DOUBLE-MINDED MAN: JAMES 1:7-10

 Verses 7-10: For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away.

 

 But James isn’t finished. For the one who does not ask in faith without doubting, he cannot expect to receive anything from the Lord. ‘Ought to expect’ is one word in the Greek, plus the negative ‘not’ this construction is a prohibition, one that could be translated: “The man who does not ask in faith, shall have no basis to expect to receive anything from the Lord.”

   So faith is the key ingredient in an established relationship with Our Lord – believing what He says is truth and acting upon it and applying it in our moment-by-moment walk. This is not an isolated truth of doctrine, the writer of Hebrews expresses this also:

   And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is  and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

   James describes this faithless man as being ‘double-minded.’ This word is used only by James in the New Testament, here and in 4:8. It literally means ‘double-souled.’ His analysis of this faithlessness goes deep into the psyche of a person. This person thinks, as it were, out of both sides of his mouth. He says he has faith in God, yet when the need for wisdom arises, he either believes that God will withhold that which he needs for an effective Christian life, or that God’s wisdom is too difficult to obtain and understand.

   Yet, Scripture teaches that the wisdom of God has been provided for us in understandable and meaningful manner.

   But just as it is written, 

“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,

And which have not entered the heart of man,

All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

   In the epistle to the Ephesians Paul states that the Spirit’s work is to empower and strengthen the inner man:

   For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14-19)

   The belief and implementation of this doctrinal truth is the corrective solution for the double-minded believer, providing stability in his advance to spiritual maturity. 

 

The Humble and the Rich

   James now points out two types of believers who suffer trials mentioned in verse 2. The one ‘of humble circumstances’ in this verse compared with the rich man in the next verse.

   The ‘brother of humble circumstances’ refers to the believers’ social standing. He is not what one would call rich by the standards of society. In order to relate this to our present social structure, it would include all who are able to make ends meet financially and those on down the social ladder.

   This brother is commanded to glory in his high position. How does one ‘glory?’ The word means to exult or boast. James states in 4:16 that there is a boasting that is arrogant, so it is obvious that this boasting is not to be arrogant. What James means here is that this man is to rejoice and be thankful, and to demonstrate this by obedience to the Lord.

   Yet, anyone who reads this verse must wonder how it is that this humble brother is commanded to glory in his ‘high position.’ James wants us to comprehend that we attain this high position not by anything we do, but by the grace of God. And this is evidenced by His working in our lives with the trials to bring us to spiritual maturity, enabling us to be adequately equipped1 for His service.

   The lesson here is that we should be in awe and not disparage the working of the Lord in our lives; being ever mindful that He is our Creator and we are His creatures. We should have the same conviction as James does – that we are bond-servants of the God of the universe!

   The rich man is to glory also, but it is ‘in his humiliation.’ The King James expresses this a little more precisely: in that he is made low (or humbled). This is not to mean that he is being knocked off a high position because there is something inherently evil in being wealthy. What is really meant is that in spite of his social standing, he is equal in God’s estimation with those who are not wealthy. And that he, just as the brother of humble circumstances, must learn in the exact same manner how to advance to maturity in the Christian life. He too must rejoice and be thankful that God provides direction and sustainment for this life.

   And just in case anyone might lose sight of a universal truth, James adds that as a certainty those who are rich ‘will pass away,’ just like the flowering grass.

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[1] 2 Timothy 3:16-17

© 2023 David M. Rossi

LACKING WISDOM—ASK IN FAITH: JAMES 1:5-6

Verses 5-6: But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind

Developing further his allusion to the believer’s knowledge of doctrine, James suggests that anyone who might lack wisdom is to ask of God. The word ‘wisdom’ refers to doctrine derived from the Scriptures. Since all Scripture is given from God, James declares this in the third chapter:

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. (James 3:17)

 The apostle Paul reinforces this truth and supplies the mechanics for understanding God’s Word:

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. (1 Corinthians 2:12-13)

For a believer who is determined to live a Christ centered life and to acquire wisdom ‘from above’, the first step is to ask of God. This is an imperative command. We must ask, and in asking we humble ourselves before our Creator without any pretenses, with the full understanding that His wisdom, which surpasses the worlds’ wisdom, is essential in order for us to live a Christ centered life.

