James - The Most Practicle Book of the Bible
The Epistle of James • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 5 viewsThe Introduction to the Epistle of James
Notes
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Faithful like Abraham
Faithful like Abraham
For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”
Many people will say - James contradicts Paul and his writings in Romans on faith -
Especially those who are too reformed.
Martin Luther called the epistle "a right strawy epistle, having no true evangelical character."
However this book is not “strawy” nor does it contradict Romans or any other of Paul’s writings but rather it compliments them.
To be fair - Modern Lutherns have gotten away and came a long way from that belief - I have heard several Luthern preachers and teachers teach James and truely understand it.
But , if you lean more toward the early reformed viewpoint of Christianity - this letter will make you more and more uncomfortable as we go through it.
And show you how litte you really understand Paul’s writings.
As a letter - to all Christians not just a certain group of believers -this letter is the most practical book in all of the new testament.
It will help you understand and apply Paul’s most difficult writings in Romans, and it will also help
Apply the greatest sermon ever given - the Sermon on the mount as it quotes or illudes to it over 20 times.
But at the same time it will make you sit up and take note of you Christian walk
It may even make you squirm a little in your seats because it will
Show you what you are doing and what you are not doing and make you feel very uncomfortable to say the least.
We live in a time when as soon as you talk about obedience, commands, laws, and the works of the Christian life, people cry, “Legalism!” and run away.
People today say, “Christianity is not about doing this and this and this and this.”
Meanwhile, James says, “Yes it is!”
You don’t just listen to the Word; you do it.
If you don’t do it, your faith is dead—you don’t even have faith (see 2:14–26).
It is not hard to imagine bue James might not make it as a modern preacher today since there might not be as many members at his church!
So lets dive in and see -
How can we be faithful to God like Abraham?
Can we resist the temptations of this world?
Or or own evil desires?
Or even the influence of the Devil?
Can we as Christians live together in peace and do our very best to work togehter to solve life’s problems?
This little letter addresses all these issues
And motivates Christians to develop a mature faith and show the world that as Christians we have a loyal and undying relationship with God and with one another.
The Epistle of James
The Epistle of James
This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad.
Greetings!
The letter of James was written by one of Jesus’ brothers.
Like the other sons of Joseph and Mary -
James had the name of an Israelite Hero -
In Hebrew James is Jacob.
James did not become a true believe until after the ressurection - when Jesus appeare to him.
Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.
After that he became a leader in Jerusalem church.
But during the public ministry, neither James nor the other siblings, like Jude, were followers of Jesus.
They even tried to get him to stop his ministry
(Mark 3:31-35)
But that personal revelation of the risen Jesus changed everything for James.
So much so that he was even in the upper room on the Day of Pentacost when the Holy Spirit came upon everyone
They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.
On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.
We can see how important he becomes to the early church.
At the Jerusalem Council James was instrumental in getting the others to accept Gentile converts, without them being circumcized
But like most Jewish Christians, James continued to observe a lot of the Law of Moses.
He emphasized the need for beleivers to observe certain key laws - especially when among Jews
Act 21:18-25 .
James’ Jewish background is reflected in this letter
It can not keep from coming through and that is ok, becuase
It is that practical advice that resembles
Amos and Proverbs in my opionon that makes James so important to us today.
45-50 AD
45-50 AD
When was the letter of James written?
No on is 100% sure but
It is one of the earliest Christian writings.
This predates Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians and Mark -
But again there is a fine line becuase the writings were just beginning to come out around this time.
In the letter you will see do not arise like in other writings.
For instance the “church” is called the “assembly” (synagogue) -
The words are interchangeable
As well as were law and word.
So we see still see the early Jewish beleivers were using that vernacular
Also there are things you do not see -
You do not see any reference to false teachings in other communities - like you do in a lot of the other letters
This leads to a very early writing.
Does this really matter - in a sense yes and no -
It gives us an idea of time period and what James was dealing with but no because
The actual date does not really matter just the application
The only other thing you need to know about the when is that
It was written after the persecution of Herod Agrippa - 44AD (Acts 12:1-5)
But before before the letter to Galatians
And the council of Jerusalem.
The Purpose of James
The Purpose of James
What was the point of writing this letter?
Jame’s primary concern is for his readers to maintain their faith in God.
They were under a lot of pressure from a Jewish culture that oppressed them.
Econiomically - when you converted to Christianity at that time
You were cut off from your family - and
You would be hard pressed to find work from a Jewish person because they felt you were worse than a gentile.
Also they were abused for their faith in Jesus.
Verbally and physically
Do they not blaspheme the good name by which you have been called?
Through all this though James recommends
patience
Submission to God
Sharing the faith
He even states that these things will result in Honor and Glory at the coming of Jesus.
There are a few things we need to keep in mind when reading this epistle
THE LAW
James through out his life and his writings he maintained a health respect for the Law of Moses
And for Jewish purifcation ceremonies
At the same time he expresses a sympathic understanding of the Gentile Mission
Especially when he recognized the Gentiles did not have to be Circumsized
He based all that on God’s covenant with Noah (Acts 15)
In this letter we read that James is able to both uphold the law and at the same time point to its reinterpretation or fulfillment through Jesus Christ.
JAMES IS JEWISH
This comes through heavily in this letter -
This is one of the most Jewish letters in the New Testament. (I would put right up there with Hebrews)
It was written by a Jew to Jews -
So there are a lot of symbols of Judaism through out it.
They way it is writtine is classic Jewish writting.
The point is a lot of people want to forget that but when you do you loose some of the meaning
So keep that in the back of your mind - James is Jewish and some of the things may not make a whole lot of sense unless you look at them through the eyes of a Jew - and other things mean even more
When you put yourself in the shoes of the Jewish Chritian of the day.
