2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 

5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

9The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. 10But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. 11For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.

James 1:1-11 Consider trials as pure joy

vs. 1  Greetings

·         1: The author of this letter identifies himself simply as “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”  There are several people named James in the New Testament, but most conservative scholars agree that this particular James is James the brother of Jesus.  There were two men named James who were part of the 12 original Apostles as well as James the brother of Jesus.  A main reason why scholars think that James was written by James the brother of Jesus is that only he and James the son of Zebedee were prominent.  And of those two, James son of Zebedee was martyred early (Acts 12:2, about 44 AD) which was probably before this letter was written.  

·         James the brother of Jesus did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah before the crucifixion.  (John 7:5; Mark 6:3)  Jesus appeared to him after Jesus’ resurrection which, we safely assume, is when James became a believer. (1 Cor. 15:7)  James became a prominent Christian leader, especially in the city of Jerusalem.  He was the “chair” of the Jerusalem Counsel in Acts 15.  In Galatians 1:19, the Apostle Paul refers to James the brother of Jesus as an Apostle.  History records that James was called “James the Just” because of his faithfulness to God’s law and his consistency in prayer.  It was also said that his knees became “as hard as a camel’s” because of his continual praying.  Josephus records that James was killed by Jewish leaders in 62 AD because he refused to renounce his commitment to Christ.  He was thrown from the pinnacle of the temple.  The fall did not completely kill him, so they then began to stone him; finally “one of them, a fuller, beat out the brains of the Just with the club that he used to beat out clothes.”  (Schaff 1:227)

·         It is very likely that James was the first complete book of the New Testament to be written, probably between 45-47 AD.  It was obviously written prior to James’ death in 62 AD.  Further, as we will see when we study chapter 2, there is a section in which James seems to contradict Paul’s teaching that believers are saved by “faith alone.”  As we will see, James and Paul do not actually contradict each other.  They were using terms in different ways, with different emphases.  James and Paul addressed this issue together during the Jerusalem Counsel which took place around AD 48 or 49.  The early date of this letter explains why James uses these terms in a different way than Paul. 

·         1: Although James is the biological half-brother of Jesus, he does not draw attention to himself because of that.  He simply refers to himself as the servant (doulos, literally “slave”) of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

·         1: The nation Israel had twelve tribes.  The early date of James and the Old Testament background of the writing make a strong case that James was writing to early Christians, who early on happened to be mostly Jewish-Christians.  The book of James is sometimes described as one of the “catholic epistles” meaning “universal letters” because it was written to Christians in general rather than believers at one particular church.

vs. 2-4  Trials develop perseverance

·         2: What is our usually response to difficult circumstances?  Why?  Instead, what does James say we should consider trials?  [The NIV says “pure joy.”  The NASB says “all joy.”  James isn’t saying that we should consider the circumstance, in themselves, as a joy… but we can and should respond to difficulties with a positive attitude and thankfulness because we know that God only lets things into our lives that He can use for our eventual good.]

·         2: Notice that James doesn’t say “if” you encounter trials.  He says “when” you encounter trials, count it pure joy.  It is a sure thing that trials will come our way.

·         3: Notice the word “because.”  Verse 3 answers the question of WHY should we consider our trials as pure joy.  Why is that? 

·         3: What is perseverance?  Why is perseverance a good and valuable thing?  (What is someone like if they lack perseverance?)  [The NASB translates the word as “endurance.”  Others translate it as “fortitude” or “staying power.”  Going through difficult times strengthens our faith so that we can withstand stronger storms.  People without perseverance fold when the difficult times come.] 

·         3: How do trials develop perseverance in us?  Can you think of any examples?

·         4: Perseverance must “finish its work.”  Don’t expect the full results of perseverance or endurance to come instantly.

·         4: What does verse 4 say is the result of perseverance?  [It makes one mature, complete, and lacking in nothing.]  What does that mean?

·         4: Is all of this worth the trials?  If you don’t really think it is, then why would you consider it pure joy?

·         Is it easy to consider trials as joy?  Why or why not?  What makes it harder or easier for people?  How can you grow to obey this Biblical command better?  (Remember, this isn’t just a suggestion.  The Bible is telling believers to do this!)

vs. 5-8  Wisdom

·         5: What is wisdom?  [Wisdom is skill for making decisions in life that come from seeing life according to God’s purposes and plans.  It is the ability to look at one’s life and circumstances and then to pick the choices that will probably lead to the best long-term results.]  Why is true wisdom something good to have?

·         5-7: Why do many people lack wisdom?  Is God stingy on giving wisdom, as if He doesn’t want people to have it?

·         5-7: This passage doesn’t specifically answer this question right in these verses, but how do you think God gives wisdom to people?  Does He just dump it on them automatically?  [Part of wisdom is learning how to acquire more wisdom!  Proverbs 4:7 says, “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom.”  If you ask for wisdom, expect God to let you know that you should start developing a Biblical worldview so that you can start seeing life correctly.  Having a Biblical worldview is like having glasses that help us to finally see the world correctly.  Without these glasses, we see things wrongly, missing things, trip over things, and fall into holes.  Wisdom will tell you to acquire more wisdom by learning the Bible’s message, from the Bible itself and from good teachers, mentors, and friends.]

·         6-7: What does James compare doubters to?  What does this passage say about people who doubt God’s goodness in granting wisdom?  (Read ahead to James 1:16-18 for some insights.)  [God is not stingy in giving good things to His children.  He wants to give us wisdom.  He is consistent in His goodness and we need to trust in that.  True wisdom concerns living life the way we are meant to live life.  God designed us to live for His glory, and to find our delight in Him.  How can God give us wisdom if we don’t believe and trust His goodness and ability?  Remember, Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”  How can you go on to Advanced Wisdom 401 if you insist on repeatedly failing Intro to Wisdom 101?]

·         8: The word “double-minded” literally means “double-souled.”  God isn’t going to grant people wisdom if that isn’t what they really want.

vs. 9-11  Humble circumstances and riches

·         9-10: What two types of people are these verses comparing?  What is James saying here?

·         9-10: What is God’s message here to poorer people?  Why?

·         9-10: What is God’s message here to richer people?  Why?

·         10: What is James trying to say with his analogy of the wilting flower? 

·         10: There are many examples of rich or powerful people who saw their “glory” quickly fade away.  It often happens very quickly during this life.  And it comes suddenly for everyone, when they die, no matter how rich or powerful they are.

·         What do many rich people trust in for their security?  Will it work?

·         The only real security in life comes from knowing Jesus Christ as your Savior.  If you have Him as your Savior, you have real and lasting security, no matter what trials and troubles come your way.  If you do not have Jesus as your Savior, you have no security, no matter how much money, insurance, power, or possessions you have. 

·         Thinking of yourself as “rich” or “poor” all depends on who you are comparing yourself to.  Don’t miss how this passage might apply to you because you are comparing yourself to the wrong people!

·         How does this connect with considering it pure joy when encountering trials of various kinds? 

12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

James 1:12-18 The God of Good, Not Temptation

vs. 12  The crown of life

·       12: What does it mean to be blessed?  [To be blessed is to receive a good thing.]

·         12: What kind of person is blessed?  [The person who perseveres under a trial]  It is a good thing to persevere under a trial.  Why?  [Among other things, because he will receive the promised crown of life.]

·         12: Notice that undergoing a trial doesn’t automatically make one blessed.  Persevering under trial makes one blessed.  The trial itself isn’t a good thing, but persevering under trial is a good thing with good benefits.

