The following is a summary statement (paragraphs) that will conclude our study of the Book of James:
A saving faith must be a genuine or living faith, for the faith of false believers is a dead faith and does not bring salvation. God uses trials, including the suffering in the midst of trials, to test the genuine nature of faith; however, God is never responsible for temptation or for evil.
The greatest evidence of genuine faith is a love for God's word and humble submission inclining one to take action in response to God's word. As a result, the child of God will see others through the eyes of God rather than through the lens of social status and position. As a result, the child of God will undertake Christ honoring works, not as a means of salvation but rather as evidence of salvation. As a result, a regenerate soul will control the tongue, for the tongue represents the depravity of man and taming the tongue indicates a new direction for regenerate man.
Therefore, the child of God, the possessor of genuine faith, will seek wisdom from above rather than wisdom from abroad. This heavenly wisdom will produce in the man a desire to worship God. This desire to worship God will produce in the man a humble and contrite heart, and the man will begin forsaking prideful friendship with the world in exchange for humble friendship with God. This enduring quest for eternal friendship will illuminate the sovereign will of God, which will permeate the life plans and life goals of the child of God. The pursuit of money and its pleasures will be transformed into the pursuit of God and His pleasures.
The prayers of the children of God are essential as one endures suffering, eschews worldly pursuits, and seeks heavenly wisdom and joy. God uses His children, the redeemed, as a means to proclaim that which is alive in Christ and to unearth that which is dead in man.
John Dee Spicer
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About Me
I started the Daily Journal in 2000. I sent it as an email to a few friends (it was a round number, either 10 or 20, I can't remember exactly). It has grown over the years, primarily due to those original few forwarding it to others. During this time, I have journaled through Genesis, selected Psalms, the Gospel of John, Acts, Romans, Galatians, Hebrews, and Peter's letters. (These are the books I can remember for sure this morning, anyway.) I don't have seminary training and don't claim to have special wisdom. Rather, I simply desire that others develop a love for God's word. There is only one interpretation for any Bible passage, and I will rely on the wisdom of scholars through the ages (at least those at my disposal) to help with that one interpretation. I will also attempt some practical application. Somewhere along the way I started sharing some funny things my kids would say, and this became known as "Heard 'Round the House." I will continue to share these priceless nuggets as my kids provide material. The "Daily" Journal is a bit of a misnomer, since I only do it Monday through Thursday. I don't do it on Friday because I attend a 6 am Bible Study. I don't do it on the weekends because so many received it at work (I may revise this approach since I have gone to the "Blog" format). I do read my Bible on a daily basis, and strongly recommend a chronilogical daily Bible - you will read the Bible completely each year, and the events unfold in a historical fashion.
