The Fruit of Faith (James 2)

This is your worship at home guide for Sunday 5/10/20. It's part of the "Journeying through James" series for May (see the post about this series here).

You can consider lighting a candle to set the environment for worship and to symbolize God's presence with you.

Families with little kids: There are questions in here to help your kids engage.  You may need to reword content, depending on the age of your kids.

Introduction

James had quite the personal story. He grew up with Jesus, who was born of James' mother, Mary, under some very extraordinary circumstances (did James ever hear Christmas stories told around the dinner table?). When Jesus was an adult, he began a preaching ministry, said he'd die for other people's sins, performed miracles, gathered a following of disciples, and let people call him the Messiah. James thought his older brother was a bit crazy and didn't believe in him. But later this skeptic became a fully devoted follower of Jesus and leader of the church in Jerusalem (see the full introduction to James in week 1's guide).

The letter of James we have in our Bibles is believed by scholars to have been written in the 40s AD, which makes it the first book in the New Testament to have been written. The primary aim of James' letter is to help believers live out their faith. He answers the question for us: what does true, genuine faith look like in someone's life? He is concerned with how we live if we say that we believe in Jesus. This concern is especially clear in chapter 2.

Before you jump into the Scripture, consider this:

• Agree or Disagree: When you die and stand before Jesus, the way you lived your life on earth will be taken into consideration to determine whether you are saved or not.
• Why do you agree or why do you disagree?

Considering this helps you start to think about the relationship between your faith and how you live. Or to put another way, it gets you to start thinking about the relationship between faith and works (actions), which is an important topic of this chapter.

Treating Others Rightly (James 2:1-13)

We will find that throughout this letter, James will return to topics he has already brought up. Here, he returns to the topic of the poor and the rich, which he already brought up in 1:9-11. Let's read what he has to say:

1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? (James 2:1-7)

"Partiality" is another word for "favoritism". James is saying that those who trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord should not play favorites. The believers James was writing to were treating the rich better than they were treating the poor. Even though, as we saw in chapter 1, most of the believers themselves aren't rich. 

James says they are becoming judges who are thinking in evil ways by making distinctions among themselves. And based on what criteria? Based on how much money someone has. In verses 6-7, James points out how odd it is that they are dishonoring poor people in their gatherings but treating rich people with honor since rich people are the ones dishonoring them in the world and dishonoring their Lord!

"Rich and poor" is one way we might group people and make distinctions. But there are others ways.

• What are some other criteria we might use to show favoritism toward someone?
• What are some others groups we might divide people into? (ex: black and white)
• Are there any other reasons we might show favoritism toward someone?

We might give preferential treatment to those who impress us because we want them to like us. Or to people who scare us because we don't want them to be mad at us. Or we might show favoritism to those we see as useful so we do things to get something from them. When we see rich people or impressive people or people with status, we may think, "If this person joins our community, we'd have a lot of money and resources on our side. They'd be a real asset." Or we might think, "I need to keep this person happy because they could really hurt me if I don't."

We might also play favorities toward people who are like us or with whom we have more in common. Perhaps we give more attention to people who look like us, dress like us, are the same skin color as us, are the same age as us, like the same things as us, are married like us or single like us or have kids the same age as us. The list goes on.

If none of these things should determine our attitude toward others, then what should determine our attitude toward others? What should determine how we treat others? James said it in verse 5:

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? (James 2:5)

We shouldn't play favorities between rich and poor because God doesn't! God doesn't look down on the poor and favor the rich. Poor people who love him are made rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom. Our attitude toward other people should match God's attitude toward other people.

James' first point is this: Favoritism goes against what you believe about how God has treated you. God does not play favorities. Anyone who loves him is given a place in his kingdom and they are not treated better or worse based on how much money is in their wallet or based on any other criteria. And James said in verse 1 that we must show no favoritism as we hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. If we really believe the gospel we cannot show favoritism. If we really believe that God doesn't play favorites with us, we can't play favorites with other people. The fruit of loving this God and believing the gospel is that we treat others like he's treated us. Favoritism is incompatible with belief in the gospel and loving the God of anti-favoritism.

James makes a second point in the next verses:

8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:8-13)

James' second point is this: Favoritism goes against what God commands about how to treat others. If you are playing favorites, you cannot love others as yourself because you are excluding some people from your love. James calls God's law the "royal law" because all of God's laws tell us how he wants us to live as citizens of his kingdom. We enter by grace, but that doesn't mean he doesn't want us to live a certain way once we are in.

James warns that we need to take this sin of favoritism seriously. It can be easy to slip into thinking our sin isn't a big deal where we say, "Well, it's only one command or one law I broke. It's not that big of a deal." But James is saying that when we break God's laws and commands, we should not take it lightly. Each law is connected to one another because they all come from one Lawgiver: God. When you break one, you are living in violation of the will of God and you are accountable to him when you break them.

