James 1:5-8 CHRIST IS OFFERED TO ALL - VIA GRACE NOT WORKS

1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.

For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

CHRIST IS OFFERED TO ALL - VIA GRACE NOT WORKS

James here makes a clear distinction between two groups of people - those who place all their trust in Christ and those who place only part of their trust in Christ.

God’s elect, when exposed to temptations, run to Christ. They ask God (ask of God) for knowledge of Christ. They come for revival in knowledge of Christ crucified for their sins. They abandon all reliance, all trust, in their self-worth as they come to him to place all their trust in him, to place all their trust in his perfect righteousness. They come in perfect faith doubtlessly knowing they are totally corrupt and he is perfectly Holy. Their patience comes from knowing Christ fully. All those who desire to know more of Christ simply ask and it is given to them by God (giveth to all men). It is his joy to give Grace abundantly (liberally), and to continue to give it (giveth). All those who have seen Christ have been enabled to do so, they have been enabled to place all their trust in Christ. They know they stand before God completely in Christ’s righteousness and none of their own. They know they will never receive any of God’s wrath (upbraideth not).

Note that this “wisdom” is Christ. In Proverbs 8 he assigns the name wisdom and all its character to himself. This “faith” is trust in Christ. Christ is given to all who seek him (ask of God) completely trusting (faith) in him and nothing else.

Prov 8:12 I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.

The status of the second group of people is completely different. Those who try to come to God while trusting in themselves (either partially or fully) are not accepted by God. God will not accept, will not love, and will not do anything for those who come to him claiming any self-worth whatsoever (For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord). Remember in Genesis Chapter 4 that Abel brought a bloody substitute and was accepted while Cain instead brought the results of his efforts and was condemned. God’s message to us in his word is clear, his justice is universal, his love is not. Every single member of the human race is condemned justly under God’s Law. The only way to reconcile to God is through the gift of Christ’s imputed righteousness evidenced by faith in him. Christ saves God’s elect to himself by himself for his glory. Salvation is only by and through his sovereignly bestowed Free Gift of Grace; it is absolutely not by or through any of man’s works or merit. God will not tolerate any mixing of his Grace and man’s works.

Isa 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

God’s elect come to Christ with 100% trust in his righteousness and 0% trust in their own righteousness. They come with no wavering at all (ask in faith, nothing wavering).

By Ray Bennetts