THE EPISTLE OF JAMES – CHAPTER TWO

 

The Sin of Partiality

 

Before I share my insights on chapter two of James, I want to show the various topical sections of this chapter.

 

The first section is Chapter 2:1-13 and I would title it: “Showing Partiality and Expressing Prejudice.”

 

The second section is Chapter 2:14-26 and I would title it: “Demonstrating Faith and Works.”

 

The third section is Chapter 3:1-12 and I would title it: “Taming Your Tongue and Managing your Speech.”

 

 Showing Partiality and Expressing Prejudice

 

“1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.”

 

In Chapter 2 of James begins writing of a common temptation that most of us deal with. Showing favoritism towards those who are rich or well-off materially. This could also relate to those who are popular, well-known for their influence, attractive in appearance, in power over others through their money, their job, etc. When we show favoritism towards people for what they possess, be it riches, looks, their connections or the position of power in life we are putting worldly prestige over what is more important in life, the spiritual and personal qualities that relate to their inner character and morals of a person. Godly men and women are rare in our world, more so now than in the past. Our culture is changing and not for the better. As our society becomes more materially oriented, ignoring the spiritual qualities that make for an honest, loving, caring, moral, godly person, we continue to see a break-down in not just our culture, but also in the lives of Christian men and women. James here is confronting us with a common temptation we all face; showing favoritism towards those that are better-off in some way than ourselves. This could be in their wealth, their looks, their skills in sports, their connections with important people, their ability to speak magnificently. Unfortunately most of us fall into this misconception of embracing those who outwardly are impressive while failing to notice the inner qualities of good morals, mature wisdom, care and concern for the well-being of others and unselfish ministry to those who are in great need of help. Such misjudgments instill in us a prejudice for what is outwardly impressive but ignoring the wisdom and sensitivity that is more valuable to human relationships. James 2:1-13 is a passage that convicts us of our faulty worldly perceptions and begs us to develop a more godly, just and spiritual perception for developing relationships and growing in our faith.

 

Therefore James gives us an example that was common in his own day in verse 2.

 

“2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, 3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool, 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?”

 

While many of us would not admit we do this on a regular basis, I believe you and I think along these lines of evaluation of others more often than we would like to admit. I once heard a story of a man who came to visit a church. The church fellowship had a special speaker that Sunday because their pastor was on sabbatical. This man who was visiting was not well-dressed by any means. He wore tattered clothes that had a “rank” smell to them. He was unshaven and the hair on his head was full of all sorts of dirt and leaves. The congregation weren’t sure how to respond to this man. No one wished to share the chair next to them that was waiting for someone to sit in it. There were muffled derogatory comments, and some held their noses to avoid inhaling the stench of this man. Who knows what unloving thoughts were going through the hearts and minds of those in the congregation. Finally the man went up to the front row and sat down on the floor and made himself comfortable. The special speaker had noticed the man as soon as he walked in and kept sharing his sermon until the man had finally sat down right near the podium where he was speaking. The speaker then did a strange thing, he asked the man sitting on the floor to come up to the podium. You could hear a mumbling of whispers as the congregation witnessed a most surprising and awkward moment. The strange filthy man got up and made his way to the podium. The special speaker then asked the man to share something about himself. The man begin to speak in a soft voice. As soon as the man spoke, even though it was a mere whisper, the congregation knew who it was. It was their pastor. Yes, the pastor had wished to create a situation where the congregation might demonstrate their true spirituality. Would they respond to such a man as Jesus Christ would…or…would they respond in a more fleshy judgmental manner. It was a lesson learned for the congregation of not prejudging a stranger, of not thinking unloving thoughts of a fellow human being, of coming short of their call to be Christ-like to all who cross their paths.

 

I remember a church in my hometown I had attended when I was college. There was a only middle-aged married couple who lived in a run-down house. They were hoarders and the smell when you visited their house was quite overwhelming. A member of my church had met them and invited them to church. The only problem was they had no transportation that would allow them to attend. The Elders of the church starting searching for someone who could transport them to church. A very well-off man who owned a lot of property and was well-known in the community offered to give them a ride to church. This man, though rich in wealth, who was by all standards able to pay for someone to bring them to church, decided this was a ministry he wanted to take on. This man was not showing any partiality at all. He was truly wishing to serve this couple as Christ would have. It was a good lesson for all of us in that church

 

James continues with this train of thought as we go further into James 2 verse 5.

 

5 “Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? 7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?”

 

In verse two James gives an example of “contrast.” A rich man who comes into the church fellowship to worship. This man apparently is dressed very well and apparently has a very noticeable gold ring on a finger of his hand, which draws attention to him by some in the congregation. At the same time, another man comes in, but he is dressed in shabby clothes, possibly with no rings at all on any finger and possibly even looking a little ragged.

 

James gives us a possible response of how we might react to the obvious comparison we make of these two men. He confronts us with two possible options of how we might respond.

 

If we respond to the rich man with care and concern, greeting him and showing elaborate attention to his well-being, welcoming him with a generous friendly response…but either ignore or slight the poor man because of his appearance are we not showing favoritism towards the outward appearance and prestige of a person rather than showing love to each person equally? We have not even gotten to know either of these individuals. All of use tend to judge by the outward appearance before we get to know the soul of the person. And even more so, we react in a fleshly manner demeaning such persons in our heart and mind. All I can say is “Shame on me, shame on us!”