Note also that in following the divine guideline by asking to obtain His wisdom, He will give generously and without reproach. The word generously means that God’s giving is true generosity, for He gives without any reservation or hesitation. Some philanthropists give with strings attached. God’s wisdom has power built within it to sustain and advance a person to spiritual maturity.

God also gives without ‘reproach.’ Have you ever asked someone for money and when they give it to you they add some snide or disparaging remark like: “If you budgeted better you wouldn’t be asking!”? There will never be a sarcastic aside given from the Lord when we ask for anything. He will not belittle, He will never conduct Himself by using inferior human standards.

James leaves us with the absolute confident assurance that when we ask God for His wisdom ‘it will be given.’ For the psalmist tells us this is within His very character nature:

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

The Lord gives grace and glory;

No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

                                                     (Psalm 84:11; cf. Romans 8:32)

 Ask In Faith

There is a qualification attached to the asking of wisdom. James commands us to ask ‘in faith.’ The faith that he is referring to is “a belief in the beneficent activity, as well as in the personality, of God; it includes reliance on God and the expectation that what is asked for will be granted by Him.”1 In other words, this is a belief that God will not violate His divine attribute of truthfulness. For Our Lord stated:

“And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (Matthew 21:22)

And, also, as He spoke to His disciples just prior to His death:

“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” (John 14:13-14)

However, the Apostle John asserts not only the confidence we have in prayer but that there is a major condition which many believers overlook:

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (1 John 5:14)

What we ask for must be in conformity with His will, which presupposes that we must know the specific doctrines associated with what is being asked. It is obvious that this necessitates the consistent study of God’s Word—much more than just going to church on Sunday. Otherwise, James says there is a tendency that you will ask for things “with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3).

R.B. Thieme, Jr. sums up the effectiveness of prayer:

Prayer is a weapon for the spiritually strong, not an expedient for the spiritually weak. Prayer does not constitute the spiritual life nor is it a spiritual problem solver. Anyone can pray, but the true function of prayer results from persistent doctrinal and grace orientation. The more the believer knows and understands God, the more he knows how to communicate with Him (John 15:7).2

Next, James states that our asking is to be without any doubting. The word doubting here actually means to permit ourselves to dispute the efficacy our prayer. This is the exact opposite of asking in faith. This hesitancy to come before the Almighty is contrary to what the writer of Hebrews has exhorted us:

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

We must have confidence and boldness about this essential provision of prayer that God has made available, without allowing for ourselves any misgivings. If we have resolved to center Christ in our lives and to become mature Christians, then we must seek His wisdom with complete certainty that He will provide. We should expect to receive not only His wisdom, but also the means for understanding and applying His truths in our moment-by-moment walk of faith.

Otherwise, if we are doubters, then we will be “like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.” Driven by the wind perfectly illustrates those believers without knowledge of doctrine being led astray by anything that ‘sounds’ good to them, determining their beliefs exclusively on what seems right to them, as opposed to what God’s Word states.

The Apostle Paul concurs with James, and states that:

As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; (Ephesians 4:14)

In other words, we will be drifting along against the flow of false doctrines and/or the human viewpoint of the world without a paddle (God’s Truth—John 17:17) to steer or guide us.

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[1] Oesterley, W.E. (1990). The Expositor’s Greek Testament (Nicoll, W. Robertson, Ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 4.423.

[2] Thieme, R.B., Jr. (2022). Thieme’s Bible Doctrine Dictionary, Houston, TX: R.B. Thieme, Jr., Bible Ministries, p.203.

 

© 2023 David M. Rossi

A PERFECT AND COMPLETE BELIEVER: JAMES 1:3-4

Verses 3-4: Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

 

It is important to note the very first word in this verse: ‘knowing.’ It not only implies that we should be regularly studying to learn doctrine, but we should have these truths readily available whenever we need to draw upon them. We should formulate a frame of reference in our memory banks consisting of Biblical principles, building and comparing doctrines to be ready to assist us in all of the circumstances of our lives. In essence, what James is saying here is that this is a lesson you should learn and apply in the midst of all trials.

