LifeWay Bible Studies for Life Series for November 1: Live your faith

This five-session study lesson on the Book of James confronts casual Christianity. Casual Christianity is the attempt to live the Christian life at less than full commitment and dedication. This compromised effort at Christian living resembles engaging in any effort at half-speed.

James, the brother of Jesus, was a significant leader in the Jerusalem fellowship. He wrote this letter around 44 A.D. to 48 A.D. to Christians scattered by persecution. The letter’s overall theme is that believers must commit themselves wholeheartedly to God who demands absolute obedience. James insists good works that conform to God’s expectations are natural in believers’ lives.

We learn to express our faith by who we are, how we think and what we do. We accept the necessity of moving beyond causal Christianity and understand faith in Christ must impact our relationships, our business practices, our integrity and our speech. James challenges believers to allow God’s word to transform every aspect of their lives.

Receive the implanted Word (James 1:19-21)

James assures readers the trials and persecutions they face actually provide opportunities for spiritual growth. In these difficulties, God supports and replenishes believers and works out of his set purpose by giving them new birth (v. 18).

James uses the term “wherefore” twice in the next verses, showing his teachings of true religion contrast with false religion and are based on the faithfulness of God who is helping believers through the trials (1:19-27). He writes, “Of this you can be certain,” or “Know this.” Human anger and exasperation never achieve the uprightness God desires (v. 20). Christians should maintain a sharp ear to quickly hear, a slow tongue to carefully speak and a cool head to avoid outbreaks of temper.

Believers can achieve the abilities of quickness in hearing, careful speaking and cool temper by two actions. First, believers should strip themselves (or rid themselves) of everything that soils or is vile and everything that is evil or relates to malice.  Cleansing of heart and soul precede reaching the state of doing what is right in God’s sight.

The second action that leads to God’s right living is humbly accepting the word that God plants in our hearts. “Receiving” or “accepting” the word means to allow God’s will to be fruitful in our lives. James says we should cultivate our lives to accept the full growth of God’s Word in our lives.  This engrafted Word is able to bring people to God’s salvation and guide their lives. The Word is Jesus, his message and his presence in our lives.  The presence, power, provision and protection of Jesus lives within the believer.

Some years ago, medical people placed in my body a device called a pacemaker. This device regulates the beating of my heart. In a far more significant way, the presence and power of Jesus is embedded in the believer’s heart and helps regulate the believer’s way of living.

In these sentences, James begins to develop one of his great themes—that is, the indispensability of actions along with faith in genuine Christian experience.

Act on the impulses of the Word (James 1:22-25)

Properly responding to the inward Word of God demands more than simply hearing Jesus’ teachings. One who hears these teachings and does not practice them deceives himself/herself. One should continuously, day by day, put the message of Jesus into practice. To hear Jesus’ teachings and not practice these injunctions is like a person who looks into a mirror but then forgets the image. One who looks carefully, continuously and intently into God’s perfect law makes a habit of obeying this law and receives a great blessing of freedom.

James enjoins all believers to hear, accept and then adopt a live-style of acting on these teachings. James cements his meaning by pointing out that one who claims to be religious but does not control his own tongue deceives himself/herself and has a religion that is worthless (v. 26).

Behave in keeping with your spiritual DNA  (James 2:14, 18-26)

Upon receiving Jesus, believers receive a new nature—his/her spiritual DNA is changed to Christlikeness. James teaches that believers should behave in keeping with his presence and power within. Saving faith produces a changed life that will of its own nature produce good works. James questions the validity of any faith that fails to produce good works.

James employed a style of teaching called “diatribe” that projected a question and answer debate. If one claims to have faith but does not practice this faith, can that kind of faith (such faith) save?  The person whose actions belie his/her faith shows by this lack of practice that the faith is defective (vv. 14-17), James declares proper behavior and service to others shows the validity of faith. Even belief in one God without proper behavior shows the inadequacy of such belief. The devils believe and shudder like persons who fear the magic person in traditional religion.

James illustrates the correctness of the teaching of the inseparability of faith and works by pointing to Abraham and Rahab who believed God and expressed this belief in action.  Certainly no difference exists in the teachings of Paul (Romans 3:28; Ephesians 2:8-10). Paul speaks of coming into right relations with God through the faith that calls upon the saving deeds of Christ. James speaks of the results of being right with God, the producing of good works in his name and by his power.

James expresses his conclusion. Faith without good deeds amounts to nothing. Belief divorced from proper actions is barren and not real. Believers who behave in keeping with their spiritual DNA will produce good works in the power of Jesus.