 

James confronts us with our temptation to judge people by their outward appearance rather than who they are inwardly. James is holding us accountable by how we evaluate by people by first appearances and how they appear to us without any knowledge of their personality, morals or spirituality.

 

James is also confronting us with the temptation we have to show partiality towards those who are more impressive based on worldly standards rather than treating everyone we meet with the love of Christ and being more concerned about their well-being than their appearance.

 

James also brings up the reality that it is the rich, powerful and influential individuals who are often, not always, immoral, snobbish or worldly. When we show unfair partiality we are demonstrating that we put appearance, riches and personality a person has over a equality of love and cordiality towards anyone we meet.

 

In the early history of Christianity, there was the same temptations we have today of treating those who are rich, powerful, influential and attractive better than others. James is calling us to respond to everyone with a godly love and respect. This doesn’t mean we throw out our discernment concerning those we come in contact with. It simply means we should not show preference to people based on appearance or their prestige. We are to show love and respect for all people which is what Jesus would call us to. It is true Jesus had moments when He would confront the Sadducees, Pharisees and others in religious power with a confrontational attitude. He knew what resided within their hearts and minds. We do not have that ability, but we do have some common sense and we should foster a discerning skill as we grow in spiritual knowledge and receive the assistance of the Holy Spirit in relating to those we come in contact with. Our calling as Disciples of Christ is to grow in our gifts and skills of ministering to all people and with the assistance of the Holy Spirit who lives within us and our knowledge of the Holy Scriptures we read, study and memorize it.

 

8 “If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.”

 

Here in verse 8 of chapter 2 we see James mention what he calls, “The Royal Law According to the Scripture.”

This is the precept that we are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. When we love in this way, we are emulating the spirit of Jesus as we allow the Holy Spirit within us as Followers of Christ to respond to others no matter their station in life.

 

Our modern definition of “neighbor” is someone we live next door to in a neighborhood, an apartment complex or even possibly a “college dorm room.” But the Greek word used here for friend is “plesion” which can mean several things; neighbor, fellow-man, countryman, a fellow Christian or just a friend with who we share some common interests. This broad definition in this scripture verse gives us the perspective that just about anyone that we come in contact with is our neighbor. And…yes, this means even people we may have nothing in common with are our neighbor. And…yes, it also includes those whom we may wish to shun or avoid. We see in Holy Scripture that Jesus was open to speaking and having a relationship no matter who they were. Jesus ministered to and spoke with a large variety of people. Slaves, prostitutes, money changers, Roman soldiers, common peasants, rich landowners, thieves to mention a few. Jesus always spoke the truth and sought to meet the needs in word and deed. Jesus also encountered and spoke with the elite religious leaders of the day…the Pharisees. Sadducees and Priests. And again, Jesus shared the truth with them as well, even thought they rarely responded to the truth in an honest manner. Jesus is our example for being friendly, truthful, compassionate, tactful and loving to anyone we come in contact with. This may at times require us to be lovingly blunt, or softly cautious, but the Holy Spirit can guide us in how to wisely speak the truth and share the Gospel with anyone we might meet.

 

You might be thinking, “What’s the big deal. So what if we show a little partiality to a rich, famous or powerful person. Don’t they deserve it? Isn’t it common for people to do this? What could it hurt?”

 

The problem with this reasoning is that James 2:9 specifically states that if you show “partiality” to someone because you might be able to gain something worldly, such as riches, important connections, special influence over others, sexual favors, fulfillment of your need for increasing your pride or encouragement for your personal ego, it is sinful to have these motives. It is not an attitude that God would condone and would have a negative impact on your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

In our current society there are some difficult situations we may find ourselves in when we strive to obey this scripture passage. How are we to respond to someone who is committing sin? There are a variety of sins that are obviously not approved by God that our “neighbors” could be committing such as:

 

Stealing money from their employer.

 

Having a relationship with someone other than their spouse.

 

Feeding on their passion for pornography.

 

Abusing their children.

 

Having an intimate relationship with someone of the same sex.  The list could go on and on!

 

In these situations we are called to love the person, but hate the sin. This can be a delicate balance as we desire to speak and confront as Jesus would in a mature, loving manner to communicate what is a sin and how it can damage a person’s life as well as their reputation and family.

 

We live in a society that is becoming more and more rebellious against moral boundaries and any limitations to sinful thoughts and godless actions. We must live by the Holy Scriptures and this means we must walk the talk of what Jesus spoke and lived. If we do not stand up for God’s Truth and how it should be applied to daily living, then we are becoming part of the problem (sinful thoughts and actions) and we are dishonoring to God and what He commands us to do. The pressure to be a “closet” Christian is rising…to withdraw and live our own personal spiritual life and avoid confronting sin that stares us right in the face. To turn a blind eye to sinful actions and fail to seek to speak out against it is not only silently condoning such sin it is disobeying God who calls us to confront sin and evil and to stand up for godly purity and spiritual wisdom!

 

Verse 10 raises the bar from mediocrity to superiority. In other words, we are to have high standards for how we think, speak, act and treat other human beings. We are to put others first because this is what Jesus did. He loved others and ministered to them always appropriately. To those who were downtrodden and suffering; He was merciful, to those who were spiritually unaware; He spoke spiritual wisdom of truth to them, to those who were religious egotists, He confronted them with godly Truth, to those who were horribly sinful, He was truthful, compassionate and tactful to love them where they were and speak the Gospel Truth to them, so that they might repent and become a member of God’s family.

