Tuesday: Every Good and Perfect Gift
Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning
(James 1:16-17).
Image © Rolf Jansson from GoodSalt.com
Although sin gives birth to death, God is the source of life. He is the Father of lights
(James 1:17), a reference to the Creation (Gen. 1:14-18). God gives us birth to a new life, which is the greatest gift we can get from above
(compare James 1:17 with John 3:3).
Like Paul, who speaks of salvation as the result of God’s grace (Rom. 3:23-24; Eph. 2:8; 2 Tim. 1:9), James 1:17 calls salvation agift.
More so, in the next verse James makes it clear that salvation, this new birth, is the result of God’s purpose and will for us: In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth
(James 1:18, NRSV). That is, God wants us to be saved. It was His will, from even before we existed, that we should have salvation and a new life in Him now and for all eternity.
How does James’s depiction compare with the description by Paul and Peter of the new birth? See Titus 3:5-7, 1 Pet. 1:23.
Jesus, Paul, Peter, and James all connect salvation with the new birth. God’s whole purpose in the plan of redemption is to reconnect sin-battered and broken human beings with heaven. The rift was so big and so wide that nothing humans could do could have ever bridged it. Only God’s Word in human form, Jesus, could reconnect heaven to earth. The inspired Word (2 Tim. 3:16) is uniquely able to breathe spiritual life into those whose hearts are open to receive the gift.
In short, our Father of lights
so loves us that, even as underserving as we are, He gives us every good gift and every perfect gift
(James 1:17, NKJV), the best of all gifts being Jesus and the new birth that He offers.
What are the gifts you’ve been given from above
? Why is it so important to dwell on them? What happens when we don’t?
(26)
Spiritual things are impossible to grasp with human reasoning. There’s the gift of suffering which we’re supposed to accept and be ‘joyful’ about. There’s the uncomfortable exposure to our sinful condition which is brought on by personal choice; but in the midst of it all is our Father of lights, who gives every good, perfect and precious gift to us. He doesn’t withhold even though we sin by choice. He keeps giving even though we misunderstand Him when He disciplines, trains and develops us.
One of the greatest gifts God has given me is the opportunity to know Him as He is. To use me to reflect His character so that others who need Him like I do will be drawn to His marvelous transforming power of love. It’s taken some suffering. God is so merciful that He even uses suffering I’ve chosen to help me. It’s taken some isolation, redirection and misunderstanding to continuously polish away my rough edges. It’s taken many losses, some disappointments and constant learning.
When thinking about it, I marvel at a Father chose not to destroy us but even in our error allows us the privilege to become an object lesson for the whole order of created beings. In the end we who are created will all understand more of what He’s really like. We humans are His jewels, even though He has to suffer, sacrifice, mourn, repeat, plead, support, polish and develop us. He does so much of the work; and I enjoy the fruits of His labor as I cooperate with Him.
When I think how God cares for us, how can we not serve him, His gift is perfect he so love us that he gave his only Son to come to this Earth to go through so much suffering. By he God sending his Son that's so his Son could reconnect us humans to heaven
Salvation is a gift from God its not our works its a new birth and God our father gives us freely. If we can give good gift to our children ,how much more can God the father and creator of all human kind give us gift. I just want say THANK YOU GOD for your precious gift..Amen
Nanci, well put! Never thought of suffering from MY choices being a GIFT. But thru your illustration, I see that. And yes, tho it hard to rejoice and be glad thru suffering/trials, it does perfect our character, which in turn IS a gift. The Lord is so awsome! So very thankful for His love.
We are really his jewels,and because we are precious and worth preserving our Father was willing to suffer,sacrifice and give his life so that we can be more like him.really ,all that work was done for us so we can enjoy the fruits of his labour together and be grateful.
The greatest and perfect gift of gifts is Jesus Christ. God through Christ offered Himself to humanity. In fact heaven descended down for the sake of humanity (John 1:1-3,14). Understanding will humble our hearts because God made the impossible possible. We can now be reconciled to God through our faith in Jesus.
My husband and I bought a new house and were very excited.We moved in without adequate and needed furniture but were not disturbed because we now own a house.We even used up basically all of our financial resources just to get the house so now we have a house plus loans but we are happy. But what false sense of security and comfort. Is it that we have settled so long for the enemy's mediocre that we cannot accept and appreciate God's free first class?
God offered us His free gift of salvation accompanied by a long train of blessings which include a furnished mansion nestled in a crime proof gated community.Yet we would find it easier to sacrifice our means and labour incessantly to gain perishable possessions to live in a gated community for which we have to pay security fees.But it is so difficult for some of us to simply accept God's free gift and give up the perishables to have it.
Our problem is that we are not turning our eyes on Jesus therefore the things of this world are not dim. Instead we focus so much on the things of this world that Jesus has become strangely dim.Let us pray for eyesalve that we can see the gift that God is giving to us for its true value and let us ask God to help us to cherish it so much so that others can see the value and want to accept the gift as well. Especially Jesus the ultimate gift.
Interesting how James is comparing our options:
through yielding to temptations sin is conceived and born which leads to death
or yielding to God's will we are born again through His Word to light and life
I'm thankful for God's gift of forgiveness. God is so forgiving and loves me that much to give me chances to get myself together. I love God for loving my spiteful nature at times.
The gift of Jesus to the human race is not only the best and perfect gift. before Christ, it is like we were on this small Island with an undregded harbor only uble to use small boats which made it impossible for big ships to bring supplies to us, but Christ's coming is like our harbor has been dregded and for the first time big ships are coming bringing stuff that we never knew before, and we are wondering how did we get along without these things; grace, mercy, love, compassion and so much more. Let's shout for joy.
My nature makes me prone to sin than to do good. Paul says that which i want to do i do not. But that which i would not i do. So by nature i am inclined to yield to temptation. But because i have a gift in Jesus, of life eternal, my choices and my members should yield to the impress of the Holy Spirit and accept the gift of Christ. Accepting Jesus as my Saviour is accepting the free and precious gift of Salvation. Hence my choices and the fruits i produce should reflect the choice i have made in being like Christ.
This lesson opened my mind to some new ideas about the "Father of lights" James 1:17, and I am really enjoying these Sabbath school lessons.
Recently, I heard a lecture about how light came from nothing, the sun was the light, and from the sun came green plants. Many people listening to the talk agreed. Yet people want to take God out of the equation! I find more comfort and strength knowing that, "In Him was light and the light was the light of men and all things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made." John 1:4, 3.