·         12: What do you think the “crown of life” is?  The word for crown used here, stephanos, usually refers to the laurel wreath given to victorious athletes.  (1 Cor. 9:25)

·         12: Can believers be sure about the crown of life?  [Yes, it is something that God has promised to those who love Him.]

·         “There are those who react against the notion of a ‘reward’ for faithful Christian living.  And, indeed, service of God that is motivated by a calculated desire for rewards is the very antithesis of Christian spirituality.  But the New Testament consistently invites the Christian to contemplate the inheritance that awaits him.  The contemplation of this glorious inheritance can be a marvelous source of spiritual strength and sustenance as we realize ‘that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us’ (Rm. 8:18).  By fixing his gaze on this inheritance, the believer is able to find sustenance and strength in the trial, recognizing that the suffering of this time is not long.  This inheritance cannot be earned and it is unattainable by those who do not serve God from a heart of love and devotion.  Moreover, as Mitton aptly says, ‘the rewards are of a kind that only a true Christian would be able to appreciate.’” –Douglas Moo, James, Tyndale New Testament Commentary

vs. 13-15  Temptation

·         13: Why might someone say that God is tempting him to sin? 

·         13: How can James say that God cannot be tempted when the author of Hebrews says that Jesus was tempted in every way that we are, but without sin?  (Heb. 4:15)  [It is one thing to try to tempt someone to sin; it is another thing to successfully tempt someone.  It is one thing to set a trap; it is another thing to actually trap someone.  For example, Satan tried to tempt Jesus (Mt. 4) but it didn’t work.  He was tempted in one sense, but not another.  Certainly, since Jesus had been fasting for 40 days, He was hungry and it was tempting for Him to make bread.  Jesus had a desire for bread, but He did not have a desire to disobey God.  As R. Kent Hughes writes, “Evil cannot promote even the slightest appealing tug in the heart of God.”]

·         The Greek word for “trial” and “temptation” is actually the same word.  The word could also be translated as “test.”  Trials and difficult circumstances are tests; and temptations are tests.  Context lets us know if we should think of these tests as trials or temptations.  God does bring “tests” into our lives, but He does not “tempt” us.  The difference is the goal.  A good teacher will give exams to students, but the good teacher will want the students to pass the tests, not fail them.  God brings tests into our lives because He wants us to pass the tests.  Satan wants us to fail the tests.  God wants us to grow and glorify Him through passing the tests.  Satan wants to neutralize our witness, destroy our lives, and dishonor God by our failing the tests.

·         14: If temptation to sin does not come from God, then where does it come from?  [Some people, in James’ time as well as ours, blame their sin on “the gods” or on “fate.”  In modern day, many people blame their sin on their genes, or the way they were raised.  The Christian view is that we ourselves are responsible for our sin.  No matter what biological urges we have, or patters from our upbringing or environment, we each still choose to sin.  Our choices to sin come from our will.  God does not entice anyone to sin.  This temptation comes from three main sources: our sinful natures, the world, and the devil.  James focuses specifically on our sinful nature.  The reasons the temptations of the devil and the world are so successful against us is because of our sinful natures.]

·         14: How would you respond to someone who says, “God made me with homosexual desires.  Are you telling me that it is a sin for me to be who God made me to be?”

·         14: What do you think James mean by the “lure” of sin?  What is a “lure” in fishing?  How is that like the lure of sin?  [People use lures to catch fish.  Without a lure, the hook wouldn’t be attractive and enticing to the fish, and the fish wouldn’t want to bit it.  The hook stays hidden in the lure, and the fish doesn’t realize that if he goes after the lure that he will get the hook as well.  The fish also doesn’t realize that he will not be able to remove the hook; and that the hook will cause him to be dragged away and destroyed.]

·         14: How do our evil desires cause us to be “dragged away?”

·         14: When are desires evil?  [Desires are evil when we want something that is contrary to the moral will of God.  When we give in to these desires, either in our heart or in our lives, we sin.]

·         14: If sin comes from evil desires, a big way to change our sinning is to change our desires!  It all starts in the heart.

·         15: According to this verse, what is ultimate result of sin?  [Death] 

·         “There are three mutant generations here: the mother is evil desire, the daughter is sin, and the granddaughter is death.  This death is spiritual and eternal- forever and ever.” –R. Kent Hughes, James: Faith that Works

vs. 16-18  God’s consistent goodness

·         16: Don’t blow past this verse.  James thinks that this error is something that believers are in danger of being deceived by.  If you aren’t careful, the enemy will use this lie against you.

·         17: What percentage of good things is God responsible for?  [All of them!]  If this is the case, what are some of the things that we can praise God for?  What are ways that we can better live all of life for God’s glory?  [John Piper has an articles called How to Drink Orange Juice to the Glory of God.  His main point is that we should constantly remember that every good thing is a gift of God.  The reason that you can enjoy orange juice in the morning is because of God.  God create oranges, and our tastes buds, and everything else that we needed.  Even more important, it is because of the cross of Christ that God can give us good things instead of what we deserve.  The reason that a person can enjoy orange juice instead of being in hell is because of the cross.  Even for unbelievers, the reason that they can enjoy the good things in this life is because of God’s mercy in giving them this life as a chance to turn to God for salvation.  By remembering that every good thing is from God, we can glorify Him more constantly.]

·         17: What does this passage say about God’s unchangeableness?  Is it important that God is unchanging?  Why?

·         18: What does this verse have to say about the word of truth?  What does this verse have to say about how we have received new life?  [God gives us life through the Word of truth.]  What is the importance of the Word of God for people’s salvation?

·         18: What does this verse have to say about God’s purpose in saving us? 

·         18: How does verse 18 relate to verses 16-17?  [God’s gift of salvation is the best and most good gift that has come down to us from God!]

19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 1:19-27 Looking At Ourselves in God’s Mirror: Being Doers of the Word

vs. 19-21  Quick to Listen, Slow to Anger

·         19-21: Observation: Notice that these three verses are linked.  Verse 19 gives the command.  Verse 20 starts with “for” and gives the reason for the command.  Verse 21 starts with “therefore” and gives an application.

·         19: “take notice of this”  Why does James tell the reader to “take notice.”  Shouldn’t we automatically take notice of anything that the Bible says?  [As we will see, James is writing to people who have the problem of hearing the Word but not doing what it says.  Thankfully… none of us have this problem, so we can probably just skim past this.]

·         19: What are the things in verse 19 that James tells us to take notice of and do?   [(a) Be quick to listen (b) be slow to speak (c) be slow to become angry.]  How are these three things connected?  How do these things apply to conflict with others?

·         Proverbs 17:27 says, “A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.”

·         20: WHY should we do the things in verse 19?  What does God desire?  What does man’s anger not bring about?  [a righteous life]  Why not? 

·         21: Verse 21 tells us to get rid of some things and to accept something else into our lives.  What are we supposed to get rid of?  [moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent]  What are we supposed to accept?  [the Word]

·         21: What do you think James might mean by “moral filth” and “evil?”  What does it mean that it is “so prevalent?”

vs. 22-25  God’s Mirror: Looking and Doing

·         Note: On the back page of these notes is a great illustration by Charles Swindoll.  Read it at an appropriate time in your discussion.

·         22: According to verse 22, how do people deceive themselves?  [They think that listening to God’s Word is the same thing as obeying it!  It’s like watching an exercise commercial on TV and thinking about exercising, but not actually exercising!  Don’t deceive yourself into thinking that you are “doing great with God” just because you come to Bible Study and have a good conversation.  If you don’t do what God tells you to do, you don’t have the awesome walk with God that you think you have.]

