James: The Path to Discipleship

Introduction

GREETING: THE SERVANT OF GOD ADDRESSES BELIEVERS WORLDWIDE, 1:1

(1:1) Introduction: this is a most interesting passage of Scripture. It tells us some facts about one of the brothers of the Lord Jesus, some facts about a person who lived with Jesus day by day and had an opportunity to notice what kind of life He lived. The passage is also a dynamic challenge to us.

1. The servant of God, James (v. 1).

2. The believers scattered all over the world (v. 1).

(1:1) The author of the letter is James, a servant of God. Who is he? He was apparently so well-known among believers throughout the world that no title was needed other than his name. This points rather strongly toward his being the Lord’s brother James. Note two touching and very important facts about what James says.

He simply calls himself James, “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.” He is a leader among God’s people. Yet his glory is not in the title of his position, but in the fact that he is a servant of God and Christ.

Despite his position and worldwide reputation, what matters most to him is the intimacy of his relationship to God and his Lord. This is clearly seen when a person understands the word servant as it is used here, for the meaning shows that James deliberately chose the word to describe his relationship to the Lord.

<1> The word “servant” (doulos) in the Greek means far more than just a person who performs duties for a person or household. It means a slave totally possessed by the master. It means a bond-servant bound by law to a master. A look at the slave market of James’s day shows more clearly what James meant when he said he was a slave of Jesus Christ.

It means a bond-servant bound by law to a master. A look at the slave market of James’s day shows more clearly what James meant when he said he was a slave of Jesus Christ.

The slave was owned by his master; he was totally possessed by his master. This is what James meant. James was purchased and possessed by Christ, the Son of the living God. Christ had looked upon him and had seen his rebellious and needful condition. And when Christ looked, the most wonderful thing happened: Christ loved him and bought him; therefore, he was now the possession of Christ.

The slave existed for his master and he had no other reason for existence. He had no personal rights whatsoever. The same was true with James: he existed only for Christ. His rights were the rights of Christ only.

The slave served his master and he existed only for the purpose of service. He was at the master’s disposal any hour of the day. So it was with James: he lived only to serve Christ—hour by hour and day by day.

Are you quickly defensive when someone disagrees with you? If your first response is to defend yourself and your position, you’re not very teachable.

Do you go out of your way to be right? I’ve known some people who never let an argument die until they’ve shown they’re right.   

Do you avoid listening to, reading from, or talking with others who differ from you? A closed mind is evidence of an unteachable heart.  

Do you blame everyone else for your failures? When everyone else is at fault, you never have any reason to learn.

Do you talk more than you listen? Listeners usually learn; talkers often talk because they want their “wise” voice to be heard.

Do you tend to find fault with others? One of the easiest ways to show a lack of teachability is to continually find the specks in somebody else’s eye while not seeing the log in your own ().

Have you made it thus far on your charisma more than your efforts?People who live on their charisma have little reason to keep learning. Why do you need to learn when everybody loves hanging out with you anyway?

Do you pray and then act, or do you act and then ask God to bless it? If it’s the latter, you’re not even asking God to teach you; you’re expecting Him to agree with you.  

What have you learned that’s changed your life in the last year? The last six months? If you’ve not learned anything that’s made a difference in your life, it might be because you’ve seen no need to learn.

Would your family and co-workers say you’re unteachable? If so, you probably are – regardless of how you answered the previous nine questions.

<2> The slave’s will belonged to his master. He was allowed no will and no ambition other than the will and ambition of the master. He was completely subservient to the master and owed total obedience to the will of the master. James belonged to Christ. In fact, he fought and struggled to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (, esp. 5).

<3> There is also another precious thing that James meant by “a slave of Jesus Christ.” He meant that he had the highest and most honored and kingly profession in all the world. Men of God, the greatest men of history, have always been called “the servants of God.”

Men of God, the greatest men of history, have always been called “the servants of God.” It was the highest title of honor. The believer’s slavery to Jesus Christ is no cringing, cowardly, shameful subjection. It is the position of honor—the honor that bestows upon a man the privileges and responsibilities of serving the King of kings and Lord of lords.

<4> It was the highest title of honor. The believer’s slavery to Jesus Christ is no cringing, cowardly, shameful subjection. It is the position of honor—the honor that bestows upon a man the privileges and responsibilities of serving the King of kings and Lord of lords.

⇒ Moses was the slave of God (De. 34:5; Ps. 105:26; Mal. 4:4).

⇒ Joshua was the slave of God (Jos. 24:29).

⇒ David was the slave of God (2 S. 3:18; Ps. 78:70).

⇒ Paul was the slave of Jesus Christ (Ro. 1:1; Ph. 1:1; Tit. 1:1).

