That's what we're asking for,
isn't it? That's what we're looking at here in James chapter 1. Read
verses 5 through 14 with me. James chapter 1. If any of you
lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all liberally,
and upbraideth not. And it shall be given him or
her. Let him ask in faith. Nothing wavering. For he that
wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and
tossed. Let not that man or woman think that he shall receive anything
of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable
in all his ways or her ways. Let the brother of low degree
rejoice in that he is exalted, but the rich in that he is made
low. Because, as the flower of the
grass, he shall pass away, for the sun is no sooner risen with
a burning heat but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof
falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth. So also
shall the rich man fade away in his ways. Blessed is the man
or woman that endureth temptation, for when he or she is tried,
he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised.
to them that love Him. Let no man say when he is tempted,
I am tempted of God. God cannot be tempted with evil,
neither tempteth He any man. But every man is tempted when
he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. And then when lust
hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin. And sin, when it is finished,
bringeth forth death. Do not err. My beloved brethren. Now, he just warned us of being
double-minded. We looked at that last week. How that the Lord will not grant
a man or a woman what they ask for if it's contrary to what
God tells us to ask for. And so he says, if any of you
lack wisdom, Ask. In other words, this is the principle
thing. This is the one thing needful. You remember Proverbs 8 that
says, get wisdom with all thy getting. Get wisdom. That's Proverbs 4. There's one
thing needful. Our Lord said this, seek ye first
the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things. They'll
be added to you. And He tells us having food and
raiment. These are the only material things
actually needed. And He proved that, didn't He?
He proved that. He is wisdom personified. He is wisdom walking. Walking wisdom. What did He care
about? Where was His affection? What
did He think about? What did He talk about? The Kingdom
of Heaven. He had 33 short years and he
knew it. And a job to do. And he did it.
And we don't have much time either. And we have a job to do. Food
and raiment be content. Verses 9 and 10 is where we pick
up. So a double-minded man is unstable. Let the brother of low degree
rejoice in that he is exalted, but the rich and that he or she
is made low because the flower of the grass shall pass away.
What does this mean? What is he talking about? whatever form they take, and
the riches take many forms. They can be material things,
or they can be talents, gifts of wisdom, of beauty, of ability
to whatever, knowledge, and so forth and so on. These are the
things that the world thinks about and desires to have and
lusts after. Lusts meaning a craving for,
an insatiable desire for. The thing, whatever you lust
after consumes your mind. and your being, and that's what
you want. And you'll not be happy or satisfied
until you fulfill that lust. Lust, you know, is not just talking
about sexual lust, but it can be an inordinate desire or craving
for anything or anyone. Now, let me ask you a question.
Let's ask ourselves a question. Do we really believe that the
things of God are true riches. Our Lord said this, the things
that are seen are temporal. Something cannot be of much value
if it doesn't last, can it? So the things that are seen,
whatever it is, the Lord had Solomon write, well, not only
Proverbs, but the whole book of Ecclesiastes that tells us
All that he experienced in this life, from relationships to whatever
you accumulate, whatever people think will make them happy, and
he said, now listen to the words of a preacher. This is what Ecclesiastes
said, it's all vanity. It does not satisfy. The eye
is never satisfied with seeing. the ear with hearing, the mouth
with tasting, you can't satisfy this flesh. The lusts of the
flesh are insatiable. So he says, set your affection on things of that. Do we really
believe true riches? What is it to be rich? Do you
really want to be rich toward God? Our Lord had nothing, but
He had everything. The world wants to be happy.
Everybody wants to be happy. And so we go after things. Things can't make you happy. You can't do it. Our Lord had
nothing. But he was the blessed man, rich
toward God. He had perfect peace. Nothing bothered him. He had
perfect contentment. Perfect. No fear. No worries. No doubts. That's rich, isn't it? That's
rich. Happy. No matter what happened. Well, in verse, and let me ask
this question, do we really believe like Paul? Paul said, I count
all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord. We need this, don't we? This
is wisdom. This is wisdom. Is it really
gain? Our Lord said, to lose your life
is to gain. Oh my, gain. Do we really believe
that? We need to, and we're never going
to be content. Verse 9 says, Let the brother
of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, he or she. Meaning,
if you are truly poor and needy, Meek and lowly. Then Christ is
all to you. And you have all things. Rejoice
if you are poor and needy. Now, you can be rich with the
things of this world and still be poor and needy. David was.