·         23-24: Describe the mirror metaphor that James gives.  How do you look when you see yourself in the mirror early in the morning?  What does a mirror show us?  What are we supposed to do after looking in the mirror?  [A mirror shows us what we look like so we can see our faults and change them!]

·         25: Verse 25 describes the opposite of the man who looks into the mirror, but does nothing.  The man in verse 25 is blessed because of what he does.  What are the specific things that the man in verse 25 does?  Why are each of these important?  How does the process fail if you leave one of them out?

[First, the man actually looks into the law (Word) rather than never looking into it. 

Second, he looks into it intently rather than casually.  He looks into it seriously, with purpose.  He looks carefully. 

Third, he continues to do this.  One look won’t do.  We need to keep on looking into God’s Word.

Fourth, he doesn’t forget what he has learned.  We are not changed if God’s Word isn’t retained in our minds.

Fifth, he actually does what it says!  What a revolutionary idea!]

·         25: We are supposed to look intently into God’s Word.  If you just take a quick glance in the mirror, you might think you look pretty good.  But if you get close to the mirror and study your face, you notice all the zits and crud.

·         25: Don’t laws confine and restrict?  Why does James say that God’s law gives freedom? 

·         Learning about God’s Word is one thing.  Actually doing it is another.  This is painfully obvious, yet God could care less about you coming to Bible Study every week if you don’t actually put it into practice.  We are taught to do Bible Study in three parts: observation, interpretation, and application.  The final step is applying what we have learned.  This doesn’t mean just figuring out what some possible applications are – it means actually applying it in life!

·         Ask yourself, what are things you know that God’s Word has been telling you to do that you haven’t been doing?

·         “Obedience is the mother of true knowledge of God.” -John Calvin (Institutes I.6.1.)

vs. 26-27  True Religion

·         26-27: Here James gives some examples of the ways we need to act on the teachings of the Word.  What are they? [(1) Keeping a reign on his tongue; (2) taking care of those who cannot care for themselves, (3) keeping yourself from being polluted by the world.] 

·         “The word religion captures well the meaning of the Greek threskia (and the rare adjective threskos).  The term is not specifically Christian and is used widely in Greek religion to denote the reverencing or worshiping of a god (or gods).  It often connotes outward acts of worship.  The true test of any religious profession, suggests James, is not the outward ritual of worship, which many go through unthinkingly and with little heart commitment.  No, the real litmus test of religion is obedience – without it, religion is vain: empty, useless and profitless.”  -Douglas Moo, James

·         26: What does it mean to keep a tight reign on one’s tongue?  Why does James say that we deceive ourselves about our Christian life if we don’t keep a close reign on the things we say?

·         27: In James time, widows and orphans didn’t have social security and welfare programs.  If they didn’t have family, they would have no income.  True spirituality includes taking care of those who can’t take care of themselves.  [Note: James specifically gives examples here of people who couldn’t be expected to take care of themselves.  There are two types of poor people, people who can’t take care of themselves, and people who don’t take care of themselves.  Our main calling is to financially help those who can’t help themselves, and to motivate those who don’t help themselves.]

·         27: “True religion” also includes keeping ourselves from moral pollution.  It is wrong to reduce the Christian life to merely being kind and helping others.  Those things are part of the Christian life, but James also stresses the need to focus on our own purity.  So… given the world that we live in today, what are ways that we need to keep ourselves from “being polluted by the world?”  (This can include things we watch and listen to, as well as things we do.)

·         “The ‘pure religion’ of the ‘perfect Christian’ (v. 4) combines purity of heart with purity of action.” –Douglas Moo

·         How have you been with these areas of life lately?  Have you said thoughtless or hurtful things?  Have you used your effort and resources to help take care of those who cannot take care of themselves?  Have you guarded yourself against moral filth, or have you been watching the “so prevalent” movies/TV/internet/music that spread moral pollution?  If so, what do you need to do now that you have looked into the mirror?

1My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

5Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?

8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

James 2:1-13 Favoritism

vs. 1-7  Favoritism Forbidden

·         1: James just got done telling his readers that they needed to live out their faith, not just look into the mirror of God’s Law, walking away and forgetting to do what it says.  Now, James takes up one specific area of life in which we need to obey God’s Word: showing favoritism.  The Greek word translated show favoritism or partiality literally means “receiving the face.”  What’s the connection?  [When we show favoritism, we are judging a person and give them preferential treatment because of what is easily seen on the outside, not their inner character.]

·         For the people James was originally writing to, who were they showing favoritism towards?  [The rich]  Who were they showing favoritism against?  [The poor]

·         Why do you think people show favoritism toward the rich?  [We think that our friendship to them might pay off somehow.  They have a lot to offer, after all.  Also, we tend to put people on a pedestal that we admire and want to be like.  For those who long to be rich and successful, they can easily make an idol out of these people.  After all, why do millions of people apply each year to be Donald Trump’s Apprentice?]

·         2-4: Talk about the situation that James describes in these verses.  Give an updated paraphrase for how this might play out in today’s church?  What about in youth group?

·         2-4: What else besides money causes us to show favoritism to some people rather than others?  [Power, fame, race, athletic talent, charm, etc… and especially in youth group: POPULARITY and LOOKS.]  Pretend that you are James writing this letter to 21^st century youth groups.  Work together to imagine and write how James would write verses 2-4 to us (especially in regards to popularity and looks.)

·         5: What does James mean in verse 5?  [James is not saying that poor people are automatically saved.  But on the other hand, when people find their security and satisfaction in their money, it makes it very difficult for them to turn to Christ.  In Mark 10:23 Jesus said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”  It is harder than a camel going through the eye of a needle, yet God sometimes chooses to make the impossible happen.  Salvation is by God’s sovereign choice, but He often chooses the weak things of the world to shame the strong. (see 1 Cor. 1:26-31)]

·         6-7: James is making an appeal to common sense here.  Even if we were going to give preferential treatment to someone because of superficial reasons… why give it to the people who are being jerks to you?  What seem to be some of the things that the rich were doing to the people James was writing to?  What are some ways that the rich can sometimes mistreat other people today?  [What about $3.20 for regular gasoline?]

·         6-7:  If James was writing verses 6-7 about the favoritism we show to good looking & popular people, what might he say? [Depending on the circumstances, maybe he would say, “Why do you spend all your time trying to suck up to the ‘popular people?’  Aren’t they the ones who are constantly being mean and stuck up?”]

·         (Note: There are a lot of times these days when people cry “favoritism!” when nothing wrong is really happening.  There are some legitimate distinctions between people.  We should be careful not pretend James is saying something that he really isn’t.  Here is an extreme example: claiming that the NBA discriminates against short, uncoordinated people.)

vs. 8-13  Keeping the Whole Law

·         8-9: How does favoritism break the law to love your neighbor as yourself?  [You don’t like it when people show favoritism against you, so don’t do it to others!  Therefore, when we show favoritism, we break God’s law.]

·         10-11: What was James’ point in these verses?  Why do you think he wrote this? 

