7/18/2023 0 Comments Book of james bible study![]() Blessed is that one “who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). Suffering leads to sufficiency, even if only in Christ. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:3-4). Ironically, suffering from want brings a lack for nothing as he wrote “ that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. James wanted these suffering servants of Christ to know their suffering’s not going to waste. ![]() Those who managed to survive were driven out into other parts of the empire but with them they brought the only hope for humanity in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). Many lost jobs, homes, families, possessions, and many lost their lives. It was bad enough being a Jew but a Jewish Christian? That really ramped up the persecution. James wrote this letter in a time of great sorrow for the Jewish Christians. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8) and with it we both bless and curse people (James 3:10) knowing full well that they are made in the image of God (Gen 1:27 James 3:9). James compares the tongue to a tiny rudder directing a huge ship and shows how much damage this little member can bring (James 1:3) and “ How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire” (James 3:5)! We’ve managed to tame about everything else in nature, including some very large mammals and animals, “ but no human being can tame the tongue. Talk about one of the most difficult members of the human body to control! The tongue wins the prize for being the most unruly, unwholesome, filthy, degrading, and destructive of all physical members of the body (James 3:6). If you believe in God, James says so what! You’ve just qualified to be a demon because even they believe in God and shudder with fear (James 2:19). If there are no deeds or good works that come as a result of faith, then that is not real faith. But 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” (James 2:17-18). James writes “ faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. ![]() James central point may have been that people can talk all they want about saying they’re a Christian but if they have no works to show it, then they are only hearers of the law and not doers and that person’s faith is dead. The purpose is manifold in the Book of James because he talks so much about the Christian faith and examining ourselves to see if we’re bearing works worthy of a genuine Christian. James provides biblical methods for praying, having faith, how to suffer, controlling the tongue, what works and salvation have to do with one another (a “dead faith”), doing and not merely hearing, he chastises the rich (James 2:6 5:1-2), comforts the poor, shows how to acquire wisdom, and what true religion really is (James 1:27). James gave instructions for the Jews who were dispersed or spread abroad and well beyond the Jerusalem church and so he wanted them to stay connected to the body of Christ.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |