FAITH MUST WORK
Meet James:
James 1: 1-4
The Man
Human Relationship
Divine Relationship
The Message
The Constituency
The Content
The Man
To many Christians think too
little of the book of James. Within Christendom two basic viewpoints prevail
regarding it. The Roman Catholic Church has repeatedly used it as a weapon
against the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Paradoxically, the
reformer, Martin Luther, was as responsible as anyone for such a false notion;
he called it "an epistle of straw. The Roman Catholic view rejects the
divine inspiration of the book of James; out of a fearful suspicion that
perhaps after all, it does contradict the writings of Paul.
But lets begin our study in full
confidence that the book of James belongs in the Holy Writ and that there is no
contradiction whatsoever between it and Paul, or the teaching of Christ, or any
other portion of the Bible. Much debate has gone on regarding the
identification of James whose name appears in James 1:1. Since the name was
common among the Jews and since several men with that name appear in the New
Testament, the exact identification is a bit un certain.
Traditionally, the church has held
that the author of the epistle was James the brother of Jesus. Three other
possibilities, however, have been suggested. James the son of Zebedee and the
brother of John, who was prominent among the original twelve disciples, stands
as a possibility.
James the son of
Alphaeus; some think he was the author of this book. Others believe it was some other prominent
leader, that everyone knew that wrote the book and called himself
"James."
Human Relationship:
Through one must avoid the arguments
as to the exact identity of James, certain facts tend to substantiate the
traditional view that he was the brother of the Lord (Galatians 1:19) who later
became head of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:13). Support for the
traditional view usually consists of the following considerations: (1) If an
unknown writer produced the book and gave the name 'James" to get an
audience and affirm his authority, he miscalculated by not identifying himself
clearly with one of the James's among the twelve disciples. (2) The character
of the letter strikingly resembles what we know about James the Lord's brother
from evidence within the New Testament. (3) The evident note of authority
expressed in the epistle goes along well with the position which James held in
Jerusalem (Acts. 15:13).
What do we know of James the Lord'
brother? Several facts are revealed concerning his character in the New
Testament. At first he was not sympathetic toward Christ's person and ministry.
Matthew and Mark both state how the family of Jesus, including James, was
offended in him. (Matthew 12:55:57,58) In fact they came to take him home so
that the family name would not be scandalized because of his claims. Think of
it! Christ lived in a divided home. He knew what it meant to have members of
His own immediate family ridicule and reject Him (John 7:5)
It is not known when the members of
Jesus' family changed their attitude toward Him. Evidently, they had done so
after His resurrection and before the day of Pentecost, because during that
time His brothers are found praying with Mary and the eleven disciples (Acts
1:14). Christ made a special appearance to James after the resurrection
(1Corinthians 15:5,7 Most likely this
event was the experience which transformed him. Like all the others who had
been confronted with the resurrected Christ, James became a changed man. Once
critical, proud and resentful, he now became a believing and humble follower of
Jesus his Saviour and God.
Divine Relationship:
James is content to speak of himself as
"a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ" James is very careful
to tell his readers that he belongs to God and the Lord Jesus. Does this mean
that he recognized only the deity of the Farther? Not at all. James knew that
the first and second persons of the Godhead were equal in nature, power,
attributes, and purpose. The particular construction of James' statement in the
original language equates the nature of the Father and the Son. To serve one is
to serve the other. To serve Christ is to serve God, for Jesus Christ is God.
Paul expounded this truth more fully; James simply acknowledges it and takes no
time to explain or develop it. Of course, James did not always belive that his
half brother was God incarnate. But now
he believes it and presents himself to his readers as one who willingly serves
the God Man.
James uses the full title of his master;
"the Lord Jesus Christ." James identifies his half brother with the
Messiah of the Old Testament. The Greek translation for the Hebrew word
"Messiah" or "Anointed One"
"is"
"Christ". It struck a
responsive chord in the ears of the Jews
"scattered abroad". It
was a hope that did not die, despite the fact that the religious leaders and
political rulers under whom they served tried to obliterate it from their
memory.
The Message
The Constituency:
A message of practical Christianity
is always needed. There is a constant need to translate heavenly truths into
earthly shoe leather. (Walk and Spread the Gospel) Believers must always be on
their guard against becoming so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good.
James addresses his remarks to the
"twelve tribes which are scattered abroad." They had been taken
captive and thereby dispersed at the hands of Assyria, Babylon, and Rome.
Wherever they went, willingly or as slaves to a foreign power, they retained
their identity and were loyal to their ancient customs. The Jewish historian
Josephus states: "There is no city,
no tribe, whether Greek or Barbarian in which Jewish law and Jewish customs
have not taken root."