·         The law is like a chain.  When one link breaks, it is broken.  Another illustration: God’s law is also like a glass window or mirror, when it is broken it is broken.  These illustrations help us understand the point that James is making.  We either keep the law perfectly, or we don’t.  (Note: James probably didn’t have this in mind when he described God’s law as a mirror in 1:24-25.  Most mirrors in James’ day were made of polished metal.)  This is important for evangelism and for the Christian life:

• Evangelism: This verse can be helpful to use in evangelism.  Sometimes people think that God grades on a curve.  But this verse shows that God’s law is either “pass” or “fail.”  Unless you always keep all of God’s moral requirements perfectly, you are a law-breaker and are in need of a savior!  Failure in even one point makes you guilty.  (And lets be honest, we all fail an awful lot.) 
• Christian Life: For those of us who are saved, we often think about the “big sins” but forget that the “small” ones matter to God also!  Are you breaking God’s law or not?  It is not okay to sin just as long as it isn’t one of the big headline sins.

·         12: Why should we speak and act mindful of the fact that we will one day be judged?  [How we live our lives will affect how we are judged.]  Why do you think James says we will be judged by the law that gives freedom?  [People think of God’s rules as constricting our freedom, but in reality it gives us freedom.  A train has the freedom to move because of the train track.]

·         13: “The believer, in himself, will always deserve God’s judgment: our conformity to the ‘royal law’ is never perfect, as it must be. But our merciful attitude and actions will count as evidence of the presence of Christ within us.  And it is on the basis of this union with the One who perfectly fulfilled the law for us that we can have confidence for vindication at the judgment.”  -Douglas Moo, James

14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

James 2:14-26 Faith that Works

vs. Intro  Saved by Faith Alone?

·         At the heart of the Protestant Reformation was the cry “sola fide” or “faith alone.”  Faith alone, as opposed to faith and works, are the way in which people receive the grace of God.  The word “alone” is very important.  Throughout all church history, hardly anyone was willing to say that a person could be saved purely by good works without faith.  The battle of the Reformation was not between salvation by works and salvation by faith, it was between salvation by faith and works vs. salvation by faith alone.   

·         Therefore, it is very important to interpret this passage correctly.  Does James really deny that salvation is received by faith alone as some people claim?   Before you begin, look up these verses to see main places where the Bible teaches that believers receive salvation through faith alone: Romans 3:28; Romans 4:1-5; Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:15-16.  Bible scholars with a low view of Scripture claim that there is a contradiction here.  They claim that James and Paul taught conflicting messages than later got blended together to form the teaching of the church.  However, as we will see, there is no conflict between James and Paul when we look past the surface.  Paul and James were dealing with different problems and used terms in different ways, but believed the same message of salvation. 

vs. 14-17  Faith but No Works

·         14: James just asked you two questions here.  What are they and what is your answer?  Why?  [The two are: (1) What good is it if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?  (2) Can such a faith save him?  In the original language it is clear that James’ answer to both of these questions is negative.  It is no good to claim to have faith without works.  This type of “faith” cannot save anyone.] 

·         15-16: What could be another example that James could give if he was writing this today?   

·         15-16: Read the illustration about Rousseau from page 109 of R. Kent Hughes’ commentary on James. (in handout) 

·         17: Faith without action is not saving faith: it is dead faith.  Does this mean that Christians are saved partly because of faith and partly because of works?  (If it doesn’t mean this, what does it mean?)  What does it mean for faith to be dead?

vs. 18-19  Show Me Your Faith

·         Note: There is disagreement between translations about how much of these verses are “quotes” that James is putting in the mouth of an opponent.  There were no quotation marks in the original Greek.  It is a complicated discussion, but the NIV seems to place the quotation marks in a place that makes sense. 

·         18: Someone who disagrees with James might point out that some Christians show their faith and others show their good works.  How does James reply to that?  What is James’ argument?  [James wants to make the point that a supposed Christian with faith but no good works in a contradiction.  It is wrong to say that some Christians can have faith but not express that faith by good works.  In fact, it is impossible for other people to see someone’s faith unless it manifests itself in the way that person lives.  So James challenges his opponent to show his faith without works.  It is impossible.  However James can easily show his faith by his works.] 

·         “Show me”   It is important to realize that James is dealing with the “show me” question, not the question about how a person is saved (like Paul does.)  This is one of the factors that make it seem like James and Paul contradict each other, even though they do not.   

·         19: Let’s say that you have a friend who has grown up in church all his life and has even spent years in Christian school or Bible Study.  This person knows a lot of correct things about God and assumes he is saved.  Why would verse 19 be important for a person like that?  [Correct beliefs don’t make someone right with God!  Saving faith is not  merely knowing correct things about God.  James’ proof for that is that Satan and the demons are very orthodox in their beliefs: they believe in the Trinity, they know full well that God exists and that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man.  Yet they tremble in fear because they know that they are condemned by this holy and all-powerful God.  In the same way for us, correct knowledge does not save.  Some correct knowledge is required to be saved, but it does not guarantee salvation.  For example, many people know a lot about Christ, but are apathetic or hateful toward Him.  Other people know a lot about God but rely on something other than Christ alone for their righteousness.  In many examples, mere head knowledge does not equal salvation.] 

·         19: Why do the demons shudder?  The word for “shudder” is a strong word.  “The term James uses is graphic… [it] refers to the involuntary shaking and trembling that comes over someone when faced with overwhelming fear and awe.  The recognition of the existence of God is only a source of terror.”  -James R. White, The God Who Justifies  

·         19: We also can see from this verse that when James talks about faith in this section, he is talking about mere head knowledge, knowing facts, not authentic reliance on Christ as one’s personal Savior.  Demons know a lot about Jesus, but they hate Him; they cannot and do not rely on Him as their righteousness. 

·         Side Note: Although, as we learned from the book of Hebrews, there is no chance at all for demons to be saved.  Jesus became human and died for the sins of humanity, not the sins of fallen angels.  Hebrews 2:16 says, “For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.” 

vs. 20-26  Faith Without Deeds is Dead

·         20-24: What is James trying to show by the example of Abraham? 

·         24: Does James contradict Paul?  Doesn’t Paul teach that believers are justified by faith alone in places such as Roman 3:28, Romans 4:1-5, and Ephesians 2:8-9?  How do you deal with this without throwing out Scripture? 

·         Concerning Abraham, PAUL (Rm. 4) makes the point that Abraham believed God (faith) in Genesis 15 and was “declared righteous” because of his faith, apart from works.  JAMES makes the point that (after believing God) Abraham demonstrated his changed life by his willingness to obey God in sacrificing Isaac (Genesis 22).  Paul and James are using the word “justified” in two different ways.  Paul is using it in a legal context meaning that justification is an act of God by which a believing sinner is declared righteous before God.  James used the term in a non-legal context, meaning that justification is showing one’s changed character before the watching world. 

·         “But we have already seen that James is arguing against a use of the word ‘faith’ (a deedless, dead, empty, useless faith that exists only in the realm of words and not of action) that is not paralleled in the Pauline passages that speak of how one is justified.  Second, Paul speaks of justification ‘before God’ (Galatians 3:11) or ‘in His sight (Romans 3:20), while the context of James is ‘show me.’”  -James R. White, The God Who Justifies, p. 346 

·         Note: Some Catholic teachers say that it is wrong to suggest that James is talking about being shown to righteous before men rather than God.  They say that Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac was done in private, so how did it demonstrate his righteous to people?  James R. White responds to this objection, “not only does [this objection] ignore Isaac, who surely observed this, but it also ignores every person who has read Genesis since then, who has seen in Abraham the exemplar of faith.  Surely no one would argue that this was not part of God’s plan in bringing this event about in the first place.” 

·         25: James gives two examples: Abraham and Rahab.  One was a friend of God and the other was a prostitute.  James picked two examples from opposite ends of the spectrum to show that what he is saying is true for everyone. 

