AUBURN BAPTIST CHURCH Community of Devotion Written by the Pastors and Deacons of Auburn Baptist Church in 2017 January 1: James 1 “The one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” James 1:25 Today marks the beginning of this adventure we will take together as a community. James is the perfect starting place for us because he opens his book with a command to seek wisdom and act upon the wisdom we find (v. 5). In verses 2-4 he challenges us with the idea that we should consider it a source of joy when we face trials, when we are persecuted in the carrying out of our faith. In John 16:33 Jesus reminds his disciples, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Jesus is warning us and James is reminding us that those who follow Jesus in truth will also follow him in persecution. We see this tension, this conflict, in many ways. We see it in the cultural shift around us, we see it in our daily family interactions, we see it in the church. When sinners get close to one another, we bump heads as we compete rather than submit together to God. So again, when we face that conflict, James calls us to seek wisdom from God. That wisdom is found in the Bible, and so this year we will walk together through a lot of the Scripture seeking God’s wisdom. But James would caution us that this is not an end in itself. “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves,” he says in verse 22. When we ask the Father of lights for his wisdom he will grant it, but in speaking to us he simultaneously calls us to action. As we read a chapter a day together, be listening closely for the Holy Spirit’s voice calling you to transforming action. It will often be scary and difficult, but that is why we are walking through this together. Each day encourage your family and friends to step out boldly into deeper faith in Jesus Christ. That is where the blessing of salvation lies. January 2: James 2 “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.” James 2:12 James starts this chapter with a specific discussion of the relationship between the rich and the poor, but by the end of the chapter he has broadened it to an all-encompassing discussion of equality at the foot of the cross. All of us stand before God as sinners, but when we put our faith in Jesus we are covered in his identity. To the extent that we are crucified and Christ fills us in (Galatians 2:20), we are counted righteous before God. This is the “law of liberty” (v. 12). We are free from developing a righteousness of our own because Christ is our righteousness. Therefore when we interact with those without faith, we should do so lovingly, as one who stands in community with them, as one who was judged unrighteous before the throne of God. “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!” (Romans 6:1-2). Even as we love others in our sin-stained community, we should be pursuing the righteous works God created us for (Ephesians 2:10). We do these works, not for the sake of our own righteousness, but because it is the outworking of our faith in Jesus. Because he says these things are the ways of one who lives in right relation to God, we seek to live that way. The things I do to show love to my spouse are the same. I do them, not to put her in debt to me, but to demonstrate externally what is true and living inside me. Today seek out righteous works, not to earn God’s love, but to demonstrate your love back to him. January 3: James 3 “From the mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not be so.” James 3:10 Yesterday we read James’ admonishment to live by the “law of liberty,” seeking righteous works as a natural outpouring of love for the Father. In the third chapter, James unpacks that with a specific example. He spends much of this chapter exploring the unrighteousness of our speech. He does not mince his words about it. “The tongue is a fire of unrighteousness…setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell,” (v. 6). Only those who are perfect are able to control their tongue. The reason for this is that the tongue reflects what is in the heart (Proverbs 4:23). Can a saltwater pond host freshwater fish? Can an apple tree give oranges? Can a perfect heart produce sinful speech? James says that the one who is wise seeks for God to fill his heart with righteousness. Then what flows out will be humble, meek, gentle, peaceable… in a word, righteous. Those who are content to live according to their own wisdom and righteousness will produce selfish ambition, jealousy, and disorder. As we walk through this year together, I encourage you to examine your speech. How well does it reflect the values and priorities we’re reading about in Scripture? Hopefully you will find many places of overlap, but you will undoubtedly also find places of conflict. Pray thanking God for the grace he has already granted for that sin, and ask him to work to revive those places of unrighteous rot in our souls. January 4: James 4 “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:8 As the end of the letter approaches, James ratchets up the stakes. He blatantly calls us out for what we are: murderers, adulterers, and idolaters. Each of us has spent our life straddling the fence, trying to find a way to be get as much out of the world as we can while claiming to get everything we need from God. But God does not accept this kind of partial gift. “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God,” (v. 4). The segments of our hearts that still cling to the treasures of this world betray what Abe Lincoln called our “better angels.” Even small segments held back put us squarely in relation to God as enemy. He has commanded our whole heart, and we have only brought a portion, leaving the rest for our own passions. But then there is a sweet and sudden transition; “But he gives more grace,” (v. 6). God has seen your transgression and loved you anyway (Romans 5:8). We are invited to draw near to the Lord by reading his word, speaking to him in prayer, and rejoicing over him with praise. As we do these things, our hearts are filled with his Spirit. He teaches us his ways. He passes on his passions to us like a parent to a child. We are filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. No longer are our plans based on our whims and lusts. Instead they flow out of God’s will being lived out in us. As a community we are seeking to draw near to him, and as he draws near to us, see his will lived out in our church’s works. January 5: James 5 "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” James 5:13-15 Auburn Baptist has a slew of hunters that enjoy the outdoors. I have been privy to many conversations between hunters on their weapons of choice. It's a thing of beauty to see someone describe their gun. There's usually some story that goes with it - it was grandpas gun or some other ancestor who was the ultimate predator with that gun. Or they may have tediously researched and/or expertly haggled their way into becoming the proud owner of that weapon. Seems like in all those cases, that prized gun is being used frequently during the hunt. It's certainly not sitting on the shelf gathering dust. So it should be with our most prized weapon spiritually - prayer. Prayer changes things. Sometimes the situation or sickness or obstacle is removed or altered by God's intervention after prayer. Probably as often as that happens, though, God chooses to alter the one praying. Either way, things change for the better. Is your prayer life gathering dust? Or is it an often-used, clean, well-oiled, scoped- in weapon that helps you cope with life's challenges? As far as the doctrine of the passage, many have given the passage an interpretation that paves the way for discouragement when a sick person does not become "well". They would say if the faith is strong enough, healing automatically comes. That is certainly in error.