The Content:
James sets the pace for the remainder
of the book in James 1:2-4. The phrase
"my brethren"
or its equivalent
appears 14 times in this short book. It
is one of several indications that James is writing to believers among the
dispersed Jews. Having received their
attention with this form of address, James proceeds to give an exhortation
(verse 2), an explanation (verse 3, and an admonition (verse 4).
"Count it all joy when ye fall into
divers temptations." Does James
mean to say that all trials are joyful?
Certainly not. Rather, he
indicates what the attitude of the heart should be in time of trouble. Present trials should be considered in the
light of what will be best and most beneficial for us in the end. We can rejoice that the trail will result in
the acquisition of knowledge and experience (verse3). We can be glad that the testing will result
in God's setting His own divine approval upon our faith. We ought to be happy that God is working out
His secret purposes for us and in us.
Testing's are God's way of cultivating and strengthening our faith and
of producing patience in us. It is the outcome in which we find our joy, not in
the trial itself.
The Christians life demands constancy,
expectancy, and perseverance under a multitude of circumstances and
pressures. All of the situations tend to
produce patience at the same time that they are exhibiting the genuineness of
our faith. When patience has it's full
effect in the life,it leads on into perfection, into completion of Christian
Charter (verse 4). This does not mean
sinless perfection . When faith and
obedience have been tried and the believer comes through victoriously, the
purpose of God has been accomplished.
Patience under trial, says James, will enable the believer to bear all
the trials, gain every advantage, and attain the divine purpose in them until
at last the heavenly and final goal is reached. AMEN!!
FAITH MUST WORK
Riches In Poverty
Wisdom (James 1:5-8)
The
Way
The
Warning
Wealth (James
1:9-11)
The
way
The
Warning
Perhaps the most sought after
commodities in every age are wisdom and wealth.
Possession of one does not necessarily mean possession of the other. An old saying is, "I whish I had been
born wealthy instead of wise. As it is,
I have been cheated out of both."
No doubt most people feel that way about themselves at times. Christians can be rich in spiritual wisdom
and wealth. The riches of this world are
temporary. The bounties of Heaven are
eternal. James gives some instruction
about how to view wisdom and wealth.
The Way (James 1:5-6):
James 1:4 ends with the words
"wanting nothing" or "lacking in nothing." Verse 5 begins with the same concept,
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God." At first glance that looks like a blank
check. But is it? If that phrase means what many people think
it does, it would be difficult to explain all the ignorance among Christians
today. James is speaking here about
something more than acquired knowledge or intellectual comprehension. He refers to
the kind of wisdom which will enable believers to bear up under the
trials and troubles which produce patience and discernment to know and do the
will of God under adverse circumstances.
As saints of God we need wisdom to know how to look at our hardships in
the proper way. Patience will have an
opportunity to do its perfect work only when the child of God uses heavenly
wisdom in the face of trails.
God gives to "all," He surely will meet the specific needs of His
own people. The phrase "upbraideth
not" means that God does not give
gifts and then constantly remind the receiver so that he will not forget
it. James does not explain the process
by which this promised wisdom is imparted.
He just gives the formula without telling us how it works out. The main
point is, God gives it. Since He has
revealed Himself and His will in His Word, heavenly instructions usually comes
directly or indirectly through Scripture.
According to James 1:6,
persistence in prayer is not enough; faith in another essential ingredient. Confidence in the God who answers prayer is
always an indispensable element. The
request for wisdom must itself be accompanied by faith in the asking.
The Warning (James 1:7-8)
Presuming upon God's promises is
dangerous: "For let not that man
think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord" (James 1:7). "That man" obviously refers to the "wavering" or "doubting"
man described in verse 6. The figure used
there speaks of restless in the soul of the doubter. James also disqualifies
himself from receiving anything from the Lord.
What does "any thing"
mean? According to the context, they
most likely refer primarily to those virtues about which James has just talked
about. Joy. Faith, Patience, and Wisdom.
"That Man" Such a man is worthy of contempt because he
has come doubtingly to such a generous God. The
"double - minded man"(verse 8) is a reference to "that man" (Verse7). This word only
occurs once more in the New Testament
where James uses it a second time (James 4:8).
Indecision and vacillation characterize the double-minded person He
can't make up his mind whether he believes or not. His loyalties are divided, and as the
original Greek word implies, two souls in one personality are striving for
fighting for prominence. It's little
wonder that he is "unstable in all his ways.
"That man" He is never able to
settle down, never able to stay with one pursuit very long. The Lord wants His
own people to be single - minded in
their pursuit of His will. Prayer for guidance will amount to little unless we
believe God will give it and unless we are prepared to follow His Instructions.
