Arcing Assignment 10
James 1:1-27
God's perfecting gifts come in puzzling packages.
#purpose
#sovereignGod
#hiswaysarebest
Published January 18th, 2019; Updated January 18th, 2019
Main point summary
James 1:16-18
notes
Main point summary
God provides good and perfect "gifts" (trials of faith that complete us) because we (regenerated children of God) are created to be the preview of His perfect creation.
James 1:16-18
NT
James 1:16-18
esv
mine
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
Don't feel tricked or abandoned when you are buffeted and tried by various circumstances.
z Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
But rather recognize that these trials which are purposed to produces steadfastness (vs. 3) which leads to being mature, fully formed, completed-- recognize that these situations are not ultimately from this world but are from heaven,
coming down from a the Father of lights
that is to say they come to us from God,
b with whom there is no variation or shadow
let me explain something about our God, he is not fickle, and double minded
due to change. 1
because He does not change his mind towards us or decide to cast us off.
ground
ideaexplanation
c Of his own will he d brought us forth
God graciously provides these perfecting "gifts" of trials because He alone desired to create us
by the word of truth,
by the means of the gospel of Jesus Christ,
actionmanner
e that we should be a kind of f firstfruits of his creatures.
for this purpose : that we would be the beginning or the preview of His final recreated universe as Christ-like images.
actionpurpose
negativepositive
I'm taking this to be a kind of ironic way of talking about the trials that have been already mentioned in previous verses. These trials which we are to consider as joy because of there ability to make us "perfect and complete" are what I think James has in mind when he says "every good gift and every perfect gift."
discourse
Comments
Brent Karding
Disclaimer: The opinions and conclusions expressed on this page are those of the author and may or may not accord with the positions of Biblearc or Bethlehem College & Seminary.