Verse 17: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
All good things come from God. Good things are not accidents, coincidences, or benefits of our choices, they are gifts from God – PERFECT gifts from God. God loves us and provides for us, but he will not help us give in to lustful desires. Just because we want a new car, it might not be that perfect gift that we need from God at the moment. If you see someone else being blessed with something that you desire, it might mean that that gift wasn’t perfect for you, but it might be for someone else. We should rejoice with one another when our fellow brothers and sisters receive good gifts instead of feeling jealous or bitter. What gifts can you ask for that would help you deal with temptation and make godly choices? (wisdom, patience, etc.)
The phrase “father of lights” is referring to God as the creator of the sun, moon, and stars. God gives us good gifts – and the light to see that we can enjoy them. (Psalm 19:1)
This phrase about shadows refers to God’s character being trustworthy and reliable (Malachi 3:6). God’s nature does not change. He remains consistent and constant although we are ever-changing. It is because of this that we should constantly express our humility and gratefulness to God due to his unchanging love for us.
Verse 18: “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
We are created because God wants us here on this earth for a reason. We have a purpose. He created us in his likeness that we would strive to live like him. The word of truth is the gospel – our good news. He created us so that we would come to him in our times of trouble for strength.
Each year in Israel, the first bundle of harvested grain (firstfruits) were offered to God as a sign that all of the grain in the field belonged to Him. This first bunch was the first in quality and in time, representing the whole of the field that would soon be gathered. We find this in Exodus 34:22, Leviticus 23:9-10, and Deuteronomy 26:9-11. We as believers are firstfruits because we are new creations in Christ (Romans 8:22-23). We are no longer separated by sin. We should live as a firstfruit being an example of God’s goodness and what he can do in our lives so that others want to overcome those temptations and lusts.
In conclusion, you don’t have to learn everything by experimentation. You don’t have to break your leg to know it hurts because a broken bone results in pain. You don’t have to waste your life in sin when you know that the wages of sin is death and it only lasts for a season. Don’t expect to get something from nothing. People think that this world is the source of good things, and God causes us trouble. This couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s the complete opposite. If we want good things in our lives, we must get them from God. Fulfilling lusts of the flesh will cause problems in our lives but fulfilling the will of God in our lives is only beneficial. If we follow him and seek to do the things he’d have us to do, we will be more able to fight off our evil temptations. We can move from tested faith to maturity or from indulged desire to death. Each process is a set of slow choices that we make daily. Choices lead to habits, and habits set the tone of our character to be either for God or against him. What choice will you make?
All good things come from God. Good things are not accidents, coincidences, or benefits of our choices, they are gifts from God – PERFECT gifts from God. God loves us and provides for us, but he will not help us give in to lustful desires. Just because we want a new car, it might not be that perfect gift that we need from God at the moment. If you see someone else being blessed with something that you desire, it might mean that that gift wasn’t perfect for you, but it might be for someone else. We should rejoice with one another when our fellow brothers and sisters receive good gifts instead of feeling jealous or bitter. What gifts can you ask for that would help you deal with temptation and make godly choices? (wisdom, patience, etc.)
The phrase “father of lights” is referring to God as the creator of the sun, moon, and stars. God gives us good gifts – and the light to see that we can enjoy them. (Psalm 19:1)
This phrase about shadows refers to God’s character being trustworthy and reliable (Malachi 3:6). God’s nature does not change. He remains consistent and constant although we are ever-changing. It is because of this that we should constantly express our humility and gratefulness to God due to his unchanging love for us.
Verse 18: “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
We are created because God wants us here on this earth for a reason. We have a purpose. He created us in his likeness that we would strive to live like him. The word of truth is the gospel – our good news. He created us so that we would come to him in our times of trouble for strength.
Each year in Israel, the first bundle of harvested grain (firstfruits) were offered to God as a sign that all of the grain in the field belonged to Him. This first bunch was the first in quality and in time, representing the whole of the field that would soon be gathered. We find this in Exodus 34:22, Leviticus 23:9-10, and Deuteronomy 26:9-11. We as believers are firstfruits because we are new creations in Christ (Romans 8:22-23). We are no longer separated by sin. We should live as a firstfruit being an example of God’s goodness and what he can do in our lives so that others want to overcome those temptations and lusts.
In conclusion, you don’t have to learn everything by experimentation. You don’t have to break your leg to know it hurts because a broken bone results in pain. You don’t have to waste your life in sin when you know that the wages of sin is death and it only lasts for a season. Don’t expect to get something from nothing. People think that this world is the source of good things, and God causes us trouble. This couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s the complete opposite. If we want good things in our lives, we must get them from God. Fulfilling lusts of the flesh will cause problems in our lives but fulfilling the will of God in our lives is only beneficial. If we follow him and seek to do the things he’d have us to do, we will be more able to fight off our evil temptations. We can move from tested faith to maturity or from indulged desire to death. Each process is a set of slow choices that we make daily. Choices lead to habits, and habits set the tone of our character to be either for God or against him. What choice will you make?
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