Wealth (James 1:9-11)
Have you ever heard the old saying?
"It takes money to make money."
It certainly expresses a truth, at least as far as earthly wealth is
concerned. Is it not also true, that in
the spiritual realm the more the believer invest his spiritual resources, the
more his spiritual riches increase?
The Way (James 1:9-10)
The word "rejoice" (James 1:9) forms the link between this
section and the clause "count it all joy" (verse2). Just as believers are exhorted to find in
their trials cause for rejoicing, so the one who is poor in this world's goods
is to rejoice in his position in Christ.
The "rich man' and the "double- minded man" have one
thing in common; both have divided loyalties.
The rich and poor are to know they aare one in the family of God. James addresses the rich in verse 10. Riches can be dangerous. They need not be, but they often are. They are not always a mark of God's favor. The Christian rich man is exhorted to find
his joy, contentment, and satisfaction in his position of humility. Perhaps
some of the scattered Jews had to
forfeit much of their wealthy believers do not regard their riches like
unbelievers do. Affluent Christians have a lowly and humble attitude toward
there possessions. They are depending
upon Christ and not on there money.
The Warning (James1:10-11)
There is a warning to the rich and
poor! Neither has any claim on life.
Neither can postpone the hour of death.
Both are as the "flower of the grass". The phrase "flower of the grass".
. . Shall
Pass away" Many applications has been used in reference
to this phrase; However it most likely
refers to the brevity of human life in general.
That being the case, it naturally follows that a man's possessions and
position are subject to change. One day
all this feverish activity will cease.
It is far better because we have something which will endure the test of
time.
FAITH
MUST WORK
Operating Under Pressure
Enduring Temptation
(James 1:12)
The Blessedness of
Endurance (James 1:12a)
The Badge of
Endurance (James 1:12b)
Evaluating
Temptation (James1:13-17)
Negative
Considerations (James 1:13)
Positive
Identification (James 1:14-17)
James writes about victory for God's
people In verse 12-17 he deals with the
results of enduring temptation and with the real source of temptation. James uses two different words to convey
God's thoughts about trials and temptations.
The Greek word "dokimos" appears in the translated form
either; the word "trying" and "tried." God tries us for the purpose of proving the
genuineness of our faith and approving us.
He uses the fiery trials to purify the believer, to remove the dross,
and to refine the pure gold of Christians character. God's motive in subjecting us to trials is
always good; He always has our best interest in His heart.
The second word is "peirasmos"
translated "temptation", usually means "solicitation to
evil." Temptation is often the
instigation of the devil who wishes to injure us and bring about our
defeat. Eve's encounter was a temptation
(Genesis 3:1-6). Abraham's experience
with God consisted of a trial (Genesis 22:1).
Do you see the difference?
The Blessing of Endurance (James 1:12)
The blessed man is the spiritually
contented and happy man. In verse 12 it designates the man who has come through
the allurements to sin victoriously. He
has suffered no impairment of his spiritual health in his brush with evil. By becoming partakers of the divine nature,
Christians share in the joy of God. Such
joy does not depend upon any outer circumstances. Jesus said that they mourn
are blessed. This is no contradiction of terms, for men who mourn over their
sins are, indeed, spiritually healthy.
In the Greek the verb
"endureth" has much the same meaning as "patience" to which it is related. A preposition is prefixed to the verb,
meaning "under." Putting the
two words together, we have the ideal of
"holding steady under fire"
"standing one's ground," or standing up to enticements. In others words, we are not to let them get
us down or get the best of us. Our
natural impulses are bent toward giving in to inducements to evil. We need to hold our ground, stand firm, and
endure.
The Badge Of
Endurance (James 1:12b)
The man who endures is blessed, and he
will receive the crown of life. Will God
reward believers for spiritual triumphs?
According to the scriptures that any many others, He will crown the
victor in the day of Jesus Christ.
Rewards will not consist of material possessions, although material and
physical benefits often accrue to those who live a godly life. The Christian's
future award will be a crown.
Evaluating Temptations (James 1:13-17)
The connecting link between verse 13 and
the preceding verses is obvious. If we
fail to ask for wisdom to understand the nature of our trials, if we pray
without faith, if we find joy in material riches, or if we yield to evil
solicitations, we are not to think that God is responsible for our sinning
because He has sent some trial our way.
If we adopt a sinful attitude towards our problems, we cannot implicate
God in it. If we sin as the result of
problems God permits to come to us, God is not the author of our sin. We are!
