GOD REVEALED – A New Testament Journey (PART 7)Voorbeeld

James – All or Nothing The binary code has taken the world by storm through the computer revolution. It forms a part and parcel of living. The spiritual realm is also governed by a different kind of binary perspective. James highlights this in a unique manner. When we follow Christ we are all in (1) or all out (0). There is no in-between (1:10). James differentiates people clearly into (1:22):  The doers (1)  The deceivers (0) At the end he deals with the in-between category of the drifters who will eventually fall into one of the above categories. The binary perspective as per James covers 10 aspects - in each of these we see the positive characteristics of doers and negative characteristics of deceivers. - Two kinds of attitude - Persevering (1:2-4) or complaining (5:2): Trials help us achieve perfection. Complaints invoke judgment. - Two kinds of prayers (1:6-8) - Bold or doubtful: A bold prayer of faith is tuned to God’s will and not biased by our wishes. - Two kinds of pride (James 1:9-10) - In Christ or in humiliation: The proud are bound to face humiliation while the humble will be lifted. - Two kinds of listening - Hearers and doers or hearers only (1:23-24): Listening from the heart results in transformation of our lives and those around us. - Two kinds of religion - Pure and spotless or worthless (1:27): Religion should strengthen our relationship with God and with others. - Two kinds of wealth - Kingdom or world (2:5): Are we investing on eternity or spending on the world? - Two kinds of belief - Acting or shuddering (2:19): If we don’t act on our faith, we are left to shudder at the consequences. - Two kinds of speech - Sweet or bitter (3:3, 6-11): true words come from within and cannot be masked. - Two kinds of wisdom - Of God or of the world (3:17): We may not be the sharpest and smartest in human terms but can attain a wealth of understanding of God if we seek it. - Two kinds of friendship - With God or with the world (4:4): We cannot have deep connections with both. The drifters are precious lives to be rescued. “Don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back.” James 5:19-20 Message. Prevent an epidemic of drifters. Which aspects do we find ourselves compromising on? What do we find most challenging? How can we achieve a clear “1” in all aspects and be “doers”? How can we achieve a clear “1” in all aspects and be “doers”?