James 1:5-11 Lesson 2

Asking for wisdom on how to properly react to and endure through trials and tribulations

Verse 5

Asking God for heavenly wisdom

In verses two to four, James told his Jewish listeners to keep their present sufferings in perspective (to see them as they really are) so as not to become demoralized. An effective way he did this was by reminding them of the benefits of such endurance in this life and the rewards in the one to come. Therefore, with those things in mind, everyone had every reason to be joyful (even if some were not because of a false outlook or a bad approach to spiritual growth)! This was only one of the many things James said to help those under his charge stay on the right path. In verse twelve, he (like Scripture sometimes does) will employ the method of reward motivation (the crown of life) to encourage his fellow Jewish brothers and sisters (and all believers of all time after that) to stay true to the faith by giving their very best for the Lord.

In this context, wisdom (sofia in Greek) refers to more than just how to view present sufferings and hardships. It also means understanding how to react to them. Will we allow said challenges to cause us to shrink back and fall into sin? How can we endure these periods in a non-sinful way that pleases God? Or, what are the best decisions to make in areas where making the wrong choice isn’t sinful per se (see below for a brief explanation of areas of application)? Seeking out wisdom during difficult times is an all-encompassing ordeal that involves not only seeing things as they really are (a test from God that He allows to strengthen our faith) but also knowing what to do, how to do it, and applying that knowledge. This is the only way to allow perseverance (or endurance) to have its full effect.

However, the hardships and persecutions these believers faced required a great deal of personal decision-making in what we would call “areas of application.” There will be times when the question of “what to say or do” will not always be so clear-cut, so that another individual can weigh in and give the exact answer.

For example, the Bible will not tell someone, “Here is the course of action you should specifically take,” or “Here are the exact words you are to speak to that individual who hurt you a few days ago.” James could not provide exact answers to all the specifics his readers had to sort out (assuming they were areas of application). Nevertheless, he still offered a solution in the form of faith prayer (and with that comes submitting to the Spirit’s leading).

That said, we need to understand what “wisdom” means. The Greek word for wisdom is sofia and refers to the knowledge necessary to apply the truth. Clearly, James will mention some things later in this letter that his hearers knew, so there should have been no need for them to ask, “What should we do here?” All believers do things they KNOW ahead of time are wrong; there is no question about that. If a decision involved known and obvious sinful behavior (for which there is never any excuse, such as discriminating against the poor or sinning with the tongue), that would fall under the category of already knowing the right thing to do but not doing it (although both sins of omission and commission are involved). Giving into sin is always unwise (whether done in ignorance or not), while refraining is wisdom itself (hence, James will later exhort his readers to be doers of the Word and not just hearers only).

Verse five in our context involves believers seeking wisdom in how to view and properly endure difficult trials and tribulations, whether that includes asking what to do in areas of application where making the wrong choice isn’t necessarily sinful or in needing the knowledge of what is sinful and what is not (and the answer on how to overcome the temptation). Regarding this last point, James will answer this question later in chapter four, verses seven to ten. Throughout the book, he calls out the bad behavior of these Jewish believers by telling them to stop engaging in said practices. Chapter four then highlights what they (and all of us today) needed to do to stop sinning (not just telling them what is sinful and that they need to stop).

Thus, wisdom has two sides: knowledge and application. True biblical wisdom involves knowing what to do (how to think, speak, and act) and doing it (being doers and not just mere listeners, James 1:22-25, same chapter of our present context). Although a person may know what to do, can they really be considered wise if they don’t apply it? If we know that jumping off a cliff will have fatal consequences but do so anyway, can it be said that we acted in wisdom?

All believers need to seek the Lord in prayer and through His Word, in the power and guidance of the Spirit, to know what to do regarding areas of application and non-areas of application (such as resisting the temptation to give in to something sinful) and how to make the best and correct choices. After knowing comes doing, which completes the picture (prior seeking, reading, or listening, and believing are always the first steps, James 1:19-27). Regarding believers today, we must always ensure that we walk by the Spirit and rely on Him to endure all temptations, trials, and tribulations (Galatians 5:16-18).

The believers to whom James wrote were under a lot of stress from persecution, not only from the rich but (in some cases) others who targeted them because of their faith. Knowing what to do and doing it is always easier when times are calm. But how much more difficult this becomes when the pressure is on! This point will most glaringly prove true during the tribulation soon to come! I will also note that it is easier to react to difficulties in fear and despair (which can often lead to complaining and grumbling, both sinful side effects of not trusting in the Lord).