Negative Considerations (James 1:13)
Many people lay the blame on God for their
sin. Their argument goes something like
this: "God made me the way I am;
therefore, I cannot help myself in areas of weakness." Or they may say, "God is sovereign and omnipotent. He could have exerted His mighty energies in
me and restrained me from sinning, but He didn't." Or they might suggest, "My sinning resulted in the furthering
of God's purpose to teach me a lesson and in demonstrating to me the nature of
sin." Some elements of truth are
contained in this statements. But It is
perfectly clear that God will not be chargeable for man's sin; directly or
indirectly.
"God can not be tempted with
evil" (verse 13) means that there is nothing in God to which evil can
appeal. The root which produces the
fruit of evil is absent from God. That makes it impossible for such a truly
sinless being to be responsible for sin or to bring it about in any of His
creatures. This does not rule out the
fact that God permits sin and even uses it to further His inscrutable purpose
in the affairs of men and nations. But
the solid fact remains that God does not solicit or induce men to sin. No matter how we explain the source of sin,
we cannot implicate a Holy God.
Positive
Identification (James 1:14-17)
Who then is responsible, and what is the
real source of our temptations to do evil?
Is the devil the cause? The
activities of the devil and demons certainly enter into the picture, but they
are not the ultimate cause of our sinning.
Each person is tempted to sin by something inside himself which James
calls "his own lust," The Greek word being (epithumia) and is
associated with various desires of the soul.
It can refer to any strong desire of the heart. It has it's set in the inner dispositions of
the soul. We sin because something in
the soul craves wickedness. This is
called "the lust of our flesh"
(Ephesians 2:3). It means the wicked
impulses and proclivities that arise in the nature we received from Adam. The flesh represents everything that we
inherited from Adam, and the lusts of the flesh speak of all those inclinations
of the mind, emotions, and will which erupt from our corrupt natures.
The words
"drawn away" carry with
them the idea of allurement. Something
inside of us attracts us to sin. The old
nature craves sin, draws us toward sin, impels us in the direction of sin. The word
"enticed" is a hunting
term which speaks of luring an animal away from its place of safety out into
the open or into a trap by some cunning device.
Something inside us, which we were born with makes us easy bait for
outward solicitation to evil.
That something is the flesh nature , the old
nature, the Adamic nature, the old man.
If it were not for the continuing activities of the old nature in us, we
believers would never respond to sin.
But the truth is that when we received Christ as our Savior the sinful
dispositions and desires which we inherited from Adam were not changed. The Holy Spirit is producing new desires in
us and He is suppressing the old desires, but the old inclinations still
remain.
What does James mean by "sin when it is finished bringeth forth
death"? It appears that he is
referring to physical death rather than spiritual death or loss of
salvation. The warning is similar to
several other passages where "sin
unto death" is mentioned (1John
5:16-20:
II Corinthians
11:17-34). God must sometimes discipline
the believer by taking his physical life
"prematurely" (Leviticus 10:1-2: Acts 5:10).
Sin will eventually produce death if it is unchecked.
James admonishes us, finally, to avoid
several errors (verse 16). First, as we
have already seen from verse 13, we must not think that is responsible in any
way for human sin. Whatever comes from
God is good (verse 17). Whatever God
produces in us by His Spirit is good.
Second, we must not think that we deserve what God gives us. Anything that we receive from God is pure
gift of His grace. Third, whatever God
does is perfect and purposeful. He is
working toward a preplanned goal in harmony with His own divine scheme of
things. Fourth, God is equally impeccable and immutable.
God is the author of all light, and any
shadow cast by change must come from an earthly source. If men walk in darkness, it is an indication
that they have turned their backs to the light of His presence. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all
(I John 1:5). And that light is
consistent and constant.
FAITH MUST WORK
The Word Applied
RECEIVING THE WORD
(James 1:18-21)
The Seed of The Word
(James 1:18)
The Standard of The
Word (James 1:19-21)
REFLECTING THE WORD
(JAMES 1:22-27)
Looking Into The
Word (James 1:22-25)
Living Out of The
Word (James 1:26,27
Never before have God's people stood in
so much jeopardy of being swept off their feet
By the prevailing
currents of false teaching. As we approach the return of Christ the false
teaching will be
much stronger in force. In His goodness
God has given to us His infallible and
Inerrant Word in
order to preserve us from falling into error.
Paul counseled Timothy to
"give
attendance to doctrine and "take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine;
continue in
them: for in doing
this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee" ( I Timothy
4:13-16).
RECEIVING THE WORD
(James 1: 18-21)
Satan's first question, "Yea, hath
God said?" was a subtle attack against the authority of God. God had given His truthful word,……"Of
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in
the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Genesis 2:17) In
tempting Eve, Satan contradicted the clear command of God with the words, "Ye shall not
Surely die"
(Genesis 3:4)
From that day to this, God's Word has been
rejected, ridiculed, and ignored by many people. Especially today the Word of God suffers from
scandalous abuse and misuse. We expect
the unsaved and the modernists to wrest the Scriptures and challenge it's
authority, but, sad to relate, even evangelical Christians are raising
questions about the total inspiration and inerrancy and therefore the total
authority of God's Word.
THE SEED OF THE WORD
(James 1: 18)
Regeneration is one of the good and perfect
gifts that come down from the Father of lights.
The new birth is a gracious act on the part of God which pays no respect
to a man's merit. Apart from any
consideration of human effort, God "begot" us or "brought us
forth." It comes "from
above" (Greek, anothen). The new
birth glorifies God, for He alone performs it.
Verse 18 assures us that "by His own will He begat us. When
everything has been said that can be said on the subject of salvation, in the
last analysis and ultimately, we owe our salvation to the God who loved us and
gave His Son for us.
None of us can boast about superior
spiritual insight that prompted us to "try God," It took the will of God to devise our
salvation, the Son of God to procure our salvation, and the Spirit of God to
convict us of our total unworthiness and desperate need of salvation. Literally, the first part of verse 18 is,
"having willed, He brought us fourth." This leaves no room for human works or
merit. As Jonah shouted from the belly
of the great fish: "Salvation is of
the Lord."
The new birth is a permanent act. The tense of the verb "begat"
indicates completeness and permanence.
It is an act never to be repeated, never subject to change or variation,
never amenable or retractable. The
initial act is instantaneous, a work of God alone, and the basis of the
believer's security. The instrument
which God uses to bring to our experience what He willed and planned in
eternity past is "the word of truth."
God uses the seed of the Word as a means of producing the miracle of regeneration.
The purpose of our regeneration is stated in
the clause "that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures"
(verse 18b). In brief, this means that
our own salvation is not an end in itself.
We are saved to serve. Christ is
the true "firstfruits" ( I Corinthians 15:20). Our salvation was not given merely for our
own benefit. God's higher purpose in
saving grace is that the recipients of His grace should represent Him to those
still strangers to His grace. Our lives
belong to Him, and they must be clean if they are to be effective for Him.
REFLECTING THE WORD
(James 1:22-27)
Mirrors reveal facts; they cannot change
the facts. The Scriptures are likened to
a mirror because they also reveal facts; truths about God and man's inner
being. But unlike a mirror, the Word of
God has an inherent power to bring about necessary changes. James tells us about the effects which the
Word of truth produces in the Christian life.
LOOKING INTO THE
WORD (James 1:22-25)
The Scriptures were read every Sabbath day
in the synagogues. The early church adopted the same custom. James fears that believers will think their
responsibility ends with that. He urges
them to practice the precepts. Faith
generated by the Holy Spirit will move forward from "hearing" the
Word to "doing" it. Anything
that falls short of this is not real faith.
The words "deceiving your selves" here in verse 22 suggests
"rationalization." To attempt
to be hearers and not doers is only kidding our self. It's like looking in to a mirror, observing
what calls for immediate action and then turning to other matters without our
doing anything about what we see.
To behold one's "natural face"
is to see what he now is. It reflects
his present state of existence. The man
in the illustration takes more than a passing glance; he "beholdeth"
continues to look (verse 23). After the
man has become fully aware of his condition, he then "goeth his
way" and immediately forgets all
about what he saw.
Contrasted with such a man is the man who
"looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues therein" (verse
25). The "word of truth"
(verse 18) "engrafted word" (verse 21)--- now becomes the
"perfect law of liberty" (verse 25).
This progression implies that, for the child of God, obedience to the
criptures is really not an option. It is "Law." Perhaps the most crucial word in (verse 25)
is the word "continueth." He
who does not discipline himself to continue in the world until he graps its
meaning will not be a idea of what it requires.
Living Out The Word:(1:26-27)
The connection of these verses with the
preceding ones is real, though perhaps not so apparent at first glance. The same emphasis exists here in the earlier
part of the section James has just finished insisting that "hearing"
should be follow by "doing."
In the passage before us now, he rebukes all mere "religion,"
outward forms, because they do not issue in charity and purity of life.
In light of the context and emphasis of
this passage, it seems better to take (verse 26) as a warning to the
"religious" man himself rather than to those who see the man and
proceed to follow his example. Many
modern commentators follow this and render the verse, "If anyone thinks he
is religious
After the rebuke, James underscores the
positive aspects which will mark one who is doing the Word or who is a
religious man in the proper sense (verse 27).
