AM Bible Study Group; March 14, 2012

James 1:5-8

Theme: In the midst of our trials, we are encouraged to ask God for wisdom by faith.

James had just gotten through speaking to the matter of our trials (vv. 2-4). God’s desire is that we go through those trials in such a way as to gain the benefit He intends by them. But that takes wisdom. And so, Pastor James next speaks to his readers about the concern they may have for wisdom to go through those trials in a way that truly pleases God. In fact, in the original language, this passage begins in verse 5 with a conjunction that connects it to the previous three verses, “And if any of you lack wisdom . . .”

I. THE PROMISE OF WISDOM IF WE ASK (v. 5).

A. James begins by positing the situation “If any of you lacks wisdom . . .”; and in this context, the wisdom that is lacking is that of how best to endure through trials in such a way as to please God and to allow His sovereign purposes to be fulfilled in us through them. That, of course, involves a wisdom that we do not have by nature. Note that James doesn’t say directly, “You, of course, don’t have such wisdom.” Instead, he sets it in the form of a conditional situation; and leaves it to the reader to recognize on their own that they don’t have the wisdom necessary.

B. He then encourages, “. . . let him ask of God . . .” The wisdom necessary is only from God Himself. As it says in Proverbs 2:4-9 concerning wisdom; “If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path” (emphasis added).

C. Note how freely we are to feel in coming to God for wisdom. He is called— literally—”the giving God”. James calls Him the One “who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” His giving is said, first to be “liberal”; and the original word itself means “simple” or “sincere”. There are never any strings attached in His giving—no hidden agendas. Nor does He ever make us feel bad for asking, because He gives “without reproach”. He never scolds us for not knowing what to do in the first place, or for asking “again”; nor does He reminds us, in frustration, of all the times we have failed to use the wisdom He has given us in the past. We can be like the father who cried out to Jesus, ““Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24); and know that, just Jesus didn’t rebuke him but gave him what he needed, so the Father will do for us.

II. THE CONDITION OF OUR ASKING (v. 6).

A. Note that the condition is given: “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting . . .” The word for “doubting” is one that means “to make distinctions”, and has the idea of making comparison between things and sitting in judgment of them. It is not right to ask God for wisdom; but then sit in judgment of His gift of wisdom and decide for ourselves whether or not we will do as He says. As James exhorts in 1:22-25, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

B. James goes on to explain, “. . . for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” The waves of the sea are the very picture of unreliability. We can’t see a wave that we might like, and ask it to stay put so we can admire it. It is subject to the forces around it—driven and tossed by the wind. That’s how someone is when they “make distinctions” between whether or not they will obey the wisdom that God gives them in trying circumstances. They may want to obey one minute, but become influenced by the circumstances the next into changing their mind and following the dictates of their own passions.

III. THE REASON FOR THE CONDITION (vv. 7-8).

A. James warns, “For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.” God is very gracious in giving wisdom to those who truly seek it from Him, and who are committed to do what He wants them to do—so that His good purposes are fulfilled in them through the trials that they endure. But He also isn’t going to play games with us. He does not want to be thought of as just another resource for us to draw from—and then decide if we want to do what He says or not. He sees our hearts, and knows where are true commitments lie.

B. Note what James such a man is like: “. . . he is a double-minded man . . .” Literally, he is a man of two-minds. He has a mind to want God’s wisdom, but he also has a mind not to follow through on it if he doesn’t like it. And note how James describes the condition of such a person; that he is “unstable in all his ways.” His instability isn’t just on the area of trials; but in all areas of life. He is like what a Chinese proverb says about a man who is double-minded—that he is like a man who has his feet in two different boats.

* * * * * * * * * *

At the end of the sermon on the mount, our Lord said, ““Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall” Matthew 7:24-27).

How much better it is to have our feet firmly planted on what God says to do in a time of trial—and our hearts solidly committed to do as He says! We become stable in all our ways—especially in the times of trial when we need His wisdom most!