Our verse’s second and final part includes asking for wisdom from a God who is more than happy to give it unreluctantly. The Greek word for reproach has the meaning of “finding fault,” as some English translations correctly render it (“without finding fault”). In other words, it is never bad to ask for wisdom, and the Lord will never begrudge to give it to us if we pray in faith (verses six and seven). Wisdom is necessary for all believers to possess and exercise to live the Christian life. Therefore, why would God be displeased with us for asking for it? This verse encourages us to do just that!

Verse 6

Asking in faith without doubt

James now addresses how to ask for the wisdom mentioned in verse five by contrasting the right and wrong ways. In chapter four, he will address a similar but slightly different scenario involving praying with impure motives. In this context, the issue is praying with faith (or trust) instead of in doubt (or unbelief).

As a quick aside, some people (I have heard this myself) believe that it is “ok to doubt” (in general), based on the example of John the Baptist in Matthew 11:1-6, when he questioned whether Jesus was the One sent by God. However, the text never justifies these words (nor does it say whether they were sinful on John’s part). Thankfully, this was only a momentary lapse in the prophet’s faith, and he did not allow it to continue, given all the good things our Lord had to say about Him immediately after hearing these words in Matthew 11:9-14 and Luke 7:24-28. The issue of whether doubting is always sinful is a moot one because, whether sinful or not, it is never a good thing because it is the opposite of faith and trust.

Verse six specifically addresses praying for wisdom on how to view, respond to, and endure trials and tribulations. But the verse also has an all-encompassing general application that teaches us to always pray in faith for whatever we ask the Lord. We should never hesitate to pray for something we know we need and that the Lord always wants us to have. It is not against His will to pray for wisdom, and He will never fail to grant us that request because it involves seeking to do the right thing to avoid displeasing Him. This scenario is quite different than asking for something that may NOT be in the Lord’s will for us to have (see James 4:13-16).

We should always pray in faith (though we should never pray with sinful or impure motives or requests)! But there will be times (as we will examine later in chapter four) when we can’t tell in advance whether we will get a yes or a no. Sometimes the answer is yes, but we must wait a long time to receive what we want (or maybe we don’t have to wait long). On the other hand, the answer may be no, but we only find it through time and spiritual growth (a case of “only time will tell”). But just because the answer is no doesn’t mean the request was sinful or that it was made with wrong motives. That may be the case in some instances, while in others, it simply boils down to the fact that God didn’t want to grant our request for multiple reasons (one possible example is that He has something better for us). We will flesh out these points more in-depth once we get to chapter four. Our verse deals with praying for something we KNOW God will grant us because we know He wants us to have it (wisdom to endure through trials and tribulations in this case), not something we are blind to before the fact. This truth ties in with true Christian hope, not “I think I will receive this,” but “I know I will!” Who hopes for what they don’t believe they will receive? We also cannot afford to hesitate to pray for something we know we need to ask for (wisdom)!

The second half of verse six in our English translation reads, “For the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” The idea is of someone who is spiritually unstable because of a lack of faith for multiple reasons (fear is a common one). The moment we start doubting is when we begin to sink spiritually during life’s “storms” (trials and tribulations) while making bad decision after bad decision. So, when trials and tribulations come, these people would get beaten up by them spiritually because they couldn’t endure them properly because of their lack of faith and wisdom. So, instead of passing spiritual tests from the Lord designed to grow and strengthen their faith, said person(s) continues to flunk them (or, at the very least, limp their way through them: passing but barely by the skin of their teeth). Like Peter, who began to doubt as he walked toward the Lord on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:22-33), we, too, will begin to sink spiritually once we allow doubt to characterize our walk with the Lord. Verses seven and eight further explain this.

Verses 7 and 8

The double-minded man

As verse six implies, it would be unwise to hesitate to pray for something one knows one needs (wisdom in this context). Our verse refers to a person who doubts either before (through hesitation) or while praying (both are in view). Our English translation accurately conveys the idea of someone who supposes they may not receive the wisdom God guarantees to those who don’t doubt. But a lack of faith demonstrates no trust in the Lord to provide.