 

Let’s move on to verse 10 and find yet another HIGH standard for which we are responsible to live out.

 

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

 

James has confronted us with one possible way we can stumble as it relates to treating others with partiality when we should be loving and respectful to anyone. He shares that when we stumble in one single area of our life we become guilty of the entire law. You might think this is an extreme statement, but there is a point to his comment. We need to remember that God’s requirement for salvation is perfection. Before you respond to my comment, remember that we are saved by the blood of Christ, by Christ paying for all our sins through His death on the cross. When we accept Him as our Savior we have recognized that we are sinful and there is no way we can adequately pay for our sins. The only way we can be saved perfectly and completely is by accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior. YES, we will sin in some way each and every day. But we remember that when we accept Christ as our Savior our sins have been covered by the death of Christ on the cross because we have accepted Christ as the One who paid for our sins. These sins are ones we committed in the past, the ones we commit each day and the ones we commit in the future. This doesn’t mean that we can go on sinning whenever we wish to, because our sins are covered though! If we took this idea and lived this way we would be proving that we really are not saved at all! When we dedicate ourselves to live as Jesus Christ, we have committed ourselves to living as Jesus lived. We are able to seek to do this because we have the assistance of the Holy Spirit who lives within us. He assists us in our commitment by convicting us of sin we do commit and He also empowers us to avoid sin and enables us to live a Holy life. But the Holy Spirit does not force us to live Holy, the decision is still ours to live by the Scriptural precepts of godly behavior and thoughts. Another aspect of accountability and spiritual growth is the local Christian fellowship we attend. Belong to a local body of Believers provides accountability to others in the fellowship we belong to and we can seek the prayers of other Disciples of Christ to encourage us in our walk with Christ and keep us accountable to grow in our faith.

 

So we are to keep short accounts with our Heavenly Father. Even though all our sins are forgiven, we must recognize when we sin we must repent. We will never be perfect in thought, actions or behaviors while we live in this life and God understands that. We need to stay in the scriptures and study them daily. We need to foster a regular prayer life, not just once before we go to bed, but a continual prayer life as we go about our day. This doesn’t mean we have to stop, bow our head and pray wherever we are. But, it does mean we need to be aware that the Holy Spirit resides within us and He can assist us in being sensitive to sins we may commit and we can converse with God wherever and whenever we chose. Have you ever considered that when you sin as a Disciple of Christ you have exposed the Holy Spirit to this sin because He lives within you! The Holy Spirit resides within you as a Disciple of Christ and your inward thoughts and outward actions are constantly and intimately known by the precious Holy Spirit. What kind of wounds and discouragement do we inflict on the Holy Spirit when we fail to honor the Word of God, fail to live like Christ and cause disrespect of our Heavenly Father! The point is to keep short accounts with God and as we seek to grow spiritually and become more spiritually mature. If we seek to live by the Holy Scriptures, walk closer to the Spirit and rely on His power as well as live out the spiritual precepts of the Word of God we will not only grow spiritually, we will be a great witness to others of the freedom, fulfillment and fantastic love that God bestows upon us.

 

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

 

James uses some interesting spiritual logic in verse 11. It relates to us today when we consider ourselves fairly good Disciples of Christ at times when we live godly in “some” aspects of our lives, yet ignore the areas that we stumble in often. We build ourselves up at times in how we follow the narrow path, but shove under the rug our weaknesses that lead to sin in our lives. We need to seek true godly humility as we live out our witness in life. If we remain honest with ourselves as to how we will walk out our spiritual life, we will confess our sins as soon as we realize that we are not living as Christ would have us. If we are sensitive and aware of the Holy Spirit’s influence in our lives, He will convict us of sin in our lives. What facilitates our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is our knowledge and application of God’s Word to our lives. If you rarely read and study the Bible, or do not practice committed honest praying or rarely attend a local fellowship where you can meet other Disciples who can keep you accountable, then you will likely fail to walk like Jesus walked. With humility we need to add spiritual honesty as we take account of our daily spiritual life. This is where the community and fellowship of the body of Christ and assist us in spiritual growth and maturity. As we fellowship with other Disciples of Christ we can seek mutual accountability in how we live out our faith. We all have spiritual weaknesses or  particular sins that we battle. We may even have no clue as to how we sin unless we have intimate relationships with other Disciples of Christ where we can hold each other accountable for how we live as Christians. Attending church is always beneficial, but involving oneself in a small group, or a mutual friendship with another Follower of Christ where you can hold each other accountable is a wise practice. This can foster spiritual growth and strength of our witness as we share our spiritual lives with other Christians.

 

I would encourage you to seek to find someone you can trust to hold you accountable for how you live your life for Christ. This can develop into a mutual accountability as well, where you help the other person be accountable to you in their own walk with Christ. You may feel hesitant to open your spiritual life to another Christian, but it is a great blessing when you can share your fears, weaknesses, triumphs and answered prayers with those who need the same intimate accountability and blessings of friendship as you do.

 

Now we move on to verse 12 of James chapter two where James counsels us on how we should live like Christ when we show mercy to others, rather than being judgmental of them. One piece of advice I once heard was about how when we point our finger at the actions and behaviors of others with a judgmental mindset we forget that there are three fingers supported by the thumb pointing back at us.

