Born by the Word of Truth | James 1

Salvation Begins with God’s Will
James concludes this section on trials and temptations with a profound theological statement:

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

In Greek, “of His own will” (boulamai) means a deliberate, specific act of choice. Your salvation did not begin with your will, your choice, or your decision — it began in the eternal counsel of God. Before you desired Him, He desired you (Ephesians 1:4–5; John 6:44).

John Calvin called this “the fountain of grace” — the sovereign will of God that initiates new birth.


Born from Above
James says God “brought us forth,” a phrase meaning “to give birth.” This echoes Jesus’ teaching in John 3:3 — “You must be born again” — which in Greek is literally “born from above.”

This new birth is not self-improvement or moral reform; it is a supernatural act of God. The Puritan Thomas Watson wrote, “We contribute nothing to our new birth but the sin that made it necessary.”


The Instrument: The Word of Truth
God’s chosen means for this new birth is “the word of truth.” This phrase refers to the full counsel of God’s Word, not just a few verses about salvation. Faith begins with hearing and understanding the truth about who God is, who we are, and what Christ has done (Romans 10:17).

R.C. Sproul warned against reducing conversion to a mere emotional moment or a repeated prayer: “Regeneration is wrought by the Spirit through the Word, not by the manipulation of man.”

Saving faith has three components:

1. Knowledge – Understanding the Truth of the gospel.
2. Assent – Believing that Truth to be real.
3. Trust or Saving Faith – Personally relying on Christ alone for salvation.

Even demons believe the first two (James 2:19). Only the regenerate put their faith in Christ.


Firstfruits of the New Creation
James says we are “a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” In the Old Testament, firstfruits were the first and best portion of the harvest, offered to God as a pledge that the rest would follow (Leviticus 23:9–14).

Here, James is writing to the early Jewish Christians scattered by persecution (Acts 8:1). They were the first portion of God’s harvest in the new covenant age — a preview of the great ingathering to come (Revelation 7:9–10).

William Perkins saw this as both privilege and responsibility: “If we are the firstfruits, then we must be holy, for the firstfruits were consecrated unto God.”


From Trials to Triumph
It’s no accident that James ends his teaching on trials with the doctrine of salvation. He’s showing believers that endurance in trials flows from understanding the unshakable foundation of God’s grace.

• Trials test your faith (v. 3).
• Temptations reveal your heart (v. 14).
• God’s gifts equip you (v. 17).
• Salvation secures your future (v. 18).

When you know that you have been brought forth by God’s will, you can endure anything. No trial can cancel His decree. No temptation can erase His promise. No suffering can undo your new birth.


A Call to Live as Firstfruits
If you are in Christ, you are not just saved from judgment — you are set apart as a living preview of God’s coming kingdom. Your endurance in trials, your holiness in temptation, and your gratitude for every good gift are meant to display to the world what the final harvest will look like.

So walk worthy of the calling you have received. Let the Word that gave you life shape the way you live. And remember: you were born by the will of God, through the Word of God, for the glory of God.

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