Intro To James

I thank God for the body of Christ with its many diverse parts. I am grateful to believers today and 2,000 years ago who–designed for a specific purpose, obeyed their Master’s calling. I value the spiritual leaders of our church and other students of the Word can help modern day believers unpack and process the timeless Word of God which could remain locked and blocked without such guidance and instruction. Our last series in the Book of Galatians, with its strong emphasis on faith and grace over law and works, left me with as many or more questions than answers.

Enter James, a New Testament book written by not only a servant of God, but the half brother of Jesus Christ himself. James and Jesus grew up together under the same roof in Mary and Joseph’s house.  James had the unique opportunity to know Jesus longer and more intimately than many other followers and Bible authors. Recall that initially ”Even Jesus’ own brothers did not believe in him” (John 7:5).  However, James' unbelief turned to unwavering faith after Jesus appeared to him after His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15: 3-7).  As a self-declared “slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1), James’ writings offer us a unique perspective of the life and lessons of Jesus.  

The Book of James, somewhat of a practical guide to becoming a mature Christian believer, stresses faith in action. James exposes the false idea that becoming a Christian is simply about one day saying Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior without experiencing real change in behavior. As Skip Heitzig, author of The Bible at 30,000 Feet writes, “James argues that genuine faith must and will be accompanied by a consistent lifestyle; it involves putting your faith where your hands and feet are”.  

At first glance, it may seem that Paul’s message in Galatians and James’ message are at odds. But James and Paul don’t polarize; they harmonize (Heitzig, 536). Remember that each book or letter was written to a specific audience for a specific purpose.   Paul’s letter to the Galatians was written to address legalists who said you needed works in order to be saved, while James wrote to counter those that said that a Christian’s conduct is irrelevant to salvation” (Heitzig, p. 563).  

Paul reminds us that salvation is a free gift from God – not earned or deserved, but granted to each of us who accepts it nonetheless, while James teaches us that good deeds and the expression of Christs’ love towards mankind is the only proper and suitable response after receiving God’s gift of grace. The two books are not contradictory, but complementary and when studied together, can only serve to help modern believers understand and act on two fundamental biblical truths: that God’s love, grace, and mercy towards each of us is the starting point, but that each of us has the responsibility of exercising that grace in order to grow mature in our relationship with God to become more like Jesus.  

Prayer:  
Lord, I pray that Your Word shared through your servant James and unpacked by our Pastor allows believers today to grow to greater faith and  maturity. Let us not just understand, but carry out the wisdom of this book. Help us to see and embrace the certain trials of this life as joyful opportunities to more fully develop and perfect our faith. Lord let us be grateful in times of little and much. Let us resist the pattern of temptation, sin and death–which is never of you, but of the enemy. Let us learn to listen much, speak little, and resist self-serving human anger. Let us be doers of the Word, not just hearers. Let our hearts be expansive; our good works be evident, our tongues be tame, and humility be our default stance. Let us live honorable lives that fulfill your perfectly designed purpose for each one of us within your kingdom. I ask that each day, each action confirms that “What is important is faith expressing itself in love. (Galatians 5:6)