Without attempting to define "religion," James simply presents
a showcase of two examples of truly religious performance. The first of these involves concern and
compassion for the suffering. The other,
which is more personal and without doubt more difficult, is comprehended in
keeping "oneself" unspotted from the World." The spiritual man is the one who portrays the
love of Christ as he ministers for Christ in the world. At the same time, he does not identify
himself with the world or conform to it.
SUMMARY:
James emphasizes the
sovereign work of God in salvation apart from all and any human effort or
contributions. The Christian life
involves far more than the mere hearing of the word. A person who uses the word
intends will live out its precepts.Genuine Christians
prove the reality of their faith by deeds of kindness to the needy and by
FAITH
MUST WORK
THE SIN OF SNOBBERY
The Respect Of
Persons Forbidden (James 2: 1-7)
Definition Of Class Prejudice
(James 2: 1-4)
Explanation Of Class Prejudice
(James 2:5-7
The Royal Law
Fulfilled (James 2:8-13)
The
Law Of Love (James 2:8-9
The
Lesson From The Law (James 2:10-13)
Definition Of Class
Prejudice (James 2:1-4)
James continues his comments about what
obedience to the word of God entails. Chapter 2
Is closely related
to Chapter 1. James has been explaining how a person with "pure
religion" acts.
He list three basic
evidences of true 'religion": (1)
bridling the tongue; (2) visiting the needy; and
(3) separating
oneself from the world. Now James adds a fourth evidence---accepting all who
are in Christ regardless of their social standing.
Who is guilty of showing respect of
person and what does it mean? James is still speaking to Christians, for he
calls his readers "my brethren."
"Have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ..
With respect of
persons." Since James' addressees possessed faith in Christ, obviously
they were Christians. How sad to realized that even the Lord's people can
harbor prejudice.
Even though the Lord Jesus Christ
possessed the fullness of glory, He never displayed any respect of persons. Therefore, His
followers are exhorted against showing partiality. Since he is addressing
the
"brethren," it is certain that he is talking about a problem in the
Christian assembly. James is using his
sanctified imagination. The visitors
whom James mentions may have been saved or unsaved; we are not told. We do know that one was wealthy and the other was poor. Their apparel gives evidence of their social status. The believers in the gathering treated these
men on the basis of their appearance.
They honored and exalted the well-dressed man and showed disrespect
toward and disinterest in the poorly dressed man. They gave the one with brilliant clothing and
glittering jewelry a prominent seat.
They gave the man with shabby old garments a back seat called a "footstool."
They were plainly embarrassed to have such
a man enter their place of worship. The
answer which James ask must be answered in the affirmative. They were playing up to the rich and
downgrading the poor. They were showing
favoritism on the basis of economic distinctions. Such conduct is tantamount to becoming judges
of others and of possessing evil thoughts.
Explanation Of Class
Prejudice (James 2:5-7)
Now James calls for attention: "hearken." He is going to give some reasons why
believers should not exalt the rich and despise the poor. He first suggests that it is contrary to the
will and way of God. God has chosen to
save many who are poor economically to be rich in spiritual acquisitions. How can God's
people reject and despise the very ones whom God has selected to
become the heirs of the coming
millennial Kingdom? To show partiality
and reject the poor is an insult and
offense against God who loved them and elected them to salvation in
Christ. Believers are called to act like
the Heavenly Father, but if they show partiality and give special attention yo
people of reputation, they are acting unlike God. He loves the poor; how then can Christians
neglect them?
James argues that the rich are the people
who persecute the poor. On more than one
occasion the believer's fidelity to Christ has resulted in business reverses
for non Christian men. James like today's Christians want to know what prompts
the Christian assembly to give special privileges to a rich visitor who may
have already injured some Christian or may yet inflict some indignity upon a
godly believer out of spit. To sum it
up; The whole burden of this passage is not that we should not give honor were
honor is due, but rather that in doing so we do not dishonor the poor in
preferential treatment of the rich.
The Royal Law
Fulfilled (James2:8-13)
Only a very ungrateful person could be
close to a King and receiving his special favors and at the same time disobey
his commands or disregard his interest.
Showing partiality to the rich is an offense against "the royal
law." The principles which will
govern the millennial Kingdom do not permit it.
James is not saying to stop loving the rich people, but to stop
preferring them and acting in such a way as to ingratiate themselves with them.
The point that James is making is, it's a right to love all-- rich and poor
alike. It is the "royal law"
because it was promulgated by the King. Matthew 22:39
The Law Of Love
(James 2:8-9)
The royal law is the law of the
kingdom. It consist of the same
principles which Jesus laid down as prerequisites for Kingdom
participation. The Kingdom will be
regulated by spiritual principles- all of which are comprehended in the law of
love. Love makes all the other
requirements meaningful. A man who really
loves his neighbor as himself is in no danger of taking his wife, his life, his
reputation, his property, or anything else that belongs to his neighbor.
