James 1:9 English Standard Version (ESV) Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,

James 1:9 King James Version (KJV) Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:

James 1:9 New American Standard Bible (NASB) Now the brother or sister of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position;

I promised a dear brother in the Lord that I would visit the issue of exaltation, and here I have shown three different results for the same passage. The ESV uses the word only once. The KJV does not use it anywhere and while the NASB uses it twice it was not used in James 1:9.

Looking at the choices in wording around boast, rejoice and glory then the issue of our reactions to being exalted is more important than the fact that our circumstance have been changed. We were dead in our sins, we are now alive in Christ. Our witness to the lost isn’t visible in the exaltation it is visible in our expressions of our change.

Glory is a powerful expression of change because it is Christ shining forth from us. That is not who we are it is where we are in our present circumstance. Boast sounds like ego, which it should not. Rejoice is a celebration of this change but it does not always indicate why. Glory is the closest affirmation of condition because it is Christ Himself that is seen and we are not responsible for the ability of the lost to see Christ. He reveals Himself in us because we have been lifted up and our circumstances changed.

If we look at exaltation as an issue of a condition of the gifts, we mistakenly view popularity, charisma, and talent as goals to be achieved. We need to rely on Christ to change our circumstances according to His will in order to be used in ways of His choosing and not our own.