Expository on the Book of James – Chapter 1
Expository on the Book of James – Chapter 1
James 1:1
“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.”
Let me give you a little background on James and this letter.
There are a few men named James in the Bible—it was a popular Hebrew name.
But this James is Jesus’ biological brother.
At first, James did not believe in who Jesus claimed to be, but later he became a believer and a prominent leader in the ekklesia in Jerusalem.
He played a key role in the Bible in Acts 15, when the apostles and elders met to decide whether Gentiles had to keep the Law of Moses.
That meeting became known as the Council of Jerusalem, and James was on that council.
This letter is addressed to “the twelve tribes scattered among the nations”—in other words, the Jewish believers living outside of Israel.
That’s important because of the next verse.
James 1:2–4
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Let’s stop there.
These Jews were living outside of Israel because a great persecution broke out after the stoning of Stephen (read about this in Acts 8).
So James is writing to comfort these believers in the face of trials and tribulations.
They would have been shunned by their communities, rejected by family and friends, fired from their jobs, hunted down, arrested, beaten, stoned, and even killed.
But James doesn’t just try to comfort them—look at what he says:
“Consider it pure joy!”
What?! Talk about radical teaching!
How can anyone in their right mind consider all this joy?
I’m reminded of the apostles in Acts 4—being beaten and bloodied, yet laughing and rejoicing.
What kind of people are these followers of the Way?
I’ll tell you: they believe that nothing happens to them that is not for their good.
Romans 8:28 says:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
God will not allow anything to happen unless it is going to improve us in some way.
We don’t always see what He’s doing at the time, but we trust Him.
Hebrews 11:1 says:
“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
James tells us why we should consider it joy:
“Because the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
That means being refined by fire.
Nothing gets stronger without resistance.
God allows these things to make you stronger, deeper, and more mature.
That’s why he adds:
“So that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
My goal in life is to become a believer who is mature—grown up in the faith, lacking nothing!
Some people are okay with mediocrity—but not me!
The goal is to hit the mark, because the literal definition of sin in Greek is “to miss the mark.”
Willful sin is intentionally not striving—not hungering and thirsting—to lack nothing for God.
And the Bible warns that if you continue in willful sin, the blood of Christ will no longer cover you.
That’s scary!
God said lukewarm believers make Him sick to His stomach!
Now, I don’t want to take this out of context—the passage is about persecution—but yes, it applies to all trials.
If you belong to Christ, consider it joy when things happen.
Don’t cry, don’t fret, don’t worry.
Smile, rejoice, and say, “I’m about to grow!”
Discipline never feels good at the moment, but a good Father disciplines those He loves.
The Bible says, “If you spare the rod, you hate your child.”
So trust God and pray for direction—and that’s exactly what the next verse is about.
James 1:5–8
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
If you’re confused about what’s happening, go to God and ask.
But what do we ask?
Do we ask Him to take it away—or do we ask Him to help us see the purpose?
Ask for spiritual insight.
Wisdom is seeing life from God’s perspective.
It’s the ability to make godly decisions in confusing or painful times.
The Greek word for “ask” means to keep on asking—to continually depend on God.
This is a key verse:
The one who truly seeks wisdom will receive it!
I often tell the story of a 90-year-old woman who once said to me,
“I was born in the Church of Christ, and you’ve only been a believer for a short time—how do you know so much more than me about God?”
I don’t boast, but I realized the answer later:
It’s because I desire to know Him more than you do.
I seek, I chase, I hunger for God like a deer thirsting for water.
And James says, God gives wisdom liberally to those who desire it.
He pours it on them.
Later James will say, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
But there’s a condition: faith.
“When you ask, you must believe and not doubt.”
Faith is trust.
Don’t drift in and out of belief—that unplugs faith.
Faith is acting on what you believe.
If you believe God is good, then act like it—even in the storm!
When you act like God’s in control, peace that surpasses understanding will come upon you.
James 1:9–11
“Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower...”
James is teaching that social status and wealth don’t determine your standing with God.
He levels the playing field:
Those who are poor because they chose Christ over wealth should rejoice—they are rich in God’s eyes.
And those who are wealthy should rejoice that they are humbled, realizing they need God just as much as the poor.
Rich or poor—both need God.
Romans 2:11 says:
“God is no respecter of persons.”
Wealth is fleeting—it cannot save you, it cannot prolong your life.
Only what you do with God lasts forever.
That’s why the Bible says:
“Store up your treasures in heaven, not on earth, where moth and rust destroy.”
James 1:12
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
After you pass the test—you move to the next level.
God is molding you into the image of His Son, shaping you into a citizen of heaven.
I love this illustration:
A man once walked by a church where workers were chiseling a stone.
He asked what it was for.
The worker pointed up to the roof and said,
“See that empty spot up there? I’m chiseling this stone so it fits perfectly in that place.”
That’s us!
Peter said we are living stones.
Jeremiah said God’s Word is like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces.
God is chiseling us so we can fit perfectly up there!
And those who endure will receive the crown of life—literally in Greek, “the crown which is life.”
That means eternal life, fit for the kingdom.
James 1:13–15
“When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone...”
The Bible says God tests, but the devil tempts.
Tests are for your good; temptations are for your destruction.
Temptation starts in the mind—then moves to the heart, then to action.
Cut it off early!
Jesus said, “If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.”
Better to enter heaven maimed than hell whole.
If your phone, your friends, or your entertainment lead you astray—cut them off.
Because sin leads to death, but God leads to life.
James 1:16–18
“Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows...”
Every good and perfect gift is from above.
God’s gifts are complete, purposeful, and designed to make us whole.
And He never changes.
Even when we are unfaithful, God remains faithful—He cannot deny Himself.
He is always good, always just, always right.
Don’t let Satan trick you into thinking God is angry, punishing you, or ignoring you.
If God allows hardship, there are only two possibilities:
You don’t belong to Him, or
He’s doing it for your good.
Verse 18 reminds us that God has always had a plan to save us.
In contrast to sin, which gives birth to death, God gives us new birth—that’s why Jesus said, “You must be born again.”
James 1:19–21
“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry...”
First comes salvation, then sanctification.
Faith saves, and faith produces works.
If it’s true faith—it will bear fruit.
Be slow to speak, quick to listen, and slow to anger.
We’re often the opposite.
But James says, stop it—it doesn’t honor God.
James 1:22–25
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
Listening isn’t enough.
Going to assembly, reading Scripture, and taking communion don’t save you.
Doing the Word shows your faith is real.
Jesus said, “Why do you call Me Lord but do not do what I say?”
And, “Every branch in Me that doesn’t bear fruit will be cut off.”
True faith acts.
James 1:26–27
“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”
James will deal more with the tongue later—but here’s the warning:
If your tongue controls you—your religion is worthless.
The tongue is the most powerful muscle in the body.
Cursing, gossip, bitterness, racism, filthy jokes—these things defile you.
Jesus said it’s not what goes in, but what comes out, that defiles a man.
Choose: be of God, or be of the world.
Pure religion, James says, is this:
To care for those in need physically, and
To keep yourself unpolluted spiritually.
Repentance begins in the mind—it’s a decision to give yourself fully to God.
That decision changes your purpose, which changes your actions.
And that commitment is sealed in baptism—where the old self dies, and you rise, born again to walk in newness of life.