The word ‘testing’ is from a Greek word that means proving and was in use during New Testament times for testing the purity of metals in order to prove that they were genuine.1 These trials are noted as the ‘testing’ of our faith, specifically to determine “whatever is genuine in your faith.”2 The Apostle Peter writing to the same believers as James used this same Greek word, but it is translated ‘proof ’:

You have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6b-7)

So it stands to reason that the believers’ ability to withstand trials will prove the genuine authenticity of their faith and “result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Now this word ‘faith’ has a distinct implication. Many simply gloss over this word to denote ones’ life of faith in Christ. However, this word has a technical meaning as applied here by James. The Greek lexicon describes faith as “that which is believed, body of faith or belief, doctrine.”3 Precisely, this means the content of doctrinal truth that is understood and believed. Therefore, genuine faith that is believed must coincide with the truth tenets of Scripture. And for a believer to react to trials in a manner expressing hopelessness and despair demonstrates a faith that is lacking a sound understanding of God’s Word.

Why is it important for the believer when facing various trials to consider it all joy? Because when the believer is proactive in the midst of trials and considers it joy, then something is produced that benefits the believer: endurance. The King James translation employs the word ‘patience.’ That word today fails to express the substance of what James is asserting. The Greek word actually means steadfastness or “staying power that turns adversities into opportunities.”4 And here the idea is that when the believer accepts the trials of this life as a means for advancement and maturing in the Christian life, he will demonstrate to all around him the steadfastness of his faith in God’s sustainment.

On this point, the Apostle Paul corroborates with James:

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance [same Greek word as endurance]; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope. (Romans 5:3-4).

In verse 4, we are commanded of James to let this endurance in the midst of trials have its perfect results. How are we to do this? By consistently being proactive in regarding with joy all trials; understanding that their intended purpose is to bring our faith to full maturity. But what are the perfect results?

The perfect results of our endurance relates to two things which occur for our benefit. First, that the quality of the believer’s life can be perfect, but not simply in enduring the trials of our faith. James is looking at the entire aspect of the believer’s life of faith, specifically, for reaching their spiritual growth potential. This is not the first time that Scripture suggests that we be perfect. Our Lord commanded that “you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). But, you might ask, doesn’t this imply a humanly unattainable status? Not exactly, because here the word “denotes that which has reached its maturity or fulfilled the end contemplated.”5 The end contemplated is the attainment and maintaining of our momentum in spiritual maturity. This is strengthened by our knowledge of doctrine to the extent that we understand and apply these truths in every circumstance of our life—whether they are good times or unfortunate situations (i.e., disasters, relationships, work problems, etc.).

Second, the perfect result of endurance is that we may be complete lacking in nothing. He is not referring to material things—the details of life (money, happiness, love, etc.). There is a phrase often used about someone being interviewed for a job that they are “the complete package”, meaning that that individual has all the positive characteristics needed for the position. That is what James is telling us here—that we will be complete when we have the necessary quantity of doctrine that will enable us to consistently respond to trials in a mature manner.

The last phrase ‘lacking in nothing’ guarantees that when believers acquire the pertinent doctrines to endure testing and to be steadfast in their initiative to reach spiritual maturity. They will have no spiritual deficiency—they will be “the complete package” that God has designed them to be.

The daily study and intake of God’s Word is imperative for believers if they are to be perfect (spiritually mature) and complete (knowledgeable of doctrine). We should examine ourselves to determine if we are truly motivated to reach our spiritual growth potential. Otherwise, we will lose out on all the spiritual benefits God provides to sustain and empower us over the various trials that we are confronted with.

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[1] Zodhiates, S. (2000). The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, G1383.

[2] Deissmann, Adolf, (1988). Bible Studies, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, p. 261.

[3] Arndt, W., Gingrich, F. W., & Bauer, W. (1957). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, p. 669.

[4] Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version. Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, p. 2103 note.

[5] Vincent, M. R. (2002). Word Studies in the New Testament. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.,1:724.

© 2023 David M. Rossi