Monday, August 5, 2013

Looking In The Mirror

Looking In The Mirror

James

 

 

    
"Therefore, to him who KNOWS to DO good and does NOT DO it, TO HIM it is a SIN." (James 4:17 KJV)

"James the half brother of Jesus, was slow to affirm the ministry of Jesus [Hebrew of all Hebrews] his controversial brother (John 7:5). Eventually he did come to believe in Him and became one of the leaders of the church at Jerusalem after Jesus' resurrection (Acts 15:13). And WHAT a leader!... Once James got IN STEP WITH JESUS' MISSION, he became zealous for righteousness. His one epistle is the most like the Old Testament prophets of ALL New Testament epistles and Gospels.

James wrote in a black and white thinker style of letter. DON"T approach James to discuss compromise or the fallible possibility of NOT DOING WHAT GOD EXPECTS. First, James says that if you KNOW what is the right thing to do but don't do it, it is a sin! (James 4:17). Second, he says if you do all the right things except one, it is the same in God's sight as having not done any of them. (James 2:10) Any questions? BUT James also appreciated the grace of God. In cases where we don't KNOW the right thing to do, he says ask God for wisdom, which God will give "liberally without reproach." (James 1:5) .

GRACE DOES NOT MEAN WE DO NOT HAVE TO DO THE RIGHT THING. NEITHER DOES IT MEAN WE CAN'T ASK TO BE SHOWN."
Donald Grey Barnhouse

"19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." (James 1:19-25 KJV)


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