The Nature of God
James 1:16-18
Introduction
It is illegal to read the Bible in the public schools of Illinois, but a law requires the state to provide a Bible for every convict! Don’t worry, kids, if you can’t read the Bible in school, you’ll be able to when you get to prison!
In contrast to where we were last week God is the author of salvation not of temptation. Where we may have been tempted and fallen even these next verses tell us that God is the one that gives us the good gifts of salvation. We will look at the very nature of God not just in His giving, but in His unchanging ways, how He looks at us and what His nature is toward His creation. In the book of James we will learn a lot about ourselves as we pursue deeper places with Christ. But James takes a pause from the problem he has with you to remind us that no matter how big the problem is that we have, we serve a God with an incredible knowable nature. The god of Islam is unknowable and unpredictable the God of Israel, Jehovah God, is knowable, all knowing and never changes. We can always know God’s responses and what His actions will be through His word. James will show us God as the wonderful and abundant giver, we will see the God who never changes, we will see our God who acts on His own will, but who acts on His own will for the good of a creation that He loves so dearly. We continue on in the book of James 1:17-18.
I. He Is the Wonderful Giver
a) The Original Giver
i) Our God is the originator of giving gifts from the very beginning
ii) He gave you and me the gift of breath when he breathed into us the breath of life.
iii) He gave to us a son “For God so loved the world that He gave…”
iv) He Is the original giver He is the best at it and none can give more or give better for God gives the good gifts
b) The good gift
i) John 3:27 A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven
ii) Do you have the child like faith to stand in the open and pray to God in a way that completely trusts Him for all you need?
iv) All God’s gifts are good, but all good gifts may not come from God
v) The drug addict cannot consider their provision of drugs a gift from God. There are material items that corrupt and are misused and are in the wrong hands, but when God gives gifts they are not just good they are perfect.
c) The perfect gift from above
i) He gave us a good and perfect world that only by our minds and our hearts did we corrupt it.
ii) We have received from Him the perfect gift time and time again and we always know how to take those perfect gifts that are from His hand and mold it to fit our corrupt and selfish minds.
iii) Thank you God for what you have given me now how can I use this for my gain.
iv) Even the spiritual gifts He gives us. How can I use this for my gain?
v) Please understand this concept: that He gives good and perfect gifts. Just because He gives good gifts and just because we recognize them as good gifts it may be that they are not perfect for us.
vi) So if God withholds a good gift from you it may be because it is not perfect for you. That good gift might be perfect for someone else.
vii) When someone else receives that good gift we should rejoice with them.
d) Is His nature a part of yours?
i) Does His nature as a giver contrast ours? Or compliment?
ii) What kind of giver are we in light of this scripture? Are we concerned about giving the good and perfect gift to others? God may have a Word for someone or a prophecy for someone and yet we corrupt that good and perfect gift by trying to interpret it for them rather than be the messenger and let them receive what is good and perfect from God.
iii) Many times we concern ourselves with the good and perfect gift we receive than the good and perfect gift we give. When we think of the gifts of the spirit that are given to us we must remember that those are gifts to give and use for others.
iv) The other attribute of God is one that should keep us secure in Him
II. He is a God who never changes
a) His promises never change
i) One of the scriptures that I like look up just to make sure that it is still there is Romans 11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
ii) And I wonder if God is sometimes sorry he put that in their
iii) One scripture that you can side next to this is 1 Samuel 15:11 When God said, “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as King for he has turned his back from following Me.”
iv) Saul’s calling was revoked at His death that is the only time your calling becomes null and void
v) His promises to Abraham have not changed either from Genesis 12 & 15 regarding the land of Israel
vi) James goes on to say of God that there is…
b) No variation or shadow of turning
i) This is quite an imagery for us. A light that is on or the sun itself has no shadows, but we who are illuminated by the sun and by the light cast shifting and changing shadows. God is the father of the light in Him there is no darkness at all. Something that has no darkness can cast no shadow…
ii) Malachi 3:6 says, “For I am the Lord and I do not change..”
