Declaring Who We Are to the World - James 1.1

Hello Dear Friends,

???????????Does it ever bother you to let people know or have people asked you whether you are a Christian? It is important for us to be willing to proudly state that “I am a Christian;” especially in this current age of people trying to silence or cancel us. This Fourth of July weekend it is the time for us to declare our freedom as Christians and not be afraid to let the world know who we are in Jesus Christ.

???????????James, the author of the epistle of James, writes, “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting” James 1:1 KJV. I like what James is saying and doing in this first verse of his epistle as he makes some bold statements.

First, James states that he is serving God and equates Jesus as equal to God the Father. Notice that James is not afraid or ashamed to state who he is serving. He not only states that he is serving God, but that he is serving Jesus Christ making him equal to the Father. The leaders of the Jewish government, the Sanhedrin, and all the non-messianic Jews would consider this statement to be heresy and worthy of James being put to death. Since it was the Roman Emperors job to keep peace in the Empire (Pax Romana), he would not have liked James stirring up problems within the Jewish community that could lead to rioting. James knew all these issues and yet openly declared his allegiance to God the Father and to Jesus Christ.

Are you willing to boldly say that you are a servant of God or are you just hoping people will not notice and you can just quietly get by under their radar? Let’s not be like Peter during the night of Jesus’ trial prior to the crucifixion (John 18:25-27). When Peter was questioned as to whether he was one of Jesus’ disciples, he denied Jesus three times. Peter hoped that no one would recognize him or notice the way he acted as a follower of Jesus. Unfortunately, Peter was not prepared to declare his liberty from sin in Jesus. We need to ask God for boldness to stand up and declare his name to the world.

???????????Second, James states that he is writing to the “twelve tribes” of Israel, “which are scattered” James 1:1b. Today we would say he was writing to messianic Jews or Jews that have accepted Jesus as their Savior and Messiah. James is trying to encourage these messianic Jews that have been persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. He is writing to people that took a stand and openly declared that they were no longer living under the law, but rather they were living according to faith. How could James do any less than the people he was writing to? The scattered people James is writing to had sacrificed their homes, their jobs, their safety, their families, and much more to be willing to declare their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior.

???????????As we celebrate our freedom during this 4th of July weekend, let us also use this weekend to find time and declare that we will no longer be silenced as Christians, but that we will declare our devotion and lives to Jesus Christ.

???????????Have a blessed weekend. May God keep his hand upon you as you work for him.

Ronald G Barker, MDiv.