James 1:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

NIV: He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

NASB: In the exercise of His will He gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.

CSB: By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

NLT: He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

KJV: Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

NKJV: Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

In the previous verses, James urged Christians to tell themselves the truth about who God is. He cares for them, even when—especially when—the trials come. God is the giver of every good thing in our lives. He is the unchanging source of any good we have ever had, have now, or will ever experience in the future.

Now James completes that thought with an example of one of God's greatest good gifts to us. God gave us new life in Christ. That's an essential truth, but also something easy to take for granted. It's a necessary thought to hold on to in the middle of trials. Specifically, God brought us forth—or gave us birth—by His own will. He wanted to! God has cared about us from the beginning.

James writes that God gave us birth by the Word of truth. Maybe James uses the "Word of truth" to refer to Christ as the means by which He saved us. He may also be referring to God's act of creation, bringing us to life as He brought the world to life with a word. In either case, we Christians are the "firstfruits" of His creation, likely meaning we have standing above all the rest of what He has made.

What more evidence do we need that our God is good and loving and powerful and faithful to us? No matter how dark our circumstances in the moment, nothing can change the enormous good gift that God has given to us in Christ.

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.