King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]
Date: Tuesday, November 22, 2022
Chapters: THE BOOK OF JAMES
Study: Perfect Persevering Patience
Hello My Friend,
[Perfect; Fully informed; completely skilled; finished; complete; Perseverance; Constancy in labor or exertion. Patience; The suffering of afflictions, pain, toil, calamity, provocation or other evil, with a calm, unruffled temper;] Patience, is not my strong suit, and I come to realize that it never was, and will admit that my lack of patience gets me in trouble more than I care to admit. I will say this though, I never give up, I will fight for something until I either get it or it gets me. As for being perfect, I know I am far from that, but my Christ that is in me is, and He is all I need to finish my course on earth, [2 Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.]
The Book of James contains five chapters, this epistle (letter) was written by James, Jesus’ brother as would be in the flesh, mentioned with Joses, Simon and Judah, and often in the Acts of the apostles. It is known as the general epistle because it was not addressed to a particular church. The purpose of the letter was to comfort believers who were undergoing trials for their faith. What we are to learn from the book is that faith is the foundation of our works, but faith without works is dead, [James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.]
Yesterday, we read about Peter telling the people at Antioch to relay to James what had happened when he was rescued from the prison by the angel that took him out. Today, we read about the letter that James had written to the Christian Jews who were scattered all over the world out of fear. There is another “P” word that actually brings perfection, perseverance, and patience together and that is persecution. James, begins the letter with a pretty interesting take on persecution and how it actually benefits us, through patience.
[James 1:1-4,12-15 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. 2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.]
[for God cannot be tempted with evil,] Divers temptations; meaning one affliction after another without any sign of relief. God, will indeed prove us with these divers temptations every know and then as He does allow the devil to work our patience. What He cannot and will not do is tempt us into actual sin nor allow us negotiate with Him on some level as to justify any sin that we knowingly commit under persecution, [1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.]
It may seem like God is setting us up for failure if we fall into sin through those divers temptations, but the truth is, He is not. You see, the temptation to sin only becomes prominent when it is in our heart to begin with, which would explain how it is so easy to fall into when persecution comes. James, actually explains this further in reminding us that everything good and perfect thing comes from God.
[James 1:17-22 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.]
[with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.] God, does not change, every good gift that we receive comes from God Himself and is perfect. Just like when He created the earth and saw that it was good, He gives those whom have put their faith and trust in Christ the perfect gift of eternal life. It is actually the will of God that every person born be saved, but He will only save those who come to Him through His Son, [Romans 8:29-30 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.]
Honestly, a person who has accepted Christ as their Saviour is automatically wired through the Holy Spirit to refrain from things that were once acceptable to us, but not acceptable to God. This comes with that patience, perseverance, and also in maintaining good works. Maintaining good works is actually living our lives out of the world, and not drawing attention to ourselves. We are living to glorify Christ, not ourselves, and we must remember that this is not about keeping our salvation, it is about doing what we know to do is right, even when we have nothing to earn from it. Keep in mind, we are not under the Law.
[James 2:5-10 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? 8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.]
[and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.] This is why we are saved by grace and not our works. We are never going to be able to obey every command, which is why Jesus gave us salvation by grace, but that is not what this is all about. What this is about is fearing God, loving Him, being faithful to Him. The only way that we are going to persevere is by the work that we do for Him.
[James 2:14-17,21-24 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.]
[and by works was faith made perfect?] We can have all the faith we want, and while God is great at making things happen through our faith alone, we must make an effort ourselves, trusting that He will see us through. Regardless of what we do, faith and works go hand in hand. Think about it, would you make an effort to do something if you did not have faith that it would all work out? As Christians, we are going to face trials, we are going to suffer heartache and affliction. As much as we would like for God to intervene at all times, He will not stop someone’s freewill. We have to realize that the things we go through are not a punishment from God, they are to give us wisdom and a deeper understanding of Him, not necessarily the why of what is happening.
[James 3:13-18 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.]
[there is confusion and every evil work.] Let me tell you, it is bad enough sometimes dealing with trials, but when we see others getting the things we desire, and even worse our enemies, it can lead to confusion as well as bitterness, and strife toward them, which is why at this point, we are to just humble ourselves to God.
[James 4:1-6 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.]
[but giveth grace unto the humble.] God, truly blesses us when we are humble, if we say we have no sin, if we walk around boasting of all the things we have gotten away with through grace then, we are guilty of sin all the same. And, ignorance only goes so far, as we grow in our faith, we come to know what is right from wrong through God’s eyes. People, often question why God blesses some more than others through their persecution, well, here is the answer.
[James 10,13-17 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. 13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.]
[If the Lord will, we shall live,] The older I get the more precious time becomes, and I do not want to waste it on things that have no value, I want the rest of my days to count for something. We cannot put off things we are supposed to be doing today for tomorrow, as we have no guarantees for tomorrow. Of course, we make plans for the future, and it is good to do so, but we must take care of now. Do what you have to do, stop wasting life waiting for that one thing to happen, live for today, doing the things that God wants you to do. We are going to be challenged, we are going to face trials, we are going to suffer heartache and persecution, sometimes of our own doing. Everything we go through tries our faith, and it is usually during the trials that we benefit the most. Why? That is when we seek God more. We have to realize that many of the things we go through are not a punishment, they are to bring us closer to Him as we seek Him.
[James 5:11-12,19-20 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. 12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. 19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for Your mercy and grace. As much as I try to live by faith and in Your Word, I know I fail sometimes. Lord, I want to please You, I want everything that I do to give glory to You, and I want the world to see Your Son in me. Lead me and guide me, show me the way You want me to go, and let me know of the things that You do not want for me. Give me the strength, patience, and wisdom I need endure the challenges I face with You. I pray this in Your name, Jesus, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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