James 1:1

January 14, 2008

Greetings to everyone! Welcome to the James edition of “Chew On It.” I truly hope that it will be an encouragement to your daily walk with God. Some of you might be new to this, so let me explain. The “Chew On It” series is a way for us (teens and parents alike) to walk through a book of the Bible together as a youth group family. As Christians, we need to see God’s Word as a necessary part of our life, not just an add-on to our busy day. It must be something we hunger for, instead of merely an item on our spiritual checklist.

So, my challenge to you and myself is to take a journey through the book of James together. My desire in all of this is to get us to go beyond just reading Scripture by spending quality time meditating on the Word and then seeking to apply it to our lives in obedience to Christ. In other words, I want you “chew on it” and think about what the Scriptures are really saying.

Here is how it’s going to work. I will be e-mailing all of you Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with the Scripture reading for the day, some questions to answer, and some thoughts to chew on that will hopefully cause us to dig into the Scriptures. I encourage you to begin each time in prayer, asking God to open your eyes and mind to what He has to teach you through His Word and to supply you with the courage and grace to live out the truth. I do also encourage that you keep a journal of what God is teaching you and what you are learning. Your journal will be an INCREDIBLE resource for you as you will be able to see in days to come how God has been leading you and growing you in His grace. Also, please feel free to e-mail me and let me know what you are learning or any questions you might have so we can encourage one other in this study. I truly hope that you will come to treasure the Word of God and learn to find your ultimate joy in Him.

As you read today's passage, look for these words or phrases: James, bond-servant, and dispersed.

Passage for the day: James 1:1 (NASB)

1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.

Questions for thought: Take a few moments to answer these questions before you go on to the next section.
Which James of the Bible wrote this letter and when was it written?

Who was this letter written to? Why do you think that these people were scattered (Hint: Acts 8:1-4; Acts 11:19).

James could have opened this letter with any kind of greeting, but he chose to identify himself as a “bond-servant” or slave. What comes to your mind when you think of a slave?

Do you see yourself as a servant of God like James? Why or why not?

Chew on this:

The James of this letter is none other than the half-brother of Jesus Christ, and it is the first book of the New Testament (written between A.D. 44-49). These are God’s first words to the New Testament church. He is writing this letter to those Jewish Christians who had gotten out of town due to the intense persecution. He is not writing to people who were sipping lemonade in a hammock somewhere. Many of them were facing loss of employment, loss of family support, and even the loss of their very lives! These were people who were going through incredible pressure. If you find yourself going through a similar situation or difficulty, take heart! This letter was written for you!

James begins by identifying himself as a servant or slave. In our day and age, slavery is not a positive thing, but James sees it as the very essence of who he is. He was a slave of God! Only, this kind of slavery is the ultimate freedom. We are given new life in Christ so that we may gladly and eagerly serve the God who redeemed us. It is the picture of the slave that is loved and given his freedom, but willingly gives himself back to a lifetime of serving the one who purchased his freedom.

When I read this passage for the first time, I saw this idea of being a bond-servant as something to dread or fear, and not something to take pleasure and comfort in. Service to God is not a brutal, overbearing, inflicted slavery. Instead, it is a privilege and something that we were created to do. We have been bought with the blood of Christ and have been adopted into God’s family. We are now freed to serve God and bring glory to His name!

In all of this, let us be careful to not think of this service as paying God back for what He has done for us. In fact, every time we serve God, it does just the opposite of paying Him back. It puts us ever deeper in debt to His grace that He so freely gives us. We can never repay God – and He does not need us to pay Him back! God is not looking for our assistance; instead, He desires our devotion. So, what is our motive then? God commands us to obey Him, not out of duty to pay back a debt, but by giving us everything we need to bring glory to Him and by giving us divine rewards in Heaven. Human energy alone could never accomplish the work of God, yet God has chosen to accomplish His work by working through us! What a privilege to be called God's servant!

For His Name,
Pastor Stephen