James Chapter 1

Salutation

         1^:1 James, servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ^Messiah, to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion. Greetings. 

Temptation, Wisdom, Humility

            ² Consider temptation something to be glad about. ³ It challenges your faith to produce stamina, ⁴ and stamina gives you the ability to finish what you’re doing.

⁵ If you need wisdom, ask God. He gives it generously to everybody without blaming them for asking. ⁶ Trust him when you ask. If you doubt, you’re like an ocean wave blown around by the wind. ⁷ Don’t suppose you’ll get anything from God. ⁸ If you can’t make up your mind, you’re unsettled about everything you do.                                                                                   James 1:1-8

⁹ Disciples in humble circumstances should take pride in their high position. ¹⁰ Rich disciples should take pride in their humble circumstances because their wealth will fade away like a flower in the grass. ¹¹ The sun climbs high and joins the hot wind to dry up the grass and wilt the flowers, and their beauty fades away. That’s how it is with rich people: they wither away in what they’re trying to do.      James 1:9-11

¹² When you hold up under temptation you’re blessed. When approved, you’ll receive life as a crown. That’s what the Lord has promised people that care about him. ¹³ When you face temptation, don’t say, “God’s tempting me.” Evil isn’t tempting to God, and he doesn’t tempt anybody. ¹⁴ Your own lusts are what tempt you, lure you away, entice you. ¹⁵ When lust conceives, it bears sin, and sin grows up to produce death.                                                                                                                                         James 1:12-15

Listening, Doing, Controlling the Tongue

¹⁶ Don’t get misled. ¹⁷ Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father that enlightens us. There’s no wavering or hint of inconsistency with him. ¹⁸ He took the initiative in bringing us forth by the message about the truth so we’ve become a kind of firstfruits among people he created.                                                                                                                                          James 1:16-18

¹⁹ Know this: people must be willing to listen, be careful about what they say, and be slow to get mad. ²⁰ People’s anger doesn’t produce God’s goodness. ²¹ So get rid of filthy ways of living and the excesses that evil brings; humbly yield to the implanted message that can save you.                                                                                                                                              James 1:19-21

²² Do the word; don’t just listen to it and kid yourselves. ²³ If you hear it and don’t do it, you’re like a fellow that looks in a mirror ²⁴ and forgets what he looked like. ²⁵ When you stare into the perfect “law,” the law of liberty, and continue as a doer, not just a hearer, you’ll be blessed in what you do.                                                                                                               James 1:22-25

²⁶ If you consider yourself religious but don’t control your tongue, you’re fooling yourself; your religion is useless. ²⁷ Pure, undefiled religion with God the Father is this: looking after orphans and widows in their hardship and keeping yourselves from getting stained by the world.                                                                                                                                                 James 1:26-27