James 2:20-26 - Examples of Faith

20 You fool! Do you want to be shown that faith without actions is useless?
21 How was our ancestor Abraham put right with God? It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar.
22 Can't you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions.;
23 And the scripture came true that said, “Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.” And so Abraham was called God's friend.
24 You see, then, that it is by our actions that we are put right with God, and not by our faith alone.
25 It was the same with the prostitute Rahab. She was put right with God through her actions, by welcoming the Israelite spies and helping them to escape by a different road?
26 So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, also faith without actions is dead. (GNB)

James returns to the premise stated in verse 17, above.

Works are Faith's Partner

V. 20 - “You fool! Do you want to be shown that faith without actions is useless?” -

His response to those who say good works will get them to heaven is blunt, even harsh! It is not that you have a slight misunderstanding of how salvation comes about. He is accusing this 'believer' of being deliberately uninformed. Bear in mind James is writing to a church. They should know better. It might be understandable for someone who has not heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ to think that if they are 'good' God will allow them into heaven. For James, good works are a product of God working within you through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. James gives a couple of real life examples to contrast living and dead faith. 

Example No. 1 - Abraham

V. 21 - “How was our ancestor Abraham put right with God? It was through his actions, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar.” -

Abraham is used by both Paul (See: Rom. 4:16-23) and James as a good example of faith. James and Paul approach faith and works differently. James’ approach is mainly pastoral, Paul’s is mainly missionary. James is discussing what God requires of people who already are Christians. Paul is referencing what God requires for a person to become a Christian. - What is the basis for Abraham to be 'declared' righteous? Paul indicates that it is Abraham’s faith (or, belief) that God will do what He said He will do. James uses a different event for his emphasis of Abraham's righteousness. He use the example of Abraham showing his faith by offering Isaac as a sacrifice as commanded by God. (See Gen. 22:1-18).  Many years earlier,  Abraham had been 'declared' righteous; his obedience was the proof of the declaration. (See: Gen. 15:6).

For our discussion, Rom 3:21-29 looks at the 'root' of righteousness, and James 2:14-26 looks at the fruit.  

V. 22-23 - “Can't you see? His faith and his actions worked together; his faith was made perfect through his actions. And the scripture came true that said, ‘Abraham believed God, and because of his faith God accepted him as righteous.’ And so Abraham was called God's friend.”

Premise: Saving faith is not mere intellectual assent.

“His faith and his actions worked together;”- (a quote from Gen 15:6). Why does James stress 'actions', or 'works'? His actions demonstrated the genuineness of his faith. 'Actions' - not an isolated incident, but an accumulation. Paul and James use Gen 15:6 differently. Paul declares Abraham faithful before the circumcision; James says offering Isaac demonstrates his faith. That is why James says, “Scripture was fulfilled…” (cf.: Gen. 15:6, and 22:1-18). James quotes Gen 15:6, but  God's command to sacrifice Isaac is in Gen 22.

“his faith was made perfect through his actions.” - What is James focusing on? The implication of 'perfected' is that faith is not a change from ‘imperfect’ to 'perfect' - but grows into maturity. The Greek word for 'perfected' has a meaning of "to bring to completion, maturity, to perfect, consummate", e.g., a tree is ‘perfected’ by its fruits; works do not animate faith; faith produces works, and works completes faith.

V. 24 - “You see, then, that it is by our actions that we are put right with God, and not by our faith alone. “ -

The teachings of James and Paul do not disagree. It is a matter of 'focus'. Abraham was called a “friend of God” because he believed and obeyed. As we read through Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy we find a repeated command - Listen and Obey.

How are we called "a friend of God"? When we obey His commands.

Example No. 2 - Rahab

V. 25 - “It was the same with the prostitute Rahab. She was put right with God through her actions, by welcoming the Israelite spies and helping them to escape by a different road?” -

What a contrast - righteous Abraham and Rahab the harlot (who obviously was not ‘righteous’)! It seems a stretch to place Abraham and Rahab on the same pedestal. But she is remembered - she is in the ‘hall of heroes of the faith’ - see Heb. 11:31. Prostitutes were considered the lowest class of the lower classes (along with tax collectors). Yet, she is used to underscore vital, useful faith. She saw God's work, and recognized the truth, and demonstrated her faith. That is what led her to hid the Israelite spies. By-the-way: Rahab's last name seems to be "the harlot". Whenever she is mentioned in Scripture, or our conversation, it is as “Rahab the harlot”.

We now see how Abraham (Gen 22), and Rahab (Josh 2) proves James 2:24. Both demonstrated their belief in God by their obedience.

V. 26 - “So then, as the body without the spirit is dead, also faith without actions is dead.” (GNB) - James repeats verse 17. A living faith cannot be separated from the deeds which are the evidence of  that faith. Put your faith to work. Faith and works are two sides of the same grace provided by God.

For some perspective: Paul is discussing the beginning of the Christian life; James is discussing its continuance and consummation. Look at this table to see how Paul and James handle the same concepts. This is not saying either is wrong, but their emphasis is different. 

