JAMES LESSON 5


     We will begin this lesson in James 3:1 "My brethren, be not many
masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation."

     This is a possible reminder to those who take authority upon
themselves that has not been ordered of God. This is James speaking
to, possibly, the Jews who wanted to teach the newcomers to the faith.
James includes himself in the last part of this, where he says that
the teachers, who should know more, are in greater condemnation for
the sins they commit, because they are operating in full knowledge.
This is a warning to all teachers to not think of themselves above
those they teach. The true Teacher of all of us is the Holy Spirit of
God.  He will teach us all truth.

     James 3:2 "For in many things we offend all. If any man offend
not in word, the same [is] a perfect man, [and] able also to bridle
the whole body."

     We have spoken in other lessons of the tongue being the most evil
part of the body. This is why it is so important to allow God to
control your tongue. The words that proceed out of a man's mouth
reveals what he really is. I Peter 3:10 "For he that will love life,
and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips
that they speak no guile:" The tongue can do a great deal of harm, if
it is not controlled of God. The tongue, controlled of God can do
great good. When the tongue is controlled by God, the whole body is
under the control of God. The words of the tongue originate in the
heart of man. The heart is either, stayed upon God, or desperately
wicked.

     James 3:3 "Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they
may obey us; and we turn about their whole body."

     This is just showing that the tongue, controlled of God, is part
of a body controlled by God. When the bit is in the horse's mouth, the
rider can turn him with just a gentle pull on the reins. This is
saying, then, that a tongue controlled by God can cause the whole body
to follow God.

     James 3:4 "Behold also the ships, which though [they be] so
great, and [are] driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about
with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth."

     We see, a very large ship is guided by a very small part of the
entire ship. This is true of us, as well. The heart is what we really
are. The mouth, speaking from that heart, reveals to the world where
we stand with God.

     James 3:5 "Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth
great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!"

     Words we speak effect those around us. If we speak evil, we will
stir up strife among others. If we speak soothing words, the fire of
hate and anger will be extinguished.

     James 3:6 "And the tongue [is] a fire, a world of iniquity: so is
the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and
setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell."

     James is speaking of a tongue which has not been dedicated to
God. Cutting words can destroy people. Before we are saved, we all
have a wicked tongue. I have always said, the reason it is so
important to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, is because in so doing we
turn the most evil part of our body over to the control of the Spirit
of God. When He has your tongue, He has you. Verse 6, above, is
speaking of the tongue, before we turn it over to the Spirit of God.

     James 3:7 "For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of
serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of
mankind:" James 3:8 "But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] an unruly
evil, full of deadly poison."

     In the verses above, we see that the tongue is the most difficult
thing in the world to tame. In fact, man can not tame the tongue. Only
God can tame the tongue. Here are a few verses on the evil of the
tongue and what we are to do about it. Psalms 34:13 "Keep thy tongue
from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile." Psalms 50:19 "Thou
givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit." I Peter 3:10
"For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his
tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:"  The only
way that any of us can speak pure words is with a heart, mouth, and
tongue dedicated to God. Let Jesus wash your heart in the blood of the
Lamb {Jesus Christ} and speak pure words from a pure heart.

     James 3:9 "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith
curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God."

     How can this be? We know that a pure heart speaks beauty to all,
not just to God. In our society, we would call this two-faced. Jesus
gave two commandments that covered all. Mark 12:30 "And thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and
with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first
commandment." Mark 12:31 "And the second [is] like, [namely] this,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other
commandment greater than these."  Matthew 22:40 "On these two
commandments hang all the law and the prophets." It is an
impossibility to love God and hate His creation.

     James 3:10 "Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and
cursing.  My brethren, these things ought not so to be."

     To say we are a Christian, is not enough. We must become
Christlike, to truly be a Christian. When He was persecuted, He
blessed. If our heart is truly stayed upon God, there would be no evil
proceed from our mouth.

     James 3:11 "Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet
[water] and bitter?"

     A well does not produce both bitter and sweet water at the same
time. The well spoken of here, is the heart of man. Look at what Jesus
said about this. Matthew 12:34 "O generation of vipers, how can ye,
being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart
the mouth speaketh." Luke 6:45 "A good man out of the good treasure of
his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of
the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for
of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."  It is more than
obvious in all this, a tongue that speaks evil comes from an impure
heart.

     James 3:12 "Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries?
either a vine, figs? so [can] no fountain both yield salt water and
fresh."