 

It’s easy to be critical and judgmental of others. Why do we do such a thing. The motivations can be many. We lift up ourselves when we think we are better than others we know. We may have a judgmental attitude and enjoy judging the behaviors, actions and thoughts of those we know. Sometimes we may feel like we are much better than them because we would supposedly never speak, act or do the things they do that to us are in bad taste or are selfish.

 

James addresses this bad behavior with wisdom and advice in verse 12. Take special notice of verse 13 which shows the penalty for failing to be merciful towards the shortcomings and selfish actions of others.

 

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

 

I don’t think that James is telling us never to make a godly judgment of another persons actions. We are to confront those who sin with loving wisdom and a godly love to help them understand their sinful actions are not good for them or anyone else with whom they come in contact.

 

Here in the first part of verse 12 we see a very revealing and interesting phrase. “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.”

 

As Disciples of Christ we have been forgiven of our sins, we have been given the Holy Spirit to guide, direct and convict us of sin. We have God’s Word which we can study, memorize as well as apply to our lives. We have fellow Believer’s who can hold us accountable. We have been freed from the penalty of sin and also have the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives to guide and direct us in holiness. The first part of verse 12 communicates that we are under the “law of liberty”

 

…because we have freedom from sin as long as we walk in the ways of Holy Scripture,   

      

…because we can read, listen, memorize and study the Word of God,

 

…we can listen for guidance from the Holy Spirit,

 

            …we can be accountable to other Disciples of Christ,

 

            …we are able to pray to our God for strength, guidance, help, comfort and discernment.

 

In Verse 13 of James Chapter 2 we are reminded that we can come under God’s judgment for being disobedience to the calling we have on our lives to seek to be like Christ and follow He’s example.

 

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

 

In other words, if we show no loving mercy to others because we are so quick to judge them, God may wish to confront us because we are not confronting people with their sin in a godly manner. This does not mean we are never to confront  friends and family who are sinning or acting indecent, it means we must seek to be Christ-like in how we deal with them.

 

A good example of how to respond to others who sin would be how Christ approached people. There are many situations that Jesus faced when he had to confront people with the sin in their life in order to share His wisdom, love and concern. We are to do likewise.

 

But we must also remember how Jesus confronted the Scribes and Pharisees. The Scribes and Pharisees would be good examples of individuals who felt they were superior to the common man or women. Their egotism and pride caused them to be merciless in judging others harshly because they felt they were beyond being judged themselves. Jesus confronted such sinful pride on many occasions.

 

We must always remember that all Christians wrestle with sin in their lives. No one is perfect. All Christians have to deal with sin every single day of his or her life. Even the Paul an apostle complained, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:15).

None of us is conformed to the image of Christ overnight. Sanctification is a moment-by-moment challenge. It’s a process that won’t be complete until we leave this world and see the Lord face to face. Until then, our responsibility is to trust God and walk with His Spirit. Remember the scripture Galatians 5:16, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”

Every sin is “willful” sin. If we are honest with ourselves we often choose to sin because we haven’t grown in our knowledge and commitment of how we are called to live like Christ and should seek to pursue living a holy life. There are other times when we “willfully” sin because even though we have educated ourselves in the area of holiness and purity we choose the alternative of living fleshly and making sinful choices. We always have a choice when it comes to temptation and we must realize that unless we grow spiritually in knowledge, develop a discipline of seeking be like Christ and that when we obey godly precepts we honor God and validate our love for Christ. The Holy Spirit lives within every Disciple of Christ and is always ready to enable us to make the proper choices if we but listen to His promptings and convictions.

Because of the sin nature that dwells within us, there’s a very real sense in which we often sin against our own wills (Romans 7). In other words, every sin is “willful sin.” If it weren’t, we wouldn’t be responsible; and if we’re not responsible for our own actions, sin can’t be sin at all. As James says, “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” James 1:14-15, ESV.

So if every sin is willful sin, it doesn’t make sense to say that “willful sin” causes us to lose our salvation. What hope would there be for any of us?! No … the apostle John assures us of something quite different and encouraging:

“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:7-9). Again, it’s a day-by-day, moment-by-moment process of relying upon the Holy Spirit to guide us, living up to our commitment to walk as Jesus walked and seeking to honor our Heavenly Father by how we live.

So, what about deliberate sin?

In Hebrews 10:26-31 brings up the concern that God would “reject” those who keep sinning willfully. But it’s possible to look at this portion of Scripture from a different angle. Let’s start with what the passage says:

Hebrews 10:26-31, “26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

As we see it, there’s good reason to suppose that the “deliberate sin” of verse 26 is the same as the “unforgiveable sin” that Jesus mentions in Matthew 12:31. To be specific, it’s the sin of rejecting Christ altogether (otherwise known as blasphemy of the Holy Spirit).

We could also call this the sin of persistent self-hardening. It’s the process where an individual sears his conscience (ignores the voice of the Holy Spirit) and stiffens his neck against God. If it goes on long enough, the person eventually reaches the point where genuine repentance is impossible.

So this brings up a very important question: How’s your heart?

If someone is determined to live a life that is dishonoring to God the Father, Son and Spirit even after “receiving the knowledge of the truth” (Hebrews 10:26), we might assume they never accepted Christ in the first place. If they willfully commit the same sin over and over again — without remorse and without showing any evidence of genuine desire to change — we would doubt the sincerity of their faith.

We must always remember that accepting Christ as our personal Savior is not like obtaining a “Get our of Hell” Card!” Accepting Christ as your Savior requires committing your life to Christ where you seek to grow in your faith, obey the Holy Scriptures and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in becoming more and more “Christ-like.”