*** .

Usage of Terms by James and Paul, Compared.
Term	James	Paul
Faith	Intellectual assent to the facts, and barren of good works is therefore useless.	Saving faith in Jesus, which naturally leads to works of righteousness.
Works	Acts of ministry, mercy love done in obedience	Acts performed legalistically in obedience in order to earn salvation.
Justification	Final acceptance by God at the last judgment.	Immediate acceptance of any sinner who repents and believes.

For Paul, works that precede faith are renounced and are dead. 

For James, faith apart from works is dead.
***

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end of chapter.

James 2:14-19 - Dealing With Works

14 My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you?
15 Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don't have enough to eat.
16 What good is there in your saying to them, “God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!”—if you don't give them the necessities of life?
17 So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.
18 But someone will say, “One person has faith, another has actions.” My answer is, “Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions.”
19 Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe—and tremble with fear.

No Salvation in 'Works'

V. 14 - “My friends, what good is it for one of you to say that you have faith if your actions do not prove it? Can that faith save you?“ -

The relationship of faith and works has been the source of debate and division since the first century. Are you a 'doer' or a 'thinker'? (i.e., “Actions speak louder than words”; or “My belief is personal and my business, I don’t need approval from anyone else”.)

What is the underlying problem James is addressing?  Not needing to work their way to approval from God was a new experience for these new Christians. It was a new religion for those who converted from non-believers. By ‘non-believers’ I mean that those who did not convert from Judaism, and had little experience with the Lord our God. Plus, salvation without working for it would be new for the Jewish converts also. Consider the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy - these are major lists of what the Jews were to do.

Perhaps James is addressing the mistaken notion that works were not necessary at all, since righteous works does not save you. Salvation by faith, not by works was Paul's primary message. Almost every religion of that time had things you had to do if you were to be a proper acolyte. I can almost hear a person saying, “I don’t need to DO anything but believe to be saved?”

Is James saying that a person is saved by works? No, I believe this is a continuation of arguments about how we show our faith.

V. 15-16 - “Suppose there are brothers or sisters who need clothes and don't have enough to eat. What good is there in your saying to them, “God bless you! Keep warm and eat well!”—if you don't give them the necessities of life?” -

This is a continuation of the discussion started in 2:7 and continued in 2:14. Can you seriously claim to be a follower of Christ if your life does not show it?

James gives three examples showing the futility of faith without works (vss 15-16, and 19), and two positive examples (vss 21-26).

Is James talking to us? 

If "No", why not? Are you saying, "But I go to church. I sing in the praise and worship services. I take notes of the pastor's sermons. I pray, that should be enough!"?

If "Yes", how so? Perhaps the Holy Spirit is speaking to your spirit, calling you to examine your life with respect to being a follower of the Lord. This is for you to decide, and not me. Talk with the Lord, and make your decision known.

What is the main point? Premise: What we do reveals what or who we are.

"suppose" - James' presents a test case. (Example no. 1) The ‘suppose’ is an ‘If statement’ that ties into to the previous discussion in 2:1-7 and 2:14-15. Here the believer is uncaring, offering platitudes and well-wishes rather than help. James is asking how can the love of God be in this believer? John also wrote to this same issue - see: 1 John 3:17-18  But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

V. 17 - “So it is with faith: if it is alone and includes no actions, then it is dead.” -

This is the underlying problem: anybody can claim to be a Christian, but how is it demonstrated? James describes a man; the question: is he saved? It is not for us to say. James is emphasizing mind-oriented (mental acceptance) ‘faith’ vs. a whole-life commitment showing evidence of faith. James is actually asking, "Can that kind of faith (mind-oriented only) save?"

V. 18 - “But someone will say, “One person has faith, another has actions.” My answer is, “Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions.”

But someone will say, ‘One person has faith, another has actions.’ - Let’s look at the argument of this imaginary critic, and think of the problem with this claim. This is the same 'man' James describes in verse 14 (he says he has faith). The imaginary critic is saying, "You have works only. I have faith only". The critic is basically saying, "both are praiseworthy"

Let’s breakdown James’ example:

• "someone will say" - They claim to have faith, but does the person have it? 
• "faith" - Their claim is an intellectual affirmation; but not an acceptance of the truth, or gospel. 
• "without actions" - Which shows a continual lack of evidence, that is:
• "deeds" (or works, actions) - these show ethical behavior - acts of compassion, based on Christ’s teaching..

This claim means that you get to decide what will save you. You are taking the place of God. You are deciding what is acceptable to God. But there is a problem with this claim. For example: Can you believe that a professional athlete actually loves this country when he or she refuses to honor the flag during a national anthem, or doesn't honor the United States? You must suspect such a claim. Likewise, we can suspect a claim of belief in Jesus if the life does not show it.

Note: If not shown in the lifestyle, then it is non-existent. Your belief system provides the framework of your activities and lifestyle. If a person does not believe in God or Jesus, do you expect that person to be worshipping and praying in church or synagogue? You would not.

