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Mature Faith Does Not Show Favoritism Symbols of social status in America tend to be material goods. The person at the wheel of the sleek sports car is powerful. The one wearing expensive designer clothing is wealthy. The individual with the latest piece of pricey technology is ahead of the curve. The people seated in box seats or first class...

Mature Faith Is Seen in Good Deeds Commentator Zane C. Hodges described the relationship between faith and good works: “[W]orks are in fact the vitalizing ‘spirit’ which keeps one’s faith alive, in the same way that the human spirit keeps the human body alive. Whenever a Christian ceases to act on his faith, that faith atrophies and becomes...

Mature Faith and Self-Control in Speech The Yik Yak app, now thankfully defunct, allowed users to post anonymous comments and to agree or disagree with other users’ comments within a five-mile radius. For example, students on a university campus could share opinions about teachers, courses, or classmates. The app’s anonymous posts degenerated...

Mature Faith, Good Deeds, and Godly Wisdom What is wisdom? It dwells with God, meaning that our wisdom depends upon our relationship with Him. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Prov. 9:10). The phrase “fear of the Lord” signifies reverence, worship, and obedience. “The fear...

Mature Faith Submits Humbly to God The narrative climax in John Milton’s Paradise Lost is the choice made first by Eve and then by Adam to give in to the serpent’s temptation and disobey God. In Milton’s Paradise Regained, the story’s climax is Jesus’ perfect resistance to the Devil’s temptations in the wilderness (Luke 4:1–13). Christ’s...

Mature Faith Is Not Judgmental Two award-winning television shows with similar formats have been running for decades. Civil litigants can bring their cases to The People’s Court or Judge Judy to be settled. The judges ask penetrating questions, demand evidence, and render verdicts that cannot be appealed. These television shows are popular...

Mature Faith Understands God’s Justice In his commentary on James, Douglas J. Moo explained that today’s verses condemn a sinful use of wealth. “We cannot avoid the serious reminder about money and possessions that we confront in this text. One of the sins for which God condemns these people is their selfish accumulation of money and things...

Patience: Two Examples With God’s permission, Satan destroyed Job’s wealth, killed his children, and attacked his health. Job ended up on a garbage heap scratching painful sores. Yet, “In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing” (Job 1:22). To his wife’s despair, he responded, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”...

Patience: A Key Command As many scholars have noticed, the epistle of James is deeply influenced by the teachings of Jesus during His earthly ministry, often alluding to His words and addressing similar issues. The Moody Bible Commentary points out 24 parallels between James and the Sermon on the Mount. Today’s verse brings to mind Jesus’...

Building on the Past Many new leaders of organizations desire to strike out on their own in order to make their own mark and propagate their ideas and vision. Few coming to the helm of an organization want to maintain the status quo or merely rehash the past glory of their institutions. And indeed, they are often hired with the hopes that...