James 1:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

NIV: Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.

NASB: Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters.

CSB: Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.

NLT: So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.

KJV: Do not err, my beloved brethren.

NKJV: Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.

What temptations do Christians face when trials come into our lives? James has identified one temptation in the previous verses: to blame God. We want to accuse Him of inspiring our desire to sin, as though He is using hardship to tempt us to move away from Himself. James made it clear: that is not who God is. God doesn't do that. In the next verse, James will emphasize that God is, in fact, the giver of every good gift.

First, though, he begs with his readers not to let themselves be deceived. Again, he is talking about how we talk to ourselves. At the beginning of his letter, he wrote that we should tell ourselves that trials are ultimately joyful things. Even while they are hurting us, the struggles we face give us the chance to trust God more deeply. We use difficult times to grow our spiritual strength.

Here, James urges us to be careful how we talk to ourselves about the good things in our lives. Emotions are powerful things, but they are not outside of our control. Our feelings often follow the lead of our perspective. When we remind ourselves of the truth, we are more likely to trust in it. It matters immensely that we tell ourselves the truth about God and His care for us.

James 1:2–18 begins with a challenging command for Christians. We are to classify hard things in their lives as ''joyful,'' because those ordeals help us develop a deeper trust in God. Christians who trust God also seek wisdom from Him—and not from ungodly sources. We continue to trust Him through difficult experiences, in part, to receive the crown of life promised to those who don't stop. We don't blame Him for our desire to sin, but we do credit Him for every good thing in our lives.

How important is it for Christians to trust God? It's so important, James writes, that we should call our worst moments joyful things, because trials help us trust God more. People who trust God ask Him for wisdom—and then take what He gives. People who trust God make a bigger deal about their rewards in the next life than their wealth in this one. People who trust God don't blame Him for their desire to sin; they give Him credit for all that is good in their lives. They look into His Word, and they act on what they see there.

This first chapter in the book of James sets the course for the rest of his letter to Christians worldwide. God wants us to trust Him more, and more deeply, as we learn more of Him. This is so important to God that He calls on us to find joy, even in hard times, because hardship helps us trust God more. Those who really trust God will ask Him for wisdom, will be excited about their status in eternity, will recognize Him as the source of all good in their lives, and will work to act on what they find in His Word.

The book of James is about specifically understanding what saving faith looks like. How does faith in Christ reveal itself in a believer's life? What choices does real trust in God lead us to make? Those are the questions James answers. Most scholars believe the writer was Jesus' half-brother, a son born to Joseph and Mary after Jesus' birth. James may not have come to believe Jesus was the Messiah until after the resurrection. Eventually, though, he became one of the leaders of the Christian church in Jerusalem. This is possibly the earliest-written of all the New Testament books, around AD 40–50. James addresses his letter to Jewish Christians scattered around the known world.