James 1:18: Of His Own Will He Brought Us Forth By The Word Of Truth

James 1:18
[18] Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (ESV)

We know that every good gift has its origin in God. Our Heavenly Father is the giver of life, the giver of His Son, Jesus, and the giver of our eternal life. In the previous verse we recognized this wonderful truth. In today's verse, James is talking about us as a people who now belong to him and are a direct expression of His goodness.

Consider for a moment how one becomes a believer in Jesus Christ, a Christian. James tells us that the relationship that we have with God is initiated by God himself. "Of his own will he brought us forth." It was God's sovereign choice not ours to bring us to himself. If left to our own desires we would have never chosen to follow the Lord. Our sinful nature was in total rebellion.

How is his will accomplished? By his word ("the word of truth"). Have you considered that the universe was created in the same way? God spoke the world into existence. It is his powerful word that creates. And in the very same way it is God the Creator who creates us as something brand new. Consider the wonderful words of 2 Corinthians 5:17 and their connection with today's verse:

2 Corinthians 5:17
[17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (ESV)

This truth from God's Word should bolster your confidence. You belong to God because he willed it to happen! You heard his Word and responded in faith. He has declared that you are a new creation. The old is gone! You are now a firstfruit unto him. That is an Old Testament picture of the best of the crops that were given to the Lord. You are the best of his creation. And your body is to be a living sacrifice to him as an act of worship.

Our God is great. He is the giver of all good things. He has created a people for himself. His will has accomplished all of this by his powerful word. Walk as a new creation. Offer your life to your amazing God!