As mentioned in the introduction to this commentary on the book of James, it is living faith that is available to all believers that produces divine good, i.e., works performed by God’s Spirit through the believer that will last through eternity. This living faith is different but akin to justification faith, which is faith alone in Christ alone for one’s personal salvation. Living faith is an unquestionable confidence (trust), based on God’s Word, exercised by a believer for the purpose of being filled with (controlled by) the Spirit of God, also known as “walking in Christ” (Colossians 2:6).

The book of James speaks of “justification before man,” not before God. Justification before God comes to a person in that instant when he makes the conscious and genuine choice of faith alone in Christ alone. But man who cannot see into the heart may only know of this choice and its resulting transformation by the change in the person’s life in the production of divine good, i.e., works and/or deeds. It is often repeated, and it is true, a Christian may be the only Bible the lost will read.

But while the book of James generally places the emphasis on practical aspects of the Christian life, it is important to understand that in doing so it advocates divine good (works performed by the Spirit of God in a person’s life) and not human good (works performed by one’s self-effort outside of the control of the Holy Spirit). It is only when an individual understands and adheres to the perfect Law of Liberty, the Spirit of God working within, that any divine good may be accomplished. This walk of liberty, tapped through a living faith (Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 3:17), is called by various terms and phrases within God’s Word, as are underlined in the following passages.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. (Romans 13:14)

For who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you. (Galatians 4:19)

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. (Galatians 5:1)

The book of James confirms that when a person accepts Jesus Christ he becomes a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17); and as a new creation he is both able and obligated to tap (by faith) into the power of God (Holy Spirit) for the purpose of producing divine good—good works and/or deeds which will stand the test of eternity. It assures the believer that after salvation, if he continues to access God’s power through faith, he will without fail produce good works and a life that honors Jesus Christ. To this end James also discusses these works and their practical aspects in the Christian life.

James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ, who was born of Joseph and Mary subsequent to the birth of Christ, had not been a believer in Jesus prior to His death on the cross (John 7:5). He may even have thought his half-brother was a little “loony” at times (Mark 3:21). But this is not difficult to understand, since for the Christian it is always more difficult to bring those who are closest, such as family members, to a saving faith in Jesus Christ (Matthew 13:57). But after the cross James became a believer in Christ, although he did not make note of it in his epistle. Most humans would have easily given in and become a “name-dropper,” playing on and taking advantage of the human family relationship with Jesus Christ from childhood. But James appropriately knew his place.

His place was as a bondservant to God—the highest rank in the Army of God. The Greek word translated “bondservant” in this passage is doulos, from deo, “to bind as a slave,” originally the lowest term in the scale of servitude.” It came to mean, as is the usage in this verse “one who gives himself up to the will of another.” So from the very first words in James’ epistle he shares a key ingredient to the “law of liberty,” which is one who is subject to the control (filling) of the Holy Spirit and the only means whereby a Christian may produce divine good.

Not only was he a bondservant to God but also to the Lord Jesus Christ. Here he specifies both the title and full name of Jesus. Christ was not only his half-brother, but He was the Messiah, Savior and Lord of James. He also correctly places both God the Father and Jesus Christ on the same level—as equals. He honors the Son to the same degree that he honors the Father, in accordance with clear New Testament doctrine as expressed by Christ Himself in John 5:23. Even though James knew “no man can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24),” he fully understood the concept of the Trinity—that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all the one true God—the Master of all.

The epistle is addressed to the “twelve tribes scattered abroad,” literally, in the Greek, to the diaspora, or the “dispersion.” These were Hebrew Christians (both true and professing Christians), Jews by birth and belonging to the twelve tribes of Israel that had been driven from their God-granted land and were now scattered throughout the countries surrounding the Mediterranean.

James sends his greeting to these Jewish believers. The word “greetings” comes from the Greek word chairo, literally meaning “to rejoice, be glad.” And James elaborates on his invitation to rejoice. He advises them that any trials that they “fall into” should be counted as a blessing. They are to welcome them with joy knowing that the “trials” are meant to test their faith and thereby strengthen their patience. In this sense James is speaking of “holy trials” that emanate from God, not temptations to do evil.

