James 1 - The Wisdom Of The Brother Of JesusSample

New birth

Far from sending ‘temptations’, God in fact sends good and perfect gifts (v.17). These come down ‘from above’ from the Father of the ‘heavenly lights’, a reference to God as the One who created the heavenly bodies (Gen 1:14-19). But what are these gifts from the Father? 

Part of the answer is found in the next verse: “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth” (v.18). Having previously mentioned the birth of sin and death, James now urges us to contemplate the much greater birth, the one that came about when we heard and trusted God’s word, the message of Jesus. The theme of ‘new birth’ comes straight from Jesus (John 3:3-8). It is only this new life, being born of the Spirit through God’s word, that delivers us from death and sets us on God’s path. 

This gift of spiritual birth comes from the hands of One who “does not change like shifting shadows” (v.17). Our salvation, therefore, is grounded not in our incomplete efforts at obedience but in the immovable, unchanging character of God. 

The gifts of a changeless God

According to James, our spiritual birth as God’s children is a gift from on-high not a payment for work carried out here below. No matter how strong is James’ insistence on good works, his starting point is grace: our spiritual birth is a gift brought about by God’s word. For James, the life of the Christian is premised on the miracle of divine rebirth and guaranteed by God’s changeless character.

The ‘gifts from above’ may also include the gift of wisdom. This is suggested partly by the fact that James has already described wisdom as a gift from God’s hand (1:5) but also because in 3:17 he will describe true wisdom as being from above. 

For James, then, the gifts from heaven are two-fold: new birth through God’s word and a knowledge of how God wants us to live in His world (wisdom). In James’ thought, of course, these are two sides of the same coin. We are reborn to walk in the paths of God.

Remember God’s provision

As challenging as James’ call for godly perseverance appears, his words are filled with encouragement to the believer to rest in the marvellous provisions of God. In particular, we should always remember that our new birth as Christians is not dependent on our efforts to be godly. Rather, it is based on the unchanging character of a gracious God. He “chose to give us birth through the word of truth.” Our place before God, therefore, derives not from our intentions or resources but from His choice, His gift and His word. As much as we must strive to live up to these divine privileges, we must also relax and revel in them. 

Our current inadequacies in the Christian life should not cause despondency; they should motivate us to thank God for His grace and to pray for a deeper experience of His gift of wisdom.