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| JAMES LESSON #30 Have you ever wondered where the truth really is? Have you ever wondered if you could ever truly be �free?� Have you ever wondered if the Word of God is truly something that can set you free from anger- hate- depression- lies- hurt- rejection- evil � from �traditions and expectations of men� � from fake �religion?� Have you ever stood back and looked at your prayer life and wondered, is there more than this? Have you lost sight of �adoration�, �awe,� �wonder,� and perhaps even �affection� in prayer? Are you finding that your hands are forever reaching outward for something � instead of inward and upward toward God? As Manning suggests, oftentimes personal responsibility replaces personal response to God and we become engrossed in �our efforts� to grow in holiness, rather than the discovery of all that God is through obedience. Our primary concern becomes our spiritual, intellectual, and emotional well being- rather than our �relationship� with God. We get stuck trying to �be happy.� When our friends ask us if we�re happy, we automatically respond �Yes,� and brush them off with a smile even if we are close to tears. What�s with that? An even bigger question: What experience � or person defined for you��God.� Is the definition an accurate one? From her parents a child learns of a God who strongly disapproves of disobedience, hitting one�s brothers and sisters, and telling lies. When the little one goes to school, she realizes that God can yell through a teacher and quickly reduce to nothing what entered the room with great expectation. At church, she learns that God has another set of expectations - she finds out the God is royally ticked off when attendance is down from the week before � because, as we all know, God�s strength and presence is defined by how many come..right? She discovers that God manipulates in order to pay the bills � and uses guilt to set in place the response He wants. When she reaches high school, she discovers that God�s obsessed with sex, drinking and drugs. After twelve years of Christian training at home, school, and church, the teen realizes with resentment that God has been used as an excuse to manipulate, overpower, dominate and control for personal desire by those responsible for her discipline. God is defined with an accompanying �eternal spanking,� and in many young hearts associated with terror, dominance, power, hate and fear. �Expectations� � how do you meet them? How do you know if you�re supposed to meet them? What�s the outcome of our �training?� If we are �good� � we �persevere� in �religious practices� because we have this constant need to �please God with our goodness� � which turns Sunday morning worship into an insurance policy designed to protect our rears against God�s mood swings. Hmmm � something�s wrong with this picture. Where do we get a �true definition of God?� Is there such a thing? Where do we discover �His heart?� Where is the �standard� that clarifies whether or not what we�re hearing, seeing, and experiencing is �true?� Is it possible to break free from the lies? James 1:17-21 I want to put in you context to show you that the word of God is the �perfect law-� the �law of liberty� � the �perfect law that can set you free.� Oftentimes we view the �law� as the ball and chain that is forever locked around our necks.� The minute we step out of line, it jerks every vertebrae we ever thought we had out of position, and leaves us limp � wondering � �How can I escape?� What we are taught we�re supposed to �love and embrace,� we spend tremendous energy attempting to hate and reject. Go figure! As you read through this passage watch for two phrases: : �The Word of Truth� and �The perfect law of liberty.� Circle them when you spot them. What are we to �receive� in verse 21? The WORD. Read down through verse 24. Look at verse 24 carefully. What is this person looking at? HIMSELF. Here, James is comparing a hearer, to someone who is looking at himself in a mirror: He checks himself out in the mirror (hears the Word) and walks away forgetting what he just saw: (and walks away totally unaffected.) Verse 25 � The �perfect law,� and the �law of liberty,� are new titles James� gives for �the Word.� The �perfect law of liberty,� is the Word of God. Is that what experience has taught you? Is the life you�re living � your journey, one that God�s Word enhances with �freedom?� Give that some thought: How do you view the Word? What role does it play in your life? Read on down through chapter 2:1 and then drop down to chapter 2:11-12. What is the �law of liberty?� The Word. Write that in. It almost seems ironic to see the words �judged and liberty� in the same line. When Jesus came to earth He said that He had not come to �judge� them, but to �save� them. A lot of times when we approach God we forget that. Then He said that they would be �judged� by the �Words� that He spoke. Turn to Psalm 19. When James talks about the �law of liberty� he is talking about the �authoritative body of truth.� Psalm 19 parallels the truth about the Word that you see in James. As you read down through Psalm 19 � flip back to James and note the verse in James that parallels the verse in Psalms if I give it to you- mark it both in Psalms and in James) Psalm 19:7 The law of the Lord is what? Perfect. Doing what? Restoring your soul. (your soul is your mind, emotions, and spirit- the inner you) Why �receive� it? Because it�s going to put you together � and strengthen you. �The testimony� (the evidence) of the Lord is �sure� � doing what? Making �wise� the �simple.� How�s that happen? The �simple� receive it. Verses 8-9 The precepts of the Lord (rules of action and conduct) �rejoicing the heart� � in the Hebrew is: samach: which means �brings light to the heart� � The commandment of the Lord is pure, doing what? �enlightening� (giving the light of fact and knowledge to; revealing truths to; freeing from ignorance, prejudice, or superstition � illuminating so as to see and understand) the eyes. The �fear ( a feeling and attitude of deep respect, love, and awe) of the Lord� is clean � enduring how long? Forever. The judgments of the Lord are �true� - Where is truth? In the judgments of the Lord. The Word produces �fear� of God (a feeling and attitude of deep respect, love, and awe). When I am judged, I have nothing to fear because the Word has cleansed me and keeps on cleansing me � forever. Psalm 19:9 The judgments of the Lord are true: man�s judgment is based on the outward appearance. Where do your lists of expectations come from? Who defines your day? What are the motivations BEHIND the expectations that are given to you? Are they for your good and God�s glory? -or for the benefit of the one giving them to you? If �you� are the one providing the �list of expectations� on your own life, are you equally capable of providing God�s glory as well? Who�s �God� in that picture? Are you caught up in the �weight and bondage� of personal responsibility or are you �abiding� in personal �response?� James says the Word of God sets us free from �partiality� � partiality to what? Whether or not my house is better than your house � whether or not my church attendance is higher than yours � my offering is more than yours � my circle of friends is larger than yours- my wardrobe is better than yours � and/ putting people into boxes when they don�t fit what �our definition� of �good enough� is. Psalm 19:11 The Word of God warns us and steers us away from wrong doing- �In keeping them there is great reward� - How do you �keep them?� You �hear them and obey them.� James 1:25 says that if we�re hearers and doers of the Word we will be greatly blessed in what we do. James 1:12 indicates that once we�re approved we will receive a crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Do you see the parallels? I don�t want to go any further with this today. We�re going to work through more of the questions we began this lesson with, tomorrow. We�re also going to take a look at who your Mother is � and who your Father is: Those of you who have experienced abandonment, and abuse will find this interesting. In Christ, there is no �abandon.� It doesn�t work that way. Those of you who wrestle with a �longing to be fed and a longing to belong,� � we will take a look at that tomorrow. It�s important to step back and take a look at what (not who) has �mothered� you: fed you, sheltered you, protected you, guarded you, taught you, �birthed what you are-� �had enough influence as to shape the outcome of your character� � Question to think about: Is the �mother� you�ve known something to hold on to- if so, why? Is the �mother� you�ve known something to let go of? If so, why? . More tomorrow. Loving you, Robin �copyright 2002 Jim and Robin Hibschman |
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