James 2

James 2English Standard Version (ESV)

The Sin of Partiality

2 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith Without Works Is Dead

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

As humans we see the outside of man. We get distracted by how beautiful an outward appearance is or how affluent someone appears. One of my managers at work said, "Everyone has value. Someone might not be great at one task, but they might shine in another. Or someone in training might have other experiences that can add to our work." It is the same in the church. While someone's wealth can be one a distracting or attracting factor, James wants us to focus on living out our faith. If I am living out my faith in one area of my life, "I don't think I'll murder today," but I am being unfaithful to my husband; isn't all my focus going towards the sin in my life. Both my husband and I like being active. We both struggle when there is nothing for our hands to do. James says this is not a unique struggle. We are made to do the work that God has placed before us, to act out our faith. To follow in the example of Abraham and Rahab.

Father, help me to listen to your word. Give me good work for my hands to do. Help me be able to express my faith. Give me a heart after your own heart. Amen

James

James 1English Standard Version (ESV)

Greeting

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:

Greetings.

Testing of Your Faith

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Hearing and Doing the Word

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

James is such a rich book..... It is also a little ADD. James is writing to Jews who are not in Israel any more. Not being in the traditional setting of a synagogue or under church leadership, this book is packed full of messages for people who may not be engaged in regular fellowship. 

James talks about not getting discourage when hard times come, cause that when growth in your faith expresses itself. Pray to God for wisdom and trust God will provide. James big idea through the chapter and the book is express your faith through actions by saying, "Be doers of the word." Religious talk and discourse about theology can be disputed; however, its hard to dispute taking care of a widow or feeding someone who is hungry. Plus one of the ways humans learn is by doing. There are the learners who are visual or auditory, yet I am one of those people who doesn't truly grasp something until I've done it. This carries through to my faith. I feel closest to God when I'm serving. It helps me connect to God in a real way.  That does mean I can get distracted with tasks and be what the modern day church would call a Martha, yet what James describes is looking at the word of God and then go doing. This brings a balance of studying, communing with God , and then going and doing the work our Heavenly Father has put before us. 

One more thought from this passage is the anger of men does not bring about the righteousness of God. I have struggle for many years with how to appropriately deal with anger. My mom once told me, "Anger is like a check engine light. It can tell you something is wrong or there is an injustice." But the engine light should not control the car. So use my check engine light, but bridle my tongue. 

Dear Heavenly Father, give me wisdom about the next work I'm about to do. Show me where you want me to pursue my faith. Show me how I can best serve you. Give me a spirit of peace, so I don't sin against you. Help me to honor you well. Amen.