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JAMES
James 1:1
I, James, am writing this letter to Jewish people who trust in the Lord Jesus who are scattered throughout the world. Greetings!
Whenyouexperience difficulties thattestwhetherornotyouwillcontinuetotrustGod, rejoicegreatlyandkeepon bravely enduringtheminorderthatyoumaybecomeallthatGodintendsyoutobe.
Ifyouwanttohavewisdomtoknowwhattodowhen difficulties come, askGodtohelpyou, andfirmlytrusthim.
Believers whoarepoorandthosewhoarerichshouldbothvaluehighlywhatGodhasdoneforthem, ratherthan focusing ontheirmaterial resources thatwilldisappear.
Godblessesthosewho bravely endure difficulties; hewillrewardthembycausingthemtoliveeternally.
Ifpeoplearetemptedtodosomethingevil, theyshouldnotthinkthatitisGodwhois tempting them. Itistheirownevildesiresthatare tempting themtodoevil.
Stopthinking wrongly thatGod tempts youtodoevilthings, becauseGoddoesonlygoodthingsforus.
EveryoneofyoushouldeagerlypayattentiontoGod’smessageandshouldnotspeakhastilyorgetangryeasily.
Sostopdoingallkindsofevilthings, anddowhatGodcommandsinhismessage, insteadofjustlisteningtoit. Godapprovesofthosewhodowhathewantsthemtodo.
Thosewhoshowcompassiononpeopleinneedandwhodonotthinkoract immorally arethosewhotrulyworshipGodandreceivehisapproval.
Stop honoring some people more than others, because by doing that, you are disobeying God’s law that we should love one another.
Continuallyact mercifully towardothers, becauseGodwillnotact mercifully tothosewhodonotact mercifully towardothers.
AnyonewhosaysthathetrustsinJesus Christ butdoesnotact compassionately towardothersisnottrulytrustinginJesus.
ButsomeonemayclaimthatsomepeoplearesavedbecausetheytrustinGodandotherpeoplearesavedbecausetheydogoodthingsforothers. Inanswertothat, the inadequacy offaithwithoutgooddeedsisdemonstratedbytheexampleofdemons. FromtheexamplesofAbrahamandRahabwecanseethatonlybyobeyingGodanddoinggoodthingsforotherscanpeopleprovethattheytrulytrustinGod.
Not many of you should become teachers, because God will judge teachers with greater severity than he will judge others. You should all strive to speak what is right, because what you say has a powerful effect on others, and it is often destructive and hypocritical.
Ifyouarejealousofothersand self-seeking, donotboastthatyouarewise. Instead, demonstrate thatyouaretrulywisebydoinggoodthingsandbyactingpeaceablyand compassionately towardothers.
You are fighting among yourselves because of your evil desires, and you are never getting what you want because you pray with wrong motives.
YouareunfaithfultoGodandarebehavingasevilpeopledo, soyouhavebecomeGod’senemies, buthewantstohelpyou. Heopposestheproud, buthehelpsthosewhoarehumble.
SosubmityourselvestoGodandresistthe devil. Stopdoingwrongthingsandthinkingwrongthoughts. Besorryforhavingsinned. HumbleyourselvesbeforeGod, andhewillhonoryou.
Stopsayingevilthingsaboutoneanotherandthuscondemningeachother. OnlyGodhastherighttocondemnpeople.
Youshouldnotboastaboutwhatyouwilldointhefuture, becauselifeis transitory. Instead, youshouldplantodowhateverGodwantsyoutodo, becauseboastingaboutwhatyouwanttodo, ratherthanconsideringthewillofGod, issinful.
The rich people who oppress you should weep because they will suffer much. God will punish them because they have unjustly caused others to suffer.
SowaitpatientlyfortheLordJesus Christ toreturnandtojudgeallpeoplefairly. Donotcomplainabouteachother, lestJesusjudgeyouwhenhereturns. FromtheexamplesoftheprophetsandJob, weknowthatGodblessesandrewardsthosewhopatientlyenduresuffering.
Donotsay, “IfIamlying, mayGodpunishme.” Instead, alwaystellthetruth, sothatGodwillnotcondemnyou.
Whateveryourcircumstancesare, pray, trustinginGod, andhewillcertainlyhelpyou, both physically and spiritually. Soconfessyoursinstoeachotherandprayforeachother, becauseGodanswersprayer.
IfanyoneturnsawayfromGod’struemessage, you believers shouldurgehimtoonceagainobeyGodsothatGodwillforgivehismanysins.

© Copyright © 2008-2017 Ellis W. Deibler, Jr.