The Greek word translated “trials” is peirazo, which carries the meaning “to test where God is the agent of the test and it is performed for the purpose of proving someone but never for the purpose to make a person fall into sin.” This type of trial is a “holy trial.” There is a different form of the word, peirasmos, meaning “to test by soliciting to sin for the purpose of causing one to fall into sin, which is used in James 1:13, 14 (a caution not to blame God for this type of trial), 1 Corinthians 10:13 (the assurance that any temptation facing a believer may be overcome) and Hebrews 4:15 (the revelation that Christ was tempted in all points as Christians are tempted, yet without sin). This type of trial is an “unholy trial.” The other word translated “tempted” in James 1:13 (“God cannot be tempted by evil”) is apeirastos, and it is used only in this verse in the New Testament. It means “incapable of being tempted to do evil.”

James, keeping in mind his theme of living faith that alone allows for divine good (works) to emanate from Christians, assures those to whom he is writing that such holy trials are meant to test their faith with the result of increasing their patience.

In relation to this particular passage and the theme of a living faith that alone can generate divine good (works) in the Christian’s life, consider Paul instructions in Romans 5:1-4, as follows.

What is the Apostle Paul saying? He is saying that as a direct result of justification faith a Christian has peace with God (knowing he is saved….and more), and in addition to this a Christian has continuous access into the grace of God in which he stands [rooted] by a living faith, i.e., continuous availability of being controlled by the Spirit of God. In addition this brings tribulations (trials) that produce perseverance (patience), which develops the Christian’s character and strengthens his inner hope (confident expectations that stem from his faith).

As a Christian practices a living faith he will be exposed to holy trials from God, which will only strengthen his faith and reinforce his patience. The end result for the believer is increased spiritual maturity, a powerful and effect witness and the accumulation of heavenly rewards in his eternal account.

Wisdom is the exercise and practical use of knowledge. In this context it refers to the exercise and practical use of God’s Word (Bible doctrine). This verse is the natural extension of the instructions that James has expounded on in the previous verses. As a Christian is faced with holy trials, he needs wisdom in order to face and make proper decisions as he’s confronted with them—to realize the patience resulting from his testing so that it may have its perfect work. There are numerous trials that a Christian will face in life. The Bible doesn’t elaborate on all of them by far, but it does relay spiritual principles which, if followed, will allow the Christian to “wisely” endure and profit from each trial.

As the Christian reads and studies God’s Word, he will find that God liberally provides, without “reproach” (Gk. oneidizo, to rebuke), sufficient wisdom for any occasion. But, in keeping with James’ primary theme of a living faith, the Christian must exercise faith in his quest for wisdom. And speaking of “wisdom,” it is wise for the Christian to realize that all aspects of the Christian life are centered in faith. The believer is born again by faith. He lives and loves by faith. His expectations of Christ’s soon return rests on faith. It is faith that permits him to accept and practice the principles of Holy Writ. It is by faith that the Spirit of God may control (fill) the Christian for service and the production of divine good (works). In all matters it is faith that truly honors God.

But the exercise of faith must not be in conjunction with doubt. True faith must be confident. It is genuinely and fully trusting in God and His Word. To be otherwise is to be unstable, like a wind-tossed wave in the ocean going to and fro, and this type of faith does not honor God. To give into or allow doubt (because it is a matter of one’s will or choice) is to be a double-minded person, which is further defined in James 4:8. This refers to a person who desires, on one hand to have the presence of God in his life, and on the other, wishes to hold onto the world and live according to its mores and ethics. James assures such a person that he should not suppose or think that he will receive anything from God.

Although it may appear that James is introducing a new subject, or at least a parenthesis; he is actually continuing with his subject of holy trials. James delves into the practical realm throughout his epistle. Here he is most practical.

