Gift of Peace

 

For the boot of the marching warrior in the roar of battle, and cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. (Isaiah 9:5, NASB)

Anyone who is a parent, has been a parent, and/or has worked with children knows peace and quiet are rare. If children are quiet, that silence comes for one of three reasons; either the child is asleep, is sick, or is getting into trouble. Isaiah’s prophecy told of the peace the people of Israel would have. It will occur not because of what they do, but because God gives it. God causes peace. The peace about which Isaiah prophesied does not occur by individuals. God’s peace is greater and overcomes whatever humanity, angels, demons, or principalities can create. What God causes, these other beings cannot take away unless God allows it. In the next paragraphs, we will recall what Isaiah said in Isaiah 9:1-4. After that, we will study verse five on its own, aiming to understand verse five in context with the first four verses.

For whom did Isaiah prophesy? In verses one and two, the student realizes Isaiah spoke to the people of Israel. Because the Zebulun and Naphtali lands had residents consisting of Israelites, Canaanites, and other nations, Isaiah prophesied to both Jews and Gentiles. Isaiah 9:1-7 is for every person on earth. Why was it necessary to speak a prophecy of peace to the people of Israel then?

Israel did not have peace for almost two decades. The Assyrian army would battle Israel, then take the people of Israel captive in 722 BC. What did God want these people of Israel to recall for the time of their captivity? He wanted them to understand that their captivity would not occur forever; they would receive freedom. In the moment of their freedom, it would be as a great light, a lift of the burdens from their shoulders (v. 2a).

God gave hope and promised light would come out of the darkness. This light for the people meant release from captivity. God would cause their release. Nothing within a person can bring the light of freedom unless God tells the person to do something and then gives him or her the ability to do it, like He did with Moses. Israel received hope from God with this prophecy. The hope God gave the people of Israel was a beacon of light that threatened to shroud their hearts, minds, and spirits. God’s promises are for the present time and the future. His hope makes it so. God included every person in this prophecy, as told to them through Isaiah. Their dark days of slavery would end. God would cause it to happen. He gives the light and hope.

God, through Isaiah, continued telling what He would do for the people of Israel. He added, in Isaiah 9:3, that He would multiply the nation. This multiplication would include the number of people who would live in Israel by a literal increase in population, which included both Jews and Gentiles. It would include all people, through the millennia, who came to God through belief in Him and His Son, Jesus. God would call them His children.

Since God’s promises included all people of all time, His multiplying Israel’s nation would multiply the number of God’s people, which did not include only Jews. This multiplication by God included the geo-political landscape of earth. The people of the promise—Jews and Gentiles—would expand the geographical borders of the promised land to everywhere in the world believers lived. The parts of the world in which believers lived expanded God’s land of promise to be as vast as His created world and heavenly kingdom. God will “multiply the nation” (3a).

With this promise of God, composed of several parts, a natural reaction would occur because of what God would do. God would fill the people of Israel with joy (v. 3b). With the gifts of joy, light, and multiplication of the nation God gives to His people, their bubbling over of gratitude and amazement flowed from them. When joy bubbles up through a person, a natural reaction occurs—that person bursts forth in rejoicing. Rejoicing can happen by singing, dancing, praising God, sharing God’s blessings with other people, and worshipping God.

Isaiah gave an analogy to help these future captives understand the depths of joy they would have during their captivity and afterwards. He said they would rejoice like when the harvest came in (v. 3b). Isaiah added another analogy. He said the people would rejoice like when they divide the plunders of war among themselves (v. 3c). The people would react to God’s actions of shining a light on them, giving them joy, and multiplying the nation. They would rejoice with other captives and praise God.

God promised more than light, joy, and multiplication. It joined with Isaiah’s prophecies in Isaiah 42:7 & 61:1-2 and Jesus’ statement about Himself in Luke 4:18. Through Isaiah 9:4, God told the people of Israel that He would give them freedom. He said He would break the yoke, staff, and rod with which their oppressor enslaved the people (v. 4). Isaiah used an analogy for their release that would resonate with the people. Their freedom would feel like when God routed their longtime enemy, Midian. While Gideon and three-hundred soldiers watched, God confused and routed the Midianites in 1184 BC.

The people of the joint kingdom of Israel regularly recalled this story of God’s hand delivering them from the Midianites. Because the Midianite defeat was familiar to the Israelites, Isaiah knew comparing it to God’s defeat of the Assyrians would give the people of Israel great encouragement, comfort, and joy. God would redeem the people of Israel from the soldiers, government, and slave drivers called Assyria.

In verse five, Isaiah continued using the battle analogy, which he began in verse three(c). He helped the people recall battles by using their senses. Isaiah described the battle sounds and implements of a soldier. He said, “For the boot of the marching warrior in the roar (and clanging) of battle, and cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire” (NASB). These words brought to memory the sight, sound, and smell of battle. The putrid odor of blood on cloaks and bodies. The clanging metal of armor shielding soldiers’ bodies. The heavy tromping of boots marching into battle. The blasting of bugles by generals’ orders. The panic and fearful escaping of nature from the area. People would recall of these sensory memories of battle. By recalling sensory details, Isaiah's prophecy reminded the people of the sights, sounds, and smells of battles fought by armies such as those of Midian and Egypt. They helped the people remember how God preceded them and defeated their enemies.

Without God’s light, hope, and peace, those memories of battle would haunt the people of Israel forever. Yet, with God, anything can happen. God gives light, hope, and peace. He causes the changes to set people free. Paul wrote in Romans 8:37 that God’s children are more than conquerors. They are more than slaves or conquered people. God causes freedom by His actions. He said this through Isaiah. God said every marching boot and blood-soaked cloak would burn as fuel for the fire. The people would be free. God would provide their freedom and conquer the enemies of the people of Israel. He will always provide freedom for His people who seek Him (2 Chronicles 7:14). With that freedom comes peace. Before freedom, God gives light, hope, and peace.

This freedom God gives would cause rejoicing by the people. Just as they danced at a harvest with joy and divided the plunder of war among themselves with excitement and joy, the people of Israel would dance with joy at God defeating the country that overpowered and enslaved them. The Israelites recalled their harvest celebrations and victory celebrations. In their minds, they heard their celebrations, recalled the taste of food in their mouths, and sensed the celebration in their being.

They could hang onto God’s promise with hope and relive from memory how God, in the past, gave them victory. The memories of God’s intervention are spiritual markers for people. People can recall spiritual markers throughout life. A person can recall and rejoice at what God did in his or her life. God’s joy is for all time. Rejoicing is humanity’s outflow of God’s gracious gifts. It leads to people loving God with their whole being as God taught people to do in the Old and New Testaments (Deuteronomy 6:5 and Matthew 22:37).

God's actions, His gifts of joy, peace, hope, and future freedom would cause the people of Israel to react. That reaction would cause them to love the Lord their God with all their heart, spirit, mind, and strength. This morale booster, by Isaiah’s prophecy, telling what God would do, would strengthen and encourage the captives. The prophecy enabled them to endure captivity with hope, live with the memories of what God did in the past, and buoy themselves with thoughts of what He will do in the future. God would arm the captives with hope, so they were ready to endure. Paul wrote about the great power of God, which God wanted the people of Israel to remember. He continued his teaching and testimony by writing in Romans 8:37-39:

In all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39, NASB)

The Isaiah 9:1-7 prophecy transcends a single moment; it lasts forever. God is always the Conqueror. He is always faithful to His promises and His people. The Israelites’ freedom from captivity in 523 BC did not signal the end of the prophecy. This prophecy from God is for all people, as Isaiah 9:1 recorded. God’s word lasts forever because He is eternal.

