The Book of James – Trials (James 1:2-4)

Introduction

I mentioned last time that James was a plain spoken man. James is also direct and to the point.  As proof of this he says hello in verse one and by verse two he talks about the trials that come into our life; the times of testing that can leave us spiritually battered and bruised.

Trial vs. Tempted

“How do I know what I’m going through is a trial as opposed to Satan just pounding me over the head?”  When God’s hand is at work the trial is designed to build you up, to strengthen your Christian character.  When Satan is on the scene his only goal is to ruin you and make you fail.  God wants to embrace you and Satan wants to embarrass you.

Advertisement

 

How Close is “Nigh”? – James 4:8

Introduction

How close are you right now to your Heavenly Father?  On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, what number would you assign to yourself?

Before we move forward I need to make it clear that the target audience of this post is for Christians; in no way can we earn our salvation, it is a gift from God. 

A quick read of the Epistle of James will tell you that James was very plain spoken, he did not mince words.  James gets right to the point and tells it like it is.  Our scripture text is a perfect example of this style of writing.

In James 4:8a it says “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” In this promise from God we have the classic action / reaction.  The bible clearly states our spiritual health is directly connected to our own efforts to separate from the world and live a life pleasing to God.