David was king. He had everything. Material.
You know, the gifts and talents and abilities. He said that I
am poor and needy. But he said this is a thing that
rejoices my heart more than anything else. The Lord thinketh on me. This is what gives me my greatest
joy. Go over there. 1 Timothy 6, verses 6 and following. So many Scriptures we could look
at. But 1 Timothy 6, verse 6, Godliness with contentment is
great gain. Godliness means Anything that
has to do with God, the things of God, spiritual things, things
of the kingdom. We brought nothing into this
world, verse 7, it's certain we cannot, can carry nothing
out. Having food and raiment, let
us be there with content. They that will be rich, seek
to be rich. And as not a human being, it
doesn't think, if I can have more money, I'll be happier.
If I can just be out of debt, if I can just have more money
so that I won't have this financial burden, I'll be happier. It is
just not so. It's just not so. The more stuff
you have, the more you worry about it. Those that will be rich, and
there's only one way to be rich, and that's pursue it. Fall into
temptation. and a snare, and many foolish
and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the
root of all evil, all evil, which some coveted after they
have erred from the faith." That means they left the gospel for
money. Demas hath forsaken me, Paul
said. Why? He loved this present world.
He got a better job in a better town. He left the gospel. That's
what we've been talking about. Trials don't have to be losing
things, but it can be gaining things. And hey, verse 10, pierce
themselves through with many sorrows, O man of God. Flee these
things. Follow after. Here's what we
need to pursue. Righteousness, godliness, faith,
love, patience, meekness. Verse 17, charge them that are
rich in this world. And that's everyone in this room.
Everyone in this room. We're rich. We're rich. If you don't think so, go to
a third world country. Any of them. Just any of them.
Go anywhere. And you'll see that this society is the most affluent
in the history of the world. Charge them that are rich, verse
17, that they be not high minded. Why? Because what do you have
that you did not receive? The Lord maketh rich and he maketh
poor. Promotion coming from the Lord.
Don't trust in uncertain riches. I've got a little nest egg. I've
got some money set aside now. I'm good to go. I've got all
I need. Oh, my. Ask those that went through
the Depression. There's nobody in here unless
you're a young child at best and you didn't understand it.
And my grandparents lost everything. They lost everything overnight
and had to move in with a rich man in a shack with three kids
to feed. Now, verse 17, But then trust
in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to joy.
Tell them to enjoy, tell them to do good, be rich in good works. Ready to distribute. Willing
to communicate. Wednesday night, we looked at
the people that thought they were dying. Drowning in that
boat. You know what they started doing? Casting everything overboard. If you didn't hear that message,
you need to get it. Acts 27. Everybody thought they were dying.
And all that stuff. That ship was full of stuff.
They started tossing it over. This is drowning us. Until finally
it says, they cast the wheat. Cast your bread. I don't know
why in the 60's they started calling money bread. Remember?
The hippie county bread man. I don't know why they called
that that, unless it's for this illustration. Cast your bread
on the water. Freely received, freely give. James 1. Look at James 1. Verse 10 says, but the rich,
So if you understand that you're nothing and a nobody, and Christ
is all a brother of low degree, you don't have much. You don't
have many talents. You don't have many riches per se. You
don't have much ability. You're not highly esteemed in
the world. And you don't have all these
things that the world goes after with knowledge and beauty and
talents and riches and all that. Do you have Christ? You have it all. Nobody knows
you. You don't need anybody to know
you but one person. One person. Verse 10, But the
rich, now there are some that are rich, All of us. Abraham was rich. Jacob became
rich. He started out with nothing,
remember? Became rich and it sure got him in a mess of trouble.