WORKS
When looking at works and the difference in the meaing between James and Paul regaurding “good works” -
You have to understand the context
Paul emphasized you could not get right with God by “obeying the law” or anything you might do.
James aggrees with this
However - James was addressing Jewish Christians -
And his speaks of Good Works as evedince of genuine faith.
True biblical faith will alway produce good works
What Paul and James are speaking about do not contradict
We must keep them in context of what they are speaking about
Paul even will say the same thing
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Just because it says the word work - does not mean you are working for your salvaiton -
You must keep it in context.
Nevertheless, the point of James is clear: there is a relationship between faith and works.
It’s immature, shallow, and (to be blunt) damning if you try to separate the two (see 5:1).
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.
This book isn’t all sunshine and daisies.
This is serious stuff
we need to take it to heart.
Who?
Who?
Who was James written to?
“To the twelve tribes who are scattered or dispersed abroad”
The Greek word used here is dispora - which is in reference to the Jewish Christians scattered around the world.
After the death of Stephen a persecution began - and they scattered
Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.
A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.)
Special Kiwinkidinks
Special Kiwinkidinks
James is called “a general or catholic epistle”
Not Catholic relegion - but catholic in the meaning of the word catholic (all encompassing)
In other words it is writtent to all Christians - but particualy Jewish converts.
“The Episitle of The Royal Law”
It stresses loving one’s neighbor as oneself.”
“The Epistle of Practicle Living”
It is concerned with the life of the believer after hea has become a Christian.
Let’s Dive In
Let’s Dive In
This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad.
Greetings!
I love the way James refers to himself -
Simply a slave or servant or bond-servant of God - dependig on your translation.
But not just God - and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Despite his positon -
Despite his reputation
Despite the fact that he was Jesus’ brother
What matters most to him is his relationship to God and Jesus.
That is cleary stated in the word slave -
doulos - a male slave, or servant, of various degrees, a female slave; a handmaiden, used figuratively, in a bad sense, one involved in moral or spiritual thraldom, in a good sense, a devoted servant or minister, one pledged or bound to serve
In the greek the word means more than just a person who performs duties for a person or household.
It has the meaning of a slave being totally possesed by the master.
Someone who bound by law to a master.
If you go and study the the way the slave market looked in James time - you can understand more clearly what James is saying when he say “I am a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ”
The slave was owned by his master;
He was totally possesed by the master
James was purchased and possesed by Christ by the son of God.
When Christ looked upon James - he saw his condition and loved him enough to pay the price for James
He paid it in his blood and with his life
So now Yes - James and you and I are the possesion of Jesus Christ the son of God.
The slave existed for his master -
He has or had not other reason for existence.
You have no personal rights whatsoever.
The same is true for James - and Christians
He and You exist only for Christ.
Your rights were the rights of Christ only.
The slave served his master and he existed only for the purporse of service.
So it was with James and should be with us
We live only to serve Christ - hour by hour and day by day.
The slave’s will belonged to his master.
He was allowed no will or ambition other than the will and ambiton of the master.
You were completely subserviant to the master and totally obedient to his will.
James belonged to Christ -
In fact - He and us should struggle to bring every thought into capivity to the obedience of Christ.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
The final point about being a slave is most important to James and us.
Being a slave to Christ means
He had the highest honor and kingly profession in all the world.
He no longer looked a Jesus as he weird older brother who never did anything wrong
But instead - he called him Lord (kurios) - and in the old testament the greek word in the Septuguant is often translated as God.
and then he refered to him as Christ (Christos) - which meant the Messiah that God had promised down through the centuries.
Think about that - for roughly 30 years James
Played with Jesus
Worked with Jesus
Eaten
Slept near him
Gone to school
Probably even got mad at him
Definately joked around with him
But now it is an honor to call him master and refer to himself as a slave to Christ
Through out history the greatest men in History have always been called servants or slaves to God
that is the highest title of honor one can have
James is proud of that
Being a slave to Christ is not shameful
or cowardly
or cringeworthy
It is amazing and an honor
Think about it
Moses was the slave of God - (Deut 34:5)
Joshua was the slave of God - (Jos 24:29)
David was the slave of God - (2 S. 3:18)
Paul was the slave of Jesus Christ (Rom 1:1)
Now James and even Jude his other brother calls themselves a slave of Jesus Christ
This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.
I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ.
Application
Application
What would happen if we thought like James?
If we considered our selves slaves of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ?
We would be freeer than we have ever been in our lives.
If you do not think so - just think about this -
Everyone is a slave to something in their lives
Whether it is an
Addiction
Money
Job
Family
Whatever you put first in your life that is what you are a slave to.
But just think if you were to become a slave of Jesus instead
And that is really the application of everything that James talks about
All the works that prove our faith - what faith are they proving Christ or something else
Everything we will disucss in James is practical to the Christian today
Just as it was then.
Everything points to you making the choice of choosing to be a slave to Christ.
When you make that choice you realize he bought you and paid for you but you are freeer than you have ever been
Think about what Isaiah said
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
Because the Lord anointed me
To bring good news to the humble;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim release to captives
And freedom to prisoners;
Is that not what Jesus quotes along with other parts of Isaiah in Luke 4:18-19
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”
To put it a better way
To be a slave of Jesus Christ is true freedom.
James Montgomery Boice
Are you a slave of Christ - if not and even if you are as we go through this little lette that takes less than 15 minutes to read
You will squirm in your seat
You will be offended
You will have your toes stepped on because
No matter how good we think we
James points out that we must continually work to get better
So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
Are you perfect yet?
I’m not - so get ready - buckle up and let’s see what James has to say about our faith.