“If any of your lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God.” This is simple enough, yet when we need wisdom oftentimes we are quick to go not to the Lord, but to other people or to books or to sermon series. And these things are all good in and of themselves. Indeed, prayers for wisdom will oftentimes lead us to pursue sound resources. Yet first and foremost, we must ask God.

God Himself is the fountain of all wisdom. For He is infinite and perfect in wisdom. No doubt, He will use various kinds of means to give us wisdom in the face of various kinds of trials. But as this text makes plain, He will do so in answer to our prayers for wisdom. So no matter what our situation may be, before anything else and amidst any other activity, let us ask God for wisdom.

And the beauty of it is that we have plenty of reasons for confidence that the God of the universe will graciously answer our requests for wisdom. For as James moves on to tell us, 1) He [God] gives [or is giving]… 2) He gives generously… 3) He gives generously to all without reproach.

First, God is a God who gives or a God who, literally, is giving. Meaning, He is not a God who gives once in a while on a whim, but a God whose very nature is to give. A God who gives continually. A God who gives all the time. Indeed, a God who cannot help but give!

Isaiah 64:4 reads, “From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.” Here is a vision of God that no man would devise, a God who, rather than demanding that His people act for Him, tells them to wait so that He might act for them. A God who is so full in and of Himself that He has no need that man must meet, no lack that man must supply. A God who continually overflows from the fullness of His glory to act for and give to His people.

The various gods of the nations made various demands of man while giving little to nothing. They were not the actors in the relationship. Instead, they received. They demanded continual appeasement. But “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:24-25).

When we pray for wisdom, our confidence lies not in the strength of our request (though as we will see, we must believe), but in the nature of God. Indeed, in the very nature of the One who came down in the Person of His Son to give His life as a ransom for many. Do we have difficulty recognizing that God is a God who gives? Well then, let us look to the Person of Jesus Christ, to His life, death, and resurrection. Let us look to Him until we recognize full well the incredible nature of the giving God.

Second, note that God is a God who gives generously. He is not stingy. He is not cheap. He does not need to be convinced to give something that He does not otherwise want to give. O no! The Lord is lavish in His giving. He is extravagant in His bounty and blessing. He not only gives, but He gives generously.

A good father not only wants to give good gifts to His children, but to give them in abundance. Yet a good father may be limited by His resources. Or by His wisdom (he isn’t sure what is best to give). Or by his own desires (he wants to spend it on something else). Whatever the limitations, however, there are no limitations with the Lord. For He owns all things. He knows all things. And He is so full in and of Himself that He must never look to His own needs before the needs of others. In short, there is nothing standing in the way of God’s generous giving.

And this is true ultimately because of Jesus Christ. Notice the logic of Romans 8:32, “If God did not spare His own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” Are we in need of wisdom? Well then, considering that God has given the life of His Son for us, how difficult will it be for Him to give us wisdom? Will we have to twist His arm? I think not. His generosity is made plain in the cross of Jesus Christ. When the Lord Almighty gives, He gives with unparalleled generosity. Our requests for wisdom, then, can certainly be full of confidence.

“If any of your lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

First, recognize the context. James is still speaking to people who are in the midst of various kinds of trials. Sure, these verses might not, on the surface at least, seem to fit with verses 2-4, but James’ words concerning wisdom actually fit quite well. For as the IVP commentary on the book of James notes, those who find themselves in the midst of trials oftentimes do not know what to do. They may be confused, hurt, full of fear, or even angry. Whatever their response, however, the oftentimes easily recognize their need for divine wisdom.

Various internal struggles come with the facing of various kinds of trials. Surely, when trials are faced, questions arise. Why is this happening to me? Did I do something wrong? How should I respond? And all of these questions point to a need for wisdom. Note: Trials are good not only because they teach us steadfastness, but because they show us our need to cry out to God for wisdom. They humble us and force us to resist the tendency to petition the Lord for secondary matters. The need for wisdom is a primary need. Sure, we could petition the Lord for many other things, but if we petition him for this one thing–wisdom–we oftentimes receive the many.