Because people will exist until Jesus’ second coming to Earth, this prophecy of release from captivity has not fully occurred. Jesus has not yet consummated it. God made available through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection the ultimate release from captivity to sin and death. Jesus gives this freedom—this redemption from slavery to sin and death—when a person confesses belief in Him as their Savior.

Jesus ended all battles and wars for people who believe in Him. No captivity can separate God from anyone who believes in Jesus. God declares freedom for His children, and nothing can defeat Him. The freedom Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection provided makes possible the defeat of sin, its judgment, and death from the moment anyone believes in Him. God will consummate the salvation of believers upon Jesus’ return to earth. At that time, Jesus will claim His disciples and take them to His kingdom to live with Him forever. No force can keep His disciples captive.

This freedom God gives also provides joy from Him so people can rejoice. Knowing this freedom gives peace to the hearts, spirits, and minds of people who seek God and who come to a relationship with Him through belief in Jesus the Christ. Because God is for us, giving us joy, hope, freedom, and peace; therefore, “who can be against us” (Romans 8:32)?

How do we realize at this point God intended that? We will understand more when we finish studying the entire prophecy with verses six and seven. We recognize, too, by Jesus’ teaching and Paul’s letters, that this prophecy intended eternal redemption and reconciliation with God (Luke 4:18-20, Matthew 5:17-18, Luke 24:25-27, Colossians 1:19-20). This will be the topic of the next Bible study.

For now, consider your relationship with sin and with the Redeemer who releases believers from sin’s captivity. Are you still captive to sin and its resultant judgment of eternal death? That outcome is not what God desires for you. He loves you and wants to have an eternal relationship with you in heaven.

Today, you have a choice. Which outcome will you pursue: eternal captivity or freedom from being captive to sin and death, which gives you a right relationship with God? It always remains your choice. Choose God, Jesus, redemption, joy, hope, peace, and eternal life.

Jesus came to give us peace through redemption and reconciliation with God.

Chaos no longer reigns over His disciples. Let God give His peace to you.

For unto us a Child will be born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6, NKJV)

Gift of Freedom

 

                                                                    (photo by Otto Gonzalez)

“For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, and the rod of their oppressor, You have broken as on the day of Midian.” (Isaiah 9:4, ESV)

In Isaiah 9:1-7, Isaiah prophesied to Israel, the northern kingdom, about their captivity. God sought to bolster their hope, give them joy, and remind them of His promises to them as His children. Though God allowed the Assyrians to capture the people of Israel, He meant for it to last only for a time, not for an eternity. As His mode of disciplining the people of Israel, God allowed Assyria to capture Israel. Like most captives, the government (kings, governors, and ministers) and captors, would subjugate them according to their whims and by their laws. God would allow this captivity by Assyria, but He would not allow Assyria to oppress the people of Israel permanently. He promised Abraham His heirs would own their own land and be a nation.

With Isaiah 9:1, God spoke to every person within Israel, not just the Jews. Abraham trusted God’s promises long before the Mosaic covenant, and God credited his faith as righteousness. That means God credit a person as righteous if he or she believed in God before the Messiah’s arrival on earth. That person in a right relationship with God became an heir to the promise He gave Abraham. With the disciplining by God of the people of Israel, which God allowed by Assyria, each captive would experience oppressive servitude. Isaiah 9:2-3 reveals what God would do for the people of Israel — both Jews and Gentiles—and how they would respond. God said, through Isaiah, that He would give them light, joy, and an increase in their nation. For people living in captivity, this hope of God leading them from the shadow of death by His light, giving them joy, and enlarging their nation, would cause them to rejoice in their hearts, minds, and spirits. With their internal rejoicing, their bodies would join with singing, dancing, praising, praying, and celebrating God. God would give them His joy, His light, and His redemption.

In Isaiah 9:4, God continued telling the people of Israel what He would do for them. He did this so they would not lose heart and completely turn away from Him. God did not want their captivity to be permanent, but a temporary disciplining. God remains true to His people, Himself, and His promises. Isaiah told the people they would become but would not stay slaves. That sentence tells the intent of verse four. The next sections of this study will expand on God’s message in verse four.

God said He would break “the yoke of his (the people’s) burden.” For the people of Israel, this meant the slavery and subjection the people would endure in Assyria would not last forever. God gave the people hope by telling them this. Assyria would treat Israel harshly. History bore witness to this terrifying and formidable army. The Assyrian army laid siege to Samaria for three years before they overthrew it. They waged war within the northern kingdom from 740 BC. The Assyrians overthrew Samaria, the capital of Israel, in 722 BC. The Assyrian army possessed tenacity, manpower, and extensive military training. When captured, Assyria put rings in the noses of each person they overtook. This government subjugated its captives. God told the people of Israel He would break the yoke of the burden Assyria put on them. He would free them from their oppressors. The people of Israel would go home, live as they wanted, and worship God alone, not the Assyrian gods.

Compare what Jesus said about God’s yoke with the yoke of the Assyrian oppressors. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said,

Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light (ESV).

Jesus described the yoke God’s people would have with Him. He said His yoke would be gentle and easy. Contrast that with Assyria, whose army and government people feared most at that time. The people of Israel, by force, would become slaves to Assyria. They would not choose to enslave themselves. Note the difference between slavery and servants. Slavery is a coerced servitude, an oppression. People chose to serve someone. Throughout the Bible, the people of God have called themselves—Jew and Gentile—servants of God. Nehemiah, in Nehemiah 1:10, wrote about the Jews being God’s servants and His people whom God redeemed. Paul wrote about being God’s servants in 2 Corinthians 6:4. He said, “In everything we commend ourselves as servants of God,” even in affliction, hardships, and distress. Ezra called the Israelites servants of God in Ezra 5:11. The psalmist in Psalm 105:6 referred to Abraham as being God’s servant. In each of these Bible passages and many others, the people choose to be servants of God because of who God is and what He did for them. Just as the psalmist wrote in Psalm 100:2, the people of Israel reacted to God and His love, promises, and care for them by gladly serving Him. Because God promised to break Israel’s yoke of oppression, they would endure and rejoice. The people of Israel would have hope. They would see God’s light in the deep darkness of Assyrian slavery.

God continued to bolster the minds, hearts, and spirits of the people of Israel in Isaiah 9:4. He said He would break “the staff from his shoulder.” In the Hebrew vocabulary, a staff, bar, and or scepter come from the original Hebrew word. It represented the government’s authority over the people. The staff of the Assyrian King, Shalmaneser V, sought to oppress the people and acquire their lands for his empire. He sought dominance over the nations surrounding him. That King’s heart and mind cared not with helping the people he overthrew, but with his power and dominance. Contrast this with what David wrote in Psalm 23:4. He said God’s rod comforted him. David feared his enemy, king Saul, but he showed no fear of God. He trusted God loved him and would protect him. God promised David would be king. He told Samuel to anoint him as king (1 Samuel 16:1-13). God vowed that, through David’s line, a king would reign forever (2 Samuel 7:16). His staff would be light, unlike Assyria’s staff. God would lead and guide David, not push and oppress him. David chose to be God’s servant (2 Samuel 7:18-29). The people of Israel faced a lack of options; Shalmaneser cast them into slavery after his army overthrew them. They did not choose willing to be servants. The people of Israel became slaves.

