"If you have any doubts when you ask God for more wisdom you won't receive anything because you are not fully attentive to God."
I think what James is trying to say here, is basically, when we ask God for wisdom (or anything for that matter) we need to do so in faith. Earlier in Hebrews, you must have read, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Heb. 11:6) I think that verse is self-explanatory. It's like a light switch. If you don't believe the light switch even exists, and will produce the intended result (turning on the light), you won't bother hitting the light switch. Why do people turn on light switches? Because they have FAITH that the switch exists, that it is real, and that it will do what it's meant to do when you access it. Likening God to a light switch is, of course, a gross oversimplification, but you get the idea. In the same way, we cannot come to God, asking for wisdom in our difficult situations in life, without having faith in him.
"You shouldn't be tempted by God, because desire leads to sin. But doesn't converting to a religion that promises an eternal reward mean you must have been tempted by God, or at least by the message being spread in his name."
I think you might have missed the message of verse 13, "For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone". As verse 14 continues, James tells us that we are tempted because of the wrong desires present in every human being. Let's face it, we all have bad desires/lusts. It can be as simple as lusting/desiring your neighborer new car. And, as James continues (and using the prev. example), once desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. Think of the prevalence of car thefts. Now, I'm not just limiting this to car theft of course, but the principle still applies. Lust/Greed/Coveting/Etc. -> Sin -> Spiritual Death. So, even though all people are tempted, we do not all have to give in to those evil desires, and furthermore, we don't all have to let those desires drive us to sin.
James continues in verse 17, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
James continues his theme, that God does not tempt people with evil. God is GOOD, and he does not change like shifting shadows. He isn't a Good GOD one day, and does evil the next. No.
"James defines pure and undefiled Christianity as caring for orphans and widows and keeping yourself unstained by the world. So, become a monk or nun then?"
No, I can't say I fully understand the gist of what James is saying here, but I believe this Bible commentary sheds some interesting light on these verses: http://www.studylight.org/com/jfb/view.cgi?book=jas&chapter=001
"James' example of law breaking went a bit far, he says that breaking a single law makes you guilty of breaking all of them. So his example is that if you do not commit adultery but do commit murder then you have violated the law, yes sounds like a violation of the law of pretty much every human society."
You're EXACTLY right. As Romans chapter 3 puts it, "There is none righteous, no, NOT ONE."...and continues..."23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard." We cannot compare our "righteousness" with other people, as Jesus tells us in Luke 18:10-14. God compares our righteousness against the perfect, spotless, background of His Law. But! you may ask, how then can anyone become "right" with God by keeping the law? The simple answer is: we can't. As is so well illustrated in Romans, the only righteousness God accepts is the righteousness which He now gives, through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, and His finished work for us.
Part 1
I think what James is trying to say here, is basically, when we ask God for wisdom (or anything for that matter) we need to do so in faith. Earlier in Hebrews, you must have read, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Heb. 11:6) I think that verse is self-explanatory. It's like a light switch. If you don't believe the light switch even exists, and will produce the intended result (turning on the light), you won't bother hitting the light switch. Why do people turn on light switches? Because they have FAITH that the switch exists, that it is real, and that it will do what it's meant to do when you access it. Likening God to a light switch is, of course, a gross oversimplification, but you get the idea. In the same way, we cannot come to God, asking for wisdom in our difficult situations in life, without having faith in him.
"You shouldn't be tempted by God, because desire leads to sin. But doesn't converting to a religion that promises an eternal reward mean you must have been tempted by God, or at least by the message being spread in his name."
I think you might have missed the message of verse 13, "For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone". As verse 14 continues, James tells us that we are tempted because of the wrong desires present in every human being. Let's face it, we all have bad desires/lusts. It can be as simple as lusting/desiring your neighborer new car. And, as James continues (and using the prev. example), once desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. Think of the prevalence of car thefts. Now, I'm not just limiting this to car theft of course, but the principle still applies. Lust/Greed/Coveting/Etc. -> Sin -> Spiritual Death. So, even though all people are tempted, we do not all have to give in to those evil desires, and furthermore, we don't all have to let those desires drive us to sin.
James continues in verse 17, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
James continues his theme, that God does not tempt people with evil. God is GOOD, and he does not change like shifting shadows. He isn't a Good GOD one day, and does evil the next. No.
"James defines pure and undefiled Christianity as caring for orphans and widows and keeping yourself unstained by the world. So, become a monk or nun then?"
No, I can't say I fully understand the gist of what James is saying here, but I believe this Bible commentary sheds some interesting light on these verses: http://www.studylight.org/com/jfb/view.cgi?book=jas&chapter=001
"James' example of law breaking went a bit far, he says that breaking a single law makes you guilty of breaking all of them. So his example is that if you do not commit adultery but do commit murder then you have violated the law, yes sounds like a violation of the law of pretty much every human society."
You're EXACTLY right. As Romans chapter 3 puts it, "There is none righteous, no, NOT ONE."...and continues..."23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard." We cannot compare our "righteousness" with other people, as Jesus tells us in Luke 18:10-14. God compares our righteousness against the perfect, spotless, background of His Law. But! you may ask, how then can anyone become "right" with God by keeping the law? The simple answer is: we can't. As is so well illustrated in Romans, the only righteousness God accepts is the righteousness which He now gives, through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, and His finished work for us.