Saturday, November 14, 2009

James 1

No wonder I love the book of James! It is so practical. How many problems I've recently experienced would be solved if people would be swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to become angry. How much better I'd be if I had wisdom to understand my trials . . . and God promises to provide it. How obvious that being a hearer and not a doer proves your are self-deceived. How great to know that God doesn't even have one small change! How great that God gives perfect and good gifts! How practical that visiting orphans and widows constitutes true religion.

Two themes are prominent in this chapter. The word of God is a great gift! It is able to save your soul. If you remain under it, it will work in you. And second, it is easy to deceive yourself. You can deceive yourself about sin (James 1:16), about passivity (James 1:22), and about false religion (james 1:26).

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