Unstable in all his ways!

James here is communicating to those around him in the church to encourage them to face tough times with a measure of stability. We are told in Mark 14:27 by Jesus as he quotes Zecharaiah "You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written: "'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered". James is aware of this risk and so tries to inspire the church to hold fast


James 1:2-8 - 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.


May we all hold firm to the anchor of our souls and remain secure and steadfast in Him.

Every wind of doctrine!

The Apostle Paul as he writes to the Ephesian church is concerned by the unstable nature of some. Stable doctrine and solid teaching are essential to the life of a growing church and a reliable Christian.

Ephesians 4:14

"Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming".

By taking heed to teaching like this we can make sure we lay solid, good quality and firm foundations in our lives. When the foundations are laid correctly then the structure built on it will also remain for a whole lifetime.

Matthew 7:24
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock".

If we want to be sure that our foundations have a solid under-base we need to construct on the rock who is in Christ.

No shadow of turning!

The Bible tells us in the book of James 1:17 "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows". This description comes from the days before we had clocks and watches. A sundial was the only time piece that was able to give an accurate depiction of the time in relation to the sun. There was a 'shadow of turning'. In other words it kept changing what it said all the time. However with God the Bible tells us that He (Christ) is always the same."Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever". Our reliability should be as is His, the same, with no changing with the direction of the sun or the wind. Let us remain faithful and reliable as we serve our people.

What makes someone 'reliable'?

Reliable:
Someone or something that may be relied  on; dependable in achievement, accuracy,honesty, etc.: reliable information.


Recently I heard of a young lady whose boyfriend, who claimed to be a Christian, was persistently asking her to have sexual intercourse with him.  She resisted and eventually, due to his continual pressure, decided to break the relationship.   This young man, like many are unable to control their desires until the day they are married.


My question is (and I am very aware of the pressures young people face with regard to such issues) does this kind of pressure from him lay the foundation for reliability, in fact the very opposite.   He is likely to gain the reputation of one who cannot be relied upon.   He is likely to make his future wife and family very unhappy indeed.


Our reliability comes from our relationship with and obedience to Christ.

May we all know obedience and service of the King of Kings every day.

Being Reliable!

What does it mean to be 'Reliable'.

Well of course we need to view this whole question in the context in which it was written and intended.

Paul the Apostle, this man who had seen the most powerful of conversions, from one who was vehemently opposed to the Gospel and to all of those who followed the 'Christ', to the greatest communicator and Christian intellect of his day, begins to delegate responsibility to his 'son in the faith' Timothy.   The key verse in the message to Timothy comes in 2Timothy 2:2 where these words are used, "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others".  Here we see that there is a process of discipleship taking place.

1. God teaches Paul the Apostle
2. Paul teaches Timothy (before many witnesses)
3. Timothy teaches reliable people
4. The 'Reliable People' teach others........

Why did Paul feel he had the right to be see as a Reliable Person?

Paul writes to the Corinthians  (1 Cor:4) and challenges them about their reliability and from there lays his lifestyle and walk down as their visible benchmark since he is an imitator of Christ.