He had nothing but family troubles. Abraham and Lot, they got rich,
didn't they? What happened? It caused nothing but strife
in their family. So they are rich. But he says, if you're
rich, rejoice if you're made low. In other words, if you have
much of this world's good and you have some ability, some talent,
some knowledge, whatever, and yet you realize by God's grace
that you're a big zero, that there's nothing you have that
you have not received, and you dare not glory in it as if he
had not received it, and that he can take it away in a minute,
that he gave it to you like Job. You can say, the Lord gave, and
if he takes it away, you can say, blessed be the name of the
Lord. And in all this, not charge God foolishly. I had nothing. If you lose it all, bless the
Lord. If you have that attitude, bless
the Lord. Rejoice. Because you realize
it's like the flower of the grass. Like the flower of the grass,
it's all going to perish. Perishing things of clay, born
but for one brief day. Passed from my heart away, the
Lord Jesus is mine. That's what we need to constantly
ask ourselves. Here in His wisdom, there is
He that is rich and yet hath nothing. Yet there is he that
is poor and he is rich. Do you understand? Chapter 2, verse 5 says, Brethren, hearken,
my beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world
rich in faith, heirs of the kingdom? The poor have the gospel preached
to them, literally. This is why I say it might be
the most wonderful thing to happen to the church, for it to go through
great, great, great trials, for everything just to fail. Because
when everybody is in need, they call it on God. And when we are
rich and increased with goods, we have need of nothing. And know not that we are poor. Rejoice if you're rich, and yet
know that you have nothing but by His grace. And be thankful
if you rejoice in Christ as greater riches than all the treasures
in Egypt. Can you say with Moses, this
is one of my favorite verses, It says, Moses chose rather to
suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures
of sin for a season. He esteemed the reproach of Christ's
greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. He had no respect for
this world but respect under the recompense of the war. He
forsook Egypt. He didn't have it. He would have been Pharaoh. Think
about that. equivalent of President of the
United States. He thought, no, I'd rather be in Rocky Mount,
Virginia, sitting with a bunch of nobodies. That's exactly right. The world thought these Israelites
were a bunch of nobodies. Verses back in our text, it says,
all will be lost. All will be lost. And a double-minded
man is not sure about this. She's
still not settled on this. A double-minded woman, still
not settled on this. And our Lord said, you cannot
serve two masters. You can't do it. It's just, it's
not possible. You cannot serve God and man. You can't do it. And so He says, lay not up for
yourselves treasures upon the earth. This is our Lord. Lay
up yourselves treasures in heaven. Moths rust cannot corrupt. Thieves can't steal it. No man
can take it away. Peace I give to you. The rest,
the joy that I give to you. This treasure in heaven. Alright,
now look at verse, I was going to go to Psalm 73. And you know what that said.
Most of you know. David said, I was envious of
the prosperity of the wicked. He said, they have more than
the hearts can desire. Their eyes stand out with fatness.
He said, I've cleansed my hands and vein. God's people have nothing
to trouble and the world doesn't have any trouble. And he said,
I was envious, Adam. And I said, what's the use? And
he said, and my heart smoked me. He said, I went into the
sanctuary with the people of God and began to hear the Word
of God. I began to hear about true riches. I went in and heard what God
said about true riches. He said, I was a dumb beast. I was a fool. How could I think
that? How could I envy the things of
this world, the people of this world, when they're getting fattened
like calves for the slaughter? You know why you fatten up a
calf? You know why you put a calf over
here and feed it the best, and feed it the best, and feed it
the best? You know why don't you? You're going to kill it. And that's what Scripture says
about the people of this world. I believe it is, says that they
gave the people their desire, their lust. They lusted in the
wilderness, the people of God. They lusted, it says, exceedingly
in the wilderness, so He gave them their request, but sent
leanness into their soul. They had it all. but had nothing. Leamless of soul. Had everything
the flesh could want, but had no faith, no peace. David said, I went into the sanctuary
and my heart smoked me. I have it all. Riches can be the greatest trial
and temptation on earth. Verse 12, blessed is the man
that endureth temptation. And as I said, not just loss
but gain, not just adversity but prosperity. You read that
little quote in the bulletin by John Newton? You think everything
is going just fine, this must be of the Lord, it's an open
door, this is of the Lord. No, not necessarily. Let me try. See if you go through
it. But there was a young man in
this congregation. The Barrys brought him to hear
the Gospel. And he seemed to love the Gospel. We loved him. A fine young man. Loved him. He
seemed like he loved the Gospel. In the space of about two weeks,
he got a new job, better pay. He got a brand new automobile,
and he got a new girlfriend. And she wasn't a believer. And
he left. And he never came back. That was a trial. And he failed. Broke our hearts, didn't it?
