Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

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9 May 10
    Greetings, dear people.
    At 7:42pm, the clouds are rolling in, and it looks like rain is on the way.  But up till a short time ago, it was a gorgeous day.  We were able to do our Mother's Day lunch after church on our creekside deck.  I made the lunch.  Good.  We even roasted some meat on a fire.  Sure a nice setting.  Incredible beauty.
    I need to get on with some other urgent things before bed.  So good night.  Sleep tight.
        Blessings.
            Dad/Ray

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9 May 2010
Passage:  James 1
Focus:  “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth.”  James 1:18

            There are some striking similarities between the themes of James and the themes of Peter.  This is an example.  James says, “He (God) chose to give us birth through the word of truth.”  Peter says, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Pet 1:23).  Normally we think in terms of a scripture like Ephesians 2:8-9 as a description of that which generates salvation:  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”  While all these scriptures are a true description of our new life, James and Peter help us to perceive the main wellspring of it all.  It all flows out of the revelation and our right response to the Word of God…which, for all practical purposes, is the Bible.
            If the Word of God is this vital, little wonder that James carries on with this thought.  “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.  Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:21-25).
            And it is little wonder that Peter would give this encouragement:  “Like new born babies, crave pure spiritual milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Pet 2:2).
            Let’s make sure we don’t miss this point.  God’s Word is of utmost importance in realizing Salvation.  Is God’s Word of utmost importance in your lifestyle?