James continues his reply:

“My answer is, ‘Show me how anyone can have faith without actions. I will show you my faith by my actions.’” - What is the answer? Can you see another person's faith by observing his works? This is example no. 2. Yes, maybe. Can you see another person's faith without the presence of works? No. You may ask what is the difference. If the person believes that what he does will earn his way into God’s grace - you won’t know his relationship with Christ. But, if the behavior consistently violates Scripture…

James has the antidote to wrong thinking - "Love your neighbor as yourself."  (See 2:8) He is teaching what Jesus said, and  the apostles also preach this. See (2 Pet 1:5-9)

V. 19 - “Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe—and tremble with fear. ” -

This (example no.3) is a seemingly odd statement in a discussion of faith in action. What do demons have to do with this? James is emphasizing that mental assent is not sufficient. The demons - former angels - know God, but that did not stop them from rebelling! Did they think there would be no repercussions? Perhaps they thought it was likely they might be able to withstand the judgment. They are much like us - thinking they might be able to skate by on this one.

Note: demons BELIEVE THAT God is.  But demons do not BELIEVE IN God.

Thought question: "If you were tried in a court of law for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?"

James 2:9-13 - The Law is a Whole

9 But if you treat people according to their outward appearance, you are guilty of sin, and the Law condemns you as a lawbreaker.
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
11 For He who said, “DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,” also said, “DO NOT COMMIT MURDER.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
***

Judgment is Merciless

V. 9 - “But if you treat people according to their outward appearance, you are guilty of sin, and the Law condemns you as a lawbreaker. ” -

“But if you treat people“ - The word “if” could be translated "since" in this verse. James is stating they are doing this: treating people according to their appearance (whether it is clothes, or speech patterns, or race and ethnicity). If you show “partiality”, that is: treating people differently… You are committing sin.
In this case, James is not referring to a single slip, but actions that happen continually.

Don’t think that I am saying one “oopsie” doesn’t count as a sin. Making value judgements of a person’s worth based on appearance is a sin. It means you are not seeing that person needs Jesus for salvation just as you need Jesus. Neither of you will spend time in eternity if you don’t believe and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. It is too easy to value someone who arrives at church in a Mercedes SUV differently than others; or wears a nice dress and jacket rather than blue jeans and a sweat shirt.

We Americans pride ourselves as being one of the most egalitarian communities on earth. But we still are swayed by our perceptions when we see the house where someone lives, or their clothes, or their automobile. It is especially easy to look “down” on someone obviously less wealthy than we or our friends. This shows a lack of compassion for others and their circumstances, and a heightened estimation of our own personal self-worth.

Why is this not just a matter of credit/debt with respect to law? As a result of the rich people's actions the “royal law” is violated.  The attitude is a case of ‘money plus grace’ saves us. In this instance, James is addressing the actions of some of the rich people in the church.

This is a call for mercy. Mercy for the well-off who show disdain toward others, and mercy for the resentment and envy the poor may have toward others. Mercy saves us all - dollars and possessions get you nothing.

V. 10 - “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”

This statement is significant! The Law of God is a whole, not detached (isolated) injunctions. In our legal system, there are gradations of offenses - e.g., First or Second degree murder, etc. The penalties if convicted vary with the seriousness of the crime. To be sure, there were gradations in the Law - different offenses required different sacrifices to ‘pay’ for those sins. Minor offenses required minor sacrifices, etc. There was even a sacrifice if you had committed a sin (offense) that you weren’t aware you had offended the Lord. (You broke a law you weren’t aware existed.) However, if you were told that the thing you were going to do was a sin, and you did it anyway - there was no recompense available.

V. 11 - “For He who said, “DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,” also said, “DO NOT COMMIT MURDER.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.”

“Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. “ - All that is a ‘minor detail’. It does not matter if the sin was ‘little’ or ‘huge’; you broke the Law. You do not have the wherewithal to cover your sin. You come up short, period.

V. 12 - “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.” -

What is the “law of liberty”? Look back to Jam 1:25, “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.” (NASB95) The same law is called the law of liberty and perfect law. We have been set free to live and act because we want to do it, rather than being forced to obey.

The commentary by Jameson, Faucet and Brown said it this way, “that is, the Gospel law of love, which is not a law of external constraint, but of internal, free, instinctive inclination. The law of liberty, through God's mercy, frees us from the curse of the law, that henceforth we should be free to love and obey willingly. If we will not in turn practice the law of love to our neighbor, that law of grace condemns us still more heavily than the old law, which spake nothing but wrath to him who offended in the least particular.” (See note 1)

What is the goal? Pursue the physical health and spiritual well-being of neighbors with the same intensity as for yourself. The ‘old system’ required knowing the Law and obeying it. Well, actually that is only partially so. Yes, there were lots of rules beyond the 10 Commandments. But God also knew that it was going to be almost impossible to keep those myriad laws. God instituted a sacrifice for those who unknowingly broke a law. That is, if you broke a law and you didn’t know you sinned, there was a sacrifice to cover that sin. Almost every person who brought a sacrifice to the tabernacle or temple came with that baggage.

