Christ's Instructions

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453) Jas 1:13 . . No one who wants to do wrong should ever say: God is
tempting me. God cannot be tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts
anyone else to do wrong either.

Human nature has a propensity to blame others for its own faults. A prime
example is right in the beginning of the Bible in the book of Genesis. Adam
blamed the woman God gave him for his part in eating the forbidden fruit
(Gen 3:12) and she in turn blamed the Serpent for her part in the act. (Gen
3:13)

Although God tempts no one to evil, He does put certain ones through the
ringer to see what they're made of-- even His own friends --to test and/or
demonstrate their loyalty, e.g. Abraham (Gen 22:1-12) Job (Job 1:6-22) the
Jews (Ex 15:23-25) and Jesus. (Matt 4:1)

Criminals often gripe about entrapment when the cops catch them red
handed in a sting. But if the crooks were good citizens, entrapment wouldn't
work on them.

Another popular excuse is enabling. For example some folks insist it's God
fault that Adam and Eve tasted the forbidden tree because He put it in the
garden where they could find it, viz: product liability.

Former US President Clinton was once asked in an interview why he was
naughty with Monica Lewinski. He answered: Because I could. In other
words: Ms Lewinski wasn't a temptation; no, she was available, i.e. an
opportunity.

And alcoholics blame their habit on genetic predilection.

I once heard it said that locks were invented to keep an honest man honest.
(chuckle) I think there's a lot of truth in that statement.

● Jas 1:14-16 . .Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires.
These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death. So
don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.
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454) Jas 1:19 . . Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to
anger;

Some folks have a really bad habit of responding to others' comments,
suggestions, and remarks without first hearing them all the way thru.

"It is folly and shame to him who answers a matter before he hears it."
(Prov 18:13)

* I can't help but wonder how many Christian parents teach their children
that it's impolite to interrupt when others are speaking, but yet allow
themselves liberty to practice just the opposite.

Anger per se isn't evil; I mean after all, The Lord himself wasn't immune to
anger (Mark 3:5). And neither is God immune to anger. (Ex 4:14, Num
11:1, Rom 1:18, Rom 2:8)

Anger can be a valuable tool if it's administered sparingly and intelligently.
However, human anger is often spontaneous, impulsive, unfair, unjustified,
inappropriate, irrational, unnecessary, controlling, violent, emotional,
petulant, selfish, and reactive.

● Jas 1:20 . . Man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God
desires.
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455) Jas 1:21 . .Get rid of all moral filth, and the evil that is so prevalent;
and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

"moral filth and evil" pertains to all-around badness, i.e. depravity and
malignity.

Christians are sometimes victims of a sort of knee-jerk reflex whenever they
encounter a word like "save". The Greek word for it is somewhat ambiguous
and can mean not only save, but also rescue, protect, and/or spare. Well;
they say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So putting James'
words into practice will go a long ways towards keeping one's self from
falling prey to preventable troubles.
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456) Jas 1:22 . . Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive
yourselves. Do what it says.

Reading the Bible, listening to preachers, and taking notes is a good start
but the information only serves to prime one's walk.

● Jas 1:23-25 . . Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it
says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at
himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man
who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to
do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-- he will be blessed in
what he does. (cf. John 14:21-23)
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457) Jas 2:1 . . My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ--
The Lord of glory --with respect of persons.

The Greek word translated "respect of persons" basically means partiality.

Webster’s defines "partiality" as partisan, prejudiced, biased, and/or
granting one person more value as a human being than another in regards
to particulars like age, race, gender, looks, size, education, intellect, bank
account, career, clothing, popularity, neighborhood, and social status.

● Jas 2:2-4 . . For instance, suppose someone comes into your meeting
dressed in flashy clothing and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who
is low-income and dressed in shabby clothes. If you give special attention
and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, "You can
stand over there, or else sit on the floor" --well, doesn’t this kind of
discrimination show that you are guided by wrong motives?

When I first began attending church as an adult back in the decade of the
1970's, my wardrobe consisted entirely of shirts and trousers that I bought
on the cheap at a thrift store.

I never told anybody where I shopped, although I've no doubt that some of
the folk I encountered in church could tell that my fashions were a tad out of
date because there were some upper income people attending that looked a
whole lot nicer than me; but I figured: what the hay; I had as much right to
attend in my previously-owned clothing as they did in their untainted high
end threads. Some of them had gold watches too while I sported a simple
Timex with an imitation leather strap; and I drove an aging 1968 VW Beetle
that needed paint.