The person who fails either to accept Christ or does not wish to be conformed to the image and example of Christ’s life is a someone who is like the demons mentioned in James 2:19: They “believe” the truth but refuse to give it their personal devotion. In a case like this, it’s absolutely true to say that “there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews 10:26) because Jesus Himself “IS” that sacrifice.

Considering all these things, it’s possible to argue that Hebrews 10:26-31 doesn’t refer to struggling Christians who are seeking to live like Christ but fail at times. None of us are perfect and we are all on a path of growing in our faith, seeking to become more holy as we seek to be more like Christ each and every day. I might suggest that this passage is very likely aimed at people who only seem to be Christians in word but not in mind, heart or spirit. They may identify themselves as Christian, but as they say, “The Truth is in the Pudding.”

“The proof (truth) is in the pudding is an expression that means the value, quality, or truth of something must be judged based on direct experience with it—or on its results. The expression is an alteration of an older saying that makes the meaning a bit clearer: the proof of the pudding is in the eating. In other words, things must be judged by seeing the verified truth expressed in reality or seeing them in action, rather than on other factors, such as hearsay or guesswork. Another variation of the term is the proof of the pudding, which refers to the results themselves, direct experience with something, or the testing of something to judge its value or truth. In these sayings, the word “proof “ was originally used in the sense of a test of something—such as a test of quality, worth, truth, etc. However, it is now often interpreted as meaning the same thing as evidence.

Some Christian have a fear that they are not a true Disciple of Christ because they still sin at times and assume that any sin in their life is evidence that they are not truly saved or a true Disciple of Christ. Hebrews 6:9 addresses this issue when it says, “Yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things — things that belong to salvation.” In other words, the fact that you’re wrestling with doubts and fears about your standing with God leads us to think that you can’t be guilty of rejecting Christ. If you were, you wouldn’t be worried about it.

Faith and Works

 

14 “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?”

 

We know we are not saved by works, because we are saved by faith in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. But out of this faith in Jesus Christ, there must be evidence that we have truly understood, accepted and embraced faith in Christ our Savior. Out of this understanding of Christ’s work to save us from our sins and our commitment to accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior, as well as our volitional embracing of our call to live for Christ on a continual daily basis, we will demonstrate evidence through spiritual works that we reflect the faith we proclaim. Lack of spiritual evidence in our lives will call into question the veracity of our commitment to Christ. We do not earn our salvation by works, nor do we rely on our spiritual works to impress God with our commitment. Spiritual acts of obedience to the Word that reflect the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and that emulate the spiritual life Jesus lived are spiritual works that “verify” we are in a growing and maturing  fellowship with the Father, Son and Spirit.

 

We must also be aware though, that while faith without works is not a saving faith, it is also true that good works without faith is not evidence for someone being saved. There are some individuals who seek to earn their salvation by good works without having a spiritual relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit. They can list numerous spiritual activities that they are involved in to help the poor and downtrodden or how generous they are with their money or material possessions that they donate to good causes. They may also demonstrate sympathy and concern for those people who are suffering from disease, unemployment or abuse. But while these are admirable traits and actions that are beneficial to society and their fellow humans; if these actions and intentions are expressed outside of a commitment to Jesus Christ and with no influence of the Holy Spirit because they have never accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord…they are simply good deeds done to others. We must remember that it is necessary for someone to repent of their sins, accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior and commit themselves to die to self and let God rule their life to be considered a Disciple of Christ. In other words…Holy works do not give us Salvation, they are proof of our Salvation… if such acts are done with Holy Spirit motivated inspiration and obedience to carry them out in a daily repetitive manner for the Glory of God and not glory for ourselves.

 

 

 

Ephesians 2:8–9 makes it clear that we are not saved by good works. It states the following:

 

“8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

 

In fact, before we are saved, our works are done in the flesh and cannot please God; even our most “righteous” deeds fall far short of God’s glory: Romans 3:20, “20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.” Isaiah 64:6, “6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”. We can be saved only because God is gracious and merciful and He has designed a way for us to be declared righteous because when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior our Heavenly Father views us through the atonement sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. (Psalm 86:5, “5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in loving-kindness to all who call upon You.” Ephesians 2:4-5, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),” When Jesus became sin for us 2 Corinthians 5:21 “21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”, we inherited His righteousness. Salvation is a divine exchange: our tattered rags of self-effort for the perfection of Christ. Because His death and resurrection paid the price for our evil deeds, we can be declared perfect before God Romans 5:1, “1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” We are told to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” like a flawless garment Romans 13:14, “14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”

 

 

 

So we should understand that while we are called to live like Christ, such a life is demonstrated when we seek to follow the example of Christ’s life as we study and apply the Bible to our lives. As we seek to live like Christ it is necessary for us to rely upon the Holy Spirit to give us the ability to live in this way. Other aspects of the Christian life that enable us to live like Christ are: attending a local fellowship where we can gain prayer support, increased knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, seeking to observe and emulate mature examples of Christians we can learn from when they disciple and teach us, opportunities to serve in ministries, discovering our spiritual gifts that God has given to us through the Holy Spirit, worshipping the Lord which ministers to our heart, mind and soul and to submissively and consistently seek to become more and more like Christ.