Second, notice James’ words, If any of you…. Certain situations (trials of various kinds in particular), cause us to recognize our need more than others. A child is persisting in disobedience while you do all you know how to do to discipline him. You have come to the end of your course and recognize the need for greater wisdom. Or consistent difficulties have arisen in your work. Is this an indication that the Lord wants you to move on or to stay and learn perseverance? Or persecutions have come to the area you work in as a missionary. Are they to be embraced or are they indications that it is time for you to leave? Or doctrinal difficulties have arisen in your Church? Are you to keep silent or to speak out? All of these situations, and many more, cause us to recognize our need. They place us in the category of ‘any of you.’

And yet, no matter what our present situation may be, we need wisdom. Sure, our circumstances may not seem that difficult. But might we be handling them might better if we were consistently crying out to the Lord for wisdom? James says, “If any of you…” but we might say that he is addressing all of us all the time. Sure, not to the same degree, but to some degree nonetheless.

Wisdom and humility go hand in hand. Because it is impossible to have wisdom without first recognizing that you don’t have everything figured out. And we never have everything figured out. Therefore, prayers for wisdom should continually flow from our lips. It is usually ignorance and arrogance that leads us to keep our mouths silent and to think that we have things all figured out. But it is humility and wisdom that leads us to recognize our continual need for wisdom. The two go hand-in-hand. Humility leads to prayers for wisdom. And prayers for wisdom lead to greater humility. Therefore take note: we are wise to pray for wisdom in every sphere of life, every single day.

Let us ask ourselves then: Am I making such petitions daily? And if not, how can I make it my habit to do so? Consistent prayers for wisdom should be the habit of every Christian. May the Lord grant us the grace to make them just that.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Who among us does not want to become mature and complete, lacking in nothing? And yet, as usual, while we desire the end, we are inclined to despise the means. But I ask you to simply imagine for a moment what it would be like to be mature and complete lacking in nothing. What would it be like to be free from your selfishness and self-pity and pride and laziness and impatience and lack of discipline and whatever other sin you can think of? What would it be like to be free from the things that hinder your fellowship with God and other people? What would it be like to overflow consistently with the fruit of the Holy Spirit? Can you imagine it just for a moment? Can you think of the joy?!

I ask these questions, because vision is needed. Clarity of vision is necessary. For James knows full well that we as human beings can endure and rejoice in any difficulty if we see clearly what that difficulty is designed to bring us. That is, if the end goal is precious enough to us, we can endure and rejoice in whatever the means. Human history and personal experience makes this psychological reality very plain.

Therefore, James wants us to lift up our eyes to who we can become, so that we might face the trials of today with utmost rejoicing. A basketball player cannot rejoice in pushing his body to the max day after day without a clear vision of his goal. A woman cannot rejoice in the pains of labor if she loses sight of the joy of a baby soon to come. Do you then, have a clear vision of maturity and completeness? And if you possess such a vision, do you think more about the goal or about the trials? Do you think more about the end, or about the means?

Much of our trouble in life flows from our lack of vision. We become so mired in the day to day difficulties of life that we lose sight of who God wants to make us and the place He has prepared for us. We despise the means because we lose sight of the end. We do not want to train because we have forgotten about the big game. We forget about maturity and completeness and therefore, grumble in the face of difficulty.

And yet God calls us to look beyond the means to the greater end, to look to things unseen.

“For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that re unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

The thinking is the same right? Clarify your vision. Clarify your goal. And look to that goal day after day so that you might embrace the various kinds of trials that will inevitably come. Do you want to become mature and complete, lacking in nothing? Do you want an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison? Then look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. Keep the eternal weight of glory in view. Think consistently of maturity and completeness. For then, and only then, will you be able to look your trials in the eye, so to speak, and say, “You are well worth it.” Then and only then will you have the strength to count your various trials all joy.

