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.” Peter’s tongue confessed Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God and denied Jesus with curses. John said, “Little children, love one another” and he wanted to say the word to bring down fire from heaven upon a Samaritan village.

There is much power in our tongue for good or evil. No debate on what is potential with the tongue, but much direction on what should roll off our tongue. “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” Peter’s tongue confessed Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God and denied Jesus with curses. John said, “Little children, love one another” and he wanted to say the word to bring down fire from heaven upon a Samaritan village. Scripture is full of the dichotomy of how people have struggled with controlling their tongue.

Like a spring of water, our mouths shouldn’t send forth fresh… and bitter from the same opening. “Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?” Moffatt wrote “This outburst of James suggests that he had suffered from the strife of tongues in the religious world… it reads like a transcript of bitter experience.” All of us have experienced this in our patch. But James points to the ultimate impossibility of such a contradiction. If bad fruit and bitter water continue to come forth, it means that there is no contradiction. The tree is bad and the spring is bad.

James cuts to the core of things with this question: “Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.” Spurgeon wrote “Unless you are regenerated, born from above by a new and heavenly birth, you are not Christians, whatever you may be called, and you cannot, produce the fruit which is acceptable to God any more than a fig tree can produce olive berries.” Guzik demonstrates this truth:

• You can label a fig tree “Olive Tree” and that will not make it an olive tree.
• You can trim a fig tree to look like an olive tree, and that will not make it an olive tree.
• You can treat a fig tree like an olive tree, and that will not make it an olive tree.
• You can surround a fig tree with many olive trees, and that will not make it an olive tree.
• You can transplant that fig tree to the Mount of Olives, and that would not make it an olive tree.

The truth is that what comes out of our mouth is a result of what is in our heart. We won’t bless and glorify God and treat our fellow man well unless we have Jesus in our heart. Our mouth demonstrates who we are and our relationship with Christ and the Father!

“Portions of this blog post have been taken from the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“

“Scripture (bold and italicized) has been taken from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”

James 3:5-8

In James 3:5-8 he has just talked about the importance of being in control using a bit in a horses mouth and a rudder on a ship as examples of something seemingly small, but definitely controlling the direction. Now he continues by talking about the tongue as being in a similar position. “So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!” Small but mighty. If the tongue is like a bit in the mouth of a horse or the rudder on a ship, it leaves us with the question: Who or what holds the reins, or who or what directs the rudder? Some people have no hand on the reins or rudder, and therefore say whatever comes into mind. Others direct their tongue from their emotions or from aspects of their carnal nature. James points us towards having the Spirit of God, working through the new man, set directing hands on the reins and rudder that is our tongue.

The tongue certainly has power. The fire of the tongue has been used to burn many. Children are told sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me. But that child’s rhyme isn’t really true; the bitter pain of a word spoken against us can hurt us for a lifetime, long after a broken bone has healed. “And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.” What others say to us and what we say to others can last a long time, for good or for evil. The casual sarcastic or critical remark can inflict a lasting injury on another person. The well-timed encouragement or compliment can inspire someone for the rest of their life.

James isn’t telling us to never speak or to take a vow of silence; in many ways that would be easier than exercising true self-control over the tongue. The bridle, the rudder, and the fire can all do tremendous good when they are controlled properly. There aren’t many sins that don’t involve talking in some way. Burdick wrote “It is though all the wickedness in the whole world were wrapped up in that little piece of flesh.” Each of us have a tongue as it is an important part of our life. But how it is used, or controlled, can change the course of our life and the lives of those we interact with. There is much power in our tongue and we need to use it wisely.

Almost all of the rest of God’s creation can be tamed and controlled. But not the tongue. It can quickly go astray if we attempt to manage it in our own strength and power. “For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”  The tongue can be brought under the power and the control of the Holy Spirit. We might say that only God Himself is mightier than the human tongue! Poole wrote “The poison of the tongue is no less deadly, it murders men’s reputations by the slanders it utters, their souls by the lusts and passions it stirs up in them, and many times their bodies too by the contentions and quarrels it raiseth against men.” We need to realize the impact and take responsibility for the words that come off our tongue.

“Portions of this blog post have been taken from the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“

“Scripture (bold and italicized) has been taken from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”

James 3:1-4

In James 3:1-4 he warns that we need to think carefully about being teachers in the church. They must take the responsibility seriously, because their accountability is greater and they shall receive a stricter judgment. “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” It is easy to take the position of teacher lightly in the church, without considering its cost in terms of accountability. The words of Jesus and James remind us that being among the teachers in God’s church is more than a matter of having natural or even spiritual gifts; there is an additional dimension of appropriate character and right living.

