Our faith in Jesus Christ is the wellspring of our motivation, for what we do and say originate from hearts that are in tune with the Holy Spirit who resides within us. We simply cannot escape the fact that when we admit we are sinners, repent for our mistakes, and place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, our eternal salvation is secure and our identity permanently changed. We are no longer bound by our flesh, but set free by the Spirit of God with a clear understanding of what level of obedience is expected from us, just as the believers of old were told. "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free'" (John 8:31-32). What a powerful statement! To "abide" simply means to dwell, to rest, and stand firm or stationary for an indefinite amount of time. When we consider what this one word means in context to what Jesus is saying, we discover that our purpose in life is to firmly submit our will under the authority of Scripture every day of our lives, and rest in the assurance that His Word is absolute truth and worthy to be revered, trusted and applied unconditionally. For if we do not, our moral compass is distorted, our tolerance of sin weakened, and truth becomes a relative term easily swayed by popular culture, because we are choosing to remain enslaved by our flesh.
"Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed'" (John 8:34-36). This statement directly follows Jesus' command to abide in His Word and reminds us that we have the power to choose. For we are no longer enslaved to our sin and held captive by its stronghold, because Christ died for our sins and freed us from our bondage. Therefore, we choose each day to follow God's Word which flows from our identity in Christ or we dismiss it, just as our brothers and sisters in Christ do as well. But it is our universal ability to empathize with the struggles each one of us experiences that James highlights in the culmination of his letter. Of all the concluding admonitions James could have chosen after the immense of amount wisdom he has bestowed, his final commentary focuses on protecting his brethren and affirming the importance of true, Biblical community. His statement is truly profound because it assumes we have not only heard the points he has made over five chapters, but that we have prioritized self-application above all else. It is safe to assume that when James penned these words, the Spirit reminded him of life-changing wisdom Jesus spoke in his presence. "Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:3-5). Make no mistake, our ability to help others in their spiritual walk is absolutely and unequivocally influenced by our choice to first apply God's Word in our own faith relationship with Jesus. For the health of our Christian faith community hinges upon what we define as our foundation of truth, and our willingness to remove specks and logs from our own eyes before helping others.
The key to personal "speck and log removal" is simple. Resist temptation and avoid sin. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace" (Romans 6:12-14). In other words, sin's dominion over us was destroyed when Jesus rose on the third day. His death and resurrection allowed us the opportunity to choose freedom over slavery, and we have chosen to admit our inability to save ourselves by accepting Christ's free gift of grace. However, many of us have wandered to one degree or another from the saving truth of Scripture. Consider the many ways James highlights where we have personally drifted from the truth of God's Word in our spiritual walk:
- James 1:2-18 - "Testing of Your Faith" - Do I considered my trials as joy? Have I asked God for wisdom by faith, without doubting? Have I remained steadfast during trial, not blaming God for my plight, but recognizing Satan's deception?
- James 1:19-27 - "Hearing and Doing the Word" - Am I quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger? Have I put off wickedness and received God's Word into my heart? Am I actually doing what the Word says, or simply agreeing in theory without personal application?
- James 2:1-13 - "The Sin of Partiality" - Am I favoring the powerful and wealthy over the poor? Does my social status hinder me from helping those in need? Do I judge the economic status of others by alienating myself from them? Am I loving my neighbors as myself? Am I showing mercy to others just as Christ shows me?
- James 2:14-26 - "Faith Without Works is Dead" - Do I believe my works save me in any way or have any impact on whether I enter heaven when I die? Do I recognize that true, saving faith is identified by righteous works from a thankful heart? Am I doing good works to earn favor with God for selfish gain?
- James 3:1-12 - "Taming the Tongue" - Do I have complete self-control at all times regarding the words that come out of my mouth? Do I speak words of blessing or cursing to those around me? Do I recognize that what flows out of my mouth originates from my heart? Do I understand the emotional weight and impact my words truly have on others?
- James 3:13-18 - "Wisdom From Above" - Am I wise in my own eyes? Do I have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in my heart? Am I boastful? Do I sow seeds of peace through my righteous behavior or dissension through my sinful actions?
- James 4:1-12 - "Warning Against Worldliness" - Do I allow fleshly passions and desires within my heart to direct my behavior? Is my life identified by God's grace and mercy or my personal accomplishments? Am I often prideful? Do I seek opportunities to humble myself daily? Do I speak even the slightest amount of evil against my brothers and sisters in Christ?
- James 4:13-17 - "Boasting About Tomorrow" - Do I believe I can predict the future with certainty? Do I think I know more than I actually do? Do I believe I am in control of my life's trajectory or does the Lord have full control? Do I know what God's Word says is the right thing to do and fail to do it?
- James 5:1-6 - "Warning to the Rich" - Is my personal value defined by material possessions or economic achievement? Do I take advantage of or manipulate others in order to advance my personal gain? How important is my financial portfolio to my future? Am I spiritually rich by sharing God's blessings throughout my life with others less fortunate?
- James 5:7-12 - "Patience in Suffering" - Am I enduring persecution for living out my Christian faith and defending the what the Bible says? Am I grumbling when I see others prosper while I struggle through trials and tribulations? Am I patient to trust in the Lord when my logical mind says to take matters into my own hands? Are my own words trusted by others?
- James 5:13-20 - "The Prayer of Faith" - Do I believe unconditionally that God's Word is absolute truth? Do I believe God answers prayer according to His sovereign will and not mine? Do I apply Scripture's instruction to confess my sins to others and seek the Lord's guidance, wisdom, counsel and intercession through prayer? Am I speaking truth in love to win lost and wandering souls to Christ?
In closing, a link and lyrics are attached below to the song, "All I Have Is Christ." It is an incredible song molded in the same fashion many classic hymns of old were written. The lyrics are beautiful and encompass the entire theme of what it means to be a slave to sin and presented with a simple choice: Live for self or accept the gift of salvation Jesus offers freely. In particular, I have chosen this rendition of the song because it is sung by a gathering of over 10,000 men! I believe in a day and age where men are more passive than ever in leading spiritually, this song provokes tears of hope because it captures MEN coming together in community and accountability by responding to the call God has given to be meek and humble leaders in our homes and communities. My hope and prayer is that as we reflect back on all we have learned, our minds are challenged to hear the wisdom James professes, with teachable hearts submissive to the Lord's supreme authority and obedient to do what Scripture says in application. To God be the glory!
VERSE 1
I once was lost in darkest night
Yet thought I knew the way
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse You still
VERSE 2
But as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross
And I beheld God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace
CHORUS
Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life
VERSE 3
Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me
Oh Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You
© 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)
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