Broke our hearts. A woman came to Spurgeon one
time and said, Brother Spurgeon, rejoice with me. I've received
a great inheritance. Spurgeon said, my dear sister,
I'll pray for you. I'll pray for you. So, here's
a good prayer. Proverbs 30. Turn over there.
Proverbs 30. This is a good prayer. a good
prayer that we all should pray constantly. Proverbs 30. This is the wise man now. Here's a wise man right here.
Here's how a wise man prays. Proverbs 30 verse 7. You have it? Two things have
I required of thee. Deny me them not before I die. Remove far from me vanity. and lies. Riches are deceitful. That's lies. Give me neither
poverty nor riches. Feed me with food convenient,
just what I need, my allowance. Don't give me riches lest I be
fooled and deny Thee and say, Who is the Lord? And that's absolutely
what we do. We forget Him. Or lest I be poor
and steal, and take the name of my God in vain, or bring reproach
upon my Lord." Now there's a wise prayer, there's a wise man who
realizes. All right, now James is talking
about trials of faith. Faith is true love, true belief
in God and His Word and love for Christ and trust in Him. It will be tested, always has
been, always will be, whether it's true or not. and in many
divers' trials. And we looked at trials in many
forms of it. This temptation, verse 12, blessed
is the man that endureth temptation. When he has tried, he shall receive
the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love
him. Blessed are those whom the Lord
tries that go through tribulation and endures. The Revelation says,
who are these? Well, these are they that went
through great tribulation. All God's people do. But verse
13 says, let no man say when he is tempted. Now here's a different
form of the word. This means enticed to sin. This means allurements of sin. And these are also tests. These
are also trials. But they don't come from God.
God doesn't tempt with sin. God cannot be tempted. Christ
was not tempted with sin. He was tempted at all points,
but He found nothing in Him. There was nothing there for Him. He didn't vacillate at all. He was holy. He is holy. But
let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. God cannot
be tempted with evil. temptations to evil, neither
tempteth he any man." These temptations, allurements
to sin, God allows them, but God doesn't send them. And I
don't know how to explain that except just say it, okay? We don't understand. We just
don't understand, but we know it's so. God is not charged with
sin like Adam and Eve. It was at God's will for them
to fall. Well, they were out of His will
when they did what He said not to do. There's His revealed will. He says, don't do this. Don't
do this. That was His revealed will. And
they did it anyway. They were out of His will. And
they caused themselves and the whole human race grave pain and
suffering because they didn't do what God said. And so will
we. But somehow, in the wisdom and
the purpose of God, He allowed it to happen. He allowed it to
happen. And God doesn't make us sin.
All he has to do is leave us alone. Leave us alone. And we will reap
what we sow. procure great pain and suffering
and reproach and so on and so forth on ourselves, on our God,
on everyone else through our own sinful actions. But God is so rich in mercy and
His wisdom and purpose. And there will be great pain
and suffering all the while, but in the end, it's going to
work out good. There's no greater illustration
of that than the cross. Man did what they wanted to do. God let them do what they would
do. What will you do with Jesus,
Pilate said? This is what we will do with
Him. We'll kill Him. So God said, kill Him. But they
did what God determined for to be done. So I don't understand. No, you don't. And I don't either.