O Lord, make us a people of vision! Help us, O God, to focus on the end, so that we might embrace the means to that end. Clarify our vision of maturity and completeness. Capture our hearts with a vision of that eternal weight of glory that you long to give us, so that we might look to the things that are unseen and embrace every sort of trial as all joy. O God, grant us such grace in the name of your Son. For it is in His name that we pray. Amen and Amen.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

“…for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” Notice first the words, for you know. Recognize that in order to embrace your trials of various kinds as pure joy you have to know something. You have to be intellectually aware of a reality that is not seen on the surface, a reality revealed, a reality made known to us. Note: it is vital for us to fill our minds with Bible truth. For we cannot live as we desire until we think as God would have us to. If you and I want to be people of maturity and completeness, we need to know a great deal. We need to be diligent students of the Scriptures. Intellectual knowledge must never be despised; for it is, according to this verse, the means by which we can rejoice in the face of trials.

Second, note the words testing of your faith. Realize that all tests are designed for at least two things. 1) to see if your faith is genuine and 2) to deepen your faith…to really make that faith your own. This is the sense in which James is using the word here.

Tests, then, must never be despised, for the man whose faith is never tested cannot know if his faith is real. We never know what strength lies inside us until we are forced to muster up every ounce of strength within. We must face obstacles that we have never faced before if we would know what really lies inside of us. Therefore, tests must come to the Christian. Indeed, tests are a token of God’s love.

Not only are tests designed to reveal faith, however, but as James makes plain here, tests are designed to strengthen faith, to make it the kind of faith that perseveres. A student takes a test not only to see what he knows, but to help him really know what he knows. To help his knowledge sink in just a bit deeper. A weight lifter puts on a few extra pounds not simply to see how strong he is, but to grow stronger still. So the Lord uses trials of various kinds as means to strengthen us into people of perseverance. He uses tests to make you someone you are not right now, but someone who you want to become. He uses tests to push you to the brink, to not only see what you are made of, but to make you the man or woman He created you to be.

I have heard it said that the reward for passing a test in God’s classroom is the facing of a harder one. It isn’t the whole truth, but it is truth. The Lord loves us so much that He will not allow our faith to atrophy. We will never ‘arrive.’ If a man lifts the same weight and performs the same exercises year after year without every challenging himself, his muscles will not grow stronger, but weaker. They will adapt, for they, in order to grow stronger, must be pushed. And so it is with faith. Testings are necessary. They are a must. Trials of various kinds are our friends, our helpers, our servants. For they are designed to 1) show that we are real and 2) make us who the Lord longs for us to become.

Third, note that the proper response to the testing of our faith produces steadfastness. This is one aspect, one quality, that the Lord is jealous for us to possess. And this is a quality that must be learned. After all, I have not known anyone who was naturally inclined to face trials of various kinds with all joy. No child emerges from the womb with such a perspective. No baby is born as a child of steadfastness. O no! Sin is real and it has made us people who want to cruise, people who want to simply relax and gently lounge our way to Heaven. And yet, those who lounge, those who cruise, cruise not to Heaven, but to Hell. Hell, not Heaven, is our default destination.

So steadfastness must be learned. And trials of various kinds are our teachers. They are designed not to hurt us, but to help us become all that we desire to become. They are designed to make us people of steadfast faithfulness, people of perseverance. People who are not rattled at difficulties large or small, but people who persist in the face of trial, indeed, people who rejoice.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

“Count it…” Realize that this command to rejoice in various kinds of trials is not a command to rejoice in them as joys in and of themselves. As these set of verses make plain, James is calling us to look beneath the surface of things, to go deeper, to see things with spiritual clarity, to see things as they really are.

James is not telling us that various kinds of trials are ends, but they are means to a greater end. Therefore, they can and should be counted all joy. He is saying, “Of course, suffering isn’t joyful in and of itself. But it can be counted all joy, because you can realize that it is the means to becoming a person of perseverance, a person of completeness…indeed, to becoming all that the Lord created you to be.”

Practically speaking, when we face trials of various kinds (and we face them every day), it is necessary to view them in two ways. First, they are not good. Second, they are good.

