Journey Through James
Our journey through Scripture brings us to James. This book is often referred to as “The Proverbs of the New Testament.” There are a couple of reasons for this. One, James emphasizes wisdom from above. It shows us the divine, heavenly wisdom that we all need. The other reason is that it is a deeply practical book. The Book of James is a book that helps you know how to live the life of faith every day.
This book has often been misunderstood. For example, even the man, Martin Luther, refused to accept this book. He called it the Epistle of Straw. Now, why would he call it such a thing? Martin Luther, you remember, lived with such an oppressive idea of working his way to God and to Heaven. He came to the truth of the “just shall live by faith.”When he came to the Book of James, he thought that James neglected faith. But he missed the message. He misinterpreted it. Do not miss it.
Listen: Journeying through James
Overview of James
Faith vs. Works
James is one of the books we refer to as the Hebrew Christian Church Epistles. The book just before this is the Book of Hebrews, and that began the section for us. James was written to Hebrew believers. These Christians came out of Judaism and into faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. James writes to these Hebrew believers to explain to them how their faith in Christ is now to produce the right kind of works.
It is very important that you understand that God expects good works. The difference is which side of salvation do you put it on? We are not working to Calvary, we are working from Calvary. These Jewish believers needed to understand that a faith that does not work is not a working faith.
Works are the natural outgrowth of faith. For example, the Apostle Paul said that “for by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) Immediately after that, we read: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works…” (Ephesians 2:10). The book of James is all about a faith that produces faithfulness. It is true Christian faith that teaches us how to follow the Lord Jesus Christ every day. It is evidenced by the way we live our lives.
James – The Half-Brother of Jesus
The Book of James is written by a man named James. This James is no less than the half-brother of Jesus Christ. We call him a half-brother because they had the same mother, but they did not have the same father, because Jesus had no earthly father, only a heavenly Father. Yet, James never notes this relationship. Not one time. I think it is a revelation of his humility, of the fact that he believed his great relation to Christ was not their human relation, but their divine relation. It was not the relation that came through Mary; it was a relation that came through faith.
His name occurs forty times in our New Testament, and the name James refers to several different men in those forty times. But this particular James was the James who came to be known as the pastor of the church in Jerusalem. He was known as James the Just because of his character. He was a man who truly knew Jesus Christ, and he knew the difference that Jesus Christ would make in the life of a person who put their faith and trust in Him.
Key Verse of James
The key verse is James 2:18, a verse that has been often quoted. The verse says, “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith, by my works.” What is taught here is that many people profess faith in God, and yet there seems to be no evidence.
Remember, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) James says, I will show you my faith by my works. In other words, the way I live my life is to demonstrate the difference that Jesus Christ has made in my heart. It is an outward sign of an inward change.
My friend, the faith of Christ is not some vague thing that you just feel on Sunday. It is not some emotional experience. The true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is going to work its way out in your life every day. Let me just pause for a moment before we go any further in our study and ask you, would anyone around you say that your faith is real? Would anyone say that they see your faith by your works? Let us all just pray right now. Lord, live your life through me in such a way that other people know that my faith is not just words. It is works. That my faith is not just a profession. It is a reality, and it makes a difference in my life. Every day.
Outline of James
James 1: An Examination of Faith
As you walk through the book of James, you see this worked out in so many details of life. It is a deeply practical book. In James 1:1-20, there is an examination of faith.
- We see what faith does in trial.
- We see what faith does when temptation comes
- We see what faith does with the truth.
- We see what faith does with its tongue, how it speaks.
- We see what faith does in the way it treats others.
James 2: An Example of Faith
In the next chapter, you move from an examination of faith to an example of faith. The end of chapter two gives the great example of faith given to us is Abraham. Paul used Abraham as an example of faith as well. James says Abraham is an example of faith and works. Look at the difference in the way he lived his life once he started walking by faith and not by sight.
James 3: An Enemy of Faith
In chapter three, we see an enemy of faith. What is the enemy of faith? The great enemy of our faith, all of our good works, and of pure religion is our tongue. James 3 is the classic passage on the tongue and the power of words. In nothing is our faith more evidenced than by what comes out of our mouths. Nothing detracts from the faith that we profess any more than the words that come out of our mouths. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” (Proverbs 18:21)
James 4: An Encouragement to Our Faith
In chapter four, there’s an encouragement to our faith. This is an encouraging chapter. Read chapter four. I would encourage you to live close to God, to stay right with God, and to keep close to Him. Everything else grows out of that.
James 5: Exhortations to Our Faith
The book ends in chapter five with exhortations to our faith and to our works. The conclusion of the book details the many practical ways true faith is displayed. We learn how faith should be lived out. My friend, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the One who comes to live inside of you. When He moves in, He changes your life. He does not rent, He buys. He does not move in and out: He moves in to stay. When He moves in, He brings His own furniture. He does not want all your junk. He is going to get all that out of the way, because He wants your life to reflect His glory.
James – The First Epistle to Christians
The Book of James has been called the first Epistle to Christians. The Book of James was not written to tell us how to become a Christian. Notice its placement, even in our New Testament, is after the books that detail for us the grace of God and simple faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is a letter to believers. It is not a contradiction to Paul’s teaching. No, it is to complement Paul’s teaching. He is not competing by teaching something in opposition to Paul’s writing. They are both saying the same things. Namely, that those who come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ should then conduct themselves so that others know this faith is sincere. Let others see the reality of Christ in you!
We end our journey through James by examining a few more verses from James 2. James 2:20 says, “But will thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” Then, James 2:26 says, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” What is he saying? It is dead religion to say you are a follower of Jesus Christ, and it does not show up in the way you live your life.
Do not be a dead Christian. Do not simply give a dead profession, a dead testimony. It is not merely saying, “I know Jesus”. No. Live it out in your life. Let it be the faith that produces faithfulness, the reality of Christ that produces good works to the glory of Jesus Christ.
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