Isaiah continued prophesying in verse four by saying God would break the rod of the oppressor of the people of Israel. This rod is like what shepherds fight with against bears and lions to keep their flocks safe. David, a shepherd, told King Saul about fighting lions and bears to “deliver” the sheep from their predators’ mouths (1 Samuel 17:34-36, ESV). The rod in Isaiah 9:4 was a weapon God would use to free His people. Assyria used this rod to subjugate the people of Israel. They would use it to beat the captives into submission. The captives from Israel would not willingly and joyfully assent to being slaves. The Assyrians created submissiveness by the force wielded through the rod. God’s rod, according to David is Psalm 23:4, would bring comfort, not fear. It would bring peace.

God promised the people of Israel He would break the rod of fear the Assyrians oppressively wielded over them like “on the day of Midian.” This promise recalled the day Israel prepared to battle the Midianites. Isaiah used this battle to help the people of God’s promise recall how God’s might, wielded for them, showed His light, and gave them joy, hope, peace, and comfort. The story of God’s defeat of the Midianites is in Judges 7:15-25.

First, though, why did God tell the Israelites to battle the Midianites? In Judges 6, the people of Israel sinned against Him and His commands (2 Kings 17:6-23). God allowed the Midianites to win a battle against Israel. The Midianites punished Israel more than God wanted by capturing their crops and continuing to pester them. When Israel saw they had sinned against God, and His disciplining of them included sending Midian against them, they cried out to the Lord.

Judges 7:15-25, God’s response to His people calling to Him included sending Gideon, the prophet, to deliver them. He commanded Gideon to cleanse Israel of the pagan influences. One act God commanded included destroying the altars of Baal in Israel. The people were unhappy about him destroying the altars, but God’s hand kept them from harming Gideon. Gideon wanted confirmation from God about His promise to save Israel. He laid a fleece on the ground twice. Because the Israelites doubted God’s promise to save them, He reduced the number of men for Gideon’s army to three hundred. Gideon spied on the Midianite encampment and heard a Midianite soldier’s dream about Israel defeating Midian. Emboldened, Gideon and his army obeyed God’s command because of that dream. The Midianites ran in fear when the three hundred Israelites trumpeted their horns and shattered their clay pots.

The Israelites retold this victory story through the generations. People of Israel readily recalled this story. Because the battle with Midian was well known, when Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 9:4 that God would break the rod of the Assyrians like He broke the rod of the Midianites, they had hope. The Israelites knew God would defeat the Assyrians. The Babylonians defeated the Assyrians. The Persians defeated the Babylonians in 539 BC. Cyrus the Great, the Persian king, freed the Israelites to return to Judah. Those Jews began rebuilding the Temple. God broke the rod of oppression. The people of Israel would remember God and His promises to them from Isaiah. Because they recalled the defeat of Midian at God’s hand, they would have hoped, would have rejoiced, and been at peace, acknowledging and praising Him as the source of all good things.

Because of God’s promises, the people of Israel would have hope for the end of captivity. These people would have hope that God would free them from their oppressors. Hearing, knowing, and trusting God’s promises would shed God’s light on their hearts, minds, and spirits. Like His promises to Abraham and Moses caused joy and peace, the people of Israel would receive God’s joy and peace, then recall and know God loves them.

God promised light, joy, and an enlargement of the numbers of the people of Israel. These people include all people today. We each can be part of those promises because of God’s promises to Abraham, through Isaiah, from Jesus in John 3:16-17, and from others throughout the Bible. God did not promise a light and intend to keep the interpretation vague. He did not intend it to be just a metaphor. His promise became real. The Light, Jesus, became flesh and dwelled among us (John 1:14). Jesus taught and proved He is the Light of all humanity in John 8:12. He said, “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Yes, God gave the people of Israel light in their hearts, minds, and spirits to bolster their hope. He also alluded to His Son, Jesus, who would come into this world and be the actual Light for all people. Approximately 740 years after the captivity of these people of Israel, this Light, Jesus, was born in Bethlehem. Jesus came to proclaim good news to the poor, release to the captives, sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed (Luke 4:18). Isaiah prophesied this in Isaiah 61:1-2. Like the captives in Assyria, God gave hope, joy, peace, and light. It stilled their anxious hearts and helped them turn to God.

Today, for people everywhere, Jesus’ words proclaim the same thing. The hope, joy, peace, and light God alluded to in Isaiah 9 came true for the Israelites, is true now, and Jesus will fulfill it entirely upon His second coming to Earth. Isaiah said, “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this” (Isaiah 9:7d, ESV). He told the truth; it happened.

Jesus is the Light of the world. David celebrated God’s yoke, rod, and staff in Psalm 23. Jesus tells us His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. God continues to offer His promise that will give hope, peace, and joy. He makes our yokes light. God gave the Light, Jesus, for eternal freedom from our oppressor, Satan. Jesus calls out even now for us to receive release from captivity, sight from blindness and darkness, the bounty of provision, and the redemption from our sin-captive souls.

Isaiah proclaimed this Light of God, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of peace” (Isaiah 9:6b, ESV). David ended Psalm 23 by saying, “Surely (God’s) goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6, ESV).

Who is God to you? Who is the Redeemer of your captivity? Who or what do you rely upon to give you perfect peace, full joy, and eternal freedom from captivity? Join saints of the past, including Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, David, Micah, the angels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, and millions of others who believed in Jesus, and whom God declared righteous. Believe in Jesus.

We celebrate Jesus, whom Isaiah and other prophets foretold. God includes all people in His promise of Light. Will you rejoice with other believers, praise God, and celebrate His goodness? Join all believers and the angels in proclaiming what Luke recorded in Luke 2:14.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased! (ESV).

May the Peace

(photo credits to Dyu - Ha)

Laughter and tears, joy and fear

These are part of growing from child to man.

Yet, darkness often accosts

By the hands of angry men again and again.

Running and riding,

Kite-flying and joy,

Playing football and cowboys,

Oh, how fun to be a young boy.

Storms and sunshine,

Rainbows and rumbling,

Run for shelter at crack of lightning,

Finding on entering, the storm’s crashing.

 

Short was the darkness

Maybe imagination that passed.

Skateboards and bikes anew,

Games of tag, red robin at last.

 

Day ends and darkness comes,

Normal though it may seem.

Enters door dark and looming,

It wasn’t imagining.

 

Hands raised high bring darkness,

Crack of belt brings shock and pain.

Disillusion and lost approval,

Greater loss than the “disciplining.”

 

Less heard is laughter

Loss of joy as fear takes its hold.

Peeking round corners

Fear of what may happen still to unfold.

 

Not knowing each day’s darkness,

Wary, wondering when it will come.

Inner fear, lack of presumed love,

Seeking acceptance just for once.

 

Enter light, so bright when arrived,

Cast darkness back from this child.

Come to Me He said,

You are loved and all mine.

 

Scrabbling quickly at escape,

Swiftly following toward Light’s love.

Peeking back to ensure,

Darkness corralled, no more to hurt.

 

Child of Light and of Day,

Belong you not to the night.

Grow in faith, love, and hope,

Strengthen you with My might.

 

Wear this armor of salvation

Always standing firm to the end.

Rejoice always, pray continually,

Give thanks in every circumstance.

 

In darkness, lost your innocence,

The first, cast away by the Light.

Look not back at fear and pain,

Keep your eyes ever on my light.

 

No more a victim, innocence lost.

No more a survivor staying ahead of the dark.

Forever more than a conqueror, our Lord declares.

Free and forever united with the Light, we wear His armor.

Amen.

May the Lord of peace Himself give you peace to the end.

In all times and in every way, the Lord is forever within.

(Bible texts: 1 Thessalonians 5, 8, 16-18, 2 Thessalonians 3:16, Romans 8:37-38)

The In-Between

 

The In-Between

Living in the in-between

Hard times between life and loss

The time between these

Joy of former, tears are the cost.

The wish for life once again

Feels labored and long

Yet is no greater than a breath

Yet harder than a song.