 

James now shares some practical illustrations regarding how we express our faith publically in acts of kindness serving those in need. This demonstrates the love of Christ in our lives as we express it to those needing assistance with hardships of life.

 

As we move on to the following scriptures I want to suggest you keep the following topics in your heart, mind and soul as you read both the scriptures and my comments on each verse.

 

Consider the Four Characteristics below of Genuine Consistent Faith in God:

 

            First: Genuine Faith is not indifferent to others but intimately involved in the lives of all people.

                      (James 2:15-16)

 

            Second: Genuine Faith is not “independent” but is “interdependent” and is a partnership with others.                  (James 2:17)

 

            Third: Genuine Faith is not “invisible”, but is “displayed” as you live out your faith in your own                              personal life as you minister to others.                         (James 2:18)

 

            Fourth: Genuine Faith is not intellectual, but from the heart.

                          (James 2:19-20)

 

            Fifthly: Genuine Faith without observable godly works is unsubstantiated and useless.

                         (James 2:20)

 

15 “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?”

 

Verse 15 through 16 illustrates a very good example of someone who may claim to be a disciple of Christ, but does not demonstrate the compassion and love of Christ to others. How heartless could someone be, let alone a Disciple of Christ, if they notice someone suffering from poor clothing and hungry for food, yet ignore their condition and situation and simply bless them with cold-hearted empty words of encouragement. Christian empathy is taking on another’s burdens and validating the whole humanity of that one person out of God’s love for that person. As followers of Christ, part of the authentic witness of the church is to extend empathy and compassion as well as assistance to their need with love. A true and faithful Disciple of Christ would not ignore their need, fail to give assistance or worse yet pronounce judgment upon them insinuating that they deserved to be in their sorrow state of affairs. While none of us as Disciples of Christ would think we would ever do such a thing, have you or I at one time or another ignored a need that a person was experiencing, be it a stranger or even a fellow Christian? We all need to remember that we don’t punch a clock or set up specific times to share the love of God with others through prayer, ministry, counsel and various other ways of service to those in need.

 

Ephesians 4:32 instructs us in how to respond to people we come in contact with; “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

 

1 Peter 3:8-10 is another passage that instructs how to show the love and compassion of Christ to others as well when it says, “To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.”

 

Below are even more scripture passage that strongly encourage us in how we should respond to those who need love and encouragement while enduring hardships and struggles.

 

John 15:12, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

 

Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

 

1 Corinthians 12:26, “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”

 

Colossians 3:12, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,…”

 

Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

 

2 Corinthians 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

 

John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

 

Such verses should be taken to heart when we need inspiration to minister to those less fortunate than us or who are in need of help and assistance. The next verse in James Chapter 2 further convicts us if we are not responding in a Christ-like manner to those suffering or in need of assistance and prayer.

 

17 “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”

 

James again bluntly convicts us with his statement in verse 17. If we claim to be a Disciple of Christ and have faith in God the Father and the redemption Christ provided by His death on the cross, but do not demonstrate our faith in practical ways of empathetic service to those in need as well as prayer for their hardships James convicts us with his words that if we have no works of ministry and empathy to others our faith is dead. Our faith can definitely be called living and active if it is being expressed in loving and generous ways to others who are experiencing hardships and troubles. If our faith is not active in these ways of ministry then James is telling us it is not empowered by the Spirit and alive, rather it is dead because there is no life in it. A LIVING faith is one which responds to the needs of others, seeks to lift up those who are suffering and downtrodden, strives to make the lives of others more bearable and reaches out to comfort, serve, love, pray for and help those who are struggling in life.

 

18 “But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

 

In verse 18 James continues to beat the drum of his conviction that we should demonstrate our faith and love for God by reaching out to minister to others in love. Basically he states that FAITH and WORKS are closely tied together in our spiritual walk. You can’t claim to have faith in God if you are not demonstrating your faith by your works of ministry towards those in need you come in contact with. Works of faith include showing love and compassion towards those who are suffering and in need of comfort and assistance. Works of faith include sharing the Gospel of Christ to those who have never committed their lives to Christ. Works of faith also includes bearing the burdens of others who are incapable of helping themselves, be that physical provision, mental or emotional distress or physical needs of housing, food, money or counseling. These works are proof that you are seeking to show the love of Christ to others. You are emulating Christ’s compassion, love, counsel and provision as you seek to be Christ-like in your love and concern for others. When you, as a Disciple of Christ, minister to the needs of others and ease their burdens by your ministry of love, care and concern, you demonstrate the love of Christ and bring glory to God! In this ministry towards others you are expressing your faith in godly and meaningful ways by your works. These actions are examples of what James states as; “showing your faith by your works.”

 

James continues with his convicting confrontation message to those who claim to be dedicated Disciples of Christ, but fail to actually live it out by the Holy Spirit’s power. In verse 19 we see him call out again that “faith without works is useless.”

 

19 “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?”

Here in verse 19 James could be talking to many “contemporary” individuals who claim to believe in God, but have no evidence in their  lives that supports their profession of faith. To the right is a graph of a Gallup poll showing the downward trend of Americans who believe in God. It appears that our trend in America is that less and less people believe there is a God. Of course as our walk as Disciples of Christ fades and weakens, so does our faith and trust in Jesus and the result is a slippery slope to not living, thinking and acting as those who love, adore and commit themselves to seeking to be like Christ. When we allow the world around us to influence our thoughts, desires, emotions and godly standards, it is guaranteed that our commitment to our relationship with God the Father, Son and Spirit will fade. Unfortunately we allow the influence of the world to wear us down and erode our morals, godly standards, spiritual discernment and squeeze our love and commitment to God out of us. The only way to combat such pressure and influence is to seek God on a regular basis, renew our commitment to Jesus Christ and hold each other accountable through prayer and close godly relationships.