Jesus simplified it: Do this one thing - Love the Lord your God. See: “‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And He said to him, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.’ “ (Matt 22:36-40 )

That does not mean what Jesus has commanded us to do is easy. But it is not hard or impossible to do. God has given us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will lead and guide us in our daily Christian life.

We can’t say we didn’t know what we are to do. Our actions show what we believe. Jesus does not need to judge and convict us. Our disobedience demonstrates our unfaithfulness, that we have rejected Jesus and what He commanded. See: “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.” (Jhn 12:48) The Father compares our actions to Jesus’s commands - that is the judgement.

V. 13 - “For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.”

James has the antidote to playing favorites (which is sinning) - "Speak and Act..." Show mercy! No mercy shows that you have not responded to God's mercy. Paul said in the letter to Philippians: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Phil 2:3-4 )

Don’t be confused, showing mercy - in this instance, treating people the same way no matter how they are dressed, or how much money you may think they have - shows that you have accepted what the Lord Jesus requires of you. No matter how rich you may be, you are a pauper with respect to God Almighty. You are so poor you cannot buy your way into heaven. You may be the child of a king or a president. Too bad, that means nothing if you do not have Jesus as Lord and Savior. Being a child of God, a believer in Jesus as Savior is the only credential needed. But you did not earn that credential. It is a gift, unearned, in spite of your sin.

Do not make judgments. You are not able to determine what God thinks about another person, whether He has forgiven that person. Your lack of forgiveness - that is what James is talking about - shows that you don’t see your need for forgiveness from the only One who can actually forgive your sin. See: “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” (Mat 6:14-15) And: “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” (Matt 7:1-2)

God is compassionate and forgiving, and expects us to be forgiving also. See, for example: Mat 18:32-35 - “Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

We live in the United States of America where life is mostly not harsh or cruel. We do not know true cruelty and oppression. And as we progress in our Christian faith, we can become self-satisfied in our spiritual condition. A slight by a non-Christian, such as a raised eyebrow, a grimace causes us to be offended and oppressed. We live in a country that recognizes Christianity as a valid religion or faith. We are unaccustomed to persecution or torture. When trouble does come we waver because we are weak. Our emotions and feelings take our focus off of the Lord and on our circumstance. Paul said this to Timothy: “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.” (2 Tim 3:1-5)

What is the highest principle? Mercy triumphs over judgement.

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Note 1: Jameson, Faucet and Brown, “Bible Commentary”, pub, date ***

James 2:5-8 - Do The Right Thing

5 Listen, my dear friends! God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.
6 But you dishonor the poor! Who are the ones who oppress you and drag you before the judges? The rich!
7 They are the ones who speak evil of that good name which has been given to you.
8 You will be doing the right thing if you obey the law of the Kingdom, which is found in the scripture, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” (GNB)

  

Feelings of Superiority Breed Disdain!

V. 5 - “Listen, my dear friends! God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.” -

“God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith” - This is not saying no one else can have faith and be saved. I like the way the Bible in Basic English states this verse, the poor are “marked out by God to have faith as their wealth”. A cynical view would say “Where else can they go, but up?” That has a morsel of truth in it. When you have limited resources you are more willing to look to God for help, and for salvation. When you have all you need to live, why would you need God?

We are being besieged in our country by crime and lawlessness. But many of our federal or state politicians are perplexed that we citizens are concerned. The politicians are not seeing the effects of crime on their lives. However, they are seemingly unaware of the murders, and robberies, and drive-by shootings. Perhaps it is because they live in a bubble of protection, gated communities, chauffeured limousines, and personal body-guards. Otherwise, why would they ignore the accounts of these problems? Their money allows them to avoid the problems of this world. James Lee Burke said it in ‘Sunset Limited’, “His money gave him the kind of confidence that overrode any unpleasant reflection he might see in a mirror or the eyes of others.”

Jesus referred to this phenomenon. “And Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly I say to you, It is hard for a man with much money to go into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, It is simpler for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a man with much money to go into the kingdom of God.’ And the disciples, hearing this, were greatly surprised, saying, ‘Who then may have salvation?’ And Jesus, looking at them, said, ‘With men this is not possible; but with God all things are possible.’ ” (Mat 19:23-26)

V. 6 - “But you dishonor the poor! Who are the ones who oppress you and drag you before the judges? The rich!” -

James continues the discussion. Beyond giving more respect to the rich people than they really deserve, he accuses us of treating poor people with disdain.

“But you dishonor the poor!” - I am reminded of the movie “Indiana Jones and the Holy Grail”. Indiana has just discovered the location of the Holy Grail (reportedly, the cup that Jesus drank from at the Last Supper) in a hidden grotto or cave. The display on the rock altar has multiple drink vessels on it, and are guarded by a knight from the Crusades. They, Indiana and the people that followed him to the treasure, must choose the correct cup. One of the Nazi officers grabs a magnificent goblet and drinks from it. He dies, and the knight says, “He chose, poorly.”

We ‘choose poorly’ when we dishonor the poor, when we disregard or dismiss people because they appear to be poor. God does not pay any attention to our physical appearances.