 

Beating of a heart

Whisper of a voice

The rattle and silence

What more can be lost?

 

Life’s glimmer passed into night

Life’s hope faded fast

The reason and purpose

Seemed empty, useless.

 

Day after day

Darkness, a heavy load

No joy only sorrow

No reason, no hope.

 

Plodding through darkness

Whisper of breath, no sound

Blankness and pain

Without hope, silence resounds.

 

Eyes open as slits

Wait, breath makes sound

Shimmer like mirage

Where is it found?

 

Deeper and wider

Breath, eyes open

Sounds come, recall hope

Heart’s pump sound begins.

 

Days without number

Soundless, no light

Makes heart yearn, grasp

For hope and sight.

 

Slit opened wider

Ears perk, attune

Life enters slowly

Heart yearns, makes room.

 

Darkness will not linger

As Hope enters with love

Hope does not leave

Resurrected from above.

 

Darkness without victim

Loss has no gain

Hope has no strangle

Life comes with pain.

 

Joy ,Life from Hope

Life born anew

Death cannot conquer

HOPE LOVE gives you.

 

Hope in the morning

Peace for the day

Guide for the footfalls

Life eternally.

 

Faith brings renewal

LOVE conquers all

CHRIST resurrected

KING overall.

 

Death has no power

That Christ cannot end

For people who choose HIS

Life HE offers them.

 

Death of a loved one

Painfully dark

Comes with joy for believers

Whose family, friends know HIM.

 

Dark though it seems

Presses down does death’s day

LIFE’S gift of salvation

Redeems, saves from life’s pay.

 

Salvation free

Sin’s judgment paid

Jesus’ death paid ransom

Believers are saved.

 

Battle HE fought

Behind solid stone

JESUS emerged

Now sits on His throne.

 

Victor o’er death

Sin, pain, and grief

Conquering HERO

Our LORD is HE.

 

Dying, HE saved me

Risen from the grave

JESUS HE paid

My redeemer HE saves.

 

HOPE everlasting

JOY without end

Now and always

My SAVIOR my FRIEND.

 

Dying, HE saves.

JESUS, HE reigns.

Death now defeated.

Victorious KING without end!

 

Gail Suratt Davis

March 30, 2024

Be the City

 

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14)

I’ve read and heard this verse most of my life. My public high school English teacher quoted it often to her students. She was not shy or ashamed to share the Truth in school.

This verse says we are the light of the world. Do we have anything innate in our being that makes us like a light? This is a metaphorical statement, of course. Let’s ask ourselves that metaphorical question again. Do we have anything within our DNA that makes us shine brighter than anyone else? No. Nothing by which God put in us makes us light—makes us good. 

We are by nature sinful. We are covered by the stains of our sins. People who believe in Jesus as their Savior from their sins no longer bear the stains of those sins. Each confessed sin is wiped away from us and we don’t carry the burden of the guilt. When we believe in Jesus and confess and repent of our sins, Jesus washes the sin stain from our names. His Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. 

The One who is Light—Jesus—casts His light upon and within us. We, of our own being, are not good, sinless, and light-filled. We are covered—darkened—by the sin into which Satan tricked us. But Jesus, when we believe in Him and He washes us with His sacrificial blood and love, makes us bearers of His Light. We become the light on the hill. 

This light within us cannot be put out. It cannot be denied. As we stand in the darkness of a sinful world, the light of Jesus put within us shines forth. Jesus is eternal and His light, too, is eternal. It will never depart or fade away. 

Jesus has called us to be His city on the hill. To shine bright in the darkness around us so that other people will see the Light (Jesus), be drawn to Him and His love, be saved, and praise Him.

This should make us pause and think. Are we shining the light of Jesus intentionally so others will see Him and come to Him? Are we staying in a daily, moment-by-moment relationship with Jesus so that the light He put within us does not become dim? Are we part of a church of faith who intentionally shines God’s light and calls people to come know Jesus?

Maybe you don’t know Jesus as your Savior. Now is your time to decide. Are you tired of the burden of your sins and the darkness in which you live? Seek the Light, see the Light, and come to the Light—Jesus—for forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life with Him.

Jesus calls each of us to Him, some to be saved and some to draw closer to Him. Draw closer and shine His light brightly so other people will be drawn to Him. In what place do you find yourself sitting now—on a hill or in the crevasses of darkness? You can choose who you follow.

Rowing Without Paddles

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1 [NASB])

In Genesis 15 and Psalm 91, both writers speak about the terror of night. What does this mean? For David, the man God appointed to lead His people, Israel, and a commander of an army, the terrors of night might have meant an army sneaking up and taking him and his army by surprise during the night. It could have meant the depression of the minds of his men as they awaited the battles of the next day. Or, in looking back on his life as King, it could have been the time David awaited his and Bathsheba’s son’s death. He feared it and understood the punishment was because of his sin with Bathsheba. David’s sin caused the death of the child. For Abram, the terrors of the dark night could have been the kings he and his allies defeated to get his nephew, Lot, out of captivity. The terrors that day showed his fear of not having an heir.

Terrors and fears begin in the hearts and minds of people. Satan puts the terrors and fears in our hearts and minds to distract us from the One who casts out darkness and brings light and truth to a situation and to life. Paul stated in 2 Corinthians that Satan “blinded the minds of the unbelieving so they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” In 2 Corinthians 11:14, he said, Satan must disguise himself as an angel of light to trick people, to “blind” them. Satan is not from the light of God; he is darkness and brings darkness.

This state of mind need not happen; people can avoid being tricked. How?  John said in 1 John 1:5, “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness.” We can choose to follow God and have His power to defeat Satan and the darkness in which he tries to envelope us. God is more powerful than Satan and that is why Satan must resort to trickery. He knows the goodness and love of God will win people’s hearts and minds. John said in John 1:5, “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.” The darkness could not break through the light, but God’s light casts out darkness. Darkness cannot exist where light is.

What does this mean for us? How do we defeat the terrors of night and live the life for which God gave us the vision? With hope. With belief in God. Abram’s biggest fear as of Genesis 15 was that he would die with no heir. That was his darkness, the “terror of his night.” As Abram rested that night, God told him He would give him an heir and descendants too great to count, just like the stars in the heavens. Abram was in God’s presence. God’s Spirit came in the form of a smoking oven and flaming torch to seal His covenantal promise to Abram (Genesis 15:17). Abram dwelled in God’s presence and slept with His peace.

David defeated the terrors of the night and the arrows that flew by day by being in God’s presence, too. He said in Psalm 91:1, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” David had learned from experience that God was his refuge and fortress. He had learned to live in the presence, in the shadow, of Almighty God. David was like any other person born; he sinned. Still, David recognized God as His Lord and repented when he sinned. He trusted God over all things.

David knew from Whom to seek shelter, comfort, provision, guidance, and protection. He recognized Who was almighty. David had learned to dwell in the shelter of the Most High. He had learned to live in the shadow of God. David didn’t worship God on the sabbath then live the rest of the week solely in his own strength and with his own wisdom and reasoning. He had learned how to live while being with God. Abraham lived while being with God, too. These men recognized God as being sovereign over the world and over their lives. What terrors could defeat them? None, not with God as their strength, hope, refuge, and fortress.

What terrors haunt you? What causes you fear for your future or for now? If you are a Christian, you know Jesus as your Savior, the One who redeemed you from Satan and the power of sin and death. You already have the victory because Jesus has overcome the world. Jesus said in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world.” When you are a Christian, you already have victory from the terrors of darkness and the arrows that fly by day. Remember that. Believe God will protect you and don’t allow the darkness of Satan to creep into your mind. If you aren’t a Christian, you can have this peace and hope. You can have redemption from sin and death and take refuge in God when Satan tries to force darkness upon you. Believe Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior who died for your sins, so you can have eternal life with Him in heaven. Give your terrors from the darkness to God and let Him be your light and refuge.

