Wholeness Requires Wisdom

“Knowledge is exploding at such a rate – more than 2000 pages a minute – that even Einstein couldn’t keep up.  In fact, if you read 24 hours a day, from age 21 to 70, and retained all you read, you would be one and a half million years behind when you finished” (Campus Life, February, 1979).

Though this statement was made over thirty-five years ago it is still applicable today.  But it is not the idea of knowledge on which we, as disciples of Jesus Christ, should focus.  Knowledge can be a wonderful and helpful thing to attain, but it is not knowledge which is required for the disciple of Christ to grow into spiritual maturity.  Far too many people equate knowledge with wisdom and even far too many more equate biblical knowledge with biblical wisdom.  Biblical knowledge can be achieved through consistent study of the Word.  Biblical wisdom is only given by God.

James 1:5-8 addresses the need the disciple of Christ has of wisdom and the consequences for the one who doubts that God will give wisdom.  What does this wisdom look like on a practical level as a disciple of Christ?  How should we react when doubts creep into our minds?  Why is wisdom so important for the disciple of Christ?  As we explore this next passage of James may the wisdom of God truly be upon us and may we be open and excited for the work of the Spirit in us?

The Pursuit of Spiritual Wholeness

As we begin our message series on the book of James I feel it necessary to remind us all of the implications which we are about to encounter.  James, the half-brother of Jesus, is not one to beat around the bush or candy-coat his words.  And in so doing he very easily goes directly to the heart of many matters.  In studying this book in-depth we will encounter the actual state of our faith, hearts, thinking, and priorities.  This encounter may very likely cause us to become uncomfortable, defensive, or perhaps even angry through the conviction of God’s words through His servant James.  But those experiences should not discourage us but encourage us.

As we discovered a few weeks ago, the main focus of the book of James is the spiritual wholeness of the believer.  As James 1:2-4 tells us, this wholeness comes at a price.

Gold is a natural metal which does not come in a pure state.  The purer the gold the more it is worth, but to make gold more pure takes high temperatures, time, great effort, and a special devise called a crucible.  This crucible is made of metal or clay which can withstand great heat.  The gold is placed into the crucible and the temperature is raised to great amounts in order to melt the gold into a liquid form.  Once liquefied, the impurities found within the gold float to the top where they can be removed thus making the gold more pure.  The gold is cooled and if needed or desired run through the process a second, third, or fourth time.

James 1:2-4 speaks of trials in our life as a crucible where the end goal of this process is spiritual wholeness.  So, what is spiritual wholeness?  How can I be sure that the crucible of my life leads

towards spiritual wholeness and not bitterness or spiritual immaturity?  What is my role as a believer in this process?

May God speak to each of us who are His children and disciples to use this passage in our personal spiritual growth as well as our corporate growth as His church.  May we be prayerfully prepared to hear God’s Word and act upon His call for our lives.

James: an Introduction

In 1517, Martin Luther literally shocked the entire religious world by writing ninety-five declarations regarding baptism and forgiveness of sins.  Thus was the beginning of the Reformation Movement where the church split into Protestant and Catholic.  Martin Luther challenged the thoughts of faith, religion, and salvation during his time and ours.  In fact, he was so adamant about salvation through faith alone that it affected his reading of some of the book of Scripture that had been included in the Bible for centuries.

The book of James was such an area where Luther had his issues.  He felt that the book of James was good for Christian teaching but was not inspired scripture.  Below are two translated quotes from around 1530.

The book of James “is flatly against St. Paul and all the rest of Scripture in ascribing justification to works” and “its purpose is to teach Christians, but in all this long teaching it does not once mention the Passion, the resurrection, or the Spirit of Christ.”

Luther certainly makes some good points, but is he right?  Does James really not talk about the salvation of Christ?  Does James talk about salvation by works and not faith alone?  Is what is found in the book of James mainly good for teaching Christian living?  How should this affect our own reading of James and the rest of Scripture?

One of the issues that arose in Luther’s time had to do with his desire to translate the Bible into the language of the people.  This was so that the common believer could read the truth of God’s Words for themselves.  So let us study God’s Word for ourselves by opening the book of James together.  This Sunday will be a simple introduction to the book of James but though simple may still be deeply relevant to us as believers today.  As we make our way through James may God open His truth to us as His Church and apply that truth to our lives.  May we be prayerfully prepared to have the Holy Spirit move in our hearts and lives through His Word.