“Who are the ones who oppress you” - Get real. The poor do not have the wherewithal to hire a lawyer to take you to court. You probably won’t borrow money from a poor person - they don’t have any more money than you! The rich have the money, time, and connections to sue you to get what they think they “deserve”. You, being poor, spend all your time and energy just to survive. Plus, it is possible that the “judges” are rich also.

V. 7 - “They are the ones who speak evil of that good name which has been given to you.” -

This discussion is not about name-calling, or a personal beef with another person or neighbor. James is referring to Christians who are being accused of ‘bad behavior’. In that period of history, Christians were totally ‘different’ from believers in other religions. Christianity was closer to Judaism than any other faith at that time. (see note 1, below).

The religions of Greece and Rome had their own practices, including temple prostitutes, and orgies, etc. Christians were instructed to avoid such practices. Belief in Christ and living by Christian standards meant that followers of Christ would be conspicuous in their chaste behavior. Amazingly, this placed them in the center of accusations of being bad people. They were called “Christians” - that is a good thing to be called - but it was denigrated, and they were being accused of being evil.

V. 8 - “You will be doing the right thing if you obey the law of the Kingdom, which is found in the scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’” -

“Obey the law of the Kingdom” - Some translations read “royal law prescribed in the Scripture”. What is the royal law, or law of the kingdom? - When we think of law, especially religious law, we think of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Jesus was asked this very question. Look at Mark 12:28-33 where Jesus quotes Deut. 6:4-5 when asked to identify “the greatest commandment”. I think the Pharisees were thinking of one of the zillion commands in the Pentateuch. They could not see that all of the commandments given to the Israelites were based on their obedience because they loved God, they were thinking it was because they were forced to obey. They hoped to trick Jesus into naming one that they could then challenge,  “What about…”.

Compare the 'Law' which James mentions in chapter one to the one mentioned here in 2:8-12. He calls it the “perfect law of liberty” that sets you free (1:25). Free from what? Free from the drudgery of keeping rules and processes and rituals. When you read Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy you can easily be overwhelmed by the large quantity of rules and laws that had to be kept. I am sure some scholar or student has catalogued and counted  all of those laws. The number has to be in the hundreds! No wonder the Levites, Pharisees, and Sadducees became powerful - these guys knew all the ins and outs of the Law. Some lived by it rigidly, and forced others to do the same.

The royal law includes “love your neighbor”, found in Lev 19:18, and was preceded by Deut 6:4-5 - “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” What a massive change for the believer! Instead of hundreds of laws - big and little - it was boiled down to love God, and just love others as God loves you. The big difference is that their religion, or faith, was no longer done by rote; where you memorize a routine and don't vary from it. Now your faith requires some thought, some planning and recognizing who you are and what you will do. Your faith is not laissez-faire, where you come and go as you wish, no boundaries. No, you are to be guided by the Holy Spirit who has been given to you when you believed and accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He will show you the way to go. He does not force this on you. As with salvation through Christ which you and only you can decide to accept, being empowered by the Holy Spirit involves you decision also. We have been set free from hard-bound rule keeping. We are freed to live by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luk 10:30-37) must have perplexed the Jews. Why would anyone who was hated as much as a Samaritan, aid the hater? It maked no sense. and it would not make sense to someone whose life is based on strict adherence to a set if rules or regulations. When your 'holiness' is based on your works, you will hold others in disdain who do not comply. Remember, it is not what you do, but what Christ did for you, even though and especially since you are not worthy. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom 5:8) God did not wait for you to get "good enough" to save you from your sin.

Paul echoes that the law is grounded in “love others as you love yourself.” See: “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET, and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” (Rom 13:8-10)

This is echoed in: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Phil 2:3-4). Also see “He has saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing by the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5)

Operating out of love, because Jesus first loved us, takes us from the drudgery of keeping track and checking off our good deeds; for example, “Helped a poor person. Another good mark, plus a great tax write-off!”

God loves the unlovable - us. He knows we cannot chalk up enough plus marks to ransom ourselves from our sin. He has taken care of the penalty for our sin nature. Our debt is paid in full. His love saves us. We can let His love flow through us to others so they may benefit.

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Note 1: Well, duh! Christianity came from the Jewish faith - Jesus was born into a Jewish family, a devout family who made the trek to Jerusalem to worship at the temple. He was opposed by the Jewish leaders, who accused him of being a blasphemer (and other things).

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James 2:1-4 - Showing Favoritism

Introduction: for chapter 2

OUTLINE - James Ch. 2 2:1-8 – Avoid Favoritism, Partiality 2:9-13 - Breaking the Law/ 2:14-17 – Faith in Action (with Works) 2:18-26 - Works Prove Faith

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1 My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance.
2 Suppose a rich man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes comes to your meeting, and a poor man in ragged clothes also comes.
3 If you show more respect to the well-dressed man and say to him, “Have this best seat here,” but say to the poor man, “Stand over there, or sit here on the floor by my feet,”
4 then you are guilty of creating distinctions among yourselves and of making judgements bases on evil motives.