As we each live our lives and live the vision and calling God gives, we must live in His presence, under His wings. Don’t leave to do His work, instead do the work He calls you to do while you are with Him. Abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

You can’t row a boat without paddles. You can’t live life as God’s child without God.

God’s calling doesn’t mean we leave His presence to work.

It means working WITH Him.

Lord, I’m a mess. I say I am Your child, but then I later find I am not with You. I have walked off living my life by my own reasonings. In my busy-ness, I forgot to stay with You and live life with You as my guide, refuge, and strength. I trusted You with my life, but then I took it back. Lord, help me remember to live in Your presence, to live life as You lead and provide. You know all things and are all-powerful. I know only the small part of my life that is in front of me now. I cannot see the past or future and so I really don’t know how to live as You want me to live. Lord, forgive me for walking in my own way. Forgive me for taking control of my life. Forgive me for making my heart, mind, and body my gods instead of You. You are merciful and kind. You are faithful and continue to love me. Lord, I give my life to You. Please guide me with each breath I breathe and each beat of my heart. Amen.

Darkness and Holidays

Times can be hard. Life can be hard. Each person will face times of pain, separation, loneliness, despair, grief, and loss. These times seem to hit us hardest during holiday seasons. We each want to be joyful and cheery. We want to laugh, but the pain often overwhelms us. What should cause joy to erupt from us, holidays and celebrations, causes inner turmoil and pain. Tears easily come to our eyes as we think of that which assaults us.

Some people mean to be kind when they tell you, “Dig deep and you can overcome the problem.” Other people say you must put your mind to it and pull yourself out of the black, dark hole. Some people shake their heads and consider you a weak person for allowing yourself to stay in the miry bog. Satan wants you in that place. He pushes down on you, so you feel alone and overwhelmed with your pain, grief, loss, loneliness, despair, and separation.

When you dig deep within yourself, you can only go as deep as your own strength. We are human and only have mortal strength. Our strength is not overcoming strength. Putting your mind to the problem isn’t always enough. Our minds are fragile and not strong enough to overcome every pressure of life. We are human and so we are not strong enough to combat alone some of the troubles Satan throws at us. Yet, there is One who is stronger than anything or anyone who can come against you. God, the Creator of everyone and everything, is greater and stronger than anything the forces of darkness can hurl at you. None of us is strong enough to combat the arrows and darts of Satan all the time, but God is.

How does that help us while we are battling to stay afloat in the raging waters of our troubles? Because God is greater, stronger, more powerful, faithful, and loving, He wants to walk with us as we go through troubling times. Nothing can overpower God; He is immortal and omnipotent. Consider what Paul wrote to the Roman Christians in Romans 8: 28, 31, 33, 35, & 37-39,

²⁸ And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
³³ Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?
³⁵ Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, not depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. [NASB]

Jesus is the Conqueror, and with Him as His disciples, we can overwhelmingly conquer whatever Satan hurls toward us. Consider, too, God said to seek Him, and He will be found. The Bible records God saying this many times: Jeremiah 29:12-14, 2 Chronicles 7:14, 1 Chronicles 28:9, Deuteronomy 4:29, and Proverbs 8:17. Other scriptures passages state this, too. God tells us He is always available to us; we must seek Him with our whole being-our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

How can you get through your trials, troubles, and pain? Seek God. How do you seek God?

Pray. Humble yourself and seek Him. Ask Him to make Himself known to you. Tell Him your troubles, pain, and difficulties. Express your understanding that you cannot handle these alone. Give your troubles, your burdens to Him. Paul said in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” God already knows your situation, but when you come to Him in prayer, you humble yourself and recognize you are too feeble to fix the problem and God is almighty; He is able. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Listen for God’s guidance. Wait for Him and His relief. Lean fully on Him.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 [NASB]) God will be with you. He will walk with you through your hard times and give you His strength and peace for the journey.

Read the Bible. Added to praying, you can read the Bible, God’s Word, to hear from Him, to gain encouragement and guidance, and to know Him better. Through Scripture reading, God reminds you how He has worked in the past. He tells you how He wants you to live in the present. God assures you He walks with you through this current trouble, pain, and trial. Hear God’s words to Joshua and the Israelites in Joshua 1:5b. “I will not fail you or forsake you.” Consider Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave or forsake you.” David wrote in Psalm 46:10-11, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted over the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” Over and over in the Bible, God reminds us He will be with us if we seek Him with our whole being. God loves each of us and wants to be your God, to guide you, give you strength, and remind you of the hope you have in Christ Jesus.

Pray again. After you’ve read God’s Word, and He’s brought to your mind His words and deeds of power and encouraged you, pray again. Pray thanking Him for His love, guidance, power, and faithfulness. Pray asking Him to give you His strength to get through your trials. Pray asking Him to help you keep your eyes on Him and not on your storm. Pray asking Him to fill you with His joy even in the midst of your troubles, pain, and trials. And, if you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, pray asking Him to save you from your sins and to give you new life in Him. God is always faithful to His children. He says He will always be found by those who seek Him with their whole being. When you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, you, too, will be a child of God.

Other. Maybe prayer and reading the Bible is enough for you or possibly God has given you another voice by which to express yourself. Use that voice, whether in music, song, writing, dance, art, or whatever the medium to bring your cares before God, process His Word, and give Him your trust, your heart, and your trouble. Let that voice help give you release and relief by giving your cares to God. Express your faith in Him to walk with you through your hard time, and gain strength from Him-His faithfulness, love, and power. Consider how David felt in the midst of trials. He took them to God and lamented to God about his situation. Then he praised God for what He was doing and would do to bring him through those hard times. Consider Psalm 34. David began this psalm praising God. He then moved to acknowledging God comes to the aid of the righteous. David ended this psalm with this comforting thought in verse twenty-two, “The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.” David and other righteous people throughout history have used this “other voice” God gave them as a gift to talk with God, process their own situations, and recall and resolve for themselves that God is good and is able to take care of all our needs, including walking with us through hard times. Besides crying out to God by your “other voice,” you can speak with a Christian pastor, elder, or other Christian. They can pray with you and help you carry your burdens to God while encouraging as you face your trying days.

During life’s holidays, troubles, pain, and trials can cause us to sink within ourselves and not celebrate. If we allow them, they will keep us in a vortex of darkness and anguish with no joy. God does not want us to go through these times alone. He gives us hope because He loves us. God is greater than anything that comes against us. Consider Mary. She became pregnant before Joseph laid with her. By law, Joseph could have broken the engagement. Mary must have been frightened about what the outcome might be. Yet, the angel told her not to fear. (Luke 1:30) Mary trusted God to make this situation of being pregnant outside of marriage work for good, God’s good. Joseph, when he learned Mary was pregnant, did not want to disgrace her because he was a righteous man. Because of this, he planned to send her away quietly so she would not have her reputation ruined. God sent a dream to Joseph in Matthew 1:20. In that dream, an angel of the Lord said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.” Joseph gave his trouble and potential ruined reputation to God and trusted Him to make everything work out for the best. God chooses all His children for a purpose. He has a purpose for everyone. God’s purposes are always for the best. Had Mary or Joseph acted on their predicament without God’s intervention, she or he may have done good things according to the Law, but not what was best according to God.