·         26: Saving faith is a living faith.  Saving faith is faith that works. 

·         If a Christian cannot be saved without works, doesn’t that mean that we are saved at least in part because of works?   

·         If not, why not?  How can that be?  [Works are the effect of salvation, not the cause.  If I throw a rock into a pond, there will be a splash.  You can’t throw a rock into an unfrozen pond without a splash.  However, the splash does not cause the rock to be thrown into it.  It is the effect, not the cause.  In the same way, good works are the effect of the changed life that God starts to work in us the moment we are saved.  Even Ephesians 2:8-10, which is very clear that we are saved by grace alone apart from works, teaches that we are saved for good works.  We are not saved by works, but we are saved for good works.] 

·         James main point is that genuine saving faith results in works.  As it is often said, salvation is by faith alone, but not by faith that is alone!  Therefore the Bible teaches that all real Christians will have a changed life that results in good works.  Real Christians without good works occur about as often as rocks thrown into unfrozen ponds without a splash… never.   

·         (Note: This doesn’t mean that the change in someone’s life will always be fast and dramatic.  The changed life always starts at the moment of salvation, but it might be hard to see for a long time.  Also, God sometimes starts renovating some areas of our lives faster than others.  To use a house illustration, we might think that God isn’t working in someone’s life because we’re looking at the living room of their life while God is renovating the bedroom.  Also, sadly, real Christians can have serious backslides like Peter did when he disowned Christ three times.  However, Philippians 1:6 remains true, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the Day of Christ Jesus.”)

·         It is easy to get caught up in the controversy related to this passage and miss the main point.  You can’t legitimately claim to have faith in Christ if you don’t live it out in your life.  Don’t neglect the good things you know God wants you to do!

A few other quotes;

“Anyone claiming faith should not be left without the first bit of evidence to show the reality of that faith.”  James, R. White

“It should be remembered that the Protestant doctrine of sola fide has never meant ‘faith in isolation’ but instead ‘faith alone without the addition of human works of merit.’”  -James R. White

18: “James challenges the questioner, and this all professing believers, to prove and demonstrate the reality of their faith… James calls for a demonstration that is (1) personal, and (2) observable.  In 2:18 this challenge is in the form of an argument: James well knows his opponent cannot demonstrate the existence of faith without external, observable actions.  It is an argument based upon the impossibility of the fulfillment of the challenge.  ‘Show me’ is the challenge: it is placed squarely within the human realm.  It involves providing observable evidence within the realm of human knowledge.  Therefore, it must involve external demonstration, not merely the claim of the existence of an internal reality (faith).  That this provides the immediate context of 2:20-24 is key to understanding the rest of the periscope.  Any attempted exegesis that ignores the challenge to personally and outwardly demonstrate the existence of the inward quality of faith will, of necessity, misinterpret the entire passage.”  -James R. White, The God Who Justifies, p. 341

1Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

James 3:1-12 The Tongue

vs. 1-2  Teaching

·         1: This whole section is about how we obey God with what we say. 

·         1: What kind of teachers do you think James is talking about here?  Math teachers?  [Teachers of Christian doctrine.]  Why does James say that not many should presume to be teachers?  [Because they will be judged more strictly.] 

·         1: Why do you think God will judge teachers more strictly?  [People’s lives and eternities will be greatly affected depending on how these teachers teach.  The glory of God is at stake in all of this.  It is a serious thing to teach false things about God.  Yet this often happens for a variety of reasons:  Sometimes teachers are too lazy or sloppy.  Sometimes they have bought into the thinking of man rather than listening to what God has said.  Also, another reason why teachers will be judged more strictly is because when one proclaims truth, they are also held accountable for that truth.  If you teach, do you live it out?  If not, you condemn yourself.  (It talks about this in Romans 2:1-4.)]

·         1: What are some wrong motives that people might have for wanting to be a teacher?

·         2: If someone can do the hard thing, they can also do the easy thing.  I think James is saying that taming the tongue is such a hard task that if a person could do that perfectly, they would be able to control everything else as well.  This means that it really pays to work on taming our speech, because the discipline we develop through that will help in every area of our lives.  (Illustration: At Moody’s music program they teach everyone classical music because they say that if you can master classical you can play anything.)

vs. 3-8  Taming the Tongue

·         3-6: In this section, what are the three illustrations that James gives to teach us what the tongue is like?  [(1) a bit in the mouth of a horse, (2) a rudder on a ship, (3) a spark that starts a forest fire.]  Explain each of these?  What is James using these illustrations to show?  [Like each of these things, the tongue is something that seems small, but can produce huge far-reaching effects.  The things we say can cause a lot of big things.]

·         What are some real life examples of the ways that what we say can have a huge impact?  (We can think of bad things as well as positive things that have been the result of things people have said.)

·         Can you think of something someone said that has made a big impact on your life?

·         Do these things that James is teaching only apply to things we say with our mouth?  What are other ways that we communicate that can also have big consequences? 

·         6-8: James is really trying to show us how much sin has affected how we communicate.  He says that it corrupts the whole person.  He says that it sets the whole course of life on fire.  The things we communicate are not an isolated part of our lives.  The things we communicate often affect the whole course of our lives!

·         “I have seen whales playing jump rope and so have you, at Sea World or some other great aquarium, as their trainers hoist the rope high and the whales sailed over it.  I have seen African lions cowed and submissive to the wizardry of Gunther Gebal Williams.  I have seen eagles kill their prey and humbly lay it at their master’s feet.  I have seen a woman obediently kissed on the lips by a deadly cobra.  But I have never seen a man or a woman who in their own power could tame the tongue.”  R. Kent Hughes, James: Faith that Works

vs. 9-12  With the Same Tongue

·         9-12: In verse 10, James says, “My brothers, this should not be.”  He is giving examples of things that are incompatible to show how incompatible and wrong it is for us to use the same mouth to praise God and curse people made in His image.  

·         What are other ways that we sin with what we communicate?  In his commentary on James, R. Kent Hughes gives a few examples:

• Gossip: Basically, gossip is saying something behind someone’s back that you would never say to their face.
• Innuendo: Innuendo is a cousin of gossip.  Innuendo is when we imply something bad about someone even though we don’t outright say it.  It can even be only as much as a raised eyebrow, a word unsaid, or a quizzical look.  Innuendo is slamming a person by what we say “between the lines.”
• Flattery: If Gossip is saying something behind someone’s back that you would never say to their face, then flattery is saying something to someone’s face that you would never say behind their back.  (Think about that.  Flattery is saying something nice to someone else for your own good, rather than their own good.)
• Criticism: Hurtful criticism can take many forms but is always motivated by self-doubt and jealousy.
• Others include: meanness, sarcastic humor, and at the very bottom blasphemy.

·         How can we make progress in controlling our tongues?

·         Personal application: Thing about how you personally will apply this passage in your life from now on.

13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

James 3:13-4:3 Wisdom and Strife

vs. 3:13-16  Wisdom from Below

·         13: Most people want to consider themselves wise.  Most people also want other people to consider them wise.  What does James tell us is the way to show true wisdom?  [He says you should show it by (a) your good life, and (b) deeds done in humility.] 

·         13: How does a good life show wisdom?  [Wisdom is skillful living.  It means living in a way that makes the most sense.  Therefore, living a good life is wise because life makes the most sense when we live it in harmony with God.]  How do deeds done in humility show wisdom?  [Part of wisdom is knowing our place in relationship to God and others.  If we are wise, we will realize how much God is above us, and how realistically small we are.  We will also follow His example to consider others before ourselves.]

