James

by Don Hatfield

on my shoulder and said, “Well-spoken my young believer. Mark, every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. We are like fish when that happens. We see the lure and though it looks good the Spirit of God whispers there is something wrong with that. Just like Eve we often ask ourselves well what is wrong with it instead of just obeying the Spirit’s warning. When we do that it is not long before we are deceived. Then when we are deceived and when lust is conceived it brings forth sin and when sin is finished it brings forth death. It takes us prisoner. When we are the prisoner to sin we are dead to God that is why the blood the Jesus shed is so important to us. When we confess our sins and are willing to abandon them the blood of Jesus once again covers us and we are brought into life and communion with our Father again. Do not err my beloved brother. Do not think as many do that we can walk in sin and walk in fellowship with Jesus at the same time.” I knew in my heart that James was right and yet often instead of confessing my sin and being willing to forsake it I would try to hide it from God. I would pretend that all was all right with Him because of Jesus. I wondered how many tried to do the same. They want to live in the world and take part of all of its vices and still claim that they are right with God. How foolish I have often been. There on that dusty road I ask God for His forgiveness for thinking that He did not know all that I did.

  James stopped in the middle of the road and said, “Mark look around you then look up to the heavens. God does no evil. He is the opposite of evil every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning. He has shared all that you see with mankind. The sun to warm the day. The rain to grow our food. It all comes from Him the Father of lights.” I asked James, “Why do you call Him the Father of lights.” James answered, “Because He is light. He is the light that is pure and brilliant. More brilliant than the sun itself. Not only that but He is also the light of spiritual purity, truth and knowledge. As we stand here what is the greatest light that you can think of Mark?” I started to say the sun but then a smile crossed my face as I said one word. “Jesus.” James laughed and said, “Glory to the one who changes not. Glory to the one who is the same all the time. Glory to the one who of His own will begot us with the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures. Mark, God deliberately set out to produce children who would respect Him and who would perform His purposes through our Savior Jesus. He set out to beget those who would oppose the superstitions of the Gentiles and the inventions of the Jews. Men and women who would stand up and declare His truth when corrupt and false doctrines are taught even among believers. We are His children. We are those who are set apart to God for all of eternity.” I said to James, “When I hear what you say about what we should be it makes me ashamed for I am far from being like that. In my heart I want to be like that but in my life often I am the opposite.” James replied, “God does not ask us to be perfect Mark but He does ask us to come and be honest at the throne of grace. If you will do that then you will see these things becoming true in your life. Because we are His first fruits my beloved brother let every man be swift to hear slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man works not the righteousness of God. Learn to think before you speak Mark. Most of us do not even let others say what they are about to say before we interrupt them. We all think that we already know what they mean before they say it. Our natural dispositions’ and desires are the opposite of what our Father would have us to be. That is why when we jump in to a conversation or interrupt we are not working the righteousness of our Savior. We are not becoming as we should be. Many who are saved or claim to be want Gods salvation without any commitment on their part. We need to lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your soul.” I said to James, “I am not sure what you mean when you say superfluity of naughtiness.” James said, “Mark when we get saved we are born from above. Our spirits are again brought back to a new life in Christ. However, there remains in our soul a wickedness from our old life. It is a wickedness that is not ashamed to break the laws of God. We need to be willing to put that away and hang it on the cross where it belongs. Then we will have that gentleness of spirit which was implanted in us by the Spirit of God. Our hearts will be open to receive and to embrace Gods Word which can save our souls. “

  I responded and said, “I want to do that James but how will I know if I really mean it?” James replied, “Mark be a doer of the word and not a hearer only deceiving your own self. Often we are not truthful even with ourselves. Instead of coming to the throne and confessing our sins we become hearers of the word and not doers. When we do that we are like a man beholding his natural face in a glass. He beholds himself and goes his way and straightway forgets what manner of man he was. Mark, what are your thoughts on what I just said?” I was embarrassed for I knew exactly what James was getting at. Finally, I answered in this manner. “Often I will read the word or even hear someone preach it. While reading or listening I will agree with them but as soon as I get up I forget all about what I was reading or hearing.” James then ask, “What do you think you should do about that Mark?” I started to say I should study more or listen more attentively but suddenly I knew that was not the answer. I looked at James and said, “I need to constantly stay in touch with my Savior realizing that He lives and because He lives in me then I should always be communicating with Him just as I am communicating with you.” James gave me a pat on the back and shouted a loud amen. He then said, “If you are a doer here is what will happen when you look into the perfect law of liberty and continue therein. Being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work this man shall be blessed in his deed.” I asked James, “What do you mean when you say the perfect law of liberty?” He answered, “Mark, the law of liberty is observing what is approved of by God. True liberty is when we live as we should and not as we please. If we remain in this liberty then we shall happy and content in the obedience we render to the law. Do you think that you are observing the law of liberty Mark?” I answered, “I want to but I also know that I fail in many ways.” James then said, “I will give you a little test to see how you are doing in the law of liberty. I responded and said yes for secretly I thought that I was doing pretty well as a new believer in Christ. Especially when I compared myself to some others that had not been Christians for long. As a matter of fact I also knew some that claimed to have been saved for years who lived very worldly. James interrupted my thoughts when he said, “If any man among you seem to be religious and bridle not his tongue but deceives his own heart this man’s religion is vain.” I was stunned, embarrassed and humiliated all at the same time. The thoughts that I had been thinking came rushing back to me. The statements that I had made to others about others burned in my heart. I could not even look at James. I just stared straight ahead and kept on walking. If there had been a hole there in the road I would have gladly jumped in it. James in his kindness said not a word to me but said, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this. To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” There was a grove of trees about a 200 feet off the road and James said lets go over there and take a break. I nodded my head in the affirmative and followed James to the trees where we sat down.

  We sat there in the shade of those trees as a light breeze rustled through the leaves. While we sat there several others also partook of the shade. I watched them and it was obvious that they were poor. All of them except one who went to the other side of the trees so that he could avoid them and us. He was dressed in fine clothes and had several servants with him. His servants carried what looked like enormous provisions. As we watched one little child approached him as he was eating. His servants quickly chased the little girl off. It was obvious that she was hungry. James reached into his satchel and brought out a loaf of bread and extended it out to the little girl. She stood there
staring at him with her big brown eyes. After a little while she slowly approached him and grabbed the bread and ran back to her parents. They turned and looked around and saw the well to do man eating and began to thank him profusely. He just turned his back on them and continued with his dining. The little girl then pointed to James and the parents came over and thanked him. James then gave them something else. He gave them the gospel and they bowed their heads there in the shade of those trees and accepted Jesus as their Savior. I was thrilled as I sat there rejoicing with them. Then we heard the rich man say as he was leaving, “Fools who follow a dead man.”

  James then said to all of us as we sat there, “My brethren have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of Glory with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring in goodly apparel and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And if ye have respect with him that wears the gay clothing and say unto him sit