Author: David Short

James 2:26

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Personal Challenge

None of us can separate our spirit from our body. They are both needed for us to be alive. It is a similar, synergistic thing that exists in the life of a Christian with faith and works. Our journey as a Christian begins with our faith in Christ. Christ is the only source for salvation. That faith is then shoved up by the works for God that it draws us into. The works do not save us but they do help us to grow even stronger in that faith as well as helps to build the Kingdom of God. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

James 2:19-20

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

Personal Challenge

Here is where the rubber meets the road. It is easy to say that we believe in God, that we trust in Him, and many other faith-based statements. However, our enemy, Satan, and his demons also believe in God – and tremble. That belief must be transformed into action in our lives for it to be real. Are we different than we were before we proclaimed our belief in God? Are we different than the world around us? Are we loving our neighbor and taking care of those in need? A true belief in God incurs a true change within us and a desire to do His good works. Glory be to God!

James 2:17

Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Personal challenge

James continues to drive home the point that we must have works for God in our lives in order to demonstrate that we have put our faith in Him. Followers of Christ cannot be Christian couch potatoes We do these works out of our love for our Lord. If we do not do His work whenever we can, our faith begins to wain and die. If we do His works then our faith stays alive and thrives. Glory be to God!

James 2:14-16

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

Personal Challenge

A big difference in Eastern Christianity and Western Reformed Christianity is how faith and works are dealt with. In both faith practices it is agreed to that all are saved through the work that Jesus did and our faith in Him. Eastern Christianity goes on to express that our salvation gets worked out, or grows, within us by our desire and willingness to do the good works of our Lord. We must be doing His good works. We do not stop with a profession of faith but follow it with actions. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

James 2:1-4

My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

Personal Challenge

In the Old Testament we have the story of Samuel, the prophet, who was asked by God to seek out the king of Israel that would be replacing Saul. Samuel, like so many of us today, looked at the stature and outward appearances of the sons of Jesse to determine who he thought God had chosen. Then God told him that none of his choices were correct because He had already chosen David, not for his looks, but for the state of his heart. How often do we treat those who appear to be more important in our lives, especially our churches, with higher esteem than those whose appearances offend us? Are we not sinning in this behavior? God demands that we treat the lowly, the dirty, the poor, the sinner, the alien amongst us, the scared pregnant girl, the uneducated, etc., with the love of Christ. We are to set them above the glamorous, the wealthy, the prestigious, if we are to be honoring God. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

James 1:22-25

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

Personal Challenge

It is not hard work to be a hearer of God’s word. Carve out a few hours per week to go to church, sit in your designated seat, and listen up. This is important for all of us to be a part of a community. Where the real challenge comes in, the hard work, is to put what we have heard into action. Are we lovingly reaching out to those who we are worshiping with and encouraging them to also be doers? Are we reaching out to those who are missing and checking in to see if they are okay? How about when we leave that couple of hours of listening behind us and we go into the world? Are we showing the love of God to our neighbor, to those in need, to those who are different than us? Are we giving of our resources, our time, our dollars, our love to those around us? If we are not living this way then we are deceiving ourselves. Lord, have mercy!

James 1:19-20

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Personal Challenge

It is so easy to jump straight to being upset about something without taking the time to fully understand the situation. James reminds us to move quickly to the position listening to the other person in order to hear what is going on in the situation. We add to that listening a delay in speaking so that we can hear the full story. And then we should still move to the stage of wrath or upset, very slowly, if at all. This advise works in all aspects of life and will eliminate so many upsets and arguments. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

FROM ABOVE

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Encouraging Words

Everything that is good and perfect in our lives are truly gifts from our Father in heaven. Whether we follow Him or not, He still pours out His blessings and gifts on His creation, His beloved. He is constant in this, always has been, and always will be. If we open the eyes of our bodies, our minds, and our hearts, we will see just how much He is willing to pour into us in hope that we will turn to Him. He is the prodigal son’s father and we are the prodigal sons and daughters. Glory be to God!