The above is not at all what the Christian life should engender because our relationship with the Lord is all about faith! As a wise teacher and mentor has informed me multiple times, knowledge by itself is useless unless it is lived out or applied. But while we are on that note (related but also somewhat unrelated to our present verse), I should briefly comment that there is no contradiction in saying that the Christian life is all about faith and not knowledge and (on the other hand) that we need to seek out, understand, believe, and apply as much of the truth as we can. There is no black and white or “either or” because you cannot separate faith from the truth of God’s Word.

To repeat, I am saying that the Christian life is not about knowledge alone. It is all about faith, but faith needs the truth (pure milk of the Word, 1 Peter 2:2) to grow and function properly because the more we know, the more we can apply (which allows our faith to grow more and more). Our faith needs good spiritual nutrition to thrive and survive, just as our physical body requires good physical sustenance.

The Greek word for “knowledge” in our verse above is gnosis and refers to having a “knowledge of the facts.” However, it doesn’t stop there! Our verse says to GROW in that knowledge, which requires faith (epignosis is the Greek word for knowledge that is used or applied). However, this does not mean those who know more are more spiritually mature than others based on that fact alone. It all comes down to how much we apply what we learn in proportion to our knowledge. The example of the poor widow’s two mites in Luke 12:1-4 presents a good parallel analogy to the point made here: that being that greater eternal reward, praise, glory, and honor in the future Kingdom will not be given to individuals who knew more based on that fact alone, but to how much each person applied in proportion to what they knew.

For example, one person has twenty marbles while another has ten. The one with twenty uses only ten of them, while the one with ten utilizes eight of them, despite having fewer marbles overall. God rewards us in proportion to our efforts with what we’ve been given (just because pastor-teachers know more doesn’t mean they have greater faith and potential).

So, we can and should never make cross-comparisons between individuals to judge “Who will be greater in the kingdom” because of this simple fact alone. We also do not know the state of a person’s heart and are told to judge nothing before the time (1 Corinthians 4:4-8). The only judgment we can make is that the more an individual believer knows, the more they can apply and, thus, grow, progress, and produce for the Lord. The more we avail ourselves of this process, the more useful we become to Christ as He continues to make and mold us into the people He wants us to be. But that is speaking only on an individual basis and not cross-comparing individuals (something we can’t and should never do).

So, the whole process of seeking, understanding, and applying the truth is not a mere matter of simple knowledge with no meaning or purpose. Instead, it can empower and transform our lives if we use it (which is why James will keep harping about being doers of the Word throughout the book). Many believers in our day and age of Laodicea do not understand this straightforward principle because they have chosen to opt for another approach that makes the Christian walk appear as this automatic and “mystical” experience that involves living in faith (just having a close relationship with Jesus) without actually seeking out the truth on their own and accessing a good, solid Bible teaching ministry (the very things necessary to attain a closer walk with the Lord). Having a good relationship with Jesus is impossible without the truth.

Spiritual growth is neither magic nor automatic because it requires consistent effort to submit to the Spirit so He can work through us. There is no contradiction in saying that the Christian life takes free-will faith effort on our part, on the one hand, and saying we must rely on the Spirit’s strength (instead of the power of our flesh), on the other, because the Lord never forces us to obey. We do have to read our Bibles aggressively, avail ourselves of good teaching, engage our minds when we study (empowered by the Spirit), and choose, by our own free will, to submit to and walk by the Spirit. We do have to engage in the fight, and we need the precious ammunition of the truth of God’s Word, which is necessary to do that. All this is to say God can only do His part if we do ours because we must respond in faith! That is not something the Lord will ever force us to do because the Christian life is never an automatic process (we are not robots).

Sanctification is God’s work, indeed! But we participate through faith (and by building up that faith Jude 20-21), which is our contribution to the process. Once we have genuinely submitted to the Lord, He will then empower and work through us to do everything according to His will. Philippians 2:12-13 aptly describes this principle well by touching on both aspects of the process when it says, “12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” We do our part by obediently submitting to the Lord in faith while allowing Him to work through us to do what He wants us to do. No, the passage does not say we can work our way to Heaven (salvation is by faith through grace alone, Ephesians 2:8-9). However, if we have just received a gift (such as a brand-new car), we are expected to use and employ it for its intended purpose (we must drive the car).

