Read James 2:20-26

Aerobic Faith

Faith and action work together.

James illustrates this with two examples.

First, Abraham and Sarah waited a long time for a child. Finally Isaac was born. Then God said to Abraham, “Offer your son to Me as a burnt sacrifice” (Gen. 22:2). Abraham was distressed. But he obeyed. God stopped him from killing Isaac at the last minute, saying to him, “Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son” (Gen. 22:12). Abraham proved his faith by taking action to give up the dearest thing in his life if that’s what it took to please God.

James’ comment is, “You see that Abraham’s faith and his actions worked together to complete his faith” (v. 22, paraphrased).

Second, when the Hebrew nation under Joshua’s leadership was about to cross the Jordan River into Canaan, Joshua sent two undercover men to survey Jericho. They met a woman named Rahab, who hid the men from the local authorities. She and the spies made a deal. “I’ve hidden you,” she said. “In return, when your people conquer this city, as you surely will, don’t kill me and my family.” They agreed. And that’s what happened (Joshua 2:1-24).

James says, “Look, Abraham and Rahab, two very different persons, both proved their belief in God by acting. Faith comes first. But it doesn’t sit in an ivory tower. Faith acts.”

By the way, Rahab, a Gentile, became King David’s great, great grandmother and an ancestress of Jesus. (Matt.1:5, 6).

Read James 2:14-19

In Balance

Did you ever meet individuals who were working their way to heaven?

            Such persons inform you loftily of their good works, implying that you spend way too much time sitting around praying and reading your Bible and going to church. You’re too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good. “Look at me,” they say. “I do good deeds. I’m sure the Lord takes note and appreciates me. You should follow my example.”

            Such an attitude has been the source of much criticism of Christians. We are accused of being too busy telling other people what they ought to do and too little time walking the walk.

            James says there is a balance. Faith and works go together. In fact, he indicates it is being spiritually minded—tuned in to God’s will—that comes first, giving birth to good works, not the other way around (v. 18).

James is saying: If you see a need, meet it. You do it. Assume your responsibility for the less fortunate around you. Don’t vote for the government to collect taxes and forcibly redistribute the money to support those down on their luck. The government’s business is to keep the peace, not to compel you to support somebody else’s idea of charity. That should not be the government’s business. It’s your duty as an individual.

This concept is as simple as ham and eggs. Why is it so difficult to apply?

Read James 2:1-13

Liberty’s Law

You cannot miss the point with James.  

He says loving your neighbor, not harboring grudges, and treating everyone equally is part of God’s law (Lev. 19:18). You should do it, and that’s that (v. 8). He adds that to play favorites is sin (v. 9). He says that if we sin in one point of the law, we have become lawbreakers. Sin is sin, and God will judge it.

What can we do? People have been trying to follow the Ten Commandments for centuries without much luck. James gives us the key. He speaks again (also in 1:25) about “the law that gives freedom” (v. 12). Don’t perish as lawbreakers, but walk in Christ’s freedom.

Christ’s freedom that sets us free from sin and self. Christ’s law that teaches us how to be just and impartial, compassionate and merciful to all, but free from slavish regard for either persons or things of this world.

As Aaron’s rod budded into beautiful almond flowers (Num. 17:8), so the stern duty of the Ten Commandments breaks into the full flower of Christ’s glorious freedom. By that freedom we go out joyously, enabled by God’s love in our hearts to love our neighbors. It is the law of liberty, the ability to love others as God loves us.

Does this remind you of anything Jesus said? How about “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matt. 5:7)?

Read James 1:19-27

Double Track

James says the essence of true Christianity is two-fold: take care of the helpless and live a holy life unsoiled by worldly sin (v. 27).

James must have been among those gathered in the upper room praying fervently after Jesus’ ascension (Acts 1:14). He must have been in the crowd when the 12 disciples gathered all the believers together and appointed the first board of deacons to see that widows were cared for (Acts 6:2-4).

            In this passage he summarizes what he learned on those two occasions about the Christian’s double-track approach to life: holy living, which leads to care for the poor and helpless. No doubt James had read the biblical book of Proverbs and knew that it said, “whoever is kind to the needy honors God” (Prov. 14:31b). Wherever Christians have gone in the world, schools, hospitals, medical clinics, and feeding stations have followed.

Living a holy life as a Christian is immensely aided by reading the Bible. That has meant literacy programs in many forgotten corners of our planet. General education and broadening horizons have tracked each other as the Christian lifestyle turns fear and superstition into trust in God and factual information.

            Look at yourself with candor, James says (v. 24). Learn all you can about God (v. 25). The result will be intellectual honesty and freedom and a blessed life ordered by God.

Read James 1:9-18

No Change

James says what we think of ourselves is like the wild flowers—they come and they go.

We’re back to the perseverance James mentioned before (v. 3). Count on God. Rely on Him. Don’t blame God. To do so is to be deceived. The good gifts come from God, and He doesn’t change. He loved you yesterday. He loves you today. He will love you forever (v. 17).

He chose to create you, a precious, one-of-a-kind individual. Having made you, He wants you to make a success of the life He is giving you.

            From temptation we move to patience by way of wisdom and faith and come to a complete new focus on living that leads to a shift in our self-image. “The brother in humble circumstances” (v. 9) may be an individual who is poverty-stricken in money. Or it can include those who have poor opinions of themselves—lack self esteem—for any of the host of reasons why persons think badly of themselves. These vary from seeing ourselves as stupid or untalented or poorly educated to contempt for our own skin color to how tall we grew. But James says that what we think is not the point. It’s what God thinks, and we have worth in God’s sight. Expect great things from God. Obey His leadings. Let Him mold you into His vision of the very best you can be.