Meeting Prejudice  Head-On

V. 1 - “My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance.” -

This starts a long section (verses 1-9) in which James meets the problem of prejudice head-on. Part of the problem is that we tend to value others based on their financial status, or political power, etc.

“My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ “ - James sets up a premise, that is, people who have received Jesus Christ as Lord should act in certain acceptable ways. This is not a new concept in God’s spiritual ‘economy’. Throughout the Old Testament He expected the Jews to behave differently than the heathen tribes around them. Their worship of Him was to be different than the various pagan religions in the countries they passed through and conquered, or even those who conquered the Jews.
Recently in a sermon our pastor said that living as a Christian was 'weird'. He didn't mean weird in an "Adams Family" way, all spooky and creepy. God expects us to live and operate differently than the natural fallen world. He has a much higher standard of behavior for His believers. You will be an anomoly; don't shy away from that - check you ego at the door, and live for Christ, bringing honor to Him.

"You must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance.” - I used to live in a town where your average white guy is the minority. It would be all too easy to be prejudiced. “They” do not look like me; do not speak like me. How do we see beyond the clothes, the cars, the houses?

• We ‘know’ that God does not put value in the physical beauty, wealth, or power. 
• We believe, based on scripture, that these physical bodies will not transfer to the heavenly bodies; we receive new bodies to match the newness of life we have in Christ. 
• None of the wealth or power we have here and now goes beyond the grave. When we accept Christ as our Savior we are given a new spirit, powered by the Holy Spirit. Our soul and new spirit will make the transition. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Cor 5:17)

V. 2-4 - “Suppose a rich man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes comes to your meeting, and a poor man in ragged clothes also comes. If you show more respect to the well-dressed man and say to him, “Have this best seat here,” but say to the poor man, “Stand over there, or sit here on the floor by my feet. then you are guilty of creating distinctions among yourselves and of making judgements bases on evil motives.”

James sets up the scenario. You meet two different men. It is not possible to ignore the differences: one is obviously rich and the other not. These differences do not matter. But in almost all human-to-human interactions it is money, or the appearance of wealth, that changes the way we treat or react with others. This scene reminds us of the way black people were treated in the South - ‘back of the bus’, separate drinking fountains, etc., - cruel and evil practices. It is not a new phenomenon, see: “But the LORD said to Samuel, "Don't be impressed by his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way men do. People look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Sam 16:7) [See note 1, below.] [See Note 2, below]

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Note 1: Samuel is evaluating David’s brothers trying to suss out who would supplant Saul.
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Note 2: James deals with rich people and riches in four sections of this letter; 1:10-11, 2:3-6, 4:13-17, and 5:1-6. ***

James 1:26-27 - Control Your Tongue

26 Do any of you think you are religious? If you do not control your tongue, your religion is worthless and you deceive yourself.
27 What God the Father considers to be pure and genuine religion is this: to take care of orphans and widows in their suffering and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world. (GNB)

Restrain What You Say

James discusses the practice of your faith with a couple of examples.

This is how you live out your faith.

Vs. 26 - “ Do any of you think you are religious? If you do not control your tongue, your religion is worthless and you deceive yourself.” - Right now, I am sitting in a Starbucks, and two young men are here dressed as women. One is a barista, the other is a customer. Here is where the “rubber meets the road” for me - how do I react to this situation? Do I get upset and say something? Do I sit here drinking my coffee and pretending I am not seeing this? Is there any gain if I make a comment? (No. There is no gain.) I don’t know these people, so I don’t see any benefit if I tell them they are making a mistake. I can’t pretend I don’t see them. So, I will hold my tongue (‘bridle’ it…). But I will say a prayer for them. The New American Standard Bible (NASB) puts it: “If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile.”

Do I think I am ‘religious’? Yes, I do. (Not religious in the sense that I think I am superior to anyone, and can count their offenses to chalk up why they need the gospel.) I have faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior; He died because of my sin; He was raised from the dead to eternal life. My faith, my religion, is Him and Him alone. I can do nothing that will make me acceptable to God.

There is very little I can control in my life. Definitely there is nothing outside my body or mind (those are things that happen around me and to me) on which I have control. I should be able to control my thoughts, my speech, my actions. But in reality due to my sin nature, control of even these functions are difficult. Thank the Lord for the gift of the Holy Spirit. (See, for example: Prov 18:21; 21:23: 6:2;12:6; 17:27; 19:27)

I am not saying that Christians should never speak up when encountering sin. There is no place in the Scripture where adultery is approved by the Lord. The same can be noted for abortion (killing a baby in the womb), or prostitution, or thievery and robbery, or disbelieving in the Lord. The Lord never forced anyone to obey his laws, commands, and precepts. Of course, people were allowed to disobey, but not with impunity. You make the choice, you must accept the consequences - for your good or your ill.