Another common misunderstanding (to end this brief deviation from our present topic) among many believers today and in years past is this idea that they do not need a pastor-teacher (which defeats the whole purpose of meeting and assembling in a church; the purpose first and foremost being to receive instruction in the Word from someone qualified to teach and the second, for mutual edification). Those who believe they don’t need a teacher are trying to march to the beat of their own drum because they commonly take 1 John 2:27 to mean they don’t need a pastor. The verse reads, “As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.”

For the sake of time and space, we will not delve into that passage here (that is for another discussion). But to briefly summarize, this verse is not saying that no believer needs a pastor-teacher, because that would contradict Ephesians 4:11-16, which is clear on this subject. If the idea that “no one needs a pastor-teacher because the Spirit will automatically teach them everything they need to know without anyone else’s help” were accurate (it isn’t), then there would be far less of a point in meeting and assembling as a body of believers. The gift of pastor-teacher would have no meaning or purpose, which flies in the face of the passage below, which could not be clearer. Equipping other believers for ministry entails bringing them to the truth and helping them grow in it, a process that empowers all spiritual growth, progress, and ministry.

It is also true that the Spirit often teaches or speaks to us through qualified men prepared to teach God’s Word accordingly. So, although 1 Peter 4:11 applies to all believers with differing gifts (the idea is that we must all employ them through the strength and power of the Holy Spirit), this verse is also true of teachers. Yes, indeed, we should never place any man’s teaching above God’s Word by unquestioningly believing whatever it is they tell us (not without prayer, discernment, and personal Bible reading; see the example of the Bereans in Acts 17:11). However, the Spirit often and frequently (albeit indirectly) teaches us through qualified men who are dispensing the truth through the Spirit’s power. So, assuming a pastor is doing his job well (teaching the truth consistently in the Lord’s strength with little error), then that is the Holy Spirit teaching us. It was, after all, the Spirit that led us to said teaching ministry in the first place (assuming it is a good one the Lord intended for us).

True, no teacher gets everything right or is perfect. However, consistency should not be an issue if he is truly doing his job as he should (without a “one foot in and one foot out” approach). If what he teaches is the spirit-led truth, then there is no reason for any believer not to heed it. One must also consider that there is a great deal that any non-teacher will not be able to discover on their own without the assistance of someone with the gift to teach and explain the various passages Scripture contains (they are called spiritual gifts for a reason). You then have linguistic and other issues to deal with that will require someone well-versed in the original languages (Greek and Hebrew) to explain (the Bible wasn’t written in English, and there is no one-inspired English version the church must solely utilize; a big problem with the King James only movement).

With all these things in mind, it is understandable why James later says in verse one of chapter three, “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” That is the case because what someone teaches can make or break them and possibly change their life (there are variables with that). If we did not need pastor-teachers, then the gift would be almost pointless, and it would make no sense for God to hold them to a higher standard that entails stricter judgment (why, if the Spirit automatically and directly teaches every believer?).

To summarize verse seven, faith is not a mere intellectual exercise. Instead, it involves complete trust in the truth we have internalized, which the Spirit then makes real and usable in our hearts. So, whenever we ask for wisdom in doubt, how can the Spirit make real to us something that we refuse to believe we will receive?

Verse eight then mentions this idea of being double-minded (the Greek for this word is Dipsuchos (δίψυχος) and refers to having a divided mind while doubting the truth of a matter). This point relates to what we have mentioned above: someone who does not believe and accept the truth. In this context, the said person prays (or hesitates to) for wisdom but doubts God’s ability to provide it. Based on this and other verses throughout the book, the scattered Jewish believers from Jerusalem seemed to struggle with this. They did not receive things they asked for because of impure motives, James 4:2-3 (whoever the “they” was: if the shoe fit). That was the same as not praying from faith. Similarly, many of them struggled to know how to respond to their present hardships because they either did not pray with the right motives or doubted in their hearts when they did. So, James wished to circumvent this issue by providing a simple (though admittedly not always easy) solution.

One could think of many other examples of what praying with a double mind looks like. So, although this verse has a specific meaning in this context, it can and does have a general application to all areas of life. One example could be praying for deliverance through a particular temptation but continuously dallying with it in one’s mind (“How far can I go with this?”). Or perhaps a believer doesn’t dally but prays in doubt, believing the temptation is too strong for them to overcome (God can’t deliver me through this!). If that is the case, what point is there in wishing to pursue something you don’t think you will receive? Unlike in many secular scenarios (where help may or may not come), deliverance won’t occur with wishful thinking.