God is here for each person who calls on Him with their whole being. His plans are best. God’s plan includes growing us to be more like Jesus and to be in a close relationship with Him. That can happen through hard times. It can happen in good times, too. Right now, if you are experiencing anguish, pain, loneliness, trials, grief, fear, or any other difficulty, don’t give up. Don’t isolate yourself and spiral down into the dark pit into which Satan wants to trap you. Let Him guide you and give you strength. Your hope, our hope, is in the Lord who made heaven and earth. This LORD God sent His Son, Jesus, to be born as a human on earth so He could die to give us salvation and an eternal relationship with Him. This is our hope. Jesus is our hope. If you are going through a hard time right now; turn to God. Pray. Read the Bible. Pray again. Use your “other voice” and bring it all to God. Seek a Christian friend or pastor to help you. Don’t let Satan take you down into the dark pit.

There is hope.

Jesus is the hope of the world.

And once more, Isaiah says, “There shall come the root of Jesse, and He who arises to rule over the Gentiles, in Him shall the Gentiles hope.” Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:12-13 [NASB])

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:1-5 [NASB])

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 [NASB])

Oh, Lord, so often I have felt like I couldn’t go on. I felt like the dark vortex would swallow me and I wanted to give up. But then You, in Your great love for me and in Your faithfulness, reminded me of Who You are, what You’ve done, and how much You love me. Lord, You took me back to Your Word and showed me You have always been with Your children through the hard times, and, Lord, I know Your love never fails. You are faithful. Lord, forgive me for not coming to you sooner. Forgive me for giving up on the hope You provide because of the death and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus. Lord, I promise I will always walk with You. Please walk with me now through this dark trial. Grow me to be like Your Son and to be in a closer relationship with You because of this trial. Lord, keep reminding me of the hope You give and fill me with Your Spirit so that Your joy is my strength. Help me have joy and rejoice even when I am going through darkness because of who You are. You are my strength and shield. You are my fortress and my very present help in times of trouble. Thank you, Lord for what You’ve done. Thank you for what You will do in my situation and in me. Thank you for being faithful even when I lost hope and felt forsaken. Thank you for not letting go of me when I let go of You. I love you, Lord. Amen.

Blessed By Trials: James 1:12-27

Introduction

In the last Bible study that covered James 1:1-11, James taught his hearers and later readers three things. He told his hearers to consider trials joy because they produce endurance and perfection. James taught Christians they could ask for wisdom from God to know how to withstand trials they face. He gave a caveat though. James said Christians had to ask for wisdom without doubting. Doubting people were double-minded and unstable and should not expect to receive anything from God. James’ final lesson in this chapter was about the rich and poor man. He said the rich man (metaphor for unbelievers) would fade away and not receive eternal life, but the poor man (believers) could rejoice in his position as a child of God.

The first eleven verses of James 1 are the first part of the opening statement of the book of James. With verses twelve through twenty-seven, James expands on the first eleven verses. Verses twelve through twenty-seven are the second part of the opening statement of book of James. Readers of this epistle will see similarities between the two sections of chapter one. The second section expands the first section. The two most important points James expanded in the second section were the differences between a trial and temptation and the differences between a believer and unbeliever.

Consider it all Blessed?

In the opening statement of the first half of this chapter, James told the Jewish Christians in verse two, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials.” He opened the second section of this chapter with a similar exhortative statement. James, in verse twelve, said, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial.” These two statements catch a person’s attention. They appear ridiculous, yet James told his hearers they could have joy and consider themselves blessed when undergoing trials. In verses three and four, as we learned last week, the believer who encounters trials would grow in endurance that led to perfection, becoming like Christ. Christians know when they die they will live in God’s kingdom and receive their inheritance as children of God and co-heirs with Christ. At that point, they will have reached perfection in Christ. That is why Christians can have joy in the midst of trials. In verse twelve, James completed his earlier statement of verses two through four. He explained perfection means receiving the crown of life that Jesus promised His followers. So a Christian can experience joy in the midst of his or her trials. That person can call him or herself blessed when going through trials because that person knows he or she will inherit eternal life - the crown of life - as a child of God saved by Jesus Christ. Christians can have joy, exult, and consider themselves blessed because they know the Lord and will have eternal life with God in His kingdom. The trials cannot change that fact because God does not change, nor is He unfaithful to His promises. God is faithful and steadfast.

Trials verses Temptations

With verses thirteen through fifteen, James explained the difference between trials and temptations. Remember, in verses two and three, James spoke about trials. He said trials come to test a believer’s faith, which then produced endurance and perfection. In these two verses, the word “trials” comes from the Greek word peirasmos[i] and means a trying or proving that can test a person’s faithfulness or because of a person’s desire can entice a person to sin. The word “testing” in verse three comes from the Greek word dokimion[ii] and means the proving or testing of something. “Trial” and “testing” go hand in hand in these verses. To summarize, a trial is a testing to prove a person’s faithfulness. When James used the word “tempt” in verse thirteen, the Greek word for “tempt” is peirazo[iii], the root word of “trials.” We need to understand James distinguished between trials and temptations in his writings. The distinction occurred when he explained God cannot be tempted and He tempts no one (vs. 13). Because God is good, created all things and called them good, and desires only good things happen in the world, He cannot be tempted, nor does He tempt. Temptation leads to sin and God is sinless. A trial is an occurrence that tests one’s faith. When a person has a desire for anything other than God and being closer to Him, the trial becomes a temptation to sin and get what one desires, as opposed to getting what God desires – a deeper relationship and Christlikeness. Temptation leads a person to turn away from God to his or her own desires.

Since God does not tempt a person, James said in verses thirteen and fourteen, “Each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust is conceived, it gives birth to sin.” Sin lures the person to let go of the self-restraint God will give him or her through His wisdom upon the person’s asking and the power of His Holy Spirit implanted in the person upon belief in Jesus Christ. Remember, in verse five James said a person can ask God for wisdom to understand and overcome trials so he or she could endure them and grow toward perfection. When a person gets carried away by his or her desire, lust is conceived and that lust gives birth to sin. James used the Greek word epithumia[iv] for the word “lust” and it means to long, crave, or covet what is forbidden. The craving for something or someone else is greater in that person than the desire for a relationship with God. That person puts someone or something on a higher pedestal in his or her life than God. When a person gives in to that desire/craving/lust, he or she sins against God. James said further in verse fifteen, “When sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” Conceding to the craving is sinning against God. God, because He is all good and sin-free, cannot be in the presence of sin. So when a person sins that person cannot be in the presence of God. That separation from God is death. Because God created and creates all life, separation from God is death. Sin has its own penalty then – death/separation from God. Temptation, when not resisted through the strength of God implanted in a person as His Holy Spirit, leads to sin and death – separation from God. Paul explained this in Romans 6:23 when he said, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Believers have at their disposal God’s power to resist sin and grow more like Him, to endure. That strength and power of God comes from the Holy Spirit Jesus puts in each person when they believe in Him as their Lord and Savior.

Light and Shadow

James carried forward this thought, but first gave a command to every believer. He said in verse sixteen, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.” Deception is not part of God. It comes from the anti-God, Satan. Satan tempts every person by his or her own desires and cravings. The desires lead a person away from God to make him or herself god of his or her own life, thereby removing Yahweh God as his or her God.  

Remember, God does not tempt because He is all good and creates and gives only good things that bring about good things. James continued this thought in verses seventeen and eighteen. He said, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” The word “good” comes from the Greek word agathos[v] meaning pleasant, useful agreeable, excellent, upright, and honorable. The word “thing” comes from the Greek word dosis and means gift. “Perfect” comes from the word teleios[vi] and means complete, lacking in nothing including human integrity and values. God’s gifts are perfect because they come from Him. They are good because they create completeness in His children, completeness that comes from growing honorable and upright virtues in the believer. These virtues include what James stated in verses three through five – endurance and wisdom.