One holy trial that every person must face in life is the financial status in which he finds himself. In the case of the person with modest means, he should glory or rejoice in the confidence that his position can and will substantially improve. In fact, he might also realize that if he had been in a position of affluence, he may not have come to Christ. Now that he is in Christ, he may proclaim along with the Apostle Paul, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3)

On the other hand the person who is wealthy and through holy trials is humbled (or made to recognize that that all his riches can not extend his life or gain the approbation of God) should glory or rejoice in his humility. In this he understands that all pursuit for wealth and status and beauty will most certainly fade away just as the grass and the flowers of the field wither and die in the noon-day sun.

James goes on to say that the Christian who successfully endures such holy trials, and his success with them is approved (by God), will be richly rewarded with the “crown of life.” This is not the gift of salvation. It is a reward that any Christian may merit by exercising a living faith, which then allows the love which is expressed in 1 Corinthians 13 to flow through him toward God and man.

There are at least five crowns that are identified in Scripture that await the Christian. They are as follow:

Crown of Life (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10)

Crown of Rejoicing (1 Thessalonians 2:19)

Crown of Righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8)

Crown of Glory (1 Peter 5:4)

Crown of Imperishability (1 Corinthians 9:24)

Salvation is a free gift which may be received by faith alone in Christ alone, never to be withdrawn by God or nullified by man. But after salvation there is the matter of rewards, which every believer will either receive or miss out on at the judgment seat of Christ. There are ample passages within God’s Word verifying the doctrine of rewards, e.g., Daniel 12:3; Matthew 5:1, 12; 10:42; 25:23; Romans 2:10; 8;17; Hebrews 10:34; 11:26, and others.

The classic passage on the subject is 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, as follows:

The foundation is salvation by faith alone in Christ alone, and upon this foundation the believer may build with works of varying quality. He may build works of “wood, hay and straw,” representing works performed by “human good” (outside the control of the Holy Spirit) that will eventually be burned and be a loss to the believer. He may build works of “gold, silver and precious stones,” representing works performed by “divine good” (under the control of the Holy Spirit) that will endure and merit rewards.

Some of these rewards will be the above mentioned crowns. There may be other crowns than what are mentioned in the Bible. Can a Christian lose his crowns? The answer is yes and this is found in Revelation 3:11, which may be the direct result of his rewards not surviving the fire-test in 1 Corinthians 3:13. But the Christian may be sure of one thing. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. (Revelation 22:12)

It is always important to understand as one studies this epistle that the perspective of James is not a focus on so many “dos and don’ts,” of which many will be mentioned, but that a living faith coinciding with the perfect law of liberty will never fail in producing divine good (works). James also emphasizes not so much what wrong is being done to the believer, but what wrong is being done by the believer.

With this in mind, James continues his theme with a shift toward a different type of trial. In verses thirteen through fifteen James looks at unholy temptations. But instead of the purpose of bringing out the best in a believer, as it is with holy trials, the purpose of unholy temptations is designed to bring out the worst (sin) in a believer. But when this occurs, James is quite clear that such unholy temptations cannot come from the hand of God, because “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.”

When a Christian sins he must never lay the responsibility for his sins on God. Christians sin as a result of their own cravings and lusting for self-satisfaction. When a person is saved (born again) he retains the “sin nature,” also known as the “flesh.” From that moment on he has a choice to be elevated by the control of the indwelling Spirit of God or to sink back down under the control of the flesh.

There is a never-ending contest between his new and old natures. Every moment of every day he is faced with choices, which will result either in human or divine good. It will not be until he is snatched up in the Rapture or his spirit transcends to God at his physical death that he will be free of the flesh. Until that time he has the choice of employing a living faith or his own self-will as he faces the enumerable unholy temptations which lie ahead of him each day.

But when a Christian, under self-will gives into his cravings and lust, sin is born. At this junction the Christian continues to have choice. He may confess (take responsibility for and admit) the sin to God in accordance with 1 John 1:9, and thereby be forgiven the sin, or he may allow the sin to mature into further and deeper sinning. As sin leads to more sin, eventually it reaches a stage expressed by James as “full-grown,” and will eventually lead to death.