Clarke writes Therefore, teachers were both tested more and would be judged more strictly. “Their case is awful; they shall receive greater condemnation than common sinners; they have not only sinned in thrusting themselves into that office to which God has never called them, but through their insufficiency the flocks over whom they have assumed the mastery perish for lack of knowledge, and their blood will God require at the watchman’s hand.” When we have influence over others, we have to take that responsibility very seriously. God certainly does, and we’ll give account for our actions someday.

None of us are perfect. James acknowledges that. After all, we all stumble in many things. The ancient Greek word translated stumble does not imply a fatal fall, but something that trips us up and hinders our spiritual progress. “For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.” James included himself among those who stumble. Yet he did not excuse his or our stumbling. We know that we all stumble, but we should all press on to a better walk with the Lord, marked by less stumbling. James provided a way to measure spiritual maturity for teachers and for all Christians. Jesus demonstrated in Matthew 12:34-37 that words are the revelation of the inner character. Our speech reveals our maturity.

A small bit in the mouth controls a strong horse. A small rudder turns a large ship. “If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.” You don’t solve the problem of an unruly horse by keeping it in the barn, or the problem of a hard-to-steer ship by keeping it tied to the dock. In the same way, even a vow of silence is not the ultimate answer for the misuse of our tongue. James deals with the tongue in the next verses.

“Portions of this blog post have been taken from the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“

“Scripture (bold and italicized) has been taken from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”

James 2:20-26

In James 2:20-26 he continues to drive home the importance of works as a defining part of living faith. “Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?” James will now use the Old Testament to demonstrate what he has already said about the character of a living faith, showing that a faith that is not accompanied with works is a dead faith that cannot save. “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?” Abraham was justified by faith long before he offered Isaac (Genesis 15:6). But his obedience in offering Isaac demonstrated that he really did trust God.

Faith and works cooperated perfectly together in Abraham. If he never had believed God, he could have never done the good work of obedience when asked to offer Isaac. As well, his faith was proven true – was completed, was made perfect – by his obedient works. “You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.” Clarke wrote “Here is a proof that faith cannot exist without being active in works of righteousness. His faith in God would have been of no avail to him, had it not been manifested by works.”

The faith only that will not justify a man is a faith that is without works, a dead faith. But true faith, living faith, shown to be true by good works, will alone justify. “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” Trapp wrote “It is faith that justifieth the man; but they are works that justify faith to be right and real, saving and justifying.” Works must accompany a genuine faith, because genuine faith is always connected with regeneration – being born again, becoming a new creation in Jesus. If there is no evidence of a new life, then there was no genuine, saving faith.

James gives another example of living faith from an unlikely place. “And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?” Rahab demonstrated her trust in the God of Israel by hiding the spies and seeking salvation from their God. Her faith was shown to be living faith because it did something. James gives us his closing thoughts on faith and works – they have to go hand in hand. “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” Burdick explains “Therefore, if no deeds are forthcoming, it is proof that the professed faith is dead. Notice that James does not deny that it is faith. He simply indicates that it is not the right kind of faith. It is not living faith, nor can it save.”

“Portions of this blog post have been taken from the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“

“Scripture (bold and italicized) has been taken from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”

James 2:17-19

In James 2:17-19 he makes a bold statement that gives us a picture of the kind of faith that saves us. Here he talks about a dead faith – one without the evidence of works. That is in contrast to a living faith which is the kind of faith that saves us. “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” This is the first time James speaks of a dead faith. Faith alone saves us, but it must be a living faith. We can tell if faith is alive by seeing if it is accompanied by works, and if it does not have works, it is dead. The works don’t save us, but they validate that our faith is alive and real within us.

A living faith is simply real faith. If we really believe something we will follow through and act upon it. If we really put our trust and faith on Jesus, we will care for the naked and destitute as He told us to do. Poole explains “He doth not say, faith is dead without works, lest it should be thought that works were the cause of the life of faith; but faith without works is dead; implying, that works are the effects and signs of the life of faith.”

Guzik defines the marks of saving faith?

• It is faith that looks not to self, but to Jesus Christ.
• It is faith that agrees with God’s word, both inwardly and with words.
• It is faith that in itself is not a work that deserves reward from God; in this sense it is simply refusing to think God is a liar, and that in itself is not a good work, simply the absence of a sinful work.
• It is faith grounded in what Jesus did on the cross and by the empty tomb.
• It is faith that will naturally be expressed in repentance and good works.
• It is faith that may sometimes doubt; yet the doubts are not bigger than the faith nor are they more permanent than the faith. This faith can say, “Lord I believe; help my unbelief.”
• It is faith that wants others to come to the same faith.
• It is faith that says more than “Lord, Lord” as in Matthew 7:21-23.
• It is faith that not only hears the word of God but does it, as in Matthew 7:24-27.

Real faith will be demonstrated by works. Some might try to say that some have the “gift” of works and others have the “gift” of faith. “But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” The appeal of James is clear and logical. We can’t “see” someone’s faith, but we can see their works. You can’t see faith without works, but you can demonstrate the reality of faith by works.