That being said, I am not sure this verse is about speaking up in the face of evil. It is about how is your faith, the way you live your faith (your religion) demonstrated. James is saying the way you talk with others, about others will show whether you have Jesus in your heart or not. What you say comes from the control center of your mind. The Bible commonly refers to this as your heart. Pure and genuine faith will be demonstrated in how you talk, in what you say.

See the following examples of this:

“The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.” (Pro 15:28)

“You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” (Mat 12:34 )

“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.“ (Mat 15:19)

“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,” (Mar 7:21)

“The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” (Luk 6:45) 

James continues his discussion of demonstrating your faith by the way you live:

Vs. 27 - “Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” - Wowsers - pure and undefiled religion! . It would be interesting to find out how religious leaders in our day define religion, especially “pure and undefiled” religion. I suspect that the definitions would coalesce around doctrine and religious practices. Salvation does not come through a religion.

Salvation is from Jesus Christ alone, and belief in Him. It is not practices or deeds. It is faith in Jesus Christ. James is not focused on whether or not you have done the things necessary to be counted as saved - that is, have you done the religious things expected of you.

James is writing about evidences of being saved. What demonstrates that Jesus is living in you; that you have the Holy Spirit empowering you? I think James is writing to help the reader to assess themselves. You say you are saved; but does your life show you have been changed?

This letter is like a New Testament book of Proverbs. This is how you show you are a believer. Just doing these things does not save you - you cannot work your way to heaven. “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7)

Remember that old song, “They’ll know we are Christians by our Love, by our Love”? I often felt it was about how Christians treated Christians. We loved and cared for each other. As I look back, I see I missed some of the meaning because I did not see that applying “Christian-to-Non-Christian”. But it is true; Christians should demonstrate Jesus’ love for all people - especially for the non-saved. We should not get into the mindset that puts unbelievers in the non-lovable category. The unsaved care and love for others - this is not private territory for Christians. So then, if the unsaved love people and care for the needy, and Christians care for and love the needy - what is the difference? Are our acts righteous, and the unbelievers simply acts? That kind of thinking leads to ‘holier than thou” attitudes.

“keep oneself unstained by the world.” - That is one of the keys to a ‘difference’. In one interaction with Jesus, a woman was accused of sinning. Jesus challenged the accusers to be executioners if they themselves had never sinned. No one took Him up on that, and he asked her who had stepped up to condemn her. “She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.’” (emphasis is mine) - (John 8:11)
This can be taken to extremes. Think of hermit monks or nuns - they may not be stained by the world because they are not in the world. Jesus did not call us to leave the world behind, but to spread the gospel in the world. There is no reason I should to listen to you if your lifestyle is no different than the unsaved. There is no reason to hear the gospel if you are a butthead and so self-righteous people are turned off.

Stay in the world, but not part of the world. Demonstrate Jesus’ love for us in the way you live. “ ‘He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.’ Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, ‘Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.” (John 14:21-24)

Also, “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’ They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, “You will become free?”’Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. “The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.’ ” (John 8:31-36 ).

If Christ is in your heart, in your life, you will control what you say. Additionally, the Holy Spirit, can and will empower you to do so. God will not force.you to live and speak in certain ways, but will provide the power to do so.

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end of chapter

James 1:21-25 - Do Not Deceive Yourselves

21 So get rid of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct. Submit to God and accept the word that he plants in your hearts, which is able to save you.
22 Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to his word; instead, put it into practice.
23 If you listen to the word, but do not put it into practice you are like people who look in a mirror and see themselves as they are.
24 They take a good look at themselves and then go away and at once forget what they look like.
25 But if you look closely into the perfect law that sets people free, and keep on paying attention to it and do not simply listen and then forget it, but put it into practice—you will be blessed by God in what you do. (GNB)

Premise: Saving faith is More than Intellectual Assent.

Vs. 21 - “So get rid of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct.” - 

Some versions command us to ‘lay aside” these behaviors. Both ‘get rid of’ and “lay aside” imply a purposeful decision. No longer are you to be hindered by dragging an anchor through your spiritual life. You cut the chain. You throw off the baggage. I used to go backpacking in the Oregon Cascade mountains when I was younger. The backpack holds your tent, sleeping bag and pad, clothes, food, stove and fuel (enough for the number of days you will be there). It was heavy. After several hours of hiking up the trail, what a relief when you ‘laid aside’ that backpack!

“Filthy habit”, or “Filthiness”; “Wicked conduct”, or “Wickedness” - If you have been a Christian for most of your life, or for a significant amount of time, this verse may seem a little odd. In the society at the start of the Christian churches (50-90 AD) there was no influence to ameliorate the lack of morals at that time. The society, whether Greek or Roman or other, was not ‘Christianized’. Temple prostitutes were common - according to some of the sources I have read there were some ‘religions’ where the sexual act was the worship. There may have been no moral teaching - anything goes. This may not have been true in Jewish communities, because they had the Word of God given to them through Moses and the Prophets. So it is probable that sexual misconduct (as we would see it) was not considered a ‘sin’. Who knows about theft, thuggery, etc.