 James added one other thing to describe God. He said God is good and gives only good things, does not tempt. God is the “Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow,” James said in verse seventeen. “Father of lights” is a metaphor about God. God is light because light has a pure, extreme, brilliant quality. In light, no mixing of darkness exists. John said in 1 John 1:5, “God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” David recognized God when he attributed Psalm 136:7 to God and said, “To Him who made the great lights, for His loving-kindness is everlasting.” Both these men recognized and compared God to light. They recognized that only love and good could come from God. James agreed with them in this verse. By stating God is the Father of light, he implied Satan was darkness. With that understanding, we realize any variation in truths – lies – or any variation in gifts comes from the “shifting shadow.” Satan shifts and changes as he feels the need to entice and trap his victims. He can vary his attack and his words to fit the desire of his intended victim. God does not change or vary. He is pure light and gives only goodness while exposing darkness and shadow.

As an aid to guide us to follow truth, James said in verse eighteen, “In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.” By the deliberate, purposeful will of God, He brought us forth. We know He created us because of what Moses and John wrote in Genesis 1 and John 1:1, but listen to this, He did more. God “brought us forth.” Just as in verse fifteen, sin brought forth death, God brought us (His children, Christians) forth to a living hope (1 Peter 1:3) through the living and enduring Word of God (1 Peter 1:23) - the “word of truth” as James said in verse eighteen. “Word” comes from the Greek word logos[vii] and means Jesus Christ. This Word of truth - Jesus Christ, implanted in Christians when they believed, is His Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit. Jesus gave us His Holy Spirit so that believers would have the power to overcome temptations and the strength to endure trials. By the Word of truth and through the Spirit of truth Christians are brought forth into a living hope so that those who believe are the first fruits of people on earth whom God created – the first fruits of the harvest of righteousness to gain the inheritance of God’s kingdom through Jesus Christ. The words “first fruits” comes from the Greek word aparche[viii]. Aparche means “those offered first to God as His due since He (Jesus Christ) gave them like the sacrifices taken by the Israelites to God’s temple.” Jesus Christ made believers new and born again. As such, we are the first fruits among the people of the earth given to God as His people through the death and resurrection of Jesus and our saving faith in Him. “Just as Israel was holy to the Lord, the first fruit of His harvest,” Jeremiah 2:3 said, every believer in Jesus Christ is holy and a first fruit of His harvest. Revelation 14:4 says this, too, “These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.”

This action of saving humanity from the sin Satan (the shifting shadow) tempts them to follow shows God’s goodness and loving-kindness. When God created all things, He called them good and showed only goodness comes from Him with no variation and no sign of darkness. God in His goodness again showed His Light by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us from sin and darkness, to give us new life, truth, and perfection. There is no darkness in light. There is no evil in righteousness. James said in verse sixteen, “Do not be deceived my beloved brethren.” You can know Light from dark by its characteristics – its goodness, love, and righteousness. Darkness cannot have these.

Hearer and Doer

Since no person can withstand temptation in his or her own strength or wisdom, he or she can only be saved from sin and darkness by God, the Father of light because of His goodness/righteousness, love, and mercy. Understand that well. People cannot save themselves from sin and its result – death. The power of Satan is greater than the power of humankind. Only One who is all good (righteous and holy) can save and redeem sinful humanity. God is that One because He created all things. He has all power and is all good all the time. With God’s strength available to humans through the Holy Spirit, we can withstand Satan and his temptations. Most important to note though, we can do nothing of ourselves to save ourselves from sin and its effects – death. We need someone greater than Satan to defeat him. Nothing we do in our own strength will save us from Satan, sin, and death.

With that understanding, we realize when James said faith without works is dead (James 2:17), he did not mean faith plus works/actions saves a person. He meant faith that does not result in acts of love and service for God toward God and other people is no great faith. That kind of faith is just mental assent to God’s existence. The person who just gives mental assent to God without doing any good acts as a result is one whom James calls a “hearer.” A person whose faith results in acts and words of love and service is one whom James calls a “doer.” The faith of which James spoke expands from verse nineteen of chapter one.

For James a person of faith is quick to hear and slow to speak or anger. Is that contrary to what I said in the previous paragraph? No, being a Christian who hears is not contrary to one who acts. Verse nineteen must be read in context. The word “hear” comes from the Greek word akouo and means to consider, perceive, and understand[ix]. This knowing is a continual growing in knowing God and understanding His will. Akouo is similar to the Hebrew word yada that means gradually to come to know God in these same ways. When a person knows God so well he or she hears Him and understand His character, that person will realize situations often arise where it is best not to speak first with rash words, but to meditate and take the issue to God. By doing this, the person will be less likely to respond to a circumstance with anger because God will have control of the person’s heart, mind, and mouth. Intentionally stopping to consider a situation is an action. We must understand well what the other person says before we respond either with belief or with anger. Acting rashly can lead to speaking hurtful and unwise words in anger. Anger, if not righteous anger from God, can separate a person from the will of God. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:22), “If anyone is angry with his brother, he will be guilty before the court.” Paul said in Ephesians 4:26, “Be angry and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Verse twenty of James 1 says, “For the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” The unrighteous anger you allow to lead your words when you hear or see another person doing or saying something bad/evil will lead to your unrighteousness. That will create a wall between you and God. Let you faith hold you and keep you standing firm on what you believe. This is faith in action, not just mental assent. Stand firm. Listen carefully. Be slow to respond verbally making sure of what the person says. Be slow to anger so you do not sin. That will separate you from your close relationship with God. Keep strong in your faith in the Father of Lights who gave you the Word of Truth to save you and an inheritance in the kingdom of God.

James added to these characteristics of a believer with verses twenty-one to twenty-seven. In verse twenty-one he said, “Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted which is able to save your souls.” A doer of the word actively puts aside filthiness and wickedness. That person does not entertain such thoughts so he or she does not act upon them. “Filthiness” comes from the Greek word rhuparia and means to make filthy or file, to defile or dishonor[x]. “Wickedness” comes from the Greek word kakia and means malignity, malice, ill-will, depravity, desire to injure someone, and evil[xi]. When a believer succumbs to a temptation of ill-will, malice, or evil to act upon it, that person sins. Sin dishonors God and the believer who sins. Paul told believers in Ephesians 4:22. “Lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit.” Peter told believers in 1 Peter 1:22, “Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart.” James, in verse twenty-one tells the believers to put aside all filthiness and wickedness and, with humility toward God their Lord, receive the word implanted that can save them. Do not just acknowledge God exists, but actively put off the filthy and wicked things and receive the power to avoid and overcome temptation that shifty, shadowy Satan throws at you. Jesus can save your souls and empower you with His implanted Holy Spirit to defeat Satan daily. Do more than mentally assent to Jesus as your Savior; do the word – act out God’s truth. Be doers of the Word because Jesus implanted the Word in you.

James emphasized again in verses twenty-two through twenty-five Christians were to enact their faith in the world. He said, “But prove yourselves doers of the word and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” Something proven is shown to be an actuality. To prove something, you must actively do something. For Christians that means to obey God and His laws and commandments. Jesus summed up God’s the laws when He spoke in Matthew 22:36-40 with two commandments. He said the two greatest commandments are to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. James told the Christians to act out their faith, not just give mental assent to it. He meant show the world you are Christians by your love for God and other people. James told his listeners not merely be hearers who delude themselves by falsely reckoning they were Christians. The way to prove you are a Christian is to act upon your faith in the world by showing love to God and to other people. That occurs when you speak and act out love. Paul emphasized this in Romans 2:13 when he said, “For it is not the hearers of the Law who are justified before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.”