⇒ James was the slave of God (Js. 1:1).

⇒ Jude was the slave of God (Jude 1).

⇒ The prophets were the slaves of God (Am. 3:7; Je. 7:25).

⇒ Christian believers are said to be the slaves of Jesus Christ (Ac. 2:18; 1 Co. 7:22; Ep. 6:6; Col. 4:12; 2 Ti. 2:24).

“If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour” (Jn. 12:26; see Ro. 12:1; 1 Co. 15:58).

“[Laboring] not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men” (Ep. 6:6–7).

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ” (Col. 3:23–24).

“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (He. 12:28).

“And ye shall serve the Lord your God” (Ex. 23:25).

“What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul” (De. 10:12).

“Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling” (Ps. 2:11).

“Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing” (Ps. 100:2).

<5> James says that Jesus, the carpenter from Nazareth, was the Lord Jesus Christ.

⇒ By Lord (kurios) he meant God. The word Lord (kurios) is frequently used in the Old Testament Scripture to mean God, that is Elohim or Jaweh.

⇒ By Christ (Christos) he meant the Messiah, the Savior whom God had promised down through the centuries.

<6> This is striking and touching, for James had lived as a brother to Jesus for years.

Day in and day out, hour by hour, month by month, and year by year James had played, eaten, worked, slept, and gone to school with Jesus. He had roamed the surrounding hills with Jesus as a boy and seen Him play with other children and relate to the neighbors and adults of their neighborhood. James had seen how his brother received and responded to adult instruction, teaching, and supervision. He had also probably seen Jesus take over the head of the household when their father, Joseph, had died.

Day in and day out, hour by hour, month by month, and year by year James had played, eaten, worked, slept, and gone to school with Jesus. He had roamed the surrounding hills with Jesus as a boy and seen Him play with other children and relate to the neighbors and adults of their neighborhood. James had seen how his brother received and responded to adult instruction, teaching, and supervision. He had also probably seen Jesus take over the head of the household when their father, Joseph, had died.

Just imagine the day by day, monthly, and yearly contact James had with Jesus, and still James calls Him …

the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord and Christ of the Old Testament Scriptures.

the Lord of glory (Js. 2:1).

the Lord who is coming again (Js. 5:7).

•

the Lord whose coming draws near (Js. 5:8).

<7> The point is this: James is saying that the Lord Jesus Christ is God, the very Son of God who is equal to God the Father. He is saying that his brother, Jesus the carpenter from Nazareth, is of the very nature and character of God, of the very being and essence of God.

This is a most remarkable and striking fact—glorious evidence that Jesus Christ is exactly whom He claimed to be. For James had lived as the half-brother to Jesus for some years. He was able to observe the life of his brother, and he found no fault in Him. After the Lord’s resurrection, James was able to accept the glorious truth: his brother Jesus was unquestionably the Lord of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world whom God had promised from the beginning of time.

“So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God” (Mk. 16:19).

“Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God” (Lu. 22:69).

“He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all” (Jn. 3:31).

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Ac. 2:36).

“Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins” (Ac. 5:31).

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Ro. 10:9).

“For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living” (Ro. 14:9).

“But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him” (1 Co. 8:6).

“And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places” (Ep. 1:19–20).

“Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Ph. 2:6–11).

“Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” ().

(1:1) Introduction: this is a most interesting passage of Scripture. It tells us some facts about one of the brothers of the Lord Jesus, some facts about a person who lived with Jesus day by day and had an opportunity to notice what kind of life He lived. The passage is also a dynamic challenge to us.

1. The servant of God, James (v. 1).

2. The believers scattered all over the world (v. 1).

1 (1:1) James—Slave—Jesus Christ, Deity: the author of the letter is James, a servant of God. Who is he? He was apparently so well-known among believers throughout the world that no title was needed other than his name. This points rather strongly toward his being the Lord’s brother James. Note two touching and very important facts about what James says.

1. He simply calls himself James, “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.” He is a leader among God’s people. Yet his glory is not in the title of his position, but in the fact that he is a servant of God and Christ. Despite his position and worldwide reputation, what matters most to him is the intimacy of his relationship to God and his Lord. This is clearly seen when a person understands the word servant as it is used here, for the meaning shows that James deliberately chose the word to describe his relationship to the Lord.