Though these two statements might seem to conflict, in Christian experience, they can coexist. For the first statement is a recognition that things aren’t as they are supposed to be. After all, we were not, in the very beginning, created and placed in an earth full of suffering. No. The Lord created us and placed us in paradise, in perfection. And it was us, via Adam and Even, who corrupted our perfect selves and this perfect place. Our sin has led to the corruption of this place and our longing for a better day. So no. Suffering is not good. It isn’t the way things are supposed to be. And because of what Jesus Christ has done, we are promised that one day it will all be wiped out!

Yet at the same time, here and now, suffering is good. Various kinds of trials are blessings as they are means to the greater end of becoming the people we were created to be. Yes. Redemption has come in Christ Jesus. One day sin will be eradicated entirely. All things will be made new. There will be no trials of various kinds. But that day has not yet come. And right now, the Lord is interested in reversing the fall in us, as it were, and in making us people who reverse the effects of the fall in all creation. He is interested in making us reach our full potential. Indeed, He is jealous to make us all He created us to be. And in this fallen world, He uses various kinds of trials to accomplish just that. Therefore, they can be counted all joy. They can be seen in a different light and embraced not as ends in and of themselves, but as means to the greater end of Christian maturity.

“…all joy…” Having said all of that, notice also that we are commanded to count it all joy when we face trials of various kinds. Not a little joy. Not partial joy. But all joy. Full joy. Pure joy. Deep and abiding joy. Joy that cannot be taken away. James is honesty telling us to, even or especially in the face of trial, rejoice!

“…when you meet trials of various kinds…” But note that James does not limit this rejoicing to a certain kind of trail. And notice that he doesn’t use the word if. Instead, he tells us to rejoice or count it all joy when we meet trials of various kinds.

Of course, this doesn’t include trials we bring upon ourselves. Oftentimes we sin and must face the consequences. These are excluded, yes. But I can’t think of much else that is. For these terms are all-inclusive. They include everything that a Christian might face during the course of his walk with Christ on this Earth. Are you sick? Is your work difficult? Is someone speaking ill of you though you have done them no wrong? Are you having difficulties as a parent or as a friend? Is traffic tight? Is your computer down or your Internet not working?

Well then, first, James (and the Lord) wants to make sure that you are not surprised. For he uses the word, when. “…when you meet trials of various kinds.” Therefore, don’t be caught off-guard by these struggles. Don’t think they are anything out of the ordinary. No. On the contrary, they are ordinary. Or even less than ordinary in a world affected by sin.

How often do we struggle in the face of various trials because we are somehow caught off-guard by their presence? It happens to me time and again. Yet the Word makes it plain that rather than being surprised when trials come, I should probably be surprised when they don’t come. For they are a normal part of life–especially for the Christian. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing that should take us by surprise. Sin is that real. We can’t help but run into its effects at our every turn. Therefore, various kinds of trials should never take us by surprise.

Second, James wants us to know that the command to count it all joy applies to trials of various kinds. That means everything really. These are the big things and the little things of life that God, in His infinite wisdom uses to make you more like His Son. Sure, it might seem a little messy, but that is because we are so finite. The Lord knows what He is doing. And, in the end, so do we, for he tells us in the coming two verses.

Steadfastness…maturity….completeness….lacking in nothing. Is this what we desire? Well then, we have ample reason to count our trials of various kinds as pure joy.

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.”

Now take note of 3) James’ audience and 4) his greeting.

Third, his audience. “To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion.” Here it seems obvious enough that James is writing to Christian Jews (“the twelve tribes”) who had been dispersed from the city of Jerusalem by some sort of persecution. We know from the book of Acts that after the stoning of Stephen, many or most Christians left the city because a great persecution arose. James, however, remained and, in the end, was probably stoned to death for His faith in Jesus Christ.

Note then that the people James is writing to are people who are well acquainted with suffering already. For even if they had found a ‘safe’ place to live somewhere within the Roman Empire, they were still displaced. They were not home. They no longer enjoyed the comforts of their normal cultural and historical setting. And if you have never spent a lengthy period of time away from your home in another culture, you probably don’t realize how much comfort and security and happiness you derive from the familiar place you call home. Well, these people may not have realized it either, but after moving away, after facing persecution and being forced to become exiles once again, they surely missed the only home they probably ever knew.