 

James makes the point in verse 19 that many who claim to believe in God, but make no commitment to God other than “He simply exists” is nothing significant. Even Satan and his demons believe in God beyond a shadow of a doubt, but they have no commitment to Him; other than fighting against His will because of their rebellion. You might say that the belief in God the Father, Son and Spirit is even greater in Satan and his demons than most people today because the Devil and his demonic henchmen have much experience that verifies He exists because they rebel and fight against Him every day! If people have a wishy-washy, timid, meek, milk-toast or non-committed belief in God; it is not any sort of substantiated belief. We all must ask ourselves where would we be found in the graph of this poll above?

 

James is again establishing his point that “faith without works is dead.” You can claim to believe in God, but if there is nothing in your actions to verify this claim, should you be even making such a claim.

 

We have several sayings in the English language that illustrate when someone claims a commitment to something, but really they have no proof behind their commitment.

 

We say, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” This is a proverb meaning, the real value of something can be judged only from practical experience or results and not from appearance or theory.

 

Or we might say, “Put your money where your  mouth is.” This is an informal challenge to take action to support your statements or opinions by backing up your commitment with something precious to you…for instance your money. While we know we can’t gain salvation by the works and good deeds we do, it is also true that if we really are committed in our life as a Disciple of Christ there should be a triune system of beliefs we are committed to… which are;

 

That God the Father rules over us as our sovereign ruler.

That Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died for our sins and was raised from the dead.

That the Holy Spirit lives in us as a Helper and Comforter in our daily walk as Disciples of Christ.

 

Now James continues with his case that our faith is verified by our works. Just a reminder though, while the works we do are evidence that our faith in God is genuine, this DOES NOT MEAN we are saved by our works.

 

21 “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?”

 

Here in James 1:21 gives an example of works that prove, establish or justify that our faith is proven by the works we do. James gives the example of Abraham that obeyed God when He told Abraham to sacrifice his son on an altar. When we read this challenge in Genesis 22 it often greatly concerns us. Did God really mean for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on an altar? Abraham very likely struggled with this command, but his faith in God was great and he proved it as he drew his knife to kill his son. We know God interrupts the sacrifice of Isaac and provides a ram for the offering, but what a test of faith! We can’t say that Abraham did not have faith in God. Abraham’s willingness to carry out God’s command went to the last second before he was to plunge the knife into his son Isaac. So it is with our lives. God won’t ask us to sacrifice our child, our spouse or even a best friend. But God does ask us to accept Christ as our SAVIOR and LORD of our life.

 

He does ask us to confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the grave in order to be saved (Romans 10:9-10).

 

He does ask us to be conformed to the image of His Son Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29).

 

He tells us we are saved by grace through faith and not by any works we do (Ephesians 2:8-10).

 

James continues in verse 22 of Chapter 2 and speaks about how faith is verified by works.

 

22 “You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God.”

 

In this verse we see that faith in God is proven by the works that we do according to the instruction given in God’s Word. Just as Abraham believed God and obeyed his command, we too believe in God in our daily life as we obey the Word of God and seek to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. Again I make the point that “works” or “obedience” to God’s Word is evidence that our faith in God is true and vibrant. This is evidence that we are on a journey of living righteously for God. This is our call to be like Jesus Christ.

 

James continues with this thought in verse 24. He truly wishes to establish in his letter to Disciples of Christ the importance of a balance in their lives of having Faith in God as well as verifying it through the “works” or “godly lifestyle” they lead among others.

 

24 “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

 

James knows he must establish this important point of that “we are justified by works and not by faith alone.” Very likely if James was present in our time today he would run rampant around every city proclaiming the necessity of having works justify the faith Christians claim to have. We can at times see a dual nature in people who claim to be a Disciple of Christ. I know from personal experience that some people view a church fellowship as a way to build their secular business or to make contacts for investments or to make some friends to go hunting if they’re men or to socialize if they are women. Our churches are meant to be places of worship of God, growing in the faith as we serve in ministries and growing in our knowledge of the Word so we can seek to become more like Christ. Our faith needs to be fed by worship, teaching of the Word of God and mutual encouragement in spiritual matters. This comes through a local church fellowship.

 

James is not done with his evidence for the necessity of justifying one’s faith in God. He gives another example in verse 25.

 

25 “In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?”

 

The reason that James mentions Rahab is for an example of her actions to protect the spies of Israel because she wished to help Israel; God’s chosen people. The story of Rahab is found in the Old Testament book of Joshua. Bible scriptures that give the account of her life are found in Joshua 2:1-24, Joshua 6:2-5 and Joshua 6:20-25. The story of Rahab and the spies from Israel is one of the most popular in the Bible and recounts her good deeds to help some Israelite spies. She is commonly known as a prostitute. When the Israelites were ready to occupy the land which had been promised for more than 400 years, God brought them to the city of Jericho. Moses had died and Joshua had taken command of the people and their army. Joshua decided to send men to spy out the land before they proceeded. The spies entered the city without incident and they ended up going to Rahab’s home and business where she frequently hosted guests and visitors. There were rumors the King of Jericho had heard that there were spies in the land and there was a threat of war. Soldiers traveled around the city to see if there were any spies that might be investigating the city’s defenses. Soldiers came to Rahab’s house to ask about the Israelite spies but she hid them on her roof and lied to the soldiers. She told them that the spies had been there but that they had left. She sent the soldiers in a different direction to continue searching. Rahab told the Israelite spies that she had heard about the Israelites and how God had done great things for them. She also had faith that their God was going to defeat Jericho, so she begged them to save her, her parents and siblings in return for the protection she provided to them. The spies agreed. They told her to tie a scarlet thread on her window so that the Israelite warriors would not attack her home during the war. When Jericho was destroyed, Rahab and her family were saved. (Rahab is mentioned in the book of Joshua but also in Matthew 1:5, Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25.)