iii) We on the other hand are a constant cycle of changes. We can’t sit still long enough for God to have a conversation with us. And yet in our inconsistencies and unfaithfulness He still is faithful.
iv) There is a variation and shadow of turning. We shift from a decision for Christ to a quick moment of backsliding.
v) But God has not changed His mind about our salvation and He doesn’t, no matter how far we go in our sin
vi) 2 Peter 3:9 should help us and warn us that He is long-suffering toward us not wanting any of us to perish, but that all should come to repentance.
vii) We should also be relieved to know that God cannot do some things…stay with me on this…
c) What God can and cannot do
i) Can God do anything?
ii) Is God omnipotent? Meaning all powerful?
iii) The atheist or agnostic philosopher will post the question: If God is omnipotent can He make a rock so big that He cannot lift it? Nine times out of ten the Christian does not know how to answer this. And ends up chasing his tail all around the mulberry bush.
iv) Would God make something greater than Himself?
v) I have made an evaluation and answer available to you in the back for your review and critique… Why is it important, because people are asking.
vi) Can God do anything within His omnipotent nature? There are some things He cannot do…
(a) God cannot look upon wickedness (Hab 1:13)
(b) God cannot be tempted (James 1:13)
(c) God cannot lie (Titus 1:2, Num 23:19)
(d) God cannot deny Himself (2 Tim 2:13)
(e) God cannot learn
(f) God cannot make you love Him
vii) God doesn’t know:
(a) God does not know of a human being that He wants to go to Hell
(b) An alternative path to get to His throne than through Jesus
viii) There are two things you should do everyday that Jesus never did
(a) Read the New Testament
(b) Pray for forgiveness of your sins
ix) There is no changes in God we should be thankful and thank Him that He acts on His own will
III. He acts on His own Will
a) By God’s will only…
i) John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
ii) It was God’s will that we be converted to Him. It was God’s will that gave us the opportunity to cross a bridge made by the son.
b) He brought us forth By the Word of truth
i) The Word of truth is the revelation given to us through Jesus Christ
ii) Words spoken to us brings us closer to the one who redeemed us
iii) Words spoken to us to teach us and rebuke us. To give us a doctrine to live by and an instruction to righteousness.
iv) Jesus is the Word made flesh and He gave us the revelation of life and the revelation of things to come.
c) Answered and unanswered prayers
i) If I pound any kind of information in you it is this God has a will of His own and acts according to what is right by Him not by you.
ii) He chose to save us by grace not by anything that was done not by anyone who prayed that no one can boast and take credit.
IV. He acts on His own will for the love of His creation
a) He brought us forth with a purpose
i) Have you ever asked the question why Lord why Me? Have you ever tried to reason it in your mind why He might have called you to the saving knowledge that you have in Him.
ii) If you think you just happened to slip by or slip through with out notice I got to tell you, you’re not here by accident God called you
iii) As it was His will that brought us forth it is our will that must make the steps to go forth
iv) If your are listening you must know that God knows your heart. You may have fooled your pastor and the other people, but his eyes are looking at your heart and He is calling you forth. It is His will that you be free It is His will to call you forth It must be your will to respond
b) We are the firstfruits of His creation
i) First fruits was used not merely of that which was first in order but of that which was first in honor. To be the firstfruits is to be an heir to His Kingdom
Conclusion
Have you recognized the attributes and nature of God? When was the last time you stood in awe of Him? When was the last time you realized Him in His awesome ways? The most encouraging thing I hear as a pastor are people who have been coming up to me saying how they have drawn in so much deeper and closer with God since we started in James. Have you looked at yourself in light of scriptures and in light of the nature of God? Do you give to others as Christ gave to you? Good and perfects gifts is God using you as a vessel in which He might impart those gifts?