For example, a brigade of soldiers may call for backup while expressing an uncertain hope that help will come (“Will reinforcements arrive?” they may think). “Well, we won’t know unless we try!” This type of “I think I will receive this” hope may result in deliverance in our secular hypothetical scenario (where backup may come to the rescue and save the day). However, this is not at all how it can or is supposed to work in the realm of spiritual warfare. Rescue will not occur for the believer who doubts God’s ability to carry them through (specifically, in overcoming temptations to sin).

Some of our English translations for verse six in our context rightly say, “He MUST” ask in faith.” I believe that is a good way to translate the verse, because the Lord will not impose His will on the believer to give them something they never asked for; our Savior wants us to choose what we genuinely want (we have the gift of free will for a reason). God has many desires for us. But we must accept them in faith for them to become a reality. The Lord knows our hearts to tell what we truly want or not and why.

On the other hand, there will be some things we may receive from God that we didn’t ask for or desire (no examples come to my mind now). But that is not the point. On the contrary, when making important decisions involving forward strides in our spiritual advance, God will not impose His will on us. He desires that we WANT to make the right choices and pray for the right things in faith and with pure motives. He will not grant us wisdom (the answers to know what to do under trial, tribulation, or duress, etc.) when we don’t want it or deliverance from any temptation when we prefer to sin instead. In these particular areas, faith must never be a wishful thinking exercise because (unlike in our military analogy) deliverance or help is guaranteed never to come. We MUST pray in faith!

A person who prays in doubt is said to be unstable in all his ways, meaning that the individual never knows what they want to do. There is then the problem of sin they will have in their life as they continue to stumble more than they should (think of an amateur skater who has yet to keep their balance on the ice properly). So will be the state of a believer who refuses to walk in faith, generally speaking (since our verse says “In all his ways”). Sin and, thus, spiritual harm and the damage that goes with it will be more prominent in their life if the habit continues. Instead of spiritual growth, stagnation or backsliding is likely to occur (or the person may keep moving forward, then backward constantly: take two steps forward, then two back almost immediately after).

However, as we will discuss later on the issue of “why we sin as believers even though we never have to,” we all still sin even as we mature (no one is perfect and without sin 1 John 1:8). We all have specific areas of weakness that we may or may not be growing much in (or so it may take a while until we do). This fact means that every believer, at any maturity level (even the most advanced), will be double-minded to some extent because no one is perfect. However, our verse involves a behavior that characterizes a brother or sister’s walk, leading to spiritual stagnation or (worse yet) regression (the worst possible outcome being apostasy, 2 Peter 2:20-22). The point is that we don’t want this to be our standard of behavior.

To summarize verse eight, we cannot vacillate between two opinions or actions regarding going to the Lord for help and answers (either BEFORE or DURING prayer). This principle applies to all areas of the Christian life whenever we must go to the Lord in time of need (whatever need or request we may have). True wisdom is found only in God’s solution to any problem we may face, not in ways that may seem right to us apart from the Lord’s will. Will we seek God’s wise counsel or that of the flesh and the world? And even if the decision we made may not have been sinful (an area of application), was it really the better choice to do something less preferable (not in God’s best interest or desire)? Even less ideal (though not necessarily sinful) choices and actions can have terrible consequences.

Verses 9-11

The wise boasting of the rich and poor

Verse nine continues the theme of wisdom that James began in verse five. Since there were both rich and poor believers among the scattered Jewish assemblies, they all needed wisdom to adjust their perspectives and live in harmony (James will address this subject again in chapter two). Given their social and economic standing, how might they respond to their current hardships? Verse nine answers this question, and James will clarify that wealth has nothing to do with their spiritual identity in Christ.

Verse nine reads, “Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation.” The word “lowly” refers to a brother or sister in Christ living in more humble circumstances because of being in a lower social and economic status (i.e., they are poor). The word “boast” implies putting a good and godly confidence in said state or circumstance. Therefore, poor believers should rejoice that their worldly poverty and low social standing do not actually say anything about their true riches in Christ Jesus. The strong contrast between what they possess in this world and their true, lasting treasures in the spiritual realm should remind them that they are rich in Christ! In other words, be confident and rejoice in what keeps your perspective aligned with reality and your true identity (wealth, riches, and status do not define a person)! Be happy and hopeful (in the true biblical sense) about what will last in contrast to what is temporary and fading. Scripture proclaims the beauty of this concept in many different places (only a few passages involving this theme or a similar one below).

