New Direction by James

Bible Matters 567: New Direction by James

God sends you on a new direction through James.  In the Hidden book of James, it is clear that your future with God and everlasting life is because you are living God’s gospel of Love.  Not because anyone has ordered you to heaven, but because in the eyes of God you are full.  Full by serving God, serving your neighbor and enduring to the end. 

Secret book of James: The Savior Appears – Now all twelve disciples [were] sitting together [at the same time] recalling what the Savior had told each of them, whether privately or publicly, and organizing it in books. [But I] was writing what went into [my book]. Look! The Savior appeared, [after] he had left [us, while we were watching] for him. Five hundred and fifty days after he had risen from the dead, we told him, “You went away and left us!”

But Jesus said, “No, but I’ll return to the place from which I came. If you want to come with me, come on!”

They all replied and said, “We’ll come if you tell us to.”

He said, “Truly I tell you, no one will ever enter the kingdom of heaven because I ordered it, but because you yourselves are full. Leave James and Peter to me so that I may fill them.”

After he called these two, he took them aside and told the rest to keep doing what they were doing.

James was filled with the word of God.  There is no testimony in the New Testament that clearly defines God’s gospel of Love, as clearly as defined by James. 

Let’s review the epistle of James testimony on the gospel of Love. 

• Believe in one God (See James 1:5; James 3:17-18)

James 1:5 – If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him

• Repent of your sins and surrender to God. (See James 1:20-21; James 5:16)

James 1:20-21 – For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.  Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

• Judge no one (See James 4:7-8,11-12)

James 4:7-8,11-12 – Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.  Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.  There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

• Love God (See James 2:5)

James 2:5 – Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

• Love your Neighbor (See James 2:8)

James 2:8 – If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well

• Keep yourself in the love of God, unto eternal life. (See James 1:12; James 5:20)

James 5:20 – Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

The crown of life is given to those that love.

James 1:12 – Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

A New Direction is provided to all that can read, understand and live the first chapter of James.  When you believe, you will fall into temptations, resist and give God your perfect work.   Not by being double minded, but with your singular effort focusing on righteousness.   Be a doer of God’s word and not a hearer only.  Judge no one, perform acts of charity and keep yourself unspotted from the world.

James 1:1-27 – James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be given him.  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.  Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:  But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.  For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.  Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man:  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.  Do not err, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.  Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:  For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.  Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  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:  For he beholds himself, and goes his way, and straightway forgets what manner of man he was.  But whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.  If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.  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.

It is time for you to believe in God, to live and share God’s gospel of Love.  That is God desire.  God wants your good works!

To God be the glory in all you do, Amen.