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    James: Faith Becomes Real
    James: Faith Becomes Real
    James: Faith Becomes Real
    Ebook97 pages1 hour

    James: Faith Becomes Real

    By Carole Arceneaux

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    About this ebook

    The book of James can be challenging and often confusing. This verse-by-verse journey illustrates Jamess letter with both-modern day and biblical examples. By slowing down and focusing on each verse individually, it allows the reader to better understand what James meant and how it applies to todays world.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWestBow Press
    Release dateAug 15, 2013
    ISBN9781490802114
    James: Faith Becomes Real
    Author

    Carole Arceneaux

    The book of James can be challenging and often confusing. This verse-by-verse journey illustrates James’s letter with both-modern day and biblical examples. By slowing down and focusing on each verse individually, it allows the reader to better understand what James meant and how it applies to today’s world.

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      Book preview

      James - Carole Arceneaux

      JAMES 1

      Words, and how we perceive them, have an enormous impact on our lives. They can betray our emotions or hide them. As James begins his letter, he demonstrates his straight forward nature by diving into our reactions to trials. Permitting trials to work through our lives causes us to become more perfect and complete children of God. James’ use of certain words holds our attention and helps us focus on our reactions to trials.

      James begins by discussing topics like doubt, money, temptation and anger. In many ways, James appears to be a nascent psychologist studying the behavior of those in his care. James displays his psychological prowess by observing our behavior, telling us what we are doing wrong and instructing us on how to correct it.

      Trials develop perfection and patience

      Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4

      Imagine receiving a letter or email which began Dear friend; Look out there are dangers all around you. Be sure to use these dangers to your benefit. How would you react to such a message?

      James begins his letter with an abrupt discussion about faith. Our endurance matures when faith is tested. As endurance continues to grow, we become what James calls perfect and complete. (v. 4) Perfect, in this context, does not mean flawless but mature or developed. Even as mature Christians, we continue to grow in God as we learn more about His word and how it affects our lives.

      King David is an example of a perfect follower of Christ. In Acts 13:22, Paul refers to King David as a man after God’s own heart and that David would do anything that God wants him to do. However, David was not a sinless man. In 2 Samuel 11, David has an affair with Bathsheba and has her husband killed in battle so he can marry her. As punishment, God causes their firstborn to die only a week after its birth. (v. 18) After David repents, Bathsheba again becomes pregnant and gives birth to Solomon. As time progresses, David’s line, and humanity are redeemed by the birth of Christ.

      Testing and endurance are the keys to perfection, as David’s story displays. As we begin our walk, God tests us to see what we have learned and where we need tutoring. For those raised in a faithful household, He would not need to begin with such a basic concept as believing who He is. Other believers, however, need a more basic understanding of God which then develops and grows along with their faith.

      One difficulty humans face in trials is emotion. Unlike other creatures, we not only have an understanding of the world but also an emotional attachment to it. We develop affections for people, animals and even certain events in our lives. However, we also develop dislike or sheer hatred for other things. As Christians, we learn to focus on God when we face trials and not react to them emotionally.

      Many aspects of our world just exist, without emotional care for their affects on us. Thunderstorms occur daily and wreck havoc on our lives but do not care what happens to us and our livelihoods. As we trust these events, and our lives as a whole, to God our characters become stronger and our focus shifts to God. Through various struggles and losses, we become complete by gaining new experiences. We are then able to help others going through the same experiences and complete God’s purpose when we fellowship with one another through our pain and loss.

      We become perfect and complete when we recognize God’s voice and obey Him without question. Obedience then becomes a cycle of its own as God continues His work in us until He returns. Then will we become what are viewed as perfect, flawless and unpolluted by the world.

      What area(s) do you sense God currently testing you? How can you respond to this testing?

      Ill effects of doubt

      But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. James 1:6

      Doubt is the evil twin of faith; a little can make a big difference. (Luke 17:6) Doubt creeps into our hearts and minds and destroys the faith God has fostered in our lives. Its power reaches into our memories and confuses us about the miracles God has accomplished in our lives. God’s peace becomes fodder to doubt as it consumes our trust that God knows what will happen in the future and exactly when.

      Prime examples are the doomsday prophecies reignited every few years. These prophecies cause us to lose trust in God and instead fear what might happen, which leads us to do anything we feel will protect us. However, even for this the Bible has a remedy. (Matt. 24:36) Jesus reminds us that He knows when the end will come and we need not worry.

      Jesus also describes the beginning of doubt in the parable of the sower. (Matt 13:3-8) The rocky soil is viewed as the fertile ground for doubt. God’s word is heard and received joyfully but life soon demolishes it and causes the new believer to question the relevance of faith in our world. He

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