But who is my neighbor? Jesus taught that the neighbor is anyone who
is in need of help, rich or poor, young or old.
It is quite impossible to put the royal law to practice while we are
showing partiality toward classes and races.
Naturally, loving the neighbor implies that we love him as Christ loves
us. A self-sacrificing love is the only
kind that can meet the divine requirement.
But are there not social differences among people? Yes.
Many differences distinguish us all.
But the burden of James is that believers do not allow these differences to pander to
the upper classes. The sin lies not in
the fact of differences but in the preferential treatment which some believers
show toward people of recognized social standing. The sin lies in neglecting and rejecting the
poor.
The Lesson From The
Law (James 2:10-13)
The Law of God is one, just as the lawgiver
himself is one. The law of God is a
unit. To break the least ordinance meant
to break the whole law. Saul of Tarsus
had very little trouble with most of the commandments but the law about
covetousness brought him to his Waterloo.
How foolish for a man to pride himself in that he had kept the law of
adultery, when in fact he had broken the law of coveting another man's
wife. The law presumed to dictate even
how a man should feel about his neighbor; it sat in judgment upon his very
thoughts.
In verses 12,13 James warns of a day of
future judgment. He encourages believers
to speak and work in the light of the hour of reckoning. Christians of course, will not be arraigned
before the great white throne judgment of Revelation 20. That judgment is set for the unsaved. But believers will be present at the judgment
seat of Christ where the Lord will evaluate the character of their works decide
the appropriate reward for service. On
the occasion social status will have no bearing upon the decisions. The standard will be the law of liberty. The question will be, how did we exercise our
freedom in Christ so far as the law of law of love was concerned?
The final word on the subject suggest that
the mercy of God tempers judgment.
God's compassion is measureless,
This does not mean that God will overlook our sins because He is
merciful. It simply means that equity
will prevail, and we shall be compensated for our service out of His infinite
mercy. Jesus said, "Blessed are
the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." God loves to show mercy; it is His nature
to be merciful. And men and women who
are born of God take on the characteristics of the Father. They too demonstrate the quality of mercy
The Word
"rejoiceth" can be translated "has no fear." The Christian who shows compassion upon the
lowly, befriends the friendless, comes to the aid of the helpless, and does
not exact justice from those who wrong him----that Christians has no need to
dread the judgment seat of Christ. He
can rest assured that the Lord will not be harsh with him before the tribunal
which decides his eternal reward.
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FAITH MUST WORK
FAITH THAT FUNCTIONS
Faith Without
Works (James 2:14-20)
Religious Pretense (James
2:14-17)
Religious Presumption (James
2:18-20)
Faith With
Works (James 2:21-26
The Works of Abraham (James
2:21-24)
The Works of Abraham (James
2:25-26)
Paul deals with the commencement of the
Christian's life and his standing before God.
James treats of the continuation of the Christian's life and his
standing before men. James has
demonstrated that showing partiality is an offense against the royal law of
love. Genuine love will result in the
showing of mercy an compassion to others.
Now he continues his stress upon the need for a practical expression of
Christianity by arguing that true faith will express itself in the doing of
good works. He deals with two kinds of faith. One kind is mere professed or pretended
faith. It is false. The other kind is possessed or genuine
faith. This is the kind which
accompanies salvation.
Religious
Pretense (James 2:14-17)
The passage which begins with verse 14
seems to be a development of verse 12 where James admonishes believers to speak
and do. James ask a question; "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he
hath faith, and have not works? Can
faith save him? (v-14) Of what value is it? How is it useful? The answer is implied. A faith that does not issue works cannot
benefit anyone.
The man probably went through the motions
of "receiving Christ". He say's he has faith in Jesus Christ as his
Saviour and Lord. But if the man gives
no evidence of it in a practical manner, he proves by his life that the
testimony of his lips is false. Genuine
faith is productive. It leads to
transformed behavior. This does not mean
that any believer can achieve a state of sinlessness, that he will spend every
minute doing good works, or that any of the works which he does perform are
perfect in themselves. He does mean that
his behavior will correspond to his belief.
Conduct will complement creed.
Real inner faith wears the outward adornment of works acceptable to
God. The question, "can faith save
him?" means "can this kind of faith the kind which produces nothing and profits
no one--save him?" Obviously, such
false faith can save no one from disgrace before man and certainly not from
damnation before the divine judge.
