James 1:24 KJV [24] “For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.”      I want you to imagine a man beginning his morning by standing in front of a mirror. He has showered, shaved, and is now brushing his teeth. As he looks into the mirror he knows that the next thing on his daily prep list is to apply some hair gel and part his hair in place. He is running a little behind in his schedule today and in his haste, he forgets to do this part of his routine.       …

James 1:23 KJV [23] “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:”      The word “looking glass” is a poetic and archaic way to refer to a mirror, and was considered the proper word to use when referring to one. The word “mirror” was considered vulgar and middle class by the upper class.  A mirror is made of metallic or amalgam backing and gives the reflection of whatever or whoever is placed in front of it. The Egyptians made metal mirrors from …

James 1:22 KJV [22] “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”      In this verse, James shares three truths concerning the believer and his Bible. First, he gives us a command to be a doer of the Word. Second, he gives us a warning not to become a hearer only of the Word. Finally, he mentions the danger of deceiving ourselves about the Word.       The Word of God is powerful and can transform our lives. However, we must obey the Word. We must apply the instruction that we read. The Bible …

James 1:21 KJV [21] “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”      James sees the heart of man as a garden. If he does not perform maintenance on his heart it will become overtaken by sin and worldly desires. He must remove the weeds of worldliness and the thorns of wickedness from his soul! He must break up the fallow grounded within his heart. A filthy heart is like a garden overtaken by weeds. The heart becomes hard like the ground that has never …

James 1:20 [20] “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” The word “wrath” represents the strongest of all passions that a man possesses. It is the highest form of anger. It expresses anger in a natural impulse. The wrath of man can be described as losing his cool and flying off the handle, with no regard for his words or actions. A man so boiling with fury, that he doesn’t take the time to think about the consequences of his action or the people he may be hurting around him. We all know people like the …

James 1:19 [19] “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” The mature believer possesses several spiritual qualities in his life. Three of those qualities are mentioned here in our verse. I want us to think about the mature believer, and what he displays to others. Ask yourself at the end of this devotional, “Am I a mature saint?”, and “Do I possess these qualities in my life?”  First, we see that the mature saint is a good listener. He knows how to take the time to lend an ear to …

James 1:18  [18] “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” Whenever we read this verse we think of the divine nature that is in man. We are “a kind of firstfruits of his creation”. When we consider God’s creation, the child of God is the highest and most honorable of them all. We have been purchased with the blood of his Son and sealed with his Holy Spirit. We have the divine nature of our Heavenly Father and the promise of eternal life.  Our …

 James 1:17  [17] “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” Every good gift that we have received in life has come from God. God can only give good gifts, so if what we receive is not good, then it did not come from God. This does not mean that we can always see God’s goodness in his gifts, but one day it will be very clear to us. We should remember that God’s gifts are better than Satan’s bargains. Satan …

James 1:16  [16] “Do not err, my beloved brethren.” We are encouraged in this verse not to go down the path of deception and compromise. So many around us have changed their doctrine, their convictions, and their principles. They play the role of a victim or a martyr, attacking those who are still holding the line. The reality is that they are convicted by their conscience because they have erred from the truth, and refuse to budge.  I have two important questions on my mind when I consider this thought, “Why did they go astray?” and “How can I keep …

James 1:15  [15] “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” The last word in our verse is the word, “death”. If you look back through the verse from the word “death”, you will notice something rather interesting. Death is the child of sin and the grandchild of lust. Lust gives birth to sin, and sin gives birth to death. Together they form the deadly triangle of sin!  The fourteenth verse revealed that temptation and lust come together. Now, temptation and lust can produce nothing within themselves, but the seed …