In some ways, we can look at what is going on in some of our larger cities in the U.S. The crime wave raging in our cities is shocking - murders are up 25-50%; vagrancy is rampant; people are being attacked - some have been shoved on to subway tracks or into the street; people have been attacked and beaten; stores have been ransacked. How could ancient cities and societies be any more violent and evil.

Consider the situation from where you and others may have come. You have heard the gospel, and it makes landing within your heart and mind. You accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Now what? How do you act? What do you do? James is clearly talking to people who have come to Christ from rough circumstances. He is telling them, “Don’t do what you did before!” Paul said, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Cor 5:17)

There are positives and negatives in this verse. The ‘negatives’ are in the command to no longer behave the way you did before you accepted Christ. Why is that a negative? For example, think about losing weight - your have to change your eating habits. This is hard. I love candy bars, apple turnovers, maple bars, burgers and fries. It is hard for me to see a green salad as a meal. I want to eat until I am full, and considering that I am overweight it means that I have done that a lot. Likewise if you have been looking at pornography, or having an affair, you must not do that again. It is hard to make that change. Your are so used to doing something - pornography, lying, cheating on your taxes, cheating on your golf score, speeding through a school zone, abortions, etc., that it may not even register that what you did is a sin!

The positives in this verse is that you don’t have to do this in your own power! The Holy Spirit is in you to guide and teach you. You have the Bible, God’s Word, to give you instructions. One evidence of your new faith - hunger for the Word. God will ‘speak’ to you from the Bible. There may not be a specific command for some behaviors, but the Bible also has tenets and standards that you can apply to your life that will steer you away from sinful activities.

Vs. 22 - "Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to his word; instead, put it into practice." 

In the first century A.D. society most people did not read or write. Most teaching was oral reading of the scriptures or letters. (Mark’s Gospel was probably written about 60 AD, Luke’s and Matthew’s gospels followed. None of the gospels would have been in ‘book’ form.) The Gospels would not have been canonized at the time this letter was written. So the account of Jesus’ life, teaching, death and resurrection was told by those who were with Him, or was taught by those who heard and believed the first-person accounts. The letters written by the apostles were read in the churches.

The NASB puts it that you should be a ‘doer’ and not a ‘hearer’ only. Teaching what God has instructed us has the same importance as reading the Bible. That puts tremendous pressure on the teacher to ‘get it right’. A teacher’s message is most effective and powerful when his life matches his teachings. When his life does not follow his own teachings he is a liar - to himself and to others. His teachings cannot be trusted.

On the other side of this equation, the student has to make a decision when listening to the teacher. Does the student accept and believe the lesson? Does the student take the teaching and apply it to his life? James is clearly saying you cannot claim belief without showing a change in personal behavior. If you believe, you will put it into practice.

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Vs. 23-24 - “If you listen to the word, but do not put it into practice you are like people who look in a mirror and see themselves as they are. They take a good look at themselves and then go away and at once forget what they look like.” - 

This example does not need much explanation. Imagine getting ready to go out on a date with your wife, and as you walk out of the bathroom she asks, “Aren’t you going to comb your hair?” Your response, “What?”, shows that you looked to see if you were ready and didn’t notice. In similar manner, God wants you to be aware the Christian image you portray shows you care about and notice the witness you are presenting. When being taught Christian living principles we can either observe what is said and apply it to our lives or we can be careless about what we were hearing.

Vs. 25 - “But if you look closely into the perfect law that sets people free, and keep on paying attention to it and do not simply listen and then forget it, but put it into practice—you will be blessed by God in what you do.”
James tells us to look into the ‘perfect law’, because it will set us free. What is the perfect law? Remember, the term ‘the Law’, would have a particular significance to Jews who revered the Law as handed down by the Lord to them. Roman citizens and subjects would also understand ‘the law’. Roman law was harsh and completely enforced by the Roman legions. Were those laws perfect? Jews tended to claim the Law was perfect, but their behavior tended to belie those statements.

Jesus came to set us free from the strictures of the Law. The Law did not make it possible to be free from sin. The perfect law that Jesus proclaimed sets us free from sin, both its commission and punishment. Jesus said, ”Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:34-36) No longer are we slaves to sin when we are in Christ.

The perfect law of Jesus Christ is followed by faith, not by works. God aimed us toward this from OT times. See: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit’, says the Lord.” (Zech 4:6) (Yes, I understand this particular message was about freeing the Israelites from Babylon, but it is the heart of God’s message to us - believe in the Lord and you will be saved.)

Paul wrote: “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.’” (Rom 1:17) Paul amplified this in chapter 3, “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.” (Rom 3:21-31)

Lastly, we are reminded, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” (Titus 3:5-6)

That is the perfect law!

How can God's Word do a daily saving work in the believer? The Word, as spoken by Jesus, has promised the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to those who accept and believe Jesus as Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit can control and empower you to live the wonderful life Jesus has promised. The Holy Spirit is your earnest down payment guarantee that when you have Jesus you have eternal life. Your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life! Your life is safe in Jesus Christ for all eternity. Let’s hear a ‘Praise the Lord!’

That is the perfect law!