James
Chapter 2
Vs. 1 James is writing to the Christians
He tells them not to have more respect and show favor for some people and less respect or favor for other people.
James has heard that the believers have been showing special favor to the rich people who come into their meetings. Or they are showing special favor to the city leaders who come to their meetings.
James is saying that this is not right.
How can you say you are a follower of Jesus when you have more favor for some people and not others?
(We need to ask ourselves that question. Do we treat rich people better than we treat poor people?)
(Do we speak with respect and kindness to people that we think are rich and powerful leaders but speak with no respect to people who are poor and dirty?)
(If we had a party, would we give the best chair and place at the table to the rich leader? And not give the poor dirty people any place?)
Vs. 5 James tells them again, that the poor person may be the one who is rich in faith and may have a lot of wisdom to share with them and help them.
The poor person may be a much better, deeper Christian believer. And he is the one who should have the honor and respect.
James says you show special favor and honor to those rich leaders who come to your meetings, but it is those rich leaders who treat you so badly, and send you to jail, etc. because you are a believer in Jesus.
Vs. 8 James reminds them of one the commandments to love your neighbor as yourself. So that means to show love and respect to the poor person as you would like to have respect for the rich one.
James said those who break one of the commandments is guilty as though he broke all the commandments. If you keep all the commandments but break one you are as guilty as if you broke them all.
We want God to judge us —–not by the Old Testament Law—-but by the law of love and mercy—-that we have in Jesus.
Yet you judge others and show them no love or mercy. You look on their outside.
You look at their position “who they are”, and you judge them more worthy.
If you want God to show love and mercy to you——you must show love and mercy to others.
Vs. 14 What good does it do to say you have faith and follow Jesus if you do not show it?
Just saying you believe does not make you a “follower” unless you do what you say you believe.
If you do not do it then you do not really believe it.
If you see someone who needs food or clothes, and you say, “God bless you.” but you do not help them—-what good is your faith? How can you say you are a follower of Jesus when you do nothing to help?
“Faith” that does not have good works is dead.
I can not see you are a “believer” in Jesus and a follower of Jesus unless I see you act like Jesus. Your actions and good works should show you belong to Jesus.
Vs. 19 It is not enough to say we believe in God. Even the devil believes in God and he trembles in fear.
(Will the devil be saved because he believes in God? No. He does not do anything that God has told him to do.
If you say you believe in Jesus and God but your life and what you do does not show it, then you have the same problem the devil has.)
Vs. 21 Long ago, Abraham was said to be “righteous” because of what he did.
He followed to a place where God told him to go.
The scripture says that Abraham believed God and God said he was righteous.
He was called a “friend of God”.
Would God have done that if Abraham had ignored what God told him to do?
If Abraham had not gone where God told him?
Abraham obeyed what God said. God saw that as faith in God.
And so for us, when we do what God says in the Bible, that shows our faith in God.
If we say we believe in the teachings of Jesus, then we need to do the teachings of Jesus.
God will not believe us if we say we believe but do not do what He says.
Vs. 25 Remember the story of Rahab in the Bible. She was a prostitute. A sinful woman. But she showed her faith in God, by hiding the spies, the men from Israel, and she believed what they said God would do.
She put the red cord/rope in the window. She brought all her family in her house.
She believed that God would save her if she obeyed. God did save her and her family.
By her actions she showed she had faith in God’s words.
Just as the body would be dead without a spirit in it. So our faith is dead if we do not do the things of faith that God told us to do.