The Wise, the Unwise, and Otherwise
Controlling our tongues requires a good supply of divine wisdom. So James next gets into the details of what God’s kind of wisdom does and does not include.
Controlling our tongues requires a good supply of divine wisdom. So James next gets into the details of what God’s kind of wisdom does and does not include.
In these verses, James “pulls off the gloves” as he deals with the one area that consistently gives us the most trouble: the tongue!
This section of James sets forth the message of his entire letter in a nutshell. It revolves around the easily misunderstood subject of faith vs. works.
In the life of the church, there have always been those who fall short of God’s ideal standard. But James just had to call out the sins of partiality and prejudice.
James’ major theme was to encourage his readers to align their behavior with their beliefs. If we claim to follow Christ, we must demonstrate it.
Temptations aren’t the same as trials. Trials are to be endured, knowing they are for our good. But enticing temptations are to be avoided.
The lives of first-century Christians had been turned upside-down, so James addresses right away the importance of enduring those tests that refuse to go away.
Chuck Swindoll begins his series on the book of James with a survey of this “penetratingly practical” book that “gets in your face.”
The people in the Bible are neither airbrushed nor polished; they’re portrayed “warts and all.” That’s certainly true of Jonah. As we revisit Jonah one last time, let’s glean four lessons that linger.
Jonah had many reasons to be grateful and humble before God. But instead, he was angry at God for not destroying the Ninevites. His prejudice was intense, and he remained angry to the bitter end.