Sin leads to death. This is a principle clearly expressed in God’s Word, “For the wages of sin is death . . . .” (Romans 6:23) “. . . the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:4) Because of this the Christian must always be eternally grateful that his salvation is not based on his own determination and self-effort. His salvation is based on the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ and is made totally secure (permanent) by the eternal seal of the Holy Spirit. Yet there is sin unto death (Romans 6:16; 8:6; 1 John 5:16. 17), both physical death and a type of “soul death,” for the Christian.

The term “death” (Gk. thanatos) essentially means “separation.” It may have many applications, but in this passage it is specific. When a Christian permits sin to come in and rule his life, even though his spirit remains sealed with the Holy Spirit and he will go to heaven upon his physical death, he will experience a continuous degradation (separation) between his soul (that thinking and reasoning part of man) and God’s influence (a loss of life controlled by the Holy Spirit—Romans 7:9-13; 8:6; Ephesians 2:1, 5; Colossians 2:13; Jude 12), which may eventually lead him to illness and even to a premature physical death (Ecclesiastes 7:17; Jeremiah 14:11, 12; 34:18-20; Acts 5:1-11; 1 Corinthians 11:30). When a believer allows himself to be so consumed by the flesh so as to be totally worthless in the sight of God, he may simply be taken on to heaven with no rewards to follow.

But to counter any Christian who, by experiencing such difficulties as a result of his sins, would have the tenacity to blame God instead of himself; James inserts this passage. Man so often says, in effect, to his Creator, “Why have you made me this way?” This is self-deception. James verifies that only good and perfect gifts come from God. He is the source of all that is good and perfect—all that is physically and all that is spiritually good and perfect in a person’s life. And God never varies or changes in this role. And the crowning evidence of this was when He sent His Son Jesus Christ, the Word of Truth (John 1:1, 14; 14:6), so that by faith alone in Him alone, believers would be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures (John1:13; 3:3; 1Corinthians 4:15; Ephesians 1:12; 1Peter 1:23; Revelation 14:4).

James continues with what many believe could be the “theme verse” for his entire epistle, since later on in it he gives much attention to the inappropriate use of the tongue, i.e., verbal communication uncontrolled by the Spirit of God. It is indeed a fact that how one controls his tongue is a direct measure of his spiritual maturity. It is the mature Christian who is swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to wrath.

Christians often show their distinct immaturity in spiritual matters when they are quick to rise to any occasion in order to affirm their record of achievements and demonstrate their command of spiritual principles. In their pride and self-righteousness they wish all to know how doctrinally correct and faultless they have become. And often in their narcissism (egotism), smugness and self-assurance they gravitate to what they perceive as “holy wrath” for the purpose of correcting those less spiritual individuals who have become unlucky enough to be the object of their attention. When such matters arise, they may find it profitable to remember that the objects of a true holy wrath should be left up to God (Deuteronomy 32:41; Romans 12:19).

Now having covered the various holy trials and unholy temptations, along with some very practical examples, a Christian will face; James turns to practical advice on how to be assured of spiritual victory. The steps are as follow:

But James says it doesn’t have to be this way. If a person will simply turn from the “law of sin” (Romans 7:23-25) that wars within him and looks into and continues in the “perfect law of liberty,” which is in effect allowing the Holy Spirit to have control in one’s life, he will indeed be blessed in all that he does.

The word “religion” is used only five times in the Word of God (twice here in these two verses and in Acts 26:5 and Galatians 1:13, 14). Here it refers to the external patterns of behavior connected with one’s beliefs. It refers to the outward appearance or form rather than the inward spirit. James hereby turns more to the practical aspects of one’s spiritual life.

The message is clear. A Christian who is abiding in a living faith, the perfect law of liberty, will evidence a pure and undefiled behavior before God. His life will be virtually unspotted (not influenced) by the evils of the world (a walk of separation), while he fills his life with divine good (works) of compassion and love, acts of faith such as the visiting and assisting of orphans and widows in their trouble.