It's just the way it is. If I don't believe that, then
go somewhere else. But this is the truth. This is
the truth. It's true God. Let no man say
that because of our evil actions this must be God's will or it
wouldn't have happened. A drunk man one time said to
my dad, my dad, the woman asked my dad to come over and see her
husband. He stays drunk all the time. And he was drunk and he
said to my dad, he said, Preacher, you know why I'm drunk? My dad
said, because you drank too much. No, he said, I believe in predestination. He said, it's God's will for
me to be drunk or I wouldn't be drunk. That's an absolute fool, isn't
it? He hung himself in jail a few
weeks later. It says in verse 14, every man
is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lusts and types. And
this is modern society. We give all sorts of names to
sins, and so people won't take responsibility for their own
action. Right? We've got this disease that's
called alcoholism. Brethren, my dad will tell you this, that
every male in our family back through the years was a drunk.
His namesake, Henry Mahan, was my great-grandfather. He was
a sheriff of a small town in Alabama. He was a drunk. He was
a laughingstock of that community. He stayed drunk all the time.
He called it alcoholism. He's just a drunk. Why? Because he picked up a bottle
and couldn't put it down. That's his fault, isn't it? I was born this way. I'm a homosexual. We're all born sinners, but it's
a choice. Romans 3 talks about that, even
those who have not sinned at the similitude of Adam's transgression.
A grown man, willful man said, sinned against God. But babies
are born sinners, and they have the propensities, everything
in them. Everything. Yeah, we're all born drunks and
homosexuals. You sure are. But don't blame
God for it. This is what verse 14 said. Every man is tempted when he's
drawn away of his own lusts. If we sin, if we fall, it's our
fault. Now here's what people can't
understand, don't believe, but we do. If we don't sin and don't
fall, it's God's glory. If we don't sin, God kept us
from it. If we do, it's our fault. If
we do anything good, God gets glory for it. If we don't do
anything bad, God gets glory for that too. It's His restraining
grace. Dad once said this, that so many
people mistake the restraining grace of God for personal holiness. People think because I don't
do this, I don't do that, it's my holiness. No, it's the restraining
grace of God. See this woman that doesn't believe
the truth. And this confuses people, doesn't
it? She's a sweet woman. She's a
kind woman. She does all this. My next door neighbor does more
humanitarian work than anybody I know. Her whole life is spent
doing things for people. Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa is lost. She's
in hell right now. How can you say that, preacher?
I didn't say it. Christ did. He said, I am the
way. I am your righteousness. And
Paul said it with a tear in his eye about his brethren. They
have a zeal for God, but it's not according to righteousness,
not according to knowledge. You're going about to establish
your own righteousness. They think God will accept them because
of their work. No, no, no, no, no. God looks on the heart. And what they do is to be seen
of men. So they have their reward. Well, here's the point. Our sins
and our fall are our own fault. And James, all through this book,
and the whole theme of this book is faith without works is dead. You know that? That's the whole
point of this book. Like Romans, the whole point
of Romans is to show us that you're not saved by works. We're
saved by grace freely given to us. It's all of grace through
faith. And that's not of yourself. It's
a gift of God. And the whole theme of the book
of James is this. You say you have faith. Faith
without works is not saving faith. That's the whole theme of this
book from start to finish. You never lose sight of that. And if we have it, God gets the
glory. If we don't, it's our own fault. Because he says, ask. Why do we fall? We quit calling. James, and I can't wait to get
to this in chapter 4, it says, draw nigh to God. Well, look
over there, chapter 4, verse 7. Oh my, this book is so helpful,
so vital. All these temptations, I'll tell
you who God doesn't send them, and I'll tell you who He allows
to tempt, Satan. He said to Peter, didn't Satan
not desire to sift you like wheat? Job, Job, Satan wants you bad,
and I'm going to let him have you. One time Paul said to people
at Corinth about a man who was in a bad way, and he said, I've
delivered him to Satan. They learned not to blaspheme.
But he says, I'm praying and hoping it will destroy his flesh,
but not his soul. And when it comes out of this,
he's going to repent like he's never repented before. He's going
to turn from this. He's not going back. That's what Paul said. In verse
7 of chapter 4, resist the devil, he'll flee from you. Draw an
eye to God and he'll draw an eye to you. Cleanse your hands,
you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be afflicted and mourn and weep. See why I say riches in this
world and everything gives us a false sense of security. It's
carnal security. We go to sleep in vanity fair
and know not that we're poor and needy. Liable to fall. And our relationship with Christ will keep us from falling. Nothing else will. Lord, help me. Lord, help me.