·         14: Bitter envy and selfish ambition are the opposite of wise humility.  How would you describe the phrases “bitter envy” and “selfish ambition” to someone who had never heard the terms?

·         15: Many people follow thoughts that are “wise” in the eyes of man, but foolishness in the eyes of God.  God’s wisdom and man’s wisdom are not the same thing.  Much of what passes for wisdom and “common sense” in the world today has it source in God’s enemy, Satan, not God.  (How can you learn to tell the difference?)

·         16: Why do envy and selfish ambition lead to disorder and many forms of evil? 

·         There is a (fictional) story of two envious and selfish men who were sent a message by the king.  The king would grant them both one wish.  However, the king also included one rule: the man who made the wish would receive exactly what he wished for, and the other man would receive twice what was wished for.  This put the envious man in a bind because he could not stand the thought of the other having more than himself.  Finally, one of the man made his wish.  He wished that he would have one of his own eyes be gouged out.  

vs. 3:17-18  Wisdom from Above

·         God’s wisdom has the following characteristics.  Think about each of them.  Think of what the opposite would be.  Thinking about the opposite can be a good way to think about the meaning of the

• Pure | not impure; not mixed with moral filth
• Peace-loving | not loving to stir up unnecessary trouble
• Considerate | not someone who is selfish or someone who doesn’t even notice other people’s needs
• Submissive | not rebellious to the authorities God has placed in our lives
• Full of Mercy | not someone who wants to see bad happen to someone
• Full of Good Fruit | not producing evil or producing nothing
• Impartial | not favoring someone or something for weak reasons
• Sincere | not false-faced

·         What does it mean to be a “peacemaker?”  What do peacemakers harvest after they plant?

·         I recommend the book “The Peacemaker” by Ken Sande.

vs. 4:1-3  The Cause of Fights

·         1-2: James asks the question, “What causes quarrels and fights among you?”  What is his answer? 

·         1-2: Do you agree that our quarrels and fights are the results of the desires within us?  Why or why not?  How does this often take place?

·         1-2: Fights are the results of frustrated desires.  We usually don’t have a problem with someone unless they get in the way of something we want.  But when someone blocks what we want, then it leads to trouble.  Question: If someone blocks your desires, does this mean the person must be doing something wrong against you?  [Not necessarily.  For example, two people might want to be the starting quarterback, but only one can be.  Sometimes people are sinning when they do something that blocks our desires, but not always.  Sometimes we can work things out with someone else, but sometimes we need to alter what we want.  It is a simple fact of life that you don’t always get what you want.]

·         2: We don’t always get what we want, however God offers true joy to those who trust Him and ask Him.  Many times we don’t have our desires met because we don’t look to God to meet those desires.

·         3: What does this verse have to say about prayer?  What does it have to say about praying with the wrong motives?

4You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? 6But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

James 4:4-12 Humble Yourselves Before the Lord

vs. 4-6  Friendship With the World

·         How many of you are going to commit adultery against your spouse when you get married?  Why or why not? 

·         4: Why does James call these people “adulterous”?  How is friendship with the world like adultery? 

·         4: What does James mean by the phrase “friendship with the world?”  Does he mean that we shouldn’t take care of the planet?  [No]  Does he mean that we shouldn’t care about the people of the world?  [No]  Does he mean that everything physical is evil?  [No]  [In the Bible, “the world” is often a reference to everything in the world that is against God.  This includes Satan and everything that he has influence over.  Thus, to be a friend to the world means to care about the things of the world that the enemies of God care about, or the things that the people who don’t care about God care about.  James point is that when we side with the world, we are siding against God.  This unfaithfulness to our Lord and Savior is worse than adultery.] 

·         What are examples of ways in which people in your peer group are often “friends to the world”? 

·         5: There is debate whether of the word “spirit” here means the spirit of man or the Holy Spirit of God.  Different translations translate if different ways.  I think that it probably means the Holy Spirit who God causes to live inside of all believers.  This fits the context betters.  It would mean that God the Spirit, inside of us, is jealous when we commit adultery with the world.  In this sense, jealously is a good thing.  It is appropriate for a husband to be “jealous” of his wife’s affection; A husband who is okay with his wife sleeping around is not a good husband. 

·         6: Thankfully, God gives us the grace that we need to live faithfully to Him.  God is against the proud, but gives “more grace” to the humble.  The next paragraph will go into what it means to humble yourself before God.   

vs. 7-10  Come Near to God

·         The main theme of this paragraph is repentance.  James had said that anyone who chooses to be a friend to the world becomes an enemy of God.  If verses 4-6 give the problem, these verses give the cure.  What are the things we need to do to restore a good relationship with God?  There are several commands that the Lord gives us through James.  I have grouped them into seven categories.   Have the group come up with each of them, and write them down.  Then look and see how each of these are a part of what it means to get right with God.  

• 7: Submit yourself to God: We cannot receive God’s grace for the Christian life if we are not bowed before Him.  We need to recognize that He alone is Lord.  We are not.  You can’t have victory over sin if you want to be the god of your own life.  Bow deeply in your heart before the true Lord.

• 7: Resist the devil: How much do we really resist the devil when we are tempted to sin?  God is promising us that if we actually resist Satan, God will give us victory.  The word “resist” is a military term meaning “stand against” as soldiers would in combat against en enemy.  If we stand against Satan in the power of Christ, He will free rather than fight!  The problem is that most of the time, we don’t even try to resist Satan’s temptation. (And by the way, we might need to “resist” for more than three seconds of temptation.)

• 8: Come near to God: If you want to get close to God, draw near to Him!  

• 8: Wash your hands: We act with our hands.  We need to purify the things that we do.  We need to change our ways.

• 8: Purify your hearts: We choices flow from our hearts.  We need to do “heart work” to purify our hearts from ungodly desires.  If you want to stop committing adultery with the world, you need to stop loving the world in your heart.

• 9: Grieve, mourn, and wail; change your laughter into mourning and your joy into gloom: This isn’t telling you to become clinically depressed.  But it does mean that we must have a change of attitude about sin!  Stop letting sin bring you joy.  Stop letting rebellion bring you happiness!  Stop thinking that filth is fun.  We need to cultivate in our hearts the same attitude toward sin that God has.

• 10: Humble Yourself Before the Lord: If you humble yourself before God, He will lift you up.  The way up is down.

vs. 11-12  Do Not Slander One Another

·         11: The command here is: do not slander one another.   

·         11-12: James tells us not to speak against or judge our fellow Christians.  He then gives reasons for this.  What are the reasons James gives and what do they mean?  [He is basically saying that when we condemn other Christians, we are acting as if we are the judge of the universe.  We are not the judge of the universe; only God is.  When we condemn others, we act as if we are above God and His law.] 

·         Kent Hughes gives some Biblical wisdom about judging in his book on James: 

             James’ first argument is that when you speak against other believers, you exalt yourself above the Law… In order to clarify what James means here, it is helpful to understand that he is not saying Christians are never to make judgments about others or to tell them what is what.  Some reason that the greatest saints never judge anyone; the ideal preacher is indifferent to people’s moral choices, treating everyone the same.  Their favorite verse is Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”  They interpret Christ’s word as meaning that if you dare make a judgment about someone’s actions you will be in big trouble with God.  They neglect to read the saying’s context (it is directed to people who are overlooking the logs in their own eyes while they judge others).  Jesus does not forbid moral judgment.  Rather, He forbids flagrant sinners from exercising it while refusing to deal with the sin in their own lives.

