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Faith in Action: Lessons from James Chapter 2 0:10 Good morning. Welcome to stand on the word. Well, today, our chronological journey through the Bible takes us to James chapter 2. On Saturday, we read the first chapter of James. In fact, in our Saturday0:22 night Bible study, which was our stand on the word Bible study, we do the first Saturday of every month. We dug into the background of the book of James. We looked at the author, and then we looked at the first chapter.0:33 If you missed that, you can still find it on the Stand Firm app. If you don't have the app, go to the App Store, download the Stand Firm app. And not only will you have access this week to our Bible study on0:45 Saturday night, but you have access to our news and commentary from a biblical perspective each and every day. Alright. Verse 20 of chapter 2. But do you want to know, oh, foolish man, that0:57 faith without works is dead? Now, let me restate a couple of background points here as we jump into chapter 2. James was the half brother of Jesus. He was the leader of the church in Jerusalem.1:09 And he wrote this letter to believers primarily who were scattered as a result of the persecution that began, to break out early on in Jerusalem. Alright? This is likely1:22 the first or if not first among the earliest New Testament writings. Okay? It was a general epistle. It was written universally. It's called a Catholic epistle, meaning it was to the entire1:34 church. It was not addressed to a single congregation as we find as we will find that many of Paul's letters were. We talked about this on Saturday night, but most likely, this was written somewhere in the1:46 mid forties, 44, 45 AD, shortly after the events that we read about in Acts chapter 12. Now James' purpose of the entire,1:58 letter was pastoral, to equip believers with an understanding of how to respond to this growing opposition and persecution with steadfast, maturing2:10 faith. So in chapter 2, there are 2 main topics. First, partiality toward the poor, and then teaching about faith and works. Now it's interesting.2:22 James talks a lot about riches. In fact, about 3 or, I think about 4 times or so, he addresses this in the, the letter. We're gonna look at it more in chapter 5. But it's2:33 interesting here how quickly the church had apparently deviated from its founding and had become corrupted in its practices. Now now keep in mind that we're only talking about 12 to 152:45 years after the founding of the church. How quickly we can deviate. Alright. Verse 1, chapter 2. My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus2:57 Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings and fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the3:09 1 wearing the fine clothes and say to him, you sit here in a good place, and say to the poor man, you stand there or sit here at my footstool. Have you not shown partiality among yourselves and become judges with evil3:16 thoughts? Now this described treatment of the poor3:28 stands in stark contrast, to the teachings of both the Old Testament and the teachings and actions of Jesus in the New Testament. Let's go back, to Deuteronomy chapter 15 verse3:40 7. If there is among you a poor man of your brethren within any of the gates in your land, which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart3:52 nor shut your hand from your poor brother. In Luke chapter 14 verse 13, but when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lamed, and the blind. So4:04 both the teaching of the Old Testament and the New Testament is consideration toward the poor. In fact, going overboard in many cases. It's and so what we're we're seeing4:16 here is a departure from how the church began. Remember in, in Acts chapter 4 verse 34, now, rather nor was there anyone among them who lacked. For4:28 all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold. So there was a concern for their brothers in need. So James is really4:39 blunt. He says showing partiality breaks the royal law. Love your neighbor as as yourself, and makes us lawbreakers. You know, today, there's all this clamor on the left4:51 about diversity, equity, and inclusion. But what they're promoting is kinda like a Chinese knockoff. It it may carry the same name, but it's not the real thing. By design5:03 by design now I'm not saying it's it's always been perfect, but by design, the church is different. It is a cross shaped community where ethnic and economic differences don't determine dignity5:15 and where we share equally in the fellowship with Christ. And so the church is the the the 1 thing that, in fact, it set western civilization apart. We5:27 don't have those hard class, structures here in in Western civilization like we still see in in some parts of the East. And it is because of the5:39 dignity of the individual5:53 church look at a church. It should be very diverse because the ground at the cross is level. There should be equity and there should be inclusion of all who profess faith in Christ, repenting of6:05 their sins. Alright. Verse 5. Listen, my beloved brethren, has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor6:16 man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme the noble name by which you are called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, you shall love your neighbor as6:28 yourself. You do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law and yet stumble in 1 point, he is guilty of all. For he6:40 who said do not commit adultery also said do not murder. Now if you not do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as6:52 those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the 1 who has shown no mercy, mercy triumphs over judgment. As we see with God,7:04 mercy triumphs over judgment, and and our heart should be inclined in the same way. Now this is not talking about, you know, some great social program. It is call it's talking7:16 about a respect, no partiality, a respect for each and every human being. So next, James moves to the subject of faith and works. Now some have incorrectly said that James was7:28 writing this to refute the letters of Paul, but Paul had not yet written his letters. Paul and James actually worked together. And in Acts chapter 21, we're gonna read of James's full support for the7:40 ministry of Paul. James was not correcting nor was he contradicting Paul. His teaching here in the book of James is complimentary to the teachings of7:52 Paul. Look at verse 14. What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? James is not saying that salvation comes by works. What he is8:03 doing is coloring in the lines of the framework of faith that Paul talks about. Paul's focus is on Christian beliefs. James zeroes in on the application8:16 of those beliefs, how we live our lives. If we have faith in the lord Jesus Christ, if we have been our lives have been transformed, it will be evident by the works we do.8:28 And he's talking about works. He's not talking about works of the law. He's talking about the works of righteousness. Verse 15. If a brother or sister are naked and destitute of daily food and 1 says and8:39 1 of you says to them, depart in peace, be warmed and filled, but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? It's it's empty words. Thus also faith by itself, if it does not8:51 have works, is dead. If faith is faith valid if it doesn't change the way we think or live?9:04 With Jesus, alright, in his message, his first message that he preached, it was it was to repent. And that word, Greek word, means to it's it's a way to it it means it's a call9:15 to change the way we think and with the way we think, the way we act, our behavior. And James, verse 18, but someone will say you have faith and I9:27 have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. So how do you show faith without the evidence of works,9:39 meaning a life that has been transformed by faith in Christ? I I believe James is saying show me the fruit of your faith. Alright?9:52 He's saying, how can you have a life transforming faith, a relationship with the lord Jesus Christ, and there not be evidence of it in10:04 your life? I think that's what he's saying here. You believe that there is 1 god, you do well. Even the demons believe and tremble. You know, having knowledge and believing there is a god is good, but that knowledge and10:15 belief must move from the head to the heart and transform you into a follower of Jesus Christ. Verse 20, but do you know, oh, foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham,10:27 our father, justified by works when he offered Isaac, his son, on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works? And by works, faith was made perfect. And the scripture was fulfilled,10:39 which said Abraham believed god, and it was accounted to him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of god. You see, then that a man is justified by works, not by faith only. Likewise, was not10:51 Rahab, the harlot, also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. See, soul11:03 saving faith. You know, we're saved by grace through faith. Right? God does it. God did it. He did it through Jesus Christ, and we believe in that11:14 saving faith, that life transforming faith must influence how we live, which includes how we treat others. And so there will be evidence of that. It will be we11:26 will be able to see people should be able to see our faith through our works, not works trying to gain salvation, but our works that come as a result of the11:38 salvation that we have received. Father, we thank you for your word. And and, lord, this book of James, I just thank you for it because it is 1 of the most practical11:50 books of the entire Bible. It is a guidebook on how we should be living out our faith in a time of difficulty and challenge in a real way that is a it it's evidence to12:02 all those around us that we're different and that we follow Jesus Christ. And so, father, I pray that people would see our faith by the way we live our lives in accordance with you and through the12:14 power of the holy spirit. So continue to guide us on this journey. And, Lord, I pray that you would strengthen all of those who are standing on your word. For we pray and ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Alright.12:26 Thanks for joining me this morning. And until next time, keep standing on the word.12:32 Today's study comes from the Stand on the Word Bible Reading Plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day,12:44 you can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Faith in Action: Lessons from James Chapter 2
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