Paul was concerned, in the book of Romans, with our direct relationship to God, through faith and grace, and not by the law. James is concerned with the very real problem of a Christian living up to the faith he professes. It is significant that he begins by discussing the role of temptation in the practical business of living the Christian life.
James was obviously one of the main leaders of the church in Jerusalem. In this letter, he addresses his remarks to those he calls "my brothers", over and over again. His is not a message for a corporate body called the church. He is directing his words to the individual, and to problems the individual faces as he tries to live as a Christian in a pagan world. Therefore, this is a most important book for us to study in this age of corporate religion, mega-churches, and organized religious bodies. We are in danger of losing our individual relationship with the Father, and our personal responsibility to live our Christianity in our daily lives, when we are caught up in the well-orchestrated rituals of the corporate body we call the church.
Temptation, which could be called the main theme of the book of James, is the force in life which causes us to be deterred, from the road we should travel, by that which appeals to our self-interest and our animal desires. Jeremiah said, "It is not within man that walketh to direct his steps". Jesus prayed that God would lead us not in the path we, as weak humans, would go, but away from the path of temptation. James is saying the same thing, for he says the only way to overcome the multiple temptations we face each day is to ask God for wisdom. That is why prayer should be a vital part of the Christian's life every day.
However, James realizes that prayer can become a ritual, like saying grace at the table, or a ritual of the Sunday worship service. He therefore, in his very practical way, admonishes us that real, effective prayer must be accompanied by a sincere desire to be guided from above, a genuine faith that God will hear and answer, and a willingness to follow His will, rather than one's own desires. Any other prayer, James says, is an empty waste of time. The ritual prayers, which are often a part of our corporate worship, avail nothing.
I do not mean to criticize those who try to word public prayers. However, they are often generalized recitations of our needs and desires. I often wonder how much those, who are supposed to be the worshippers, connect with the thoughts expressed, and how much faith they place in the process. Prayer should always be accompanied by an awesome feeling of being in the presence of God, and believing that our heart-felt desires bring forth a loving response from Him. Any other activity, that is called a prayer, must pain heaven.
Finally, we note that James says we should find joy in temptations. This is not the joy of "fun", or recreational pleasure. This is the joy of the athlete, who faces the painful task of training with the joy of anticipating becoming better at his participation in the games. It is not "fun" to suffer the pain of training, but it is worth it when you win. Just so the Christian. It is painful to give up my self-interest, and to deny my animal desires, but if I really want to be God's person, the strength I build by dealing with temptation is a happy exercise. It all depends on how much I really want to be a Christian. Too many of us want to be "members of the club", and receive the reward, but are unwilling to deny self, and really have a personal
relationship with the Father.
Next week we will talk about perseverance...making the Christian life a habit...developing what I call intuitive faith.
