"The Integrity of Faith"
James: Faith that Works • Sermon • Submitted
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"THE INTEGRITY OF FAITH!"
The Book of James
The Bible dwells on two prominent themes all the way through the sixty-six books between its covers: the way to God and the walk with God!
The first is directed to the lost man who is dead in his sins. The second is aimed at the Christian; telling Him how to walk with the God he has come to know! JAMES falls within this second theme!
This morning we are beginning a series of messages from the book of James that will have as its overall theme, INTEGRITY OF FAITH!
The dictionary defines integrity as a "firm adherence to a code of moral values...the quality or state of being complete or undivided."
In its most simple form, integrity means wholeness, completeness, entire-ness. It comes from a root word that means "intact."
If we have INTEGRITY, our heart is not divided. We have no hidden agenda!
Stephen Covey - 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, defines integrity as:
...the value we place on ourselves. It's our ability to make and keep commitments to ourselves, to "walk our talk."...Your discipline comes from within; it is a function of your independent will. You are a disciple, a follower of your own deep values and their source. And you have the will, the integrity to subordinate your feelings, your impulses, your moods to those values.
THAT is what the book of James is all about--INTEGRITY OF FAITH!
It's about the kind of faith that perseveres in persecution, resists temptation, responds obediently to God's Word, overcomes prejudice, produces good works, controls the tongue, follows God's wisdom, considers God in all its plans, depends on God rather than wealth, waits patiently for the return of the Lord, and makes prayer, not personal effort, its spiritual resource!
According to James, GENUINE FAITH should make a GENUINE DIFFERENCE in the way a person lives!
In other words, one's CREED should determine one's CONDUCT!
The book of James is not a great doctrinal letter!
For example, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ only appears twice, the cross, the resurrection, and the Holy Spirit are never mentioned!
This book was NOT written for establishing the doctrines of the faith, but for encouraging its PRACTICE!
It drives home the importance of living as if we know the truth!
Let’s begin to acquainting ourselves with some basic facts, providing us with a framework for this series!
I. The AUTHOR – (1:1)
I. The AUTHOR – (1:1)
Three prominent men in the N.T. are called James (although, it’s actually from the Greek, “Jacob” throughout the NT).
1. JAMES, the son of Zebedee, one of the twelve – (Mark 1:19)
1. JAMES, the son of Zebedee, one of the twelve – (Mark 1:19)
He was the first apostolic martyr! – (Acts 12:1-2)
2. JAMES, the son of Alphaeus, who was one of the twelve – (Mark 3:18)
2. JAMES, the son of Alphaeus, who was one of the twelve – (Mark 3:18)
Because he was shorter than James, the son of Zebedee, he is referred to as "James the Less."
3. JAMES, the half-brother of Jesus – (Mark 6:3) (Galatians 1:19)
3. JAMES, the half-brother of Jesus – (Mark 6:3) (Galatians 1:19)
Because he is always mentioned first whenever the Lord's brothers are listed, it is usually concluded that he was next in age after Jesus!
THIS James is believed to have written the epistle of James!
II. HIS HISTORY!
II. HIS HISTORY!
In looking at a brief sketch of James' life, we can begin to see why he wrote as he did!
James lived with Jesus for thirty years and remained an unbeliever!
(For not even his brothers believed in him.)
Consider for a moment, James had as his only big brother the Lord Jesus, who never sinned!
I believe that this was already a built-in problem!
When Jesus returned to Nazareth, demonstrating His unusual powers and wisdom, it is not surprising that He received the kind of response from his family as described in (Mark 3:21)
When his family heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, “He’s out of his mind.”
The decided opinion of Jesus' family, including James, was that He was out of His mind—His cheese slipped off his cracker!
However, he came to a point where he had to decide: "Was his brother the Messiah?"
Immediately following the Resurrection, Jesus paid a visit to His cynical brother!
Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
They all were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
When Jesus showed Himself to those gathered in the Upper Room, James was there!
While we're not told when he believed, we do see the RESULTS of James' faith!
In the time that followed, James became one of the most significant leaders in the early Church!
After they stopped speaking, James responded, “Brothers, listen to me.
When we reached Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters welcomed us warmly.
When James, Cephas, and John—those recognized as pillars—acknowledged the grace that had been given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to me and Barnabas, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
Josephus records that James was stoned on orders of the High Priest, Annas, in A.D.62.
III. HIS SELF-PERSPECTIVE! – (1:1)
III. HIS SELF-PERSPECTIVE! – (1:1)
Before any other had been written, James composed the first piece of biblical literature in what would become the New Testament!
Having no pattern to follow, it is interesting to see how he identifies himself – “…a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ”
"Servant"- from doulos, lit. “slave!” He recognized that his true relationship to Jesus was not PHYSICAL, but SPIRITUAL!!
IV. RELATING TO HIS READERS! – (1:1b-2a)
IV. RELATING TO HIS READERS! – (1:1b-2a)
(2:1; 3:1) - Obviously, James was writing to fellow Christians!!
“Scattered abroad”- a result of the martyr of Stephen! (Acts 8:1; 11:19)
V. THE BOOK AS A WHOLE!
V. THE BOOK AS A WHOLE!
1. The MAIN THEME: Real Faith Produces Genuine Works!
1. The MAIN THEME: Real Faith Produces Genuine Works!
Put in another way, we can say that the person who has genuinely found the Way walks in it!
2. The MAIN PASSAGE! – (2:14-26)
2. The MAIN PASSAGE! – (2:14-26)
A careful look at this text shows James NOT teaching salvation by works, but salvation that is ACCOMPANIED by works!
Faith is the ROOT...works are the FRUIT of salvation!
3. The PREVAILING TONE!
3. The PREVAILING TONE!
In no way did James portray an easy and comfortable life for the one determined to walk in faith.
He steps all over a variety of toes in the Christian family to pinpoint phoniness and insecurity!
In the 108 verses of this short letter, there are 59 imperatives!
James is DIDACTIC – For example, an imperative is usually accompanied by an explanation; and a command, by a rationale.
James desired to put the INTEGRITY OF FAITH back into the Christian life; therefore, he couched his message in straight talk!
The difficulty of the book of James is not in the understanding, but in obeying its message!
CONCLUSION!
CONCLUSION!
There has never been a more crucial time to study the Book of James. Its strong message of "genuine faith"cries out against the emptiness of the so many modern claims to Christianity!
We can turn back toward INTEGRITY is we will earnestly STUDY and become...(1:22)!
But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.