His final charge in verse 12 is that we should speak and act as those who will be judged under the law of liberty. Why? Verse 13 gives the answer: "For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment." "Mercy" could also be translated as "compassion" meaning kindness or concern expressed for someone in need. James is taking us back to how his readers are treating the poor in their midst. Are they speaking and acting as judges with evil thoughts? Then they'll receive judgment without mercy. Or are they speaking and acting mercifully and compassionately? Then they'll receive mercy.

James' exhortation is that they need to pay attention to how they live as believers because they'll be evaluated by God's law. But at this point maybe you are saying: "Wait a minute, James. What’s all this talk about the law and judgment? I thought I was saved by faith in Jesus. So why are you warning me to be careful about how I live? What about faith? If we are saved by faith, why would how I treat others make a difference on whether I will receive mercy or judgment from God?"

This's what the next section is about.

Why How We Live Matters (James 2:14-26)

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (James 2:14-17)

"Works" is another way of saying "actions" for James. James' point is that faith without action is no good. It can't save someone. It's not a saving faith. It's a dead faith. It's as useful as saying to a poor person who needs food and clothing, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled." It's all talk.

He continues in verse 18:

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! (James 2:18-19)

It can be easy to make faith all about believing the right things are true. For instance, believing it's true that there is only one God. Or believing it's true that God loves us, Jesus died for our sins, he rose from the dead, and if we trust in him we can have eternal life. Or believing everything our Statement of Faith says is true. But as James points out, even the demons believe this stuff is true - and shudder!

James' is telling us that believing something is true isn't enough to save us. If we don't act on the truth, it does us no good. Believing it's true that eating better would improve your health is useless if you don't do it. Believing it's true that taking your medicine would get you better is a dead faith if you never take it. Believing someone could help you with a problem you have does no good if you never take action to ask them for help.

Believing all these facts are true but never acting on them is what James calls a useless, dead faith. It's the faith of demons because it doesn't involve repentance. Demons know the truth, but they don't change their actions based on the truth.

Next James gives two positive examples of faith in action:

20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. (James 2:20-26)

Abraham and Rahab are two figures from the Old Testament. Abraham is of course famous for being the forefather of the people of Israel, but he's also famous for his faith. In Genesis 15:6, Abraham believed God's promise and it was counted to Abraham as righteousness. But James' point is that Abraham didn't just sit on his butt after that, because he showed time and time again through his actions how he actually trusted in God. The ultimate action that showed his trust in God was when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar in Genesis 22. 

James' second example is Rahab, who was not an Israelite but professed faith in God and took action to save some Israelite messengers (see Joshua 2).

Both of these people - Abraham the patriach of Israel and Rahab the prostitute from Jericho - could be in right relationship with God. God shows no favoritism. What is required is faith that leads to action.

The Reformers of the 16th century from whom we get sayings like "we are justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone" also had another saying. It was said in various forms, but it goes something like this: "We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone." It's always accompanied by good works. That's what James is saying and Jesus, Paul, Peter, John, and every other apostle would agree with him. Our statement of faith says it like this at the beginning of Article 7:

We believe that God's justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed.

Some people may ask: How much is enough? How do I know when I've done enough good works? That's not the right question. Our relationship with God is not a transactional relationship. Our relationship with God is a transformational relationship. Jesus saves. He's provided the basis for our relationship with God. We enter relationship with God through faith in Jesus. We trust in Jesus as our King who saves us. We commit to him as our King to lead us and guide us and change us. We surrender all of life to him. Our faith is made visible by works that we do to please him because we love him, not to earn anything or to pay him back. 

Response 

The driving theme of this letter is: What does true, genuine faith look like in someone's life? Today we saw that:

1. Faith in God who loves with no favoritism leads us to love with no favoritism.
2. Faith is made visible by our actions.

Some possible responses for today:

• Is there anyone you exclude from your love? Based on what criteria? How are you going to repent of that?
  • Note: If you are doing The Gospel-Centered Life with us on Friday nights, the Exercise from Lesson 1 (see page 17) can be a practical tool for help in seeing ways we "judge" others.
• How can you make your faith visible this week by putting it into action? Here are some examples from chapters 1 and 2 of James:
  • Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, and don't fight (1:19-21).
  • Watch what you say (1:26).
  • Care for someone who is vulnerable and in need. Do you have any widows that live near you or elderly neighbors you can check in on? Do you know anyone who is an orphan or like one - without a father or mother? (1:27).
  • Clean out a stain of the world from your life - take steps to remove a sinful or destructive habit that has a hold on you (1:27).
  • Show love and care for someone who isn't like you or whom you don't normally love (2:1-13).
  • Provide for the physical needs of a Christian brother or sister (2:15-16).

Worship with others:

As a church, we want to encourage one another every Sunday by worshiping together on WhatsApp. Take a few minutes to post in the Encouragement group on WhatsApp.

Here are some examples of what you could post:

• how God spoke to you through your time of worshiping at home
• a verse that stood out to you
• a song that touched you from the worship playlist
• a truth that God reminded you of that you needed to hear
• what God is teaching you
• a prayer
• thankfulness to God - who he is, what he's done
• and more!

Bonus

If you haven't heard of The Bible Project, they are great. They make short, animated videos for books of the Bible and themes in the Bible. Here is their video for the book of James.