Combine all that with the reality that Christianity was not normally well received in the Roman Empire during that period of time, and you know full well that James was writing to a people who were familiar with suffering. Indeed, immediately following his greeting, James exhorts his audience to count it all joy when they face trials of various kinds. This was at the forefront of his thinking. When he began to speak, these words spilled right out.

So these were a people who had faced and were facing various kinds of trials. Not simply persecution. And not simply missing home. But all the various trials of life. They were an exiled people, a displaced people, a people without a homeland as it were. And it is precisely here that we are forced to realize that James’ audience is not limited only to these first century believing Jews. For we who believe in Jesus are also among the Dispersion or diaspora. We are exiles longing for the coming of our true home. And we too are called to live our Christian lives where the Lord presently has placed us.

You see, these believing Jews may have been forced out of Jerusalem for their faith. But certainly we know that the Lord had a purpose behind it. Maybe, just maybe, the Christians in Jerusalem though they could take over the city, creating a Christian city as it were. But the Lord said no. It is time to go out. Be displaced. Spread the message by living as you ought where you are.

So yes, James was speaking to dispersed, first-century, believing Jews. But, whether he realized it then or not, he was also writing for us. Therefore, we are wise to listen well.

Fourth, James’ greeting: “Greetings.” Now that might not seem very special up front, but there is a whole lot beneath that simple English word that makes “Greetings” a lot more powerful. The Greek word is χαίρειν or chairein. It means literally to rejoice, be glad, or be delighted. Used as a greeting, it means something like, “Joy be to you.”

I like that personally. Indeed, I would like to start my emails to everyone I know with such a greeting. “Joy be to you.” “Be delighted.” “May rejoicing be yours.” That’s a nice way to get things started.

Yet before we go too far, let us remember who James was and is writing to. Let us recall the various kinds of trials that will be mentioned in the very next verse. Let us remember dispersion, despair, difficulty, and death. All these are being faced by James’ audience. Indeed, they were probably being faced by James at that very moment. Yet here he is, telling them to rejoice, telling them up front, with his greeting, that joy can and should by theirs! That’s a bold move, but one he certainly had great reason for.

We will see his many reasons for such a greeting throughout this letter, but suffice it to say now that no matter what we are facing, no matter what kind of trial is presently ours, we can know joy and we can give joy-filled greetings. Though we may be scattered from home, exiles going about our life’s business in a foreign land, Jesus Christ is seated on the throne. God is working all things out for our good and His glory. Yes, we may (and ought to) be longing for our true home, where righteousness dwells. But this longing ought not to cause despair, but instead, a hope-filled rejoicing. O God, grant us the grace to become a people of unshakable joy.

Read this chapter and marvel not at Aaron and his garments, but at Christ and His garments. At our great High Priest, who has gone through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. Clearly, Aaron went before the Lord on behalf of the people. He put on his garments in order to face God and make things right with God not only for himself, but for the entire people of Israel. And so it is with Jesus Christ.

But Jesus Christ went into the Holy of Holies not day after day, but one time with the great sacrifice of Himself. He went before the Lord to make things right for us, at the cost of His own life.

O let us read Exodus 28 and marvel at the worth and beauty of our great High Priest and Savior!

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.”

Take note of four things: 1) the author 2) his description of himself 3) his audience and 4) his greeting.

First, the author. His name, obviously enough, is James. He is believed to have been the very brother of Jesus and a central leader of the church in Jerusalem. He was probably writing from there after a great persecution arose. Many believers scattered, but he remained. [Note: One might be led to flee in the face of persecution, while another led to stay. Neither should look down upon the other, for the Lord has different reasons (and callings) for each. Only let each one live unto the Lord.]

Surely, James was not a believer in his brother before the resurrection. He was probably among his mother and brothers when they sought to find Jesus in order to exhort him to get into his right mind. Yet now, he was steadfast in his belief that his brother was the Christ. This is a great witness to the authenticity of our Savior. For if He was able to convince those closest to Him that He was the Christ, He must have been the real thing. After all, if there were faults, those closest to Him would have been most aware.

