Antigen: An antigen is any substance that causes your immune system to produce antibodies against it. This means your immune system does not recognize the substance, and is trying to fight it off. Such as chemicals, bacteria, viruses, or pollen. Antibodies: On the other hand, antibodies bind to foreign substances, such as bacteria and viruses, and cause them to be destroyed. Spiritually, sin in like the Antigen, it attacks the body of Christ, that is the members of the church, and the only weapon we have is the word of God. When we study and learn the word we become Antibodies that destroy sin in every crevice of our life. This lesson and subsequent lesson will help us to understand how to be spiritually well.
We may not want to admit that we play favorites, but we do. We may not admit that we show respect for the clean, the rich, and the famous, but we do. We likely won’t admit that if the president of the United States were to stop by on Sunday, or maybe some noted movie star, that we would treat them with more attention than the poor smelly person that came the same day, but likely we would.
James begins this lesson by saying, “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality” (James 2:1). Thayer’s Greek Lexicon defines the word this way. “partiality, the fault of one who when called on to requite or to give judgment has respect to the outward circumstances of men and not to their intrinsic merits, and so prefers, as the more worthy, one who is rich, high-born, or powerful, to another who is destitute of such gifts:” As Christians we need to see this, and eliminate it from our life, and our services. The value of every soul is exactly the same, no matter how the soul is dressed.
God is no respecter of persons, and neither may we be.
Have you ever wondered how a father, who lived over 3,000 years ago, might have admonished his son? Could that admonition have relevance for us today? How would that compare to how we should admonish ours children, or even one another? Reading from 1 Chronicles 29 we read of David, king of Israel, giving admonition to his son Solomon who will soon take over the leadership of the nation of Israel. What will this ancient father say to his son, and how will you make application of it in your own life? David said Solomon you need to “KNOW GOD”, “SERVE GOD”, and “SEEK THE LORD”. Listen in this message as we seek to learn and apply this good advice from the man after God’s own heart.
So many today are taught “you don’t have to do anything” when it comes to the salvation of your soul. But the truth is that is not at all so. James for one, said, “22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.” (James 1:22-24). I said for one because, and we must understand this, • God Has Always Wanted Doers – (Jer. 11:1-6), • Jesus Has Always Wanted Doers – (Luke 6:46-49), • Paul Has Always Wanted Doers – (Rom. 2:5-13), and James says nothing less: We Must Be Doers of the Word – (James 1:22). The perfect law of liberty that James speaks of, the one thing that we must “look into”, is the only source for us to know if we are doing what God demands of us. That perfect law of liberty is God’s word. Lies reply with, God demands nothing from you accept faith only. If you follow that line of nonsense you are not reading and studying your bible because God’s word is the antithesis of that false teaching.
Paul writes by inspiration telling us about himself, his calling before and after his conversion. Learning these things will help every believer to walk a more certain path of faith. Knowing Paul’s background and his convictions to the gospel are encouraging and empowering. Learning how he went from a persecutor to a preacher of Christ’s gospel is helpful for us because we all in like manner must travel the road from sinner to saint, from blasphemer to one that praises and glorifies the one and only true God.
Travel with Paul through this lesson to learn the how and why, that you may make application to your own journey.
It would be impossible to count the number of times that people have shaken their fist up toward Heaven and said, “God! Why did you?” Don’t be confused, there is nothing wrong with asking God why bad things are happening, but there is something wrong with blaming God for the bad things that happen. Sin is the root of all our troubles, not God. Especially, and more to the point, our own sins. James said “13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:13-15).
It is our nature to cast blame on others, but when we do, we really harm ourselves more. It is always good advice to look into the perfect law of liberty and examine ourselves first before we think of blaming others for our troubles.
In the churches of Galatia there were Jewish Christians who were trying to force members to include and keep parts of the old covenant, including circumcision. Paul in his letter to those saints strongly condemns this calling it a perversion to the gospel of Christ. He further adds that when you add anything to the pure gospel of Christ you will bring a terrible curse upon yourself. Paul declared “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be [b]accursed” (v.8). The pure gospel message that Paul preached did not come from man, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ (vs.11-12).
Unfortunately, still today men have perverted the pure, true gospel of Jesus Christ in such smooth ways, that millions of people now believe outright lies with such veracity (uncountable truthfulness) which is to say they believe and defend the lie. “Faith only Salvation”, “Once Saved Always Saved”, are false doctrines that accompany almost every denominational church that exists today.
How does this happen? Simply put, people don’t have a love for the truth and as a result they believe the, “. . . deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thess. 2:9-12).
The truth is God’s word, (John 17:17), and like the saints in Galatia if you believe things that are not found in the word of God, you will also perish in your iniquity. The truth is in there, you only need to read it for yourself.
We live in tumultuous times and there are often many reasons to feel anxious, depressed or sorrowful, but for the child of God, even amidst the most difficult of trials we have reason to rejoice. Add to this being poor, and for some this would be unbearable but not for the Child of God. We know with certainty that Jesus our Lord is risen from the dead, that He is ruling His kingdom, the church now from His throne in heaven, and that He will one day return and take us up to meet Him in the air, then to meet the Father face to face. With this hope before us nothing we have but one way to go, up! We can rejoice in our exultation.
A play on words, we all seem to have a story of the worse day of our lives. For some tragedy strikes and hearts are broken, other experience loss of income, property or old friends. My “worse day”, was nothing like that. In fact looking back at it I find some of it was actually amusing. But as this lesson reveals there will be a Day we will either rejoice and be exceedingly glad or realize once and for all what the “worse day of our life” really means.
It is amazing what many Christians tend to do when life throws a road bump. When various trials are presented to us we don’t always look to the Mighty God, our Creator for wisdom. How do I handle this trial? Which direction should I go? What is the right choice that will glorify God in the process and guide me in the right way? Too often we tend to ask a friend, even one of the brethren for advice. Too often we search the internet, or buy some, “Christian Self-Help Book”. Far too often we listen to radio or T.V. personalities. But the one place we all should go–is to our loving Father who promised us that when we are facing hard times, various trials, He would supply us with wisdom. James will say, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. . . ” (James 1:5). God will supply you with all you need to face each day in victory but, there are stipulations, there are prerequisites namely, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting. . . ” (v.6a). Together let us see by the inspired words of James what the stipulations are and what the happens when we ask in faith, what happens when we doubt.