seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
James 2:1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If 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,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: 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? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a] you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”[b] also said, “You shall not murder.”[c] If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[d]? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[e] and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
25 In 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? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
a. James 2:8 Lev. 19:18
b. James 2:11 Exodus 20:14; Deut. 5:18
c. James 2:11 Exodus 20:13; Deut. 5:17
d. James 2:20 Some early manuscripts dead
e. James 2:23 Gen. 15:6
The easy English was really really long winded this morning.... so this is from bible-studys.org.
James begins this passage on partiality with an exhortation, then a brief illustration. Most of this discussion is an argument against partiality. First, partiality shows inconsistency in one’s conduct: Those we spurn are the ones God has chosen, and shows inconsistency in one’s conduct: those we favor are the godless whom God rejects.
Second, partiality is more than an error in judgment; it is an act of sin. The one who shows respect of persons is a transgressor of the law. The law is like a ring or hedge encircling those within. When one breaks this ring, he stands outside, becoming a transgressor, whether he commits adultery, murder, or shows partiality. Third, James argues that partiality provokes God’s judgment.
We can easily see from this, that the church is not for just one class of people. This also, shows that just because a man was rich, did not mean that he could not be saved. The fact that a person was very poor, did not keep him from joining the church either.
James is showing them in this, that they had been showing preference to the rich. In God's sight, the rich should be given no more privileges than the poor. There are many churches today that would turn away the poor man in this instance.
Vile raiment might be just enough to keep them not only at the back, but completely out of the church. The outward appearance of a man does not reveal what is in his heart. The heart determines whether you are a Christian, or not.
Church is not for the privileged few, but for all who seek God. We are not to judge man at all, but if we did, we would not judge fairly. We would be thinking of the flesh of man, and God looks at the heart of man.
James is explaining that poor men seldom oppress anyone, but it is generally the rich who oppress the poor, not the other way around. The rich sometimes hold important offices in government, and have more opportunity to oppress.
If you respect someone because of their wealth or position in society, you have not kept the two laws Jesus said covered all the laws.
“Can faith save him”? This statement and others, persuade some critics that James is teaching salvation through faith and works. Luther called this epistle “strawy,” believing it emphasized works too much. Today, some regard it as a late writing in which the author is reacting to Paul’s doctrine of salvation by faith alone. This is not the case. James’s teachings reflect neither a negative nor a positive response to Paul’s teachings. For Paul, faith practically equals salvation. James however, sees two kinds of faith: saving faith and professing faith (much like the usage today). For Paul, justification is by faith (Rom. 4:5).
For James, justification is by a faith that works, by a genuine faith that manifests itself in post-conversion works. Before salvation, these Jews had believed in the efficacy of works. Now some were reacting at the opposite extreme, imagining that works play no part in the salvation experience. James retorts that the kind of faith that does not produce works is not saving faith.
As Calvin said, “Faith alone saves, but a faith that saves is never alone.” Thus, James’s question is not simply can faith save? But as the Greek text may suggest, “Can that faith save him?” Can merely professed but undemonstrated faith save? The Greek grammar expects a negative answer to the question that ends. Hence it can be rendered, “That faith (i.e., the one mentioned in verse 14a which is without works), cannot save.
We all know the answer to this is, that we are saved by faith and faith alone, but if we are saved, we will have works showing our faith. The works are a manifestation of our faith.
Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
The works of a Christian speak to the world of the faith he has.
Many believe that just to say you believe in God is enough, but without trust in God to act upon the faith, it becomes very questionable about whether you really have faith in God, or are just saying you do.
The works spoken of here, are an evidence of the faith the person has. Faith saves us, but the works are a by-product of our faith. When we stand before Jesus on judgment day, He will say to His own, well done, thy good and faithful servant. Servants serve.
Ok.... I am going to set the scene again. James worked at the Temple in Jerusalem. He was working with descendants of Jacob who thought their name alone would get them through life. They were after all 'related' to Jesus and they were after all 'God's Chosen'. James was the stepbrother of Jesus the Messiah. When Jesus was alive, walking the neighborhood and teaching... James thought Jesus was insane. How could his stepbrother be the Messiah? His stepbrother wouldn't even get into a good smack fight growing up.... He wouldn't smack.... He'd turn the other cheek. What kind of "Messiah" would turn the other cheek. The Messiah was going to take on Rome and run them right back to the heel of the boot they came from. James didn't believe his stepbrother was that kind of guy.
After the tomb portion of the mission was finished.... Jesus the Son of God went to see His stepbrother James. When James saw Jesus.... alive.... walking and talking after being murdered on the Roman Cross.... James had to Believe. Jesus showed His stepbrother what He had been doing all along. James became a Believer because Jesus showed him something. That's what works is about IMHO.
Here's the crux.... to quote the commentary.... Paul and James are at odds. Paul says Salvation is based on Believing. Paul says once I have Salvation... well that's everything. James says.... hold up.... once I have Salvation.... then it's natural that I will do things that display the difference in me.... and unless I have that.... then I have no Salvation.
Here's how I see it.... James isn't really saying that I can work my way into Heaven. It's important that I point that out. James is not saying "if you do this you will be saved". James is saying "because you are saved you will want to do this".
Yesterday hubby and I were watching the news and a story about a Cardinal came on. Hubby looked me dead in the eye and asked "How can you associate yourself with them?" To which I emphatically replied "I don't associate with them.... Those people are not doing as Jesus instructed them.... they are not an good example of who I follow". That's when hubby brought up Joel Osteen and how he wouldn't open the church to those in need during a hurricane.... to which I had to reply, "He's not an good example either. He's one of those people..... I think......who preaches for the money not the Lord."
See, if I am always defending my faith.... Salvation doesn't look tempting. If I am claiming to love God..... If I am claiming to Believe in Jesus, who taught us to love one another.... why would I be hanging out with rich people who harm children or turn away those in need?
Like I have been saying..... there are people in the church who are there to see and be seen. They figured where to nod in the right spot.... they figured out how to act to lead people to believe they are Believers. They do it so the Christians will do business with them. They do it so they can be adored for their goodness.... when all along they are faking it. They harm children.... and cover it up.... or they tell the homeless it's their fault because they didn't work hard enough. And on top of that.... a rich man could loan money to a poor man and then when the poor man couldn't pay... the rich man would take the poor man to court, take his land... and enslave him and his family. There were people in the church who are only there for financial gain.
To top that off.... the people in the church.... who think this rich guy will be helping the church financially, allowing them to do more good...... actually give the lying thief the best seat in the house while they are being fleeced. Now that's good works. Right?
James says.... If I have faith.... then I will naturally put my hand out to help someone. I was sculpted by God... the hairs on my head have been counted by the One True Living God. He knows I have faith in Him. I never saw Jesus grow up like James did. I never saw Paul talking to Jesus. I just Believe that those things happened. I didn't see Jesus walk out of the tomb.... But I believe it.... and because I believe it.... I have faith that it happened. Because I believe that God sent His Son for me.... I naturally want to smile.... when I show my natural smile.... Hubby asks "whatcha smiling about?" to which I reply "Jesus and how He loves me". That smile.... "works"
Is a smile "works"?