Second, James’ description of himself: “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.” In light of his relationship to Jesus, it is quite telling that he calls himself a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not a servant of his brother, but a servant of his Master, Jesus Christ. And of course, they are one in the same for him. Anyhow, his description of himself as a servant is one that we all ought to adopt in regular usage. In our day and age, it may seem quite strange, but it wasn’t exactly a term of high privilege and status in James’ day either.

Of course, our place as servants of the Lord is only one biblical picture. After all, we are called sons and daughters, heirs of the grace of life, children of the Living God, and even brothers and sisters to our elder brother, Jesus Christ. Yet we are still servants, and we need to see ourselves as such. We are not our own. Our first allegiance is not to ourselves, but to our God (though we do what’s best for ourselves by submitting to God!). For we have been chosen and paid for and raised to new life by our God and Master. And though it may not seem to point to true freedom, it does. For it is only as a servant of the Lord that we find true freedom. Only those who lose their lives can gain them. The first shall be last, but the last first. Freedom is found in slavery to the Lord.

Let us ask ourselves: are we really aware of our place as servants? And if we know it intellectually (after all, it is plain in Scripture), are we willing to embrace it emotionally? I mean, are we really willing to view ourselves as such? Lowly, yet privileged, servants of the Most High God? Indeed, are willing to embrace the implications of such status?

Think about it: Jesus Christ is our Master. We are not our own, but His. He has full ownership rights over us and can command us as He wils. The implications can make me a bit nervous, I confess. After all, this means that my life is not my own. This means that no matter what my plans may be, it is the Lord’s plan for me that ultimately matters. This means that when He speaks, my initial reaction ought to be not to speak myself, but to listen and to obey. For I am His servant. He is my Master.

Of course, this doesn’t negate my will or desires. It just means that my will and desires must be submitted to Him. It means that when things don’t go the way I think they should, I have no cause to grumble, no cause to complain. For He has full rights to lead and guide me as His pleases for the sake of His name. And praise God that He does just that! Thank you Lord for being such a wonderful Master! For if you left me to myself, O God; if you gave me all that I desired, I would make shipwreck of my own life and hurt many others.

O Lord, give us the clarity of mind and humility of heart to embrace our place as your servants. Thank you for being such a gracious and wise Master. Please humble us and patiently teach us to submit ourselves to you for our joy and your glory. In name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

We looked yesterday at our great need to think true thoughts about God. In particular, we thought about the incredible joy God finds in giving good gifts to undeserving people like ourselves. He is a God who gives not because we somehow convince Him to do what He otherwise would not do, but because it is His joy to give. He is constrained by nothing else but His own infinite pleasure. His giving is an overflow of who He is. He is so self-satisfied that He cannot help but overflow to share His infinite happiness in the giving of good gifts.

Today, we look at the words, “with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” For it is here that we find even greater comfort and thanksgiving and confidence in God’s goodness. For it is here that we learn that if it is God’s good pleasure to give good gifts one day, it is God’s good pleasure to give good gifts everyday. If He delights to give good gifts at all, He delights to do so all the time. For as He said through the prophet Malachi, “I the Lord do not change” (3:6).

The theological word for this is immutable. It means that God is unchanging over time, indeed, that He cannot change. For if He could change for the better, He would not now be God. And if He could change for the worse, He would cease to be God. Unlike us, the Lord cannot rise to greater heights. He cannot somehow grow or improve His character, for He is perfect, infinitely perfect in every fashion. He is the essence of true beauty and holiness. He is the Measure of all things. As such, He cannot grow either better or worse.

As the Lord responded to Moses when he asked Him for His name, “I AM WHO I AM.” What’s that mean? Well, it means a whole lot more than I can say right here, but it certainly serves to reveal the fact that He is unchanging. He is who He is. He will be who He will be. God alone is the great determiner of all reality. It is by Him that we define all else. And the only reason we can define anything else with any true confidence is because God is a God who does not change.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So it is with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Who God was in eternity past (if there is such a thing), He is now, and will forever be into eternity future. God is fully God now. But that is not due to some sort of maturation process. O no! For who He is now, He has forever been and will forever be. He, in all His splendor, is infinite and immutable.