You know, looking back on that era, I sometimes wonder how many people
at church avoided me without my knowing it because my appearance and
my vehicle offended their sensibilities.
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458) Jas 2:12 . . So speak and so act, as those who are to be judged by the
law of liberty.

The law of liberty is an honor system instead of the legal system imposed by
the law of the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God per
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. That law is depicted in the
New Testament as a law of bondage rather than freedom. (Gal 5:1)

A law of bondage makes iron-clad demands and stipulates penalties for non
compliance. A law of liberty requests your willing cooperation rather than
demanding obedience. A law of liberty allows for dissent and conscientious
objection, whereas a law of bondage is often intolerant of both.

In a nutshell; non compliance with the law of bondage can endanger one's
self with any one of the curses listed at Lev 26:14-39, Deut 27:15-26, and
Deut 28:15-68 whereas non compliance with the law of liberty doesn't.

Anyway: within the context of James' epistle, the law of liberty-- i.e. the
liberator's law (Rom 8:2) --judges Christians by their treatment of other
people in accord with how Christ wants them to be treated in his name.

* There are Christians out there who are so uncivil, so militant, so
uncompromising, so implacable, so irritable, and so lacking the milk of
human kindness, that they would actually be doing Christ service by not
identifying themselves with him. Compare Mark 3:11-12 where Jesus
commanded some evil spirits to keep their mouth shut about his identity,
i.e. he didn't need the likes of them advertising who he was and/or what he
was all about.
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459) Jas 3:1 . . Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for
you realize that we will be judged more strictly.

I've no doubt there will be some very embarrassed Christians when the day
arrives it's discovered they propagated heresy and didn't know it simply
because they were presumptuous instead of Spirit-enabled. For that reason I
routinely advise Christians on internet forums to avoid telling people they're
wrong lest the hapless day arrive when the self-assured expert is forced to
eat their words.

● 1Cor 12:29 . . Are all teachers?

No, not all are teachers; nor do that many need to be. Only some are
teachers and the rest of Christ's believing followers are supposed to be
students, i.e. disciples.

● Eph 4:11-13 . . And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and
some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the
saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till
we all come in the unity of the faith.
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460) Jas 3:13-18 . .Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him
show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you
have bitter rivalry and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and
so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from
above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.

. . For where rivalry and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every
evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,
reasonable, full of compassion and good fruits, unwavering, without
hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by
those who make peace.

The "seed whose fruit is righteousness" is oftentimes not sown in peace on
internet forums; nor is it sown on internet forums by people who make
peace. It's sown by flaming, competitive, assertive, confrontational people--
toxic, impulsive, mean-spirited personalities given to rejoinders, demeaning
comments, scolding, recriminations and fault finding. And if there's a
problem, it's never them; no, you are the problem, and as for them; turning
the other cheek is no longer in vogue.

Those kinds of people do not like to be wrong, nor can they even think of
themselves as wrong, nor are they likely to admit when they're wrong
because they're really not all that interested in the truth; but only in
defending their version of the truth; viz: their truth is far more important to
them than even the God's truth; and should you not accept their truth, then
it's because you have no understanding and need to come to your senses.

These people are neither wise nor gentle. They'll ride rough-shod over your
feelings like a skate-boarder barreling through Autumn leaves on the
sidewalk. It's just awful how little they care for the injuries their attitude and
their choice of words cause others.

People who take it upon themselves to teach, preach, and/or discuss the
Bible ought to be sensible, and they ought to exemplify the Gospel. They
can't be doing it for the prestige, showing off, impressing their friends,
and/or competing with a rival. They have to be honest and forthright. They
have to have a heart, they have to be dedicated and reliable: they cannot be
vacillating, they have to practice what they preach, and they cannot be
sarcastic, obtuse, difficult, contrary, quarrelsome, snobby, pretentious,
demeaning, domineering, despotic, assertive, confrontational, stubborn,
militant, pernicious, or pugnacious.

Christians that teach and/or discuss the Bible with others really ought to be
someone that others can trust, and someone with whom they may speak
their minds without fear of reprisals instead of someone in whose presence
everybody has to walk on egg shells all the time.
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