We need to remember that James’ readers are Jewish Christians who have been scattered due to persecution. Most of them were poor. For example, in Acts 11:28-29, we read about a severe famine that extended throughout the Roman world, so much so that some needed help and financial support from other believers. As we study this passage, let us remember that this is addressed to believing Christians.

“Let the Lowly Brother Boast in His Exaltation” (James 1:9)

This verse refers to all under-privileged or poor believers.

• • Rev 2:9 – “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich)”
  • Luke 6:20,21: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied”

James is saying that there is a future exaltation coming to poor or underprivileged (lowly) believers, so they have no real disadvantage in the end. Why is this? Because this life is not all there is. There is an eternal glorious future awaiting all these believers.

• • Phil 3:20 – “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ”
  • Eph 1:3 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places”
  • Eph 2:5- “even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”

“And Let the Rich [Brother Boast] in His Humiliation” (James 1:10)

Just as James points out that lowly believers have no real disadvantage in the big picture, he also says that rich and powerful believers have no real advantage in the end. Why is this? James says it is because humiliation is coming for them. This humiliation can happen voluntarily, or will happen involuntarily at the final judgment.

The point James is making about the rich believer is, that a true believer will not glory in his or her riches, but will glory in using it to help relieve the suffering of those believers who are not so privileged. That is a true reflection of God’s glory. However, if a believer does not do that, there could be one of two reasons. Either they are not true believers, and will face Jesus as Judge one day, or they are believers who are not yet mature enough to show love in this way. In the latter case, their salvation will be “as through fire” (1 Cor 3:15).

Involuntary Humiliation at the Final Judgment

The Bible says that we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10). Part of this examination would be to evaluate the way we used the resources and privileges we had. Jesus made this point in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31.

• • • Luke 6:24-25: “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry”
    • Rev 3:17: “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked”

Voluntary Humiliation

There is a different and much more fulfilling humiliation that rich and powerful believers can experience. This is in their identification with Jesus, by choosing to step into the suffering and humiliation of others in order to share their burdens. Jesus though He was rich yet He became poor to make us rich through His poverty (2 Cor 8:9). He chose to step down from His glory and humbled himself to serve like a slave, even to the point of death (Phil 2:8). When rich and powerful believers step alongside suffering believers to relieve their suffering and share their burdens, they are acting like their Lord. This is the kind of humiliation that God desires of those of us who are rich and powerful.

Riches are Temporary (James 1:11)

1. James explains one of the reasons why a rich believer does not have an advantage over a lowly believer. Riches are very temporary. Here is what James says about people who put their trust in wealth, “because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 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” (James 1:10-11). This echoes the words of Isaiah in (reference to Isa 40:6-8, referring to how we fade away like grass and flowers in the field.
2. James next reason is that God has a heart for the poor, downtrodden and vulnerable
   • Psa 68:5 “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows”
   • Psa 146:7-9 – “The LORD sets the prisoners free; the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the sojourners”
   • Luke 1:52-53: “he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty”

Thus, for both rich and poor, the sole basis of our confidence is our position in Christ. James is pointing out here, that both lowly and rich believers face unique temptations regarding their station in life. The former are tempted to be discontented, and the latter are tempted to feel self-sufficient. Both of these are dangerous, and James tells us how we need to have the right attitude in all our situations.

“Blessed is the Man who Remains Steadfastness Under Trial” (James 1:12)

James now returns to his theme of verses 2-4, encouraging us to count it all joy when we encounter various trials.

• James had said earlier that “the testing of our faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:3).
• This is also what the apostle Paul said in Rom 5:3 :”We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope”
• 1 Peter 1:6-7 – “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith — more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire — may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Crown of Life

The final motivation to remain steadfast in all kinds of trials is Rev 2:10 – “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life”. A life of steadfastness in our faith in Jesus, will be rewarded by Him with a “crown of life” – that is, eternal life in His glorious presence!

Is it OK to Look Forward to Rewards as a Christian?

This leads us to an important question that may be at the back of our minds. Is it OK to be motivated by rewards, or is it self-centered? The answer to this question is yes, it is OK. This is the reason why there are so many promises of rewards in Scripture. One of the major reasons James has told us to be patient and joyful even, in the midst of our trials is the hope of future redemption and reward. This is a God-given motivation for us to remember when we suffer.

C. S. Lewis in his famous sermon “The Weight of Glory” says that the greatest glory of a believer that will fuel his or her joy throughout eternity, is that commendation from Jesus that each of us long to hear – “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt 25:23).

• Temptations and snares (1 Timothy 6:9, Hebrews 12:4)
• Difficult circumstances (death, divorce, loss of job, sickness, etc) James 5:14;
• Social and economic persecution (James 2:6)
• God’s discipline (Hebrews 12:5-11). Can also be consequences of sin (addiction, jail, etc)
• Due to choices we make in following Jesus (1 Peter 4:12-19, Hebrews 10:32-39, 1 Cor 4:9-13)

Our greatest tragedies press the hardest, darkest questions on our soul. “Has God abandoned me“? “Is he really in charge and also good“? “Is he even there“?