“You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” The fallacy of faith without works is demonstrated by the demons, which have a “dead” faith in God. The demons believe in the sense that they acknowledge that God exists. But this kind of faith does nothing for the demons, because it isn’t real faith, and that is proved by the fact that it doesn’t have works along with it.

“Portions of this blog post have been taken from the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“

“Scripture (bold and italicized) has been taken from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”

James 2:14-16

In James 2:14-16 he tackles the question of whether one can have faith but no works. James thought it impossible that someone could genuinely have saving faith with no works. “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” James wrote to Christians from a Jewish background that discovered the glory of salvation by faith. They knew the freedom from works-righteousness which was how salvation happened under the law – by keeping and doing the works. But they then went to the other extreme of thinking that works didn’t matter at all.

James does not contradict the Apostle Paul, who insisted that we are saved not of works (Ephesians 2:9). James merely clarifies for us the kind of faith that saves. We are saved by grace through faith, not by works; but saving faith will have works that accompany it. If we are truly saved, works will be a result of that salvation. As a saying goes: faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone; it has good works with it. Paul also wrote of the necessity of works as an outgrowth of faith in his letter to the church at Ephesus and his letter to Titus. Works don’t save us, but they do happen as a result of our salvation.

James gives an example of how our faith should be demonstrated by serving those in need. “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” Wishing them well is not an adequate outcome from our faith. To fail in the most simple good work towards a brother or sister in need demonstrates that one does not have a living faith, and we can only be saved by a living faith in Jesus. In this example, you know these people are in need but all that is offered is hollow religious words.

Real faith, and the works that accompany it, are not made up of only spiritual things, but also of a concern for the most basic needs – such as the need for comfort, covering, and food. When needs arise, we should sometimes pray less, and simply do more to help the person in need. We can sometimes pray as a substitute for action. Clarke wrote “Your pretending to have faith, while you have no works of charity or mercy, is utterly vain: for as faith, which is a principle in the mind, cannot be discerned but by the effects, that is, good works; he who has no good works has, presumptively, no faith.” Real faith will compel us to action – to be doers of the Word.

“Portions of this blog post have been taken from the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“

“Scripture (bold and italicized) has been taken from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”

James 2:10-13

In James 2:10-13 he makes clear the reality of the standard we will be held to – perfection. There is no way we keep the law by doing some of it. Or even most of it. Or all but one thing in it. “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” If we fail in one little thing we are guilty of failing to keep the law. It is exactly the reason Jesus came and went to the cross. None of us can meet this bar. We all fail, most of us in far more than one way. So our only hope for eternity with God is a Savior who can cover our short comings with His blood. It’s the mission of Jesus to be that covering for us as sinners.

James makes clear we can’t pick and choose what we will obey. It’s an all or nothing proposition. We can’t say, “I like God’s command against murder, so I’ll keep that one. But I don’t like His command against adultery, so I will disregard it.” God cares about the whole law. “For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. “ The whole law must be kept if one will be justified by the law. Poole explains “He breaks the whole law, though not the whole of the law: as he that wounds a man’s arm wounds the whole man, though not the whole of the man.”

We are under the law of liberty. It has liberty, yet it is still a law that must be obeyed and that we will be judged by at the judgment seat of Christ. “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.” Trapp explains “It is also called a law of liberty, because it is freely and willingly kept of the regenerate, to whom it is no burden or bondage.” Jesus came to set us free from the punishment of the law. He did not remove it. He died on the Cross so we could be set free from our failure to achieve God’s standard of perfection in obedience to the law. His blood covers all our failures.

And while grace is part of what Jesus death, burial and resurrection is all about, there is more. Grace is when God gives us what we don’t deserve. An acrostic is ‘God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense’. We aren’t worthy to receive the sacrifice Christ made for us. That’s grace. But James reminds us there is more – mercy! “For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” Mercy is when God doesn’t give us what we deserve. The wages of sin is death and eternal separation from God. Without Jesus covering our sin, we are doomed. But through God’s mercy of loving us in spite of who we are and how much we fail, and His grace of sacrificing His only Son to cover our sin, we have the promise of eternal life. All we have to do is receive it!

“Portions of this blog post have been taken from the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“

“Scripture (bold and italicized) has been taken from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”

James 2:6-9

In James 2:6-9 he reminds us that the world looks down on the poor. Calvin wrote regarding God’s choice of the poor: “Not indeed alone, but he wished to begin with them, that he might beat down the pride of the rich.” “But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?” We should also remind ourselves that God never calls for partiality against the rich. If one must judge in a dispute between a rich man and a poor man, they should let the law and the facts of the case decide the judgment instead of the economic class of those in the dispute.