Pray without ceasing all day. We go out in this world and it's
a wilderness of sin. That's what the Israelites went
through, a wilderness of sin. Everywhere they looked, the right
hand, the left hand, was sin, was sin, was enticements, temptations,
enticements, temptations. Let your eyes look right on it. Brethren, beloved brethren, look
unto me. He said, look, don't, don't,
look, don't look. Look unto me. Look on the prize. There's temptations of the Lord,
but don't, don't. Be like Pilgrim in his... Look,
this looks okay. Look, they're doing fine. Don't
get over there. You'll fall asleep and you'll
end up in Bowdoin Castle. Remember? Oh my, our sins are
our own. And look at the consequences
of sin. Verse 15, when lust hath conceived. This is desires and cravings
for anything or anyone, whatever it be. And lust can be an all-consuming
desire for whatever. Food, drink, sex, a young woman
wanting a husband, a young man wanting a wife. Nothing wrong
with those things. It is if that's all you've got
on your mind. You can find one. You can find you one. Home, car,
arraignment, travel, money, whatever it is, all-consuming desire and
craving for anything is lust. And the Lord calls it idolatry.
Why? Because that's all you're thinking
about. That's all you're thinking about. It's covetousness. He says, set your affection on
things above. And so he says, when lust is
conceived, it means when these thoughts, these consuming desires
actually goes after the thing and lays hold of it and enters
into that temptation. Our Lord said, pray that you
don't enter in. You're going to be tempted, but pray you don't
go there. Because if you do, look what
happens. It brings forth sin. No people. Sin is sin. And God looks on the heart. And
the thought will damn you. Yeah. The thought of foolishness
is sin. Being tempted by sin is not sin,
but entering into it and indulging it and so forth. But it's worse
for sin to take action, for thoughts to take action. It's worse. It's
no more damning, but the consequences of it, the pain is far greater. More people are hurt by our actions,
by our words and actions, and the constant reproach it
brings on our God, the truth, the church, the reproach it brings,
the suffering we cause, the pain we cause. Oh my! It's far greater. And this is why Scripture talks about,
well, you know, all manner of sin is forgiven. The Lord has to forgive us our
thoughts and our actions, our words and deeds. And He does. And He does. All manner of sin
is forgiven. But here's what the Lord said
about it. Repent. Repent. That means not only just
feel sorry for, turn from. Turn from. And he said, if the
unrighteous man will turn from his way. If not turn from. If not turn from. In other words, we want to be
cleansed not only from the guilt of sin and the punishment for
sin, but the filth of it. David said, wash me. Esau said,
I'm getting too much punishment. There's a big difference. David
said, I want this wretchedness in me
put away. And the actual commission of
sin is much greater. If unrepented of, we don't turn
from it. If the Lord doesn't turn us,
it goes together. Don't blame Him. Don't blame him. It's like a
criminal standing before a judge and saying, he says, what have
you got to say for yourself? And the criminal says, I can't
help it. I can't quit. What's the judge going to do?
I can't quit. Sorry. As soon as you turn me
loose, I'm going to do it again. What's the judge going to do?
Hmm? Lock him up. Repent, that means
turn. And that's what the whole book
of James talks about. Isn't this wisdom? Verse 15 says,
when it's finished, if we enter into sin and don't come out of
it, it will finish us and it will bring forth death. That
can either be physical death or spiritual death. I've known
some believers that got into something, weren't appearing
to be coming out, and the Lord killed them before they brought
great reproach on the Lord. Oh, my. Verse 16, And he said all this in great
love and compassion. Can you read it with me? Verse 16. Do not err, my beloved
brethren. It's not just a sermon. These
are words of life. Keep us from the evil one. Oh, how blessed is the man that
endures. The Lord brings through it. Pray. Call. Pray. Ask. Okay.