Spiritual Maturity: James

The Bible is the greatest place to learn about growing in Christ. It is God’s...
March 17, 2021

The Bible is the greatest place to learn about growing in Christ. It is God’s Word to us for instruction, teaching, wisdom, guidance, and counsel. Furthermore, it is impossible to grow  spiritually without knowing God through His Word. He has given us His Word to help us grow  to be more like Jesus Christ.

We must know God’s Word in order to grow spiritually

One of my favorite books of the Bible is the book of James. Not only does the book challenge believers, but it also encourages spiritual maturity. Obvious to the many who read the book, James contains warnings, wisdom, and encouragement for believers. That advice comes from a person who has much experience, namely, James.

As for it’s authorship, the book of James is believed to be authored by, James, the half-brother of Jesus. In fact, tradition ascribes the authorship of this book to him. One of the most interesting facts about James is that he was slow to accept that his half-brother, Jesus, is the Messiah. Warren Wiersbe writes, “James and the other brothers did not believe Jesus during His earthly ministry (Mark 3:31-35; John 7:1-5…First Corinthians 15:7 indicates that Jesus appeared to James after His resurrection! This convinced James that Jesus truly was the Savior, and he, in turn, shared his knowledge about Jesus with the other brothers.”

Upon believing and trusting in Jesus, James became a leader in the church in Jerusalem. He was a respected man, so much so, that the apostle Paul refers to him as one of the “pillars. (Galatians 2:9).” To nobody’s surprise, James was reared as a Jew and knew the law of Moses. Moreover, he was able to spend time with Jesus and learned much from Him. When you read the book of James, you get a sense of some of the things going on in people’s lives. They faced  temptations, worldliness, and struggles. Essentially, the believers were not growing a strong foundation in their faith. They had begun to sway some in their commitment to God. However, James confronts these issues, and more, by directly challenging them. In regard to the problems of the day, Wiersbe writes, “All of these problems had a common cause: spiritual immaturity. These Christians simply were not growing up.”

The book of James can be applied to our lives today. It is not just written for those in the past, but is quite relevant for believers right now.

Questions for Reflection

-What are some areas in our lives where we are spiritually immature?

-Where do we need to grow to become stronger in our walk and faith with Jesus?

-Have we identified areas where we are weak in our spiritual life?

-Have we prayed and asked God to help us in those troubled areas?