It is generally true that having less makes devoting oneself to the Lord easier because of fewer distractions (though by no means does it make a poor believer spiritually stronger or better than a rich one). It is usually easier to devote oneself to the Lord with less worry and care. And 1 Timothy 6:6-10 and Matthew 19:23-26 help to put the lie of the prosperity gospel in its proper place (another subject for a different discussion).

But, again, the believer’s eternal reward depends on how well they respond to the Lord and how much they produce in proportion to what they’ve received. There is nothing wrong with being rich if it doesn’t interfere with the believer’s walk (though greater wealth, especially of the exceptional kind, does make devoting oneself to the Lord more difficult). True, this didn’t stop Job or Abraham, who were especially rich. But they willingly suffered for what they had (something so few of our brothers and sisters today would be willing to do if we were honest).

Usually, (though not guaranteed), the less one has, the easier it becomes to focus on the things that truly matter. Many believers in the early days of the church, living in Roman times, were often poor and of lower social status than those in their vicinity. Greater riches can shift one’s focus more toward self and the world (potentially leading to pride) and may indirectly lead the believer to trust in their wealth more than in God. But it doesn’t have to be this way because God has endowed us all with free will to choose how to react to and handle any circumstance.

Wealth is not the problem as much as how we react to or handle it. It is a tool that God allows us to have (to whatever extent) to navigate through this dark and difficult world. And it is not always wrong to ask for more, depending on the reasons, motivations, and circumstances (hopefully not out of discontent). Many of our brothers and sisters may need more to better care for their families. But there are limits where we must draw the line (how much does a man really need?). And it may be the Lord’s will for a particular individual or family to have less for a long time. James 4:13-15 clarifies that we should keep our desires within God’s will. Ultimately, all that matters is that we go where the Lord wants us to go by doing what He wants us to do.

It is also not as if being rich doesn’t have its advantages. Greater wealth can be an asset that aligns with a particular believer’s ministry, allowing them to give to and shelter their fellow brothers and sisters in need. That is just one out of many examples, but the reader should get the idea. And it would be unfair not to acknowledge that some believers are poor because of bad choices (Proverbs mentions a few examples of those living in unnecessary poverty).

In verse ten, James addresses the wealthy believers among the scattered brethren, giving them the biblical guidance they need to handle their circumstances wisely (just as he did for the poor in verse nine). Read together, verses nine and ten say, “Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.” We have already covered verse nine, so we will now address verse ten. The word “boast” used in verse nine also carries into verse ten and applies to the rich. The meaning is that the rich believer must boast in what brings him low or humbles him. In other words, despite having great wealth and abundance in this life, said person should be confident and rejoice in the humility that comes with knowing that all they have is temporary (like the flowers and grass of nature) and will vanish quickly. The verse actually reads “he will pass away.” He knows that his time, resources, and possessions are limited, depending on God’s timetable and not his own. And why does this make him more confident in the Lord? Because it causes him to keep his status and possessions in perspective. That, in turn, brings him closer to the Lord (assuming he responds as he should) because he knows that the treasures he possesses in Christ are eternal, while his physical possessions and body are only temporary (Psalm 39:6).

So, despite being in such a high and lofty position in secular society, how humbling it is for him to know that he has brought nothing into this world and can take nothing out of it 1 Timothy 6:7). All he has is temporary and short-lived. The humility that comes with this should bring the wealthier believer closer to the Lord, giving him a greater reason to be joyfully confident in his relationship with Christ. In a somewhat (though not entirely) similar way, this presents a close parallel example to the one given by Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, where the apostle says regarding his weaknesses, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” The Greek word for “boast” in this passage is the same as that used for “boast” in James 1:9 and is kauchaomai.

To the world’s eyes, poverty is often seen as a weakness. But in reality, it can be a strength that helps bring the believer closer to the Lord if handled correctly. In the world’s eyes, being rich is considered a significant strength. However, this is not true in the spiritual realm in God’s eyes, per se. Wealth can be a great weakness for many believers. It has always been and is especially the case in our present lukewarm era of Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22). However, like poverty, it can become a strength that brings that brother or sister closer to God if kept in line with the Lord’s perspective. The poor believer knows that despite having little in this life, they presently possess a greater treasure now and in eternity. So even if they don’t have much to look forward to in terms of physical, secular belongings (unless things change for them later in life), they always have that present incentive to pursue the Lord more, knowing it will increase their spiritual riches.

