James 1:16-18 (ESV)

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

This passage is preceded by verses 12-15. They talk about remaining steadfast in the face of testing and temptation. It is followed by verses that talk about anger and thoughtless speech. What is the connection? What do good gifts received from God have to do with temptation and angry speech?

We tend to focus in on the phrase, “every good gift and every perfect gift…” We then start thinking about all the blessings and gifts God has given over the years. We reflect on the times we were without and God provided. We think about the times we felt helpless and hopeless and God brought hope and help. We think about our nice warm houses, our full tables, and our comfortable clothes, and we are thankful. While all that is good and appropriate, that is not really the point James is trying to make.

Notice that the good gifts he refers to are related to the nature of God, the will of God, and the purpose of God. First, every good gift comes to us from God because he is a God who never changes. He doesn’t flicker like a candle in a breeze. He remains steadfast. We can trust him, no matter what gale wind forces of testing come our way. He gifts flow out of his very nature.

Second, these gifts are related to the will of God. “Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth” (James 1:18a). He didn’t give us good gifts because we earned them. He didn’t give us good gifts because we pleased him. He didn’t give us good gifts because we manipulated him through obedience or prayer. He gave them to us because it was according to his will, and by his word.

Third, these gifts are connected to the purpose of God. They are given to us so that “we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures” (James 1:18b). In other words, God’s good gifts are not given to us to make us happy or contented. They are given to bring us back into right relationship with God. They are given to reproduce the image of God in us. As the firstfruits of his creatures, we are the first part of creation to be redeemed.

The gifts are good because they are related to the nature of God, the will of God, and the purpose of God, in accordance with his word of truth. They are not good simply because we have them. We have this passage backward if that is how we understand it. We possess inclinations that are not good. These are not from God. We cannot say, “Because I have a particular natural inclination, therefore, that is how God made me. It is his gift.” That is hardly the point. He said earlier in the chapter that we are tempted, lured, and enticed by our natural desires. These good gifts God is talking about in this passage are not our natural inclinations. Neither are they what we commonly call the blessings of God. What God is talking about is this passage is the gift of grace, life, and empowerment for holiness.

James talks a lot about doing the will of God. What we miss is that for James doing the will of God flows out of the good gifts of God. He will call this the “law of liberty.” James recognizes that remaining steadfast in the face of testing and temptation, and avoiding angry, thoughtless speech isn’t something we just do. It is something that results from the good and perfect gifts of God’s grace, life, and empowerment. These are the gifts he is talking about. Let us give thanks for these gifts. Let us rejoice over these gifts. Let us never forget the gift of who we are in Christ. Our identity in Christ is a very good gift indeed.