johnd

To be "in Christ" means that Jesus is central to everything in my life. In my relationship with God I place all my priorities under Jesus's control.

Hi, I'm John and I live in the North of England. I look forward to studying Ephesians together. Best regards to all. John.

Jesus summarised the law as love for God and love for our neighbour. If we fail to love we break God's command. (Mathew 22:37-40). When we are about to criticise someone we should remember God's command of love and say something good instead. John.

These actions are vital so that we may have a true relationship with God. They go against our nature because of the flesh and our sinful ways. I find all of these commands difficult. John.

James is using the femenine tense to emphasise that we are brides of Christ. The adultery consists of our turning to the world when we should be turning to God. God is the agrieved husband. John.

God is not against pleasure. What he is against are our own selfish desires which we should ask God to get rid of and trust Him to give us what we really need. John.

Wisdom is the tool that peacemakers use to sow peace. This wisdom is from heaven and produces a ripening crop of righteousness. This crop will grow in all Christians who have Jesus in their heart. John.

Bitter envy is to want something that another has. Selfish ambition is to promote our own needs above all else. Humility is the opposite to the above in that a person with humility does not consider themselves first but looks at everything else. This selfish attitude is inspired by the devil. We should seek God's wisdom which will deliver the need to compare us to others and want what they have. John.

We neeed to have a Christ filled life and be led by the Holy Spirit. Easier said than done! John.

James is telling us that teaching is a highly valued profession and it is a big responsibility to influence other peoples spiritual lives. I believe we should set high standards for ourselves. John.

Demons may know who God is but they don't obey Him and have Jesus in their hearts. John.

I think this chapter of James makes it clear that as Christians we should take responsibility for the poor and needy. I'm not sure from a practical point of view how much I can do. God bless, John.

True faith is not merely a belief it is a commitment of our whole self to God.

I try not to discriminate against anyone although I know that a flaw in my character is that I do discriminate against people who don't agree with my point of view. I would like to make a good impression on everyone as part of my witness to Christ. John.

Our words can be like fire and can deeply hurt others. We need to be careful before we speak. We should care for the poor without any thoughts of receiving. John.

The perfect law is God's Grace and offers the opportunity to ask God for forgiveness of our sins. The royal law was given by our King Jesus Christ. John 15:12 "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you". God bless, John

It's the easy option and sometimes we are not willing to truly live the Christian life. Your Brother in Christ, John.

The word of truth which is the word of God gives us spritual birth in that we are reborn when we let Christ into our lives. By following the word of God and making a commitmet to Christ the Holy Spirit will come into our hearts. The Holy Spirit will guide us and we should not rely on the flesh but let the Holy Spirit control us.

The promise to claim in verse 5 is that of wisdom. The condition in verse 6 is that once we have received this wisdom we are not to doubt it. Trials help us to receive this wisdom because when we are in trouble it is natural to turn to God our father and ask for help. Amen.

Double-mindedness is a constant struggle between the flesh and the spirit and I don't believe any of us will be 'cured' of this during our life on earth. Trials help us because during times of trouble we do tend to turn to God and hopefully we will make the right choices with God's Spirit in control. This perseverance and commitment to God which helps us come through our trials strengthens our faith and continues to mature us as Christians. God bless, John.

It is human nature to blame someone else. People argue that God as our creator is all powerful and that He is to blame for evil. Scripture clearly states, James 1:13 "When tempted no one should say 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;" God allows people to sin because it is our desire and He gives us free will. God allows evil to exist becuase of the above statement regarding free will. Since Adam ate from the tree of knowledge we have been separated from God and our own evil desires lead us into temptation. The good news is (sorry I'm preaching the Gospel) that Christ came to save us and through His death on the cross the price of our sins was paid. God's plan is coming to fruition and He will soon put things right. Yours in Christ, John.

As a relatively new Christian I haven't faced that many trials as a Christian. With hindsight I don't know how I survived through previous trials as I believe I've had my fair share. I can only conclude that although my faith was not strong God was there for me. As I mature as a Christain, what I've learnt from these trials helps me to fulfill God's plan. John.