The word “servant” (doulos) in the Greek means far more than just a person who performs duties for a person or household. It means a slave totally possessed by the master. It means a bond-servant bound by law to a master. A look at the slave market of James’s day shows more clearly what James meant when he said he was a slave of Jesus Christ.

a. The slave was owned by his master; he was totally possessed by his master. This is what James meant. James was purchased and possessed by Christ, the Son of the living God. Christ had looked upon him and had seen his rebellious and needful condition. And when Christ looked, the most wonderful thing happened: Christ loved him and bought him; therefore, he was now the possession of Christ.

b. The slave existed for his master and he had no other reason for existence. He had no personal rights whatsoever. The same was true with James: he existed only for Christ. His rights were the rights of Christ only.

c. The slave served his master and he existed only for the purpose of service. He was at the master’s disposal any hour of the day. So it was with James: he lived only to serve Christ—hour by hour and day by day.

d. The slave’s will belonged to his master. He was allowed no will and no ambition other than the will and ambition of the master. He was completely subservient to the master and owed total obedience to the will of the master. James belonged to Christ. In fact, he fought and struggled to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Co. 10:3–5, esp. 5).

e. There is a fifth and most precious thing that James meant by “a slave of Jesus Christ.” He meant that he had the highest and most honored and kingly profession in all the world. Men of God, the greatest men of history, have always been called “the servants of God.” It was the highest title of honor. The believer’s slavery to Jesus Christ is no cringing, cowardly, shameful subjection. It is the position of honor—the honor that bestows upon a man the privileges and responsibilities of serving the King of kings and Lord of lords.

⇒ Moses was the slave of God (De. 34:5; Ps. 105:26; Mal. 4:4).

⇒ Joshua was the slave of God (Jos. 24:29).

⇒ David was the slave of God (2 S. 3:18; Ps. 78:70).

⇒ Paul was the slave of Jesus Christ (Ro. 1:1; Ph. 1:1; Tit. 1:1).

⇒ James was the slave of God (Js. 1:1).

⇒ Jude was the slave of God (Jude 1).

⇒ The prophets were the slaves of God (Am. 3:7; Je. 7:25).

⇒ Christian believers are said to be the slaves of Jesus Christ (Ac. 2:18; 1 Co. 7:22; Ep. 6:6; Col. 4:12; 2 Ti. 2:24).

“If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour” (Jn. 12:26; see Ro. 12:1; 1 Co. 15:58).

“[Laboring] not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men” (Ep. 6:6–7).

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ” (Col. 3:23–24).

“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (He. 12:28).

“And ye shall serve the Lord your God” (Ex. 23:25).

“What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul” (De. 10:12).

“Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling” (Ps. 2:11).

“Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing” (Ps. 100:2).

2. James says that Jesus, the carpenter from Nazareth, was the Lord Jesus Christ.

⇒ By Lord (kurios) he meant God. The word Lord (kurios) is frequently used in the Old Testament Scripture to mean God, that is Elohim or Jaweh (A.T. Robertson. Word Pictures In The New Testament, Vol.6. Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933, p. 10).

⇒ By Christ (Christos) he meant the Messiah, the Savior whom God had promised down through the centuries.

This is striking and touching, for James had lived as a brother to Jesus for years. Day in and day out, hour by hour, month by month, and year by year James had played, eaten, worked, slept, and gone to school with Jesus. He had roamed the surrounding hills with Jesus as a boy and seen Him play with other children and relate to the neighbors and adults of their neighborhood. James had seen how his brother received and responded to adult instruction, teaching, and supervision. He had also probably seen Jesus take over the head of the household when their father, Joseph, had died.

Just imagine the day by day, monthly, and yearly contact James had with Jesus, and still James calls Him …

• the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord and Christ of the Old Testament Scriptures.

• the Lord of glory (Js. 2:1).

• the Lord who is coming again (Js. 5:7).

• the Lord whose coming draws near (Js. 5:8).

The point is this: James is saying that the Lord Jesus Christ is God, the very Son of God who is equal to God the Father. He is saying that his brother, Jesus the carpenter from Nazareth, is of the very nature and character of God, of the very being and essence of God.

Thought 1. This is a most remarkable and striking fact—glorious evidence that Jesus Christ is exactly whom He claimed to be. For James had lived as the half-brother to Jesus for some years. He was able to observe the life of his brother, and he found no fault in Him. After the Lord’s resurrection, James was able to accept the glorious truth: his brother Jesus was unquestionably the Lord of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world whom God had promised from the beginning of time.

“So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God” (Mk. 16:19).

“Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God” (Lu. 22:69).

“He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all” (Jn. 3:31).

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Ac. 2:36).

“Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins” (Ac. 5:31).

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Ro. 10:9).

“For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living” (Ro. 14:9).

“But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him” (1 Co. 8:6).

“And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places” (Ep. 1:19–20).

“Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Ph. 2:6–11).

“Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (Re. 5:12).

GREETING: THE SERVANT OF GOD ADDRESSES BELIEVERS WORLDWIDE, 1:1