Likewise, the rich believer may allow the hollow, empty promises of wealth (seeing through personal knowledge and experience that they haven’t and can never make him truly happy) to cause him to pursue the Lord more, knowing that his wealth proved to be nothing but a façade in that case.

Unfortunately, not all rich or poor believers allow their circumstances to bring them closer to Christ (James told his readers they must choose to do this themselves). As Revelation 3:14-22 confirms (God doesn’t care whether we are rich or poor), most believers in the present era of the church (both poor and wealthy) are lukewarm because they would prefer to follow the Lord half-heartedly because of their pursuit of other interests and desires.

Verse eleven repeats the principle stated in verse ten about the rich and their temporary wealth because they will fade away like everyone and everything else. Verse eleven reads, “For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.” So rich believers need to boast in the fact that their wealth is a reminder of how short, fleeting, and temporary their lives really are. That, in itself, should be a cause of rejoicing because it should bring them closer to the Lord by helping them to trust in Him more.

There are two positions on whether verses ten and eleven refer to wealthy believers or rich unbelievers because of the phrases “Because like a flower of the grass he will fade away” and “So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.” However, these verses are only saying that wealthy believers will physically die and lose all their material possessions just like everyone else (unbelievers). In 1 Timothy 6:7, Paul wrote to a believing audience when he said, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” Likewise, James in chapter four (the same book of our present study), says to the believers under his charge (when calling out some of the brothers and sisters for boasting in uncertain plans and goals), “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” The main objection to the correct view that James isn’t referring to rich unbelievers exclusively in this context is that the two phrases quoted in italics above don’t seem to describe the positive outcome destined for the believer. But to repeat: these verses refer only to the loss of physical life and wealth in this world, NOT to eternal life (for the believer).

Yes, verse eleven also holds true of rich unbelievers, too, because they will also physically die and lose everything they had. But verse ten refers specifically to believers. But in verse eleven (where both are meant as a more general meaning), the word “pursuits,” as Dr. Luginbill of Ichthys-Bible Study for Spiritual Growth notes, “is an unfortunate translation” because it makes it sound as if the person in question pursues wealth as some idol they presently serve to the detriment of their eternal life (someone who is already and always was an unbeliever or is about to become one very soon through apostasy). That is true in the case of unbelievers (this verse applies to both believers and unbelievers, not just unbelievers, as some have taught), but it makes it sound as if the verse excludes rich believers, too. However, the Greek word for “pursuits” in our context is poreiea and means “journeying” or “traveling.” Wealthy believers will die physically and lose all the material wealth they had in this life, just as all unbelievers will. The only difference is where each group ends up: eternity in the Lake of Fire for unbelievers, or eternity in the new Heaven and Earth for believers.

References

All Greek words and definitions were taken from Bible Academy using Curtis Omo’s lessons through the book of James. Prior permission for this was given to me by Curtis who clarified no need for citing him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpArcC4sMBw

I’d like to give a shout-out to Dr. Robert D. Luginbill for helping me to understand the “rich” mentioned in verses ten and eleven as believers, as opposed to unbelievers as some take it. Regarding them, he says,

“The only ones who can truly “rejoice” in this life are believers. Those who are having a hard time (which could be and doubtless is every one of us at some times) need to look forward in our joy, not rejoicing in our troubles per se but in the resolution and vanishing of them in eternity. We are on a journey which is sometimes very hard, but it is well worth continuing, given where we are headed to. If we have the things of this world, we need to take care NOT to set our eyes too solidly on these things because they are transient and evanescent. In fact, James says, we need to be glad that “all this” is going away very soon. And if we do not have the things of this world, we need to be joyful about the fact that we will have “all things” in practice on that glorious day to come just as we have them now in principle.”

And about the word “pursuits,” to which I also credit him with helping me understand, he writes,

“Pursuits” is an unfortunate translation – as is evidenced by the fact that it has caused you to lay any interpretative weight on it. The Greek word is poreiea from poreuomai and it simply means “journeying” or “traveling”, meaning here processing through life (KJV’s “ways” is an excellent rendering). Just as a flower’s life process fades in the end, so it is with all human beings, even if they are “beautiful”, i.e., rich, in this context. This is true of unbelievers who imagine they will live forever; it is also true of believers who happen to be rich.