To some, such talk may seem incredibly impractical. And on the surface, they may have a point. Yet they fail to realize that nothing is more practical than the knowledge of God. For look here, within these verses, and take notice that our knowledge of God’s immutability is a means by which we keep ourselves from being deceived. For O how apt we are to think wrong thoughts about God! How apt we are to think that God has somehow woken up on the wrong side of the bed today, that He just may be in a bad mood at this moment. That He has somehow grown impatient with our weaknesses and sins. That He, at least right now, just doesn’t want to give.

But it is here, right here, that God’s goodness and immutability shatters such false thinking and serves to give us hope. No. God is not in a bad mood today. He is not like us, in our frailty and weakness. He does not wake up on the wrong side of the bed, so to speak. For He is unchangeable. Who He was 10,000 years ago, He is today. And He will be tomorrow. He has always loved to give good gifts to His children, so that must be true today….for you….for me. O let us rejoice!

Our God gives good gifts at just the right time. He is never stingy, never holding back something that would be good for us. And He is never changing. He is forever the same. O God, let this truth sink down deep into our souls. Have mercy, O Lord. Have mercy. Help us to believe what we ought to believe about you.

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

James has just told us that we ought not to consider God the author of temptation, but that we ought to realize that our problem is within. It’s with us. After saying this, he now makes clear that rather than being the author of temptation, God is the author of all good. He is the One from whom every single blessing flows.

He begins with a warning, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.” You can sense his heart here can’t you? He is longing for his ‘beloved brothers’ not to be deceived about the character of God. He is jealous that they know Him for who He really is and be on guard against any distortion of His character. We ought to be so jealous for one another. In particular, we ought to be jealous for each other’s view of God. Few things should grieve us more than brothers and/or sisters in Christ who do not know God as He is. After all (as Tozer once said), what comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. Our understanding of Him is the great determiner of our greatness. We are desperate to know Him as He has revealed Himself. And if we love one another, we will do whatever we can to keep each other from false notions about the Lord. Let us ask ourselves: how much am I grieved by false notions of God?

James then follows up this heartfelt warning not to be deceived with the truth about God. He is not the author of temptation, but instead the Giver of every good and perfect gift. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

All that we enjoy, indeed, all that we might not fully enjoy, but that is working for our good flows from the hand of Almighty God. He is the Giver of every good gift. He is the author of all good, for He is Good. And He is not stingy with His gifts by any means. Instead, He is jealous to give good gifts to His children. The most loving father in all the world, no matter how jealous he is to give what is best to His children, can’t hold a candle to the Lord. For the Lord abounds in goodness. It is His unending joy to give. Indeed, it is inherent in who He is to be a Giver. After all, He has no lack that we must supply. He has no need that must be met by the likes of us or anyone else. No. He is so infinitely full in and of Himself that He cannot help but consistently and eternally overflow. And O let us marvel at the fact that He has chosen to overflow into the likes of us!

Have we been amazed by this lately? And do we really believe this right now? If you are in Christ Jesus, you do not have to wring the arm of God and bug Him for blessing. You do not somehow have to convince Him to do what He otherwise doesn’t want to do. May it never be! For our Lord is jealous to give you every good gift to enjoy. And He is fully capable of giving us whatever He desires. Take note once again: it is His joy to give every good gift to you.

A final note is needed here. For we must recognize that God is not only capable of giving gifts, but He knows exactly what gifts are best for us. That is, He knows what gifts are truly good and perfect. For we are like young children, all of us, desiring gifts that really would not be good for our highest enjoyment and development of character. Our Heavenly Father is the perfect Father. Because He loves us, He will not spoil us with gifts that might destroy who we are and who we want to become. No. In His infinite wisdom, He withholds many gifts that we might desire in order to do us greater good in the end.

So then, let us not be deceived about the character of God. Let us take pains to think true thoughts about Him and to help each other do the same.