James Gets Right to the Point

Greetings Mosaic family,

As we continue in the first chapter of the Book of James, or “Jacob,” if you want to be linguistically precise, we see that he doesn’t spend much time on greetings and platitudes. After encouraging believers to “consider it pure joy” when they go through trials because they lead to the wholeness the Lord seeks for them, without missing a beat, he goes right into what our Christian lives should - and shouldn’t - look like daily.

He starts by distinguishing between the gifts of the Lord, which are “good and perfect,” and the temptations of the flesh, which are the product of our “own evil desire.” And it just gets more direct from there! In this first chapter, James follows a timeless maxim of communication by telling us what he will tell us and setting the stage for his tone throughout the rest of the book.

James is theology in action, and he leaves no doubt about how our lives should look if we fully embrace Jesus Christ and the doctrine of grace. You might sense a little tension between James’ admonitions and the boundless, endless, permanent grace of Jesus. Still, you will see as we progress that it’s not tension, but the realization of that which is already within us, that James is trying to evoke. Once we get that, the wholeness that comes with maturity in the Holy Spirit is ours to enjoy and share with others.

Fasten your seatbelts, and let’s get right to it!

Ron Miller