James 1:16-18
“Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”
As a final warning, James is giving us advice. “Do not be deceived.” When in trials, the chance of being deceived is critically high. Many kidnaps have happened in India recently. The kidnappers approach the children with chocolates or toys. They always show their smiling faces. Children may not know their hidden agenda and fall for it. The Bible says, “For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14.
How can we be on guard?
1. Stick to the goodness of God:
When Satan deceived Eve, he injected the doubt into her mind. He injected the doubts of:
- Words of God (Genesis 3:1; 3:4): “Did God say…”; “You will not surely die…”
- The instruction of God (3:3): God’s instruction was not to consume or even to touch the fruit at the center of the garden. But, as Satan gave a false assurance, Eve was doubted about the command of God.
But, if Eve was courageous enough to resist these two lies of the devil, mankind would never be under the bondage of sin.
That’s why James is reminding us to be watchful. “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.” (Vs. 17).
When the deceiver comes, resist his lies by the word of God. Proclaim to him, ‘My God is unchanging. He is the source of all goodness and the source of all good and perfect gifts. What he said is true to the core and it will never be moved even if the world loses its equilibrium.’ Stick on to the word of God and His instructions, be not deceived.
2. Stick to the sovereignty of God over you:
Sovereignty means supreme power or authority. GOD has complete authority over our life.
God has brought you with a price greater than anything of this world-the life of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. We have to be aware of this ownership. When the devil tries to tempt or deceive us, we have to be watchful. In the spiritual realm, GOD fights for us. He never allows the devil to win over us instead, He reminds the devil that He has bought you with a price on the Cross of Calvary.
As GOD has given each person the free will, we can move on according to our desires, even when God is fighting for us in the spiritual world. If we are deceived by the gleaming offers of the devil that provides temporary reliefs, we are allowing Satan to take control of our life. So, be alert and discern the deceiving nature of Satan.
In verse 18, James is reminding us how GOD created us and why GOD chose us. “Of his own will, he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
Three reminders from this verse.
- We are brought of His will,
- We are brought forth by the word of truth,
- We are the firstfruits of His creatures.
When we learn about the creation, we can see that GOD created man out of His love and through His word. So, we can say, the basic constituent of a human being is love. GOD chose us to be the firstfruit of His creation. The concept of “firstfruit” is from the Old Testament. The people had to offer the best and the first to GOD. So, when we go through the trials, make sure that we stick on to the qualities of GOD and stay as the best as we are the firstfruit of HIS creation.