Are there exceptions which do not apply regarding our trials in James 1:2? If so, what are they?

I have often wrestled with whether some of these promises really apply to me since I am sinful.

• But the gospel is all about Jesus being my righteousness. The promises apply to me, because I have been clothed with the righteousness of Jesus
• EXCEPT – and this is a big exception: this is only for true believers! It applies to James “brethren” (vs 2). In that case no promises apply, except the invitation that if we come to Christ He will not cast us away.
• For believers, there are no exceptions at all. There are no qualifying statements about what kind of trials this applies to.
  • Romans 8:28
  • 2 Cor 4:17-18

What does James mean by “Count it all joy”?

• Joy does not come naturally, but we are being encouraged to choose joy.
• Joy is not the same as happiness. It does not depend on our circumstances.
  • Present joy: “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you … ” (John 15:11)
  • Future joy: ” … and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).  Jesus endured the cross “for the (future) joy that was set before Him” (Heb 12:2).

This is the sense in which we are to count it all joy. A future joy is promised to us, that is fantastic.

James 1:3-5: Why does James tell us to be joyful in the midst of trials?

• Trials “produce” steadfastness. We can think of our trials as a “steadfastness factory”. The more the trials, the greater the steadfastness.
• Even Jesus “learned” obedience by the things He suffered (Heb 5:8).
• For true believers there is no other possible outcome. This is a cause and effect. See also 2 Cor 4:17-18

It plays a critical role in making us become like Jesus, and ends in His as well as our glory (Rom 8:28, 2 Cor 4:17, Rom 8:18, Matt 5:12, Rom 5:3-11, 1 Peter 1:6-7).

“Faith does not flourish when it lies untested. It atrophies when it goes un-exercised. And eventually it dies. So, when God loves us with his saving love, and gives us saving faith, he commits, because he cares for us, to inject our lives with various trials to train, grow, sweeten, strengthen, and mature what matters most in us. Our “various trials” in this life are not superfluous to our enduring in faith. And they are not just threats to losing our faith. They are one of God’s essential means through which he preserves the faith he has given us and keeps us as his own.” – David Matthis

James 1:3,4 – What does James mean by “steadfastness”?

• It is important to note that this does not mean “perfect, steady faith”. The whole point is that trials are often designed to stretch our faith to its limit. We struggle, we falter, we stumble, our faith sometimes fails.
• Steadfastness means “staying the course. persevering to the end”.
• Through the worst of trials, we cling to God in hope and in faith even if we wander temporarily

What do we learn about God related to our trials and temptations?

• God is in control in the midst of our trials. There are no accidents – Jesus rules the universe: Matt 28:18, Eph 1:22
• He is working out His purposes within us during our trials

Examples

1. Christians during the plague (Ad 265). “Then, a century later came another great plague. Once again the Greco-Roman world trembled as, on all sides, family, friends, and neighbors died horribly. No one knew how to treat the stricken. Nor did most people try. During the first plague, the famous classical physician Galen fled Rome for his country estate where he stayed until the danger subsided. But for those who could not flee, the typical response was to try to avoid any contact with the afflicted, since it was understood that the disease was contagious. Hence, when their first symptom appeared, victims often were thrown into the streets, where the dead and dying lay in piles. … the impact of Christian mercy was so evident that in the fourth century when the emperor Julian attempted to restore paganism, he exhorted the pagan priesthood to compete with the Christian charities. In a letter to the high priest of Galatia, Julian urged the distribution of grain and wine to the poor, noting that “the impious Galileans [Christians], in addition to their own, support ours, [and] it is shameful that our poor should be wanting our aid.” But there was little or no response to Julian’s proposals because there were no doctrines and no traditional practices for the pagan priest to build upon…. Christians believed in life everlasting.“
2. John Paton. Two missionaries landed in 1839, and were killed and eaten by the cannibals soon after they went ashore. Paton goes there. His wife and child die within his first year of being there. He continues there alone under incredible circumstances of constant danger. “A wild chief followed me around for four hours with his loaded musket, and, though often directed towards me, God restrained his hand … Looking up in unceasing prayer to our dear Lord Jesus, I left all in his hands, and felt immortal till my work was done“. “My heart rose up to the Lord Jesus; I saw Him watching all the scene. My peace came back to me like a wave from God. I realized that I was immortal till my Master’s work with me was done. The assurance came to me, as if a voice out of Heaven had spoken, that not a musket would be fired to wound us, not a club prevail to strike us, not a spear leave the hand in which it was held vibrating to be thrown, not an arrow leave the bow, or a killing stone the fingers, without the permission of Jesus Christ, whose is all power in Heaven and on Earth. He rules all Nature, animate and inanimate, and restrains even the Savage of the South Seas.” “My constant custom was, in order to prevent war, to run right in between the contending parties. My faith enabled me to grasp and realize the promise, ‘Lo, I am with you alway.’ In Jesus I felt invulnerable and immortal, so long as I was doing his work“. The entire village came to Christ by the end of his serving there over 45 years

James 1:5-8 – What wisdom is James encouraging us to ask for?