 

James uses Rahab’s example to illustrate how godly works can be proof of faith in God and trust in His power, judgment and love.

 

James continues now as he shares his final comment about faith and works in the last verse of this chapter.

 

26 “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”

 

James in this last verse of chapter 2 makes a very blunt statement to press his point that Faith and Works are bonded together in actions of our faith in the Father, Son and Spirit. We know that a human body without the human spirit is dead and James tells us the same is true of FAITH and WORKS. FAITH is WORTHLESS unless it is proven to be valid by the WORKS that PROVE it is VALID.

 

I should bring up a point at this juncture. Some people wonder how to reconcile the writings of Paul with those of James. Let me explain.

 

In James 2:21 we read James state; “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?”

 

In Romans3:28 we read Paul stating; “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”

 

And…in James 2:24, James writes; “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

 

Let’s see if we can understand and reconcile what appears to be a drastic contradiction.

 

I would like to share a chart from Charles Swindoll’s  commentary on the book of James that lays out the writings of Paul and James on this subject. This should help us to see that both Paul and James address the same subject but from different theological angles and that their writings complement each other and help us understand more fully this spiritual area of our life as Disciples of Christ Jesus.

 

Paul and James: Two Sides of the Same Coin 

 

James simply has a different approach and uses the examples of Abraham and Rahab to illustrate his point as well as explain the dual nature of “faith” and “works”.

 

James speaks of Abraham and the faith in God he had when he obeyed God and was ready to sacrifice his son as an offering to God (Genesis 22). Abraham demonstrated his faith by his works.

 

James speaks of Rahab and her brave faith when she risked her life to save the Israelite spies. You can read of her situation in Joshua 6:17, 22-23. Her faith in God and how her righteous acts demonstrated her faith in the God of Israel.

 

The goal in our Christian life is to balance our faith and our works so that we seek to allow our Heavenly Father to grow our faith as we express such faith in the inward thoughts and outward actions.

 

Here are some quotations from Disciples of Christ which illustrate the balance of “faith and works.”

 

“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” Saint Augustine

 

“Faith without works is not faith at all, but a simple lack of obedience to God. Dietrich Bon Hoeffer.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

 

“Faith without works is no faith at all. Works without faith are ultimately worthless. Faith demonstrated by works, work driven by faith, is the most beautiful display in all of humanity. Therein lays the delicate balance.” Tim Sherfy 

 

“Salvation comes by faith in Christ alone, and the good works performed by believers aren’t the basis of salvation but should be understood as the necessary evidence of that salvation.” Thomas Schreiner

 

Dr. John Koessler speaks to this issue of “Faith and Works” in the following quotation.

 

“The most famous verse in the book of James may be the assertion that faith without works “is dead” (2:17). What is the relationship between faith and works in the Christian life? Does James contradict Paul’s teaching that we are saved by faith apart from works (Rom. 4:6; Eph. 2:9; Titus 3:5)? In fact, James and Paul agree.

 

James assumes the priority of faith, and Paul acknowledges that those who are saved by faith have been “created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (Eph. 2:10).

 

We do not add our actions to faith in order to be saved. Faith expresses itself in action. For this reason, James speaks of action as the evidence of a faith that already exists. James affirms what Paul teaches by contrasting true faith with false or “dead” faith. Works or actions are the fruit of a faith that saves, not the basis for our salvation.

 

We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ apart from any effort of our own. Yet those who are saved in this way are enabled to put their faith into practice by the transforming work of Christ and the power of His Spirit.  When considering the relationship between faith and works, the order is critical.

 

In the Christian life faith always precedes works. If we reverse the order, the relationship between the two becomes toxic. Our acts of obedience are grounded in the knowledge that Jesus earned our righteous standing by His own obedience, and He paid the penalty for our sins by shedding His blood on our behalf. This is the only work sufficient enough to reconcile us to God (Heb. 9:14; 1 Peter 3:18). Consequently, our good works are not an attempt to earn salvation after the fact. Instead, they are expressions of gratefulness for a salvation already received.

 

The believer’s good works belong to the realm of sanctification, the progressive work of God’s Spirit by which He makes us holy. Sanctification follows justification, God’s declaration of our righteous standing based upon the finished work of Jesus Christ. We contribute nothing to our justification, but we cooperate with the process of sanctification. As Martin Luther observed, before we take Christ as our example we must first receive Him as a gift.”

 

There’s a question that is sometimes asked to hit home with this relationship of Faith and Works. It is the following:

 

IF YOU WERE TAKEN IN A COURT OF LAW AND WERE ACCUSED OF BEING A CHRISTIAN…

 

…WOULD THERE BE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO CONVICT YOU?