Bible Study Notes (11/16/21) James 1:16-18 His Sovereign Gifts

James – Gospel Motivated Love
His Sovereign Gifts
Passage: James 1:16-18

James 1:16 ¶ Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
James 1:18 Of his own will, he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

I gave an illustration on Sunday about how we come to know God. One way is by our own wavering emotions and the transactional nature of our relationships as well.

QUESTION: Do you see how your personal relationships have influenced how you see the nature of God?

QUESTION: Have you ever struggled with what God has brought into your life and even questioned the good character of God?

What we learn from verses 17-18 is the nature of God and how he treats us. God is by nature:
•Sovereign: Does whatever he please according to his will
•Self-sufficient: Never acts out of necessity, but according to his nature
•Unchangeable: Nothing forces God to change in nature or desire
•Impassable: God does not have emotions that swing due to circumstances

God’s decisions are always in accordance with his nature. He doesn’t treat us as we treat each other. His interactions with us are never a response but always part of his perfect and sovereign will. Anything we ever receive from God will always be for our good.

QUESTION: How do these attributes of God encourage your understanding of your relationship to God?

QUESTION: What attribute do you tend to struggle with or forget, leading you to not trust God or doubt his actions?

According to his sovereign will, that never changes, not because he needed it to complete himself because he chose to base on his own desires, and his desires never vary. He does not act on emotions. This type of knowledge changes the way we interact with God. When He promises mercy and grace in times of need, these promises are not transactional or come and go based upon his mood swing of the day.

We never have to feel the water to see whether it’s warm or cold that day. Hey God, how’s it going? Feeling the love today or angry? I kind of need something again but want to make sure it’s ok. Everything that God brings into our lives is for our Good. It truly is a gift from God to develop our faith and hope and ultimately our joy in his sufficiency to provide all that we need.

What about when we find ourselves trapped in sin? How is that a gift?

Chapter 5 - Divine Providence

5. The perfectly wise, righteous, and gracious God often allows his own children for a time to experience a variety of temptations and the sinfulness of their own hearts. He does this to chastise them for their former sins or to make them aware of the hidden strength of the corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts so that they may be humbled. He also does this to lead them to a closer and more constant dependence on him to sustain them, to make them more cautious about all future circumstances that may lead to sin, and for other just and holy purposes.15 So whatever happens to any of his elect happens by his appointment, for His glory, and for their good.16

QUESTION: God uses our sin to draw us closer to him, in greater dependence on Him and not our own strength. Can you see this in your own life, your own struggle with sin pushing you to trust in Christ and not your own strength?

PRAISE, PRAYER, AND CONFESSION:
•What can you offer to the Father in praise?
•What is a sin you need to confess?
•What is a burden we can carry?
•What can we take to our Father in prayer?