James agreed with Paul and said,

If anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in the mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:23-25 [NASB])

If someone hears the word of the Lord and does not act upon it to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation, then that person is merely a hearer of the word. Besides this, if anyone hears the word of truth and accepts God and Jesus are one, but does not act upon this new life, how can others know he or she is a Christian? That person’s faith is small and not evident to other people around him or her. James equated this person with the one who looks in the mirror and forgets what kind of person he or she was. That kind of believer, when he or she is not looking in the mirror (the Word of God), forgets he or she is God’s child bought by His love and blood. That person walks in his or her own ways instead of God’s ways. He or she is like the seed sown beside the road, on the rocky places, or among the thorns (Matthew 13). Each of these kinds of people do not understand fully the power they have in them from the Holy Spirit and so allow the trials and temptations to overwhelm them. They fall away because they did not grow in the Word and have it implanted deeply. These kinds of people just assented to the Gospel. James added, though, the believers who act upon their belief are the ones who look intently at the perfect law. These people study God’s Word and stay in it growing to be more like Christ each day. That is abiding.

      When a person abides in the Truth, nothing can cause that person to stumble. The law of liberty will free that person from the power of sin and death, from temptations and sins (Romans 8:2). Peter agreed with James. He said in 1 Peter 2:16, “Act as free men and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bond-slaves of God.” Willingly, with love and respect, offer up yourselves for God’s purposes. Be the Christian Jesus saved you to be. Be free from the power of temptation and sin. Enact the two greatest commandments out of love and obedience to God toward God and other people. Become an effectual doer and not a forgetful hearer. God blesses his faithful children. John 13:15-17 relayed what Jesus taught about this. It says, “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” As children of God redeemed by Jesus Christ’s blood, we are to live out the love put into us by the Word of Truth, the Holy Spirit. Our faith is to be deep enough we act upon it with words and deeds that show what God has done in our hearts and minds. Being a “doer of the Word” means showing God’s love.

What Doing?

In the earlier parts of this chapter, James gave specific actions Christians should do. His hearers learned they were to do as the Word of Truth taught them to do and as Jesus did while living on earth and as God commanded in the Bible. They learned, too, they had to withstand trials and temptations and call upon God for wisdom to be able to stand against them. As part of enduring and growing toward perfection – Christlikeness - Christians must put aside filthiness and wickedness. Nothing that is evil can be in the presence of Holy God and so His children must grow in goodness/righteousness to perfection in Christ. Believers are to be slow to speak and anger and quick to hear and comprehend. They must show restraint because anger shows instability and allows a foothold for Satan to enter and separate a person from God. Finally, near the beginning of this chapter, James told the Jewish Christians of Jerusalem to be humble and glory in their high position, that of being children of Yahweh, the Most High King.

The earlier actions James taught are good. He specifically spelled out how to live out their Christian faith in the rest of the chapter. He told them to “bridle their tongues” in verse twenty-six. If what comes out of a person’s mouth does not give glory to God, then how can people know that person is a Christian. They will know for sure the person is not growing in Christ. This will cause the people hearing and watching to put little regard in the Christian’s faith and in salvation through Jesus Christ. James said this person with an unbridled tongue would deceive even him or herself. That Christian’s words did not give God glory - did not give a living worship to God. In everything Christians do or say, worship and praise of God should be able to be given. If it cannot, then the Christian needs to consider if he or she is just being “religious” as the Pharisees were, to receive praise for themselves. Everything a Christian does should give glory to God, should be a testimony to Him. That is true worship – true religion.

James went further to describe pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God in verse twenty-seven. He said, “pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained.” From the foundation of the nation of Israel, God cared even for the poorest in the nation and created laws for their protection and provision of needs (Deuteronomy 14:29; Job 31:16-17, 21; Psalm 146:9; Isaiah 1:23). James confirmed this and taught these commands of God continued. Jesus taught Christians this lesson in Matthew 25:36. He told the people when they fed, clothed, and visited the poor, they did these things to Him, too. By taking care of the poorest people and people more “palatable,” Christians show their love for God, too. This sums up the two greatest commandments Christ taught. Added to this, James taught the believers of Jerusalem to stay unstained by the world. “Unstained” comes from the Greek word aspilos and means spotless, free from vice and censure, and irreproachable[xii]. Titus taught similarly in Titus 2:11-12 when he said, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age.” To stay unstained in the world requires God. To live out our faith in Jesus Christ requires God.

Recap

James, as leader of the Christian church in Jerusalem, taught Jewish Christians. His teachings surpass the borders of that group and encompass all Christians, not just Jewish Christians. James adamantly taught to have a deep and growing faith required loving action for God and other people. Actions to James meant going beyond a mental assent God exists. To him, action was the intentional bridling of one’s tongue to caring for the poor. Actions could be internal, which was fighting the old nature to acting out in public the new nature Christ instills in each believer. Without out action, James questioned if faith in Jesus Christ truly occurred.

Relevance and Conclusion

This brings a question home to each of us. Do you have a saving faith in Jesus Christ if you are not living out God’s love in the world? Can you truly say you are a Christian if you do not show God’s love or grow in your relationship with Him? Some of us must answer this negatively. Maybe you have never heard about God’s love for you and His provision for your salvation. Now is the time to ask God to give you faith to believe. Now is the time to accept Jesus Christ is God’s Son, believe He died as the sacrifice for your sins, and confess your sins to Him. Now is the time to be reborn and live your faith through your actions in the world. By doing this, God receives glory and you are worshipping Him.

On the other hand, maybe you are already a Christian, but have never grown beyond hearing the Gospel and responding to God’s love. Now is the time to seek God by reading His Word (the Bible) and praying to Him. Now is the time to live out what He is growing in you through His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit Jesus implanted in you when you believed in Him teaches you about God, encourages you in your walk, and empowers you to defeat temptation and make a bold stand for God. Will you choose to grow deeper in your relationship with God? As you grow, you reflect more of God’s glory, and that is your worship of Him.

Finally, maybe you have been a Christian for many years and you have served God in ministry many ways, but you are tired and possibly disillusioned now. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you and for you to the Father. Allow Him to encourage you and renew your energy and strength. He will make you soar on eagle’s wings. He will make the paths straight and level. Now is the time for you to come to God and receive His strength and power. Now is the time to show the world God is not finished yet and you keep walking with Him. Even now is the time to declare you continue to stand with and for God by loving the poor and leading and teaching other believers. Will you take the challenge to continue walking with God in His power and strength? Will you continue to allow your life to be an active testimony of worship of God?

Wherever you are in your life’s journey, God wants to be in a living, vibrant, loving relationship with you. He loves you. Will you choose Him in no matter part of life’s journey you now travel? Faith is more than mental assent. Choose to be in a living relationship with Him. Grow more like Christ each day. Live out your love for Him in the world and reflect God’s glory. Hopefully someone will see God in you and want to know Him, too.

What do you choose to do today?

Act on your faith.

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[i]Thayer and Green, Greek Lexicon. The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon, 1999. (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/aparche.html).

[ii] Ibid, (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/dokimion.html).

[iii]Ibid. (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/peirazo.html).

[iv] Ibid. (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/epithumia.html).

[v]Ibid. (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/agathos.html).  

[vi] Ibid. (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/teleios.html).

[vii] Ibid. (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/logos.html).

[viii] Ibid. (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/logos.html).

[ix] Ibid. (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/akouo.html).

[x] Ibid. (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/rhuparia.html).

[xi] Ibid. (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/kakia.html).

[xii]Ibid. (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/aspilos.html).