But Wilt Thou Know, O Vain Man?

‘What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. BUT WILT THOU KNOW, O VAIN MAN, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?'

(James 2:14-22 KJV)

vain- 1. excessively proud of or concerned about one's own appearance, qualities, achievements, etc. 3. ineffectual or unsuccessful; futile.

Vanity is rooted in what you think you have achieved in faith, no matter how far apart from the testimony of Jesus. Are you willing to know, o vain man, or will you allow your pride to continue to breed futility?

'Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.' (John 14:12)

Binding & Loosing Simplified

‘From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." 

Jesus bound Peter's faulty consideration of His calling.

‘Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." '(Matthew 16:21-25)

Jesus looses His disciples to understand their calling in Him: the message of the cross in the wisdom of God. He, head over all things to the church, shows us how to proceed. We could find ourselves in Peter's place here: binding on earth that which is loosed in heaven. We see how Jesus reacted to that!

See the End Intended by the Lord

‘'Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and SEEN THE END INTENDED BY THE LORD--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.' (James 5:9-11)

‘Then Job answered the Lord and said: "I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, '''Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?''' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know, Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, '''I will question you and you shall answer Me.''' I have heard of You be the hearing of the ear, but now my eye SEES You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." ' (Job 42:1-6)

James recognizes Job as an 'example of suffering and patience' (or affliction). He was brought to a place where he could see and not hear only. He repented in dust and ashes. He was able now to assist his humbled friends.

'Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.' (James 5:19,20)




















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































‘Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and SEEN THE END INTENDED BY THE LORD--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.' (James 5:9-11)


'Then Job answered the Lord and said: "I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, '''Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?''' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know, Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, '''I will question you and you shall answer Me.''' I have heard of You be the hearing of the ear, but now my eye SEES You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." '(Job 42:1-6)


James recognizes Job as an 'example of suffering and patience'(or affliction). He was brought to a place where he could see and not hear only. He repented in dust and ashes. He was able now to assist his humbled friends.


'Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.' (James 5:19,20)

‘Done’-No More Mistaken Confidence

‘Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My House shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a 'den of thieves.' " '

‘And the scribes and the chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching. When evening had come, He went out of the city.'

‘Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away." '

'So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be DONE, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.' (Mark 11:17-24)

The scribes and chief priests responded to Jesus' cleansing of the temple with confident opposition rather than repentance. Hear the sanctifying prayer Jesus teaches His disciples so they may be made free from any confidence to oppose His words. If you continue in this confession, your confidence will continually come to be found in Him. 'Done' is the place where 'this mountain' becomes a plain.

'This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: "not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the Lord of hosts. "Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of 'Grace, grace to it!' " ' (Zechariah 4:6)

Now through Jesus Christ crucified and risen, we are saved by grace through faith in Him. His words of faith make us that way!

Trying your faith, or Tried by Faith

‘James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.' (James 1:1-4 KJV)

Why does the opportunity for patience result for those 'trying their faith', having 'fallen into divers (several; various; sundry)' temptations? Because the Father will not honor your trying if your trying attempts to circumvent the working of His word, according to the doctrine of Christ Jesus, His Son in whom He is well pleased.

'If any of you lack wisdom (how to proceed in faith), let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he will receive anything from the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.' (James 1:5-8 KJV)

Single minded faith does not fall into divers temptations 'trying' what they think they know, but understands His way and allows the Holy Spirit of God guide into all truth in the name of Jesus Christ.

‘Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man; but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.' (James 1:12-14)

When you try your faith, you will have to learn to be patient. If you are tried by faith in Christ Jesus, you will receive the crown of life, learning what it means to love Him.

The Desire of the Heart

‘I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask for what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.' (John 15:1-8)
Pruning cuts branches back and away from nonyielding development. Yielding development 'glorifies God' which speaks to others.


'As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.' (John 15:9,10)


These words, in my opinion, represent the 'loosing that which has been loosed in heaven'(Matthew 16:19). In order to abide in Him after we have 'already been cleaned by His word spoken to us', we should be willing to ask for God's pruning in order to bear much fruit of the true vine, Jesus Christ. That is the heart's desire. If you have been asking the Father for anything in the name of Jesus Christ, this should refine your search. Remember! There is a place where a branch of discipleship is cast out and withered if pruning is ignored/resisted/rejected. Therefore, be steadfast in asking for it.

Ask for the Holy Spirit

‘Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.' (James 4:1-3)

‘And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within and say, 'Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'? I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.'

‘So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!' 

(Luke 11:5-13)

'Your desires for pleasure' as mentioned, are not granted by God because they are of no use in revealing Christ's witness in you. The Holy Spirit reveals/guides you into all truth: certainly the will of God. God knows how to build the testimony of Jesus within us by the Holy Spirit. We prove we don't know when we ask otherwise.