In point of fact, it is the Christian’s duty to exercise judgment.  For example, we are to beware of false prophets (Mt. 7:15).  How can we determine a false prophet except by judging him against the standard of the Word of God?  Likewise, we are told, “By their fruits you will recognize them” (Mt. 7:16).  Recognition hinges on careful judgment.  We are to judge adultery, murder, lying, and theft as sin, and if anyone does these things, we must judge them as being sinful!  Jesus said, “Stop judging by mere appearances and make a right judgment” (John 7:24).  What the Scriptures forbid is judgmentalism, a critical and censorious spirit that judges everyone and everything, seeking to run others down.

It is this unkind, judgmental spirit that James attacks in verse 11.  His point is, when anyone speaks uncharitably against a fellow believer and judges him, he breaks the law of love, the royal law (2:8)—“love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18)—which then makes him guilty of breaking the whole Law of God (2:10).  His failure to keep the Law amounts to judging it, in that he has judged it to be invalid and unnecessary… If we think thus, we evidently view our opinions as better than God’s.  We imagine that given the chance we could improve the Law.  Thus we become like Tolstoy, who said he was God’s older brother.

The argument here is meant to deliver us from mind games which tell us it’s okay to be judgmental because we are so spiritually sensitive and insightful, or because we have the Kingdom’s good as the motivation behind our judgments.  God says this is stupid arrogance of cosmic dimensions.  Perhaps we should have been on Sinai with Moses!

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He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater;

He sendeth more grace when the labours increase;

To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,

To multiplied trials His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,

When our strength has failed ere the day is half done;

When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,

Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,

His power has no boundary known unto men;

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,

He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.  (Annie Johnson Flint)

13Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." 14Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." 16As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. 17Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

1Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. 2Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.

James 4:13-5:6 Plans and Pay

vs. 4:13-17  Plans – “If God Wills”

·         13: Is James scolding people for making plans?  Is it wrong to makes plans?  If not, then what was he scolding these people for?  [It is not wrong to make plans, but should not make them arrogantly thinking that we actually have control over what happens.  We don’t!  We are not God.  Our best conceived plans are easily blown away.]

·         Can you think of any examples of careful plans that were totally blown away?  Tell a story.

·         Have people in the group look up these passages:

• Psalm 127:1, “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain; Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.”
• Proverbs 19:21, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
• Psalm 33:10-11, “The Lord foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples; But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposed of His heart through all generations.”
• Luke 12: 16-21 (Jesus’ parable of the man who stored up riches for this life, but did not prepare to suddenly die)

·         14: Why does James tell his readers that they are like a mist?  What does he mean?  [Our lives are very, very temporary.  Also, a mist certainly is not something stable and unchanging, even before it disappears.]   What does this have to do with making plans?

·         John Lennon once said “Life is what happens to you while you’re making other plans.”   John Lennon wrote Beatles songs, not Scripture, but do you think that what he said here happens to match what the Bible teaches?  [I do!  There is a good chance that God’s plan for your life is far different from what you plan or expect.  Be ready for surprises!]

·         We often have these grand plans for our lives.  We think we have everything mapped out.  We think we can plan and manipulate our futures.  We can’t.  We can plan, but we can’t control.  (Does this comfort or frustrate you?  Or a little of both?  Why?)

·         15: At times in the past, it was customary for people to write “D.V.” at the end of personal letters telling their plans.  D.V. stood for the Deo Volente, which was Latin for “God willing.”  This wouldn’t be a bad idea to get back to.  Although, God doesn’t just want us to give Him lip service.  Our real attitude is what is important, not just what we say. 

·         15: If you study the New Testament, you will notice that the Apostle Paul sometimes said something similar to “God willing” when he was making plan.  However, he did not always say it.  It was his constant attitude however, and that is what is really important.  (So don’t get legalistic about this and scold people whenever you catch them making plans with out saying “God willing.”)

·         16: Boasting and bragging like this is evil because it puts us in the place of God.

·         17: Your view of sin will be greatly expanded if you grasp this verse.  ”  God’s word is teaching us that sin isn’t only when we do something we shouldn’t; It is also sin when we don’t do something we should. Theologians talk about “sins of commission” and “sins of omission.”   (This really shows our need for a savior!)  Brainstorm several examples of sins of omission. 

vs. 5:1-6  Pay – Warning to Rich Oppressors

·         1-3: The Christian Worldview is very compatible with Capitalism, but it also has a lot to say to those who “control the means of production.”  This passage is a warning to the rich.  What is it that God is saying to them?

·         2-3: What do verses 2 and 3 have to say about the permanence of riches? 

·         Compare with Matthew 6:19-20, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

·         4-6: Many people in those days did not have any savings like we have today.  They got paid each day, and used the money to buy the food they needed.  Therefore, it was wrong to withhold their pay because they needed it each day so that their families can eat.  In most parts of the world today, it is not necessary for employers to pay their workers every day, but it is still wrong for owners to hurt their workers by taking unfair advantage of them.  God is not against the rich, but He is against rich oppressors.  (I don’t claim to know the exact dividing line between the two.)

·         Note: Although the Bible talks about the early Christians sharing things and giving to people who have need, it does not teach that it is wrong to hold private property.  The Bible does not teach communism.  The Bible teaches a very balanced view.  Look at these two passages, both written by the apostle Paul.

• Ephesians 4:28  “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he might have something to share with those in need.”
• 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15.  Here are verses 10-12: “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘If a man will not work, he shall not eat.’  We hear that some among you are idle.  They are not busy; they are busybodies.  Such people we command and urge in the Lord Christ Jesus to settle down and earn the bread they eat.”

·         For a good book on the Christian view of wealth, read “The Treasure Principle” by Randy Alcorn.

7Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 9Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

10Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

12Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.

13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

17Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. 

19My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

James 5:7-20 Perseverance for Life, & Prayer for Healing

vs. 7-12 Patience & Perseverance

·         7-8: In these verses, what reason does James give to be patient?  [The Lord’s return is near.  Once Christ returns everything will be made right, and we will see that perseverance in the Christian life was definitely worth it.  Some liberal scholars have said that James was wrong since Jesus hasn’t returned yet.  However, to a fly that lives one day, it would seem wrong to say that summer is near in February.  To us, it may seem like it has been too long, but to God “a thousand years are like a day” (2 Peter 3:8).]

·         9: James says that the judge is standing at the door.  What does this mean?  [He could come through the door and return at any moment.]

·         9: Because of this, we shouldn’t grumble against one another.  We grumble against each other because our view of life has become too narrow and unimportant things have become overly important to us.  The judge is at the door ready to come through, but we don’t want to be disturbed as we get comfortable on the couch.

·         9: We should not forget that the Bible also describes God as “judge.”  To believers, He is not merely a judge, but we can’t say that He is not a judge.

·         10-11: James lists the prophets and Job as specific examples of people who were able to persevere under great suffering because of their confidence in God. 