     There are many who profess Christianity who are not truly sold
out to Christ. We are what we are in our inner man. The heart of man
is the determining factor.  This is one of the main reasons why I
believe a person who is sold out to God can not be possessed of a
devil. Light and darkness can not dwell in the same place, the
darkness is overcome by the Light. We must decide whether we will
follow God, or whether we will follow Lucifer. We can not do both. The
Light of God, within us, does away with all darkness. The Light
represents the sweet water. Darkness and salt water go hand in hand.

     James 3:13 "Who [is] a wise man and endued with knowledge among
you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness
of wisdom."

     Wisdom is a gift from God. Those who have wisdom, and the Holy
Spirit has given them knowledge of God's Word, show the world by their
actions and their speech, they are believers. This is just saying,
your life and your speech will reveal to those around you, who you are
in Christ. Bragging of your position with Christ has no place. Those
who truly have a wonderful relation with Christ do not need to brag.
They are generally humble people who just love God.

     James 3:14 "But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your
hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth."

     Each of us has his own special place with Christ. He has not
called us to the same job as someone else. We should never look at
someone else and be jealous, or want what they have. To want something
someone else has, even if it is their relation with Christ, is
coveting. God called each of us to do a job for Him that He could
entrust us with.

     James 3:15 "This wisdom descendeth not from above, but [is]
earthly, sensual, devilish."

     Bitterness and strife of all kinds come from the devil. All
things that please the flesh are earthy, or of this earth. The
spiritual things are not based on things of the earth. Lucifer was
jealous and wanted to be God. You can see that this type of earthly
wisdom and power is not spiritual. We must come out of the world
{Egypt}, before we can go to the promised land {heaven}. We must do
away with all desires of the flesh to be of God.

     James 3:16 "For where envying and strife [is], there [is]
confusion and every evil work."

     The natural man does not receive the things of God. Envy and
strife are of the flesh. We must crucify the flesh to live with
Christ. Envy causes many other sins. Christians are in this world, but
we should not be controlled by earthly desires.

     James 3:17 "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then
peaceable, gentle, [and] easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good
fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy."

     Notice the word "but" in the verse above. It shows a direct
contrast to the earthly man. This has jumped to those who are sold out
to God. The wisdom from above comes to the believers. This wisdom is
stored in a heart that is pure. Knowing of the security that is in
Christ brings peace. When we are at peace with God and man, we are
gentle. If we expect God to be merciful to us, we must be merciful to
others. Christians should bear good fruit. You cannot be a Christian
and a hypocrite at the same time. A true Christian is 100% the Lord's.

     James 3:18 "And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of
them that make peace."

     Matthew 5:9 "Blessed [are] the peacemakers: for they shall be
called the children of God." John 4:36 "And he that reapeth receiveth
wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth
and he that reapeth may rejoice together."



















                          James 5 Questions


1.  Why does it say in verse 1, they shall receive greater
    condemnation?
2.  What is this a possible reminder of?
3.  Who is the true Teacher of all?
4.  If any man offend not in word, the same is a _________ man.
5.  What is the most evil part of the body?
6.  Quote 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 10.
7.  The tongue can do a great deal of harm, if it is not controlled of
    _____.
8.  The words of the tongue originate in the ________.
9.  Why do we put bits in the horses' mouths?
10. What changes the direction of a ship?
11. What reveals to the world where we are with God?
12. The tongue is a ______, a world of iniquity.
13. What is wrong with the tongue in verse 6?
14. What difficult things, to be tamed, were tamed in verse 7?
15. What is the unruly, evil tongue full of?
16. Quote Psalms chapter 34 verse 13.
17. How is the only way any of us can speak pure words?
18. Therewith bless we the Father, and ________ men.
19. What were the 2 commandments that Jesus gave that covered all?
20. It is an impossibility to love God and hate His _____________.
21. In verse 10, what did James say, ought not to be so?
22. To say we are a Christian is not enough. We must be ___________.
23. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place ________ water and
    ________?
24. What is the well, spoken of in verse 11?
25. Quote Matthew chapter 12 verse 34.
26. Quote Luke chapter 6 verse 45.
27. Why does the author believe that a true Christian can not be
    possessed of a devil?
28. Wisdom is a ________ from ___.
29. What 2 things reveal to the world what you are in Christ?
30. What one word describes what wanting something that belongs to
    someone else is?
31. Where does bitterness and strife come from?
32. Quote James chapter 3 verse 17.
33. Quote John chapter 4 verse 36.