Episode147 - "Every good gift is from God" - James 1:16-18

James 1:16   Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will, he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

In the last episode, we saw how James transitioned from the experience of trials in our lives to that of temptations. I spoke about how trials and temptations are very different yet may be associated. When we face trials, we experience some degree and form of suffering. James says that God wants to use these trials to change us into what He wants us to become. However, it is not difficult to allow our flesh to rebel and let our trials become an excuse for temptation. The source of the temptation is never God. God does not tempt anyone. (v. 13) One might argue, “Didn’t God tempt Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden by putting a tree within it that He also prohibited them from eating?” The answer is “no.” There is no evidence they had any problem avoiding the tree until the serpent questioned God’s word, denied God’s word, and impugned God’s character and motivations. The serpent tempted humanity to think of itself over God. 

In verse 16, James implores believers to not be like Adam and Eve. He tells them not to be deceived. About what? He writes,  “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” (v. 17) In other words, God is the source of everything that is truly good. Adam and Eve chose to eat what they were clearly told not to eat and that the result of their disobedience would be death. Obeying God would lead to life. In Matthew 7:9-11, Jesus taught that God’s ability to give good things to us who ask Him surpasses our own desire and ability to give good things to those we love, 

“9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matt. 7:9-11)

 We cannot allow ourselves to become deceived by thinking that God is just looking for an opportunity to deny us something we need or is looking for a reason to trip us up. That is not true. God is good and wants what is good for us.

Why does he speak of God as the Father of lights? It seems to me that it speaks of illumination. Deception, trickery, and trouble originate in darkness and are hidden. When there are lights, there is illumination, and people can see their way and the dangers in their path. The good things God is and does are evident because He illuminates what He is doing. This is exactly what God was doing in sending Jesus into this world; to make God known. Jesus healed people. Jesus fed people. He taught and explained God’s truth to people and invited them to receive the good and abundant life God wanted to give them. 

The last part of James 1:17 says of God, “with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” What does this mean? It means that God doesn’t change. God can be depended upon because He is perfectly constant in His goodness, reliability, and in all of His characteristics. We say that God is immutable.

In verse 18, James says of the believers to whom he is writing, “we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” This is speaking of God bringing them to faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were among the earliest Christians. He says, “Of his own will, he brought us forth by the word of truth.” (v. 18) This is one of the good gifts the Father of lights gave them. He gave them the truth about Jesus and faith to receive this gift. James’ argument in stating this is if God gave us forgiveness of sin and hope of eternal life through Jesus, how could we possibly think that God is malicious in any way? 

Prayer of thanksgiving and trust: Heavenly Father - Thank you that you are good and trustworthy. I know I can depend on you for all things. Help me not to become deceived.

Episode 30 - He must increase, but I must decrease

John 3:22-30

22   After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison).

John 3:25   Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

We have already seen the humility of John the Baptist beginning in chapter one in which he tells others that he is not worthy to even to the servant of Jesus. He even directs his own disciples to follow Jesus. 

In this text, it is apparent that some of John’s disciples still haven’t left John to follow Jesus because they apparently become jealous that more people are following Jesus. John’s response is that everything anyone of us have is a gift from heaven. This is John’s way of saying that God has given me a specific purpose and Jesus a specific purpose. He then uses the illustration of a wedding and he compares himself to the friend of the bridegroom and Jesus as the bridegroom. The friend is happy for the wedding of the bridegroom. The fullness of his own joy is that he sees this “marriage” is in process and he is completing his purpose as the friend of the bridegroom. Verse 30 gives us a simple statement from the Baptizer that we would all do well to meditate upon and desire to be the motto of our own life and purpose. “He (Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease.” As we grow in our faith, our priority should be that people see Jesus and not us.