·         12: This is very close to what Jesus said in Matthew 5:33-37.  Some people were teaching that oaths were only binding if you swore by certain things.  Other oaths you could get out of.  The Bible isn’t actually teaching that it is always wrong to take an oath or sign a contract.  There are passages that allow oath taking such as Deut. 10:20 and Numbers 30:2.  The main point is that Christian should be people who are always truthful, even without an oath.  We shouldn’t be like little kids who think they only need to tell the truth as long as they don’t have their fingers crossed.  A Christian should keep his word no matter if he has signed a contract or not.   (Note: This doesn’t mean that you should let someone make a business deal with you one day without a contract just because the person is a Christian or claims to be a Christian.  That would be foolish and irresponsible.  And don’t refuse to sign a contract because “your word is your bond.”  If that is really true, you might as well put it in writing to ease the conscience of the other person.  The point is that you should be honest, with or without a contract.)

vs. 13-20  Prayer for Healing

·         13-16: This passage emphasizes the importance of prayer, especially for healing.  Almost all Christians agree that God does heal people today, even if He no longer gifts specific people with a sign-gift ministry of healing.  Sometimes God heals through natural means, and sometimes through supernatural means as well.  In our age of advanced medicines, it is easy for our trust to slip into medicine and doctors alone rather than our Creator.  We should use medicine, but our ultimate trust needs to be in God.  This passage discusses the importance of calling for prayer from the church elders when appropriate. (Note: Biblically, “pastors” are considered to be elders.)

·         14: People debate the significance of the use of oil.  Some suggest that it may have a practical purpose.  Oil was widely used in the ancient world as a medicine.  For example, the “good Samaritan” in Jesus’ story treated the injured man’s wounds using wine and oil (Luke 10:34.)  Others suggest that the oil is meant to be used symbolically as an outward sign of God’s work, or a combination of the two.  As Kent Hughes comments, “Anointing in the Scriptures is usually associated with consecrating or setting apart someone for special service or attention.  In this respect oil is also a symbol of the Holy Spirit, who indwells and watches over each believer (cf. 4:5).  So the applying of oil to the sick is a rich symbolic act—setting the sick apart to be ministered to in a special way by the Holy Spirit.  When applied by the loving hands of the elders, it is a profound vehicle for comfort and encouragement.”  In any event, the focus should not be on the oil, as if it were magic, but on God who heals. 

·         15-16: Is sickness the result of sin?  [The Bibles teaches that sometimes sickness can be the result of specific sins (1 Cor. 11:27-30) but it certainly is not always.  However, in a sense, all sin and death is the result in mankind’s sin in general, but specific sicknesses are not usually the result of specific sins.]

·         15-16: Does the prayer offered in faith always make someone better?  Aren’t there people who are prayed for but still die?  How can these verses be true? 

·         Concerning the question of unanswered prayers for healing, Douglas Moo has some excellent thoughts in his Tyndale commentary on James, p. 186-7, (underlining added):

Was it a lack of faith that prevented healing?  Did I, or those praying for me, not believe sufficiently deeply?  As we have seen, James clearly specifies that it is ‘the prayer of faith’ that God responds to.  He does seem to imply, then, that it is a lack of faith that will get in the way of God’s healing work.  But we must be careful not to miss what is meant by this.  The faith exercised in prayer is faith in the God who sovereignly accomplishes his will.  When we pray, our faith will necessarily include this recognition, explicit or implicit, of the overruling providential purposes of God.  Perhaps, at times, we are given insight into that will in specific circumstances and we pray with absolute confidence in God’s plan to answer as we ask.  But surely those cases are very rare—more rare even than our subjective, emotional desires would lead us to suspect.  A prayer for healing, then, must usually be qualified by a recognition that God’s will in the matter is supreme.  And it is clear in the New Testament that God does not always will to heal the believer.  Paul’s own prayer for his healing, offered three times, was not answered; God had a purpose in allowing the ‘thorn in the flesh’, that ‘messenger of Satan’, to remain (2 Cor. 12:7-9).  What we are suggesting, then, is that the faith with which we pray is always faith in the God whose will is supreme and best; only sometimes does this faith include assurance that a particular request is within that will.  This is exactly the qualification needed to understand Jesus’ own promise: ‘if you ask anything in my name, I will do it’ (Jn. 14:14).  To ask ‘in Jesus’ name’ means not simply to utter his name, but to take into account his will.  Only those requests offered ‘in that will’ are granted.  Prayer for healing offered in the confidence that God will answer that prayer does bring healing; but only when it is God’s will to heal will that faith, itself a gift of God, be present.  Such faith cannot be ‘manufactured’, however gifted, insistent, or righteous we are.  In this life, we shall not, most of the time, be able to know whether God’s will is to heal; we shall not always be able to sense whether that ‘faith’ that gets what is asked for is present.  When our sincere, fervent prayers for healing go unanswered, therefore, it is not our lack of faith that is at fault; the context in which such a faith could be present is absent. 

·         16: Concerning confession, Kent Hughes writes about some of the dangers in mutual confession, “Psychologically needy persons can sometimes use confession to get attention for themselves… Confession can also foster spiritual exhibitionism, a perverted moral pleasure in airing one’s laundry.  The overly morbid can bend confession to become an excuse for unhealthy hyper-introspection.”  Some people can also make confession into a pious work that they use to show off their supposedly high spirituality.  But when used correctly, confession our sins to others is a great tool for spiritual healing and growth.  Here is a summary of some guidelines from Pastor Kent Hughes:

• 1) Confession should normally be made to an individual, not a group.  An exception would be if you sinned against a whole group.
• 2) If your sin is against a fellow Christian, it is to that person you should make confession.
• 3) If the sin is not against a person, and if it is such that you need to confess it to gain spiritual counsel and support, go to a mature Christian. 
• 4) Be specific in what you did wrong.  Don’t blunt the truth by being vague or general.  However, this doesn’t mean that you need to describe every lurid detail.
• 5) Confessing sins to one another is not a law, but a divinely given help and is to be practiced only as God directs.  (p. 266-7)

·         17-18: The story of Elijah and the drought is found in 1 Kings 17-18.  This drought was sent by God through Elijah to punish King Ahab and Israel for their idolatry.  James gives the more specific length of 3 and a half years, a time period often associated with judgment, rather than the “rounded off” 3 years as stated in 1 Kings 18:1. 

·         For more on the topic of healing in James, see pages 253-260 in Kent Hughes’ commentary on James.  Here is a summary of recommended procedure from page 260:

 “PROCEDURE: In order to carry out the divine ministry of healing as prescribed in James, the following steps are suggested:

1)       Seeking God’s will.  In consideration whether to call for the elders, on should carefully read James’ directives, confess all known sin, and ask God to indicate his will in regard to calling for “the prayer of faith.”  Here the prayer of godly friends and pastoral counsel are recommended.

2)       Pastoral contact.  If the sick person believes God is leading him or her to call for the elders, a pastor or elder should be contacted.  The leader will prayerfully discuss the matter with the sick in respect to James’ directions and will determine a time for anointing and prayer.

3)       Preparation.  The ill will spiritually prepare for the appointed time.  And the elders will likewise prepare: confessing all known sins, praying for the ill, and asking God for believing faith both for the ill and themselves.

4)       Congregational support.  If there is time, the congregation will be informed of the anointing, so a broad base of prayer can be established.  

5)   Praise God—following his Word is a time of great joy and glory to him!”

vs. 19-20 Turning Back Wanderers

·         The main theme of James has been “putting faith into action.”   Throughout the book, James has given example after example of the ways we need to make sure we are living out our faith.  And here at the end, he leaves us with a final though.  James asks us to remember that when a believers is able to “turn back” someone who has wandered away from the truth, that person has done something extremely important. 

·         If this is true, seriously be thinking about what God might want you to do.

·         Pray now that if you wander from truth, that God would give one of your Christian brothers or sisters the love and courage to work in your life to turn you back.