• The wisdom he is referring to in this context, is the wisdom to know this at the deepest levels in our hearts.
• The wisdom to choose to make difficult choices even if it invites trials, in following Jesus.
  • Choosing not to sin when we are tempted
  • Knowing when we are wandering from our faith or hardening our hearts
  • Choosing to repent before God and others, and to make it right with those we wronged.
  • Being a bold witness at work
• Ultimately, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov 9:10). So having the right understanding of God and His purposes is true wisdom.

James 1:6 – How are we to ask God for wisdom?

• Confidence that God will give it to us without doubting
• This kind of wisdom is supernatural. We need to trust that God wants to give it to us.

James 1:2-8 – The long term effect of trials

• Sometimes we have the benefit of hindsight when we see God’s bigger purposes in our past trials.
• These experiences begin to build a reservoir in our hearts and in our minds
• We can recall examples of Scripture (e.g. Joseph, Ruth, Daniel, etc)
• We can recall our own past experiences of God’s faithfulness.
• This enables us to grow in our faith and to grow in steadfastness (“if God was so faithful in my life before, I can trust Him to be with me now, and to use this for my good”).

Questions to Think About

1. What is my response to trials in my life?
2. Do I ask God for His wisdom?
3. How has God sustained or grown me through trials and temptations?

Who is the Author of James?

The half-brother of Jesus, likely from Mary and Joseph after the birth of Jesus.

• We know that the author is not James the apostle because he died a martyr’s death in AD 44
  (Acts 12:2)
• James the brother of Jesus died in AD 62 (Josephus and Eusebius).

The early church attests the author as being James the brother of Jesus.

What do we know about James?

• He is spoken as among the sisters and brothers of Christ (e.g., Mark 6:3)
• He was not a believer during Jesus’ life (Mark 3:33-35, John 7:5)
• He experienced special grace when Jesus revealed Himself to James after His resurrection (1
  Cor 15:7). This is comforting to us, that Jesus did not “write James off” but pursued him. Similarly He
  continues to pursue us.
• Became a pillar of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 12:17 – Note that Acts 12:2 talks about James
  the apostle being killed)
• Became called “James the Just”. Tradition says he was a Nazarite throughout his life (see Acts
  21:17-26).
• He believed in the power of prayer. He is called “The man with the camel’s knees”, because his
  knees became calloused by the time he spent on them
• He was cruelly martyred by the Scribes and Pharisees. This is what the church historian
  Eusebius writes about his death (referencing Hegesippus)
  • They asked him to convince the Jews that they had gone astray in their understanding of
    Jesus. by telling them loudly from the top of the temple
  • James instead said, “Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, and will come in the clouds of
    heaven”.
  • In frustration they rushed to the top of the temple and pushed him off so that the listeners
    would be filled with fear
  • James did not die so he was stoned. He knelt and prayed “I beseech you, Lord God our
    Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”.
  • A priest tried to stop them (“Stop, stop, he is praying for us”), but another one hurled his
    staff at James’ head and killed him.

When was James written?

Likely AD 45-46:

• It was likely before the Jerusalem Council (AD 48-49), because the letter has no reference to
  Jew-Gentile controversy, and is addressed to Jews.
• Likely people had misunderstood Paul’s slogan “justification by faith alone”. We know that
  there was a delegation from Jerusalem to see God’s work through Paul in Antioch (Galatians
  2:11-14). They may have misunderstood what Paul was teaching, and passed that on to James.
  So this could explain why James clarifies the role that faith and works play in our salvation.

This makes the epistle of James one of the earliest New Testament epistles.

This is significant because it gives us a historical context, as we will see when we study the book.

Where was James when he wrote this Letter?

Most likely, Jerusalem.

To Whom is this Letter Addressed?

• General letter to all Jews including those scattered (see Acts 11:19)
• This, along with some references in the letter, give us an idea of the circumstances they were
  experiencing at that time.

James 1:1 – “James a bond-servant of the Lord Jesus Christ”

• James does not identify himself as Jesus’ brother (see Mk 3:33-35)
  • There was no family ministry. James preferred his spiritual rather than his physical
    relationship with Jesus
  • Jesus has taught that family ties should not compare to our love and allegiance to God.
• James does not identify himself as an apostle (although Paul does in Gal 1:19). He calls himself
  a slave of Jesus. These were not “credentials”, in the sense someone is called a “servant of the
  Lord” today, but a statement of complete allegiance to Jesus.
  • What motives do we have when we choose to brag about our qualifications or other things that will elevate us before others?
• James calls Jesus Lord and Christ (Messiah). This is significant because as someone who had lived with Jesus for 30+ years, it is a telling statement to call Him “Lord”.
  • This is very compelling evidence for us, 2000 years later, that Jesus is really God and that Jesus really rose from the dead. Which brother would call his sibling “Lord”, and say he is his slave? It strengthens our faith!