In verses 15,16 illustrate what James means
by mere declarations without deeds. Here
in (v-15) a fellow believer lacks the barest necessities of life. The professing Christian, instead of
practicing beneficence, pronounces a benediction and wishes the need y man
better luck. Let me ask , "How can this kind of empty well-wishing
put clothes on the naked and food on the table of the needy. Beautiful and sympathetic sounding words mean
nothing if they are not followed by action commensurate with them.
The words without the works expose the hypocrisy of the "friend" and evidence the absence of genuine faith.
The kind of faith which says, "I pray someone will come to your
rescue," but refuses to relieve the
impoverished is a dead faith (v-17). It
say's, "I hope you succeed in
getting warm." but does not put a
sack of coal on the porch. James calls
it "dead" faith because it shows no activity. Such faith lacks a vital ingredient which
gives it energy to pursue a coarse of action pleasing to God. If man's faith does not show any sign of
life, we can presume it is dead. False
faith, like false love, is expressed in word only and not in deed. They both constitute a mere religious
pretense without real power.
Religious
Presumption (James 2:18-20)
"You claim to have faith." All right, give me a proof to substantiate
your claim apart from works. On the
other hand, I shall prove by my works that I possess faith" (verse 18).
Faith can be asserted but not attested without works. Visible works enable us to see invisible
faith. Faith is like calories: you cannot see them, but you can see the
effects. Faith and works are not
incompatible. One is the cause, and the
other is the effect. Without faith the
works are displeasing to God. Without
works the faith cannot be proved. The
clear teaching here is that genuine faith which accompanies salvation also
makes itself event and real by a life of genuine, practical Christian
compassion and not by mere religious pretense and presumption. (Verse
19-20) Salvation requires something more than a mental concession to
doctrine. It requires belief and all the
qualities which God requires for salvation.
Faith With
Works (James2:21-26)
James
here turns to two Scriptural
examples in order to support his thesis that good works are the necessary
product of real faith. He chose
Abraham; and he was especially chosen of
God as head of the nation of Israel. But
His selection of Rahab strange? She was
a gentile whose moral reputation was dubious to say the least. She believed and she proved her faith by
committing treason against her own countrymen and helping Israel's spies. The works of these two Old Testament
personages are what Paul calls "The Obedience of Faith.
The Works Of Abraham
(James 2:21-24)
There
is a big difference between what Abraham and a man who merely says he
has faith. Why? Abraham's convictions
were accompanied by corresponding conduct.
He said he believed in God, and he showed it. It seems that there is a contradiction to
(Romans 4:1-3) and (James2:21). But it
all lies in the word "justified."
James and Paul are speaking about two different aspects of justification
. Paul refers to Abraham's being justified, declared righteous, before God. This justification is altogether apart from
any works on the part of Abraham.
Abraham became related to God by grace through faith alone He made no contribution to his salvation.
James, on the other hand, is speaking about
Abraham's being justified before his house; before men. The issue with James is the matter of how men
act who are rightly related to God by faith.
He choose Abraham as an
illustration of one whose conduct proves that he possessed genuine faith. Therefore He was justified before society by
works. His willingness to offer Isaac,
the one through whom God's promises were to be fulfilled. Works are both the proof and the perfection
of faith (verse 22). By
"perfect" James means that Abraham's Faith culminated and reached a
desired end in the offering of Isaac.
The statement, "Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for
righteous" (verse 23) is found in Genesis 15:6. God's declaration of Abraham's faith took
place about thirty years before Abraham's experience on mount Moriah and his
intention to slay Isaac (Genesis 22).
His willingness did not make him righteous, it only demonstrated that he
was already righteous. Abraham's
obedience verified God's reasoning of
him before other men. What James is
telling readers is that; "justification before men requires works which
naturally follow saving faith (Verse 24).
The Works Of Rahab
(James 2:25-26)
Unlike Abraham, Rahab was a heathen, a
gentile, a notorious and socially unacceptable sinner. Yet the grace of God stooped to reach her and
transform her. By putting her alongside
Abraham, James illustrates the extremes
of rich and poor as well as impressing upon the readers the extent of God's
infinite grace in salvation. She
believed God and believed God would do what h He said. So She forsook her own people, allied herself
with God's people and supported God's Cause at risk of her own life. Verse 26 uses the word "spirit" in
the sense of the breath or the vital principle which sustains physical
life. The Bottom Line is this;
"Faith is the
root, good works are the fruits, and we must see to it we have both. We must not think that either, without the
other, will justify and save us."
Note: James Chapter 3 will be posted shortly.
God Bless
Minister Robert Lail Sr.
The Cross life
Note: James Chapter 3 will be posted shortly.
God Bless
Minister Robert Lail Sr.
The Cross life
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