History shows that the rich can indeed oppress the poor. Trapp wrote “Trample upon you with the feet of pride and cruelty; yea, devour you, as the greater fish do the lesser… This is a sin against race, grace, and place.” The rich are often the ones who blaspheme the name of Jesus by their actions. “Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?” Poole wrote “If the rich here spoken of were Christians, then they may be said to blaspheme Christ’s name, when by their wicked carriage they caused it to be blasphemed by others… but if rich unbelievers be here meant, the rich men of those times being generally great enemies to Christianity.”

But as doers that live out God’s Word, we need to stay focused on the commandment to love those in our patch. James anticipated that some of his readers might defend their partiality to the rich as simply loving the rich man as their neighbor in obedience to the law. “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.” The charge is straightforward and simple – we are to love our neighbor as ourself no matter their status or race or riches. We are asked to love people no matter who they are and what they do.

And if we fail, if we are partial, James calls it what it is – SIN. James is reminding us that the poor man is just as much our neighbor as the rich man is. “But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” Clarke explains “This commandment, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, is a royal law, not only because it is ordained of God, and proceeds from his kingly authority over men, but because it is so useful, suitable, and necessary to the present state of man… we give the epithet royal to whatever is excellent, noble, grand, or useful.” There’s no wiggle room here. If we are not impartial we sin!

“Portions of this blog post have been taken from the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“

“Scripture (bold and italicized) has been taken from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”

James 2:1-5

In James 2:1-5  we are reminded that our faith should never be associated with partiality. God never acts that way, and we must not either. “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.” We need to remember that James wrote to a very partial age, filled with prejudice and hatred based on class, ethnicity, nationality, and religious background. In the ancient world people were routinely and permanently categorized because they were Jew or Gentile, slave or free, rich or poor, Greek or barbarian, or whatever. While we may think this is something in our current culture, it’s been a problem since the beginning of time.

Jesus came to break down walls and lover all of mankind. And His mission was to get all Christ Followers to do the same. James gives examples of the kinds of partiality that were taking place. Not so different from our world today. “For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?”

James addresses the rich vs poor and those with nice clothing to those without as examples. He was talking about how the church would greet and accept them. To show partiality shows that we care more for the outward appearance than we do upon the heart. God looks at the heart, and so should we. To show partiality shows that we misunderstand who is important and blessed in the sight of God. When we assume that the rich man is more important to God or more blessed by God, we put too much value in material riches. Partiality shows a selfishness within us, and a heart issue we need to address.

James makes clear that God is impartial and often uses those that we might treat differently as ministers of the faith. “Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?” Those who are more outside the norm have more opportunities to trust God rather than self. Meyers wrote  “The rich man may trust Him; but the poor man must… the poor man has no fortress in which to hide, except the two strong arms of God.” When we choose people by what we can see on the surface, we miss the mind of God.

“Portions of this blog post have been taken from the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“

“Scripture (bold and italicized) has been taken from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”

James 1:25-27

In James 1:25-27 he goes on to continue talking about the differences between being a hearer and a doer. James is not saying we should not read and study God’s Word. That is still foundational to walking as a Christ Follower. But it has to go beyond just reading and hearing – there must be action taken as a result. “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.” God’s Word is perfect and complete. It provides us the direction we need to be doers and to put God’s plan into action.

James describes God’s Word as the perfect law. In the New Covenant, God reveals to us a law, but it is a law of liberty, written on our transformed hearts by the Spirit of God. Poole wrote “The whole doctrine of Scripture, or especially the gospel, called a law, Romans 3:27, both as it is a rule, and by reason of the power it hath over the heart; and a law of liberty, because it shows the way to the best liberty, freedom from sin, the bondage of the ceremonial law, the rigour of the moral, and from the wrath of God.” The result of being a doer is blessing. God smiles on us when we live out His Word through our actions.

Doing doesn’t need to be big things. It can be as simple as the things we say. James just explained that real religion is not shown by hearing the word, but by doing it. One way to do God’s word is to bridle the tongue. “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.” He writes much about the power of the tongue and how important it is to control it. James uses the word religious here which speaks of someone who is not really right with God, and this is evident because he does not bridle his tongue.

Mankind calls all sorts of things religion. But much of what is called religion is merely lip service and misses the mark of what God intends for us as Christ Followers. A real walk with God shows itself in simple, practical ways. It helps the needy and keeps itself unstained by the world’s views. “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.” The idea is not that a Christ Follower retreats away from the world; instead they interact with orphans and widows in their trouble and others such in their need. Spurgeon wrote “I would like to see a Christian, not kept in a glass case away from trial and temptation, but yet covered with an invisible shield, so that, wherever he went, he would be guarded and protected from the evil influences that are in the world in almost every place.” That’s what we should do to remain unstained from the world!

“Portions of this blog post have been taken from the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“

“Scripture (bold and italicized) has been taken from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”