When I think of the little book of James, I remember that his writing packs a “wallop.”  You might think that word means a whole bunch of something.  Well, it doesn’t mean that at all!  It means to whack someone OR something with a good punch.  The dictionary definition uses these descriptors:  hit, strike, beat, batter, thump, pound, attack.  I will share my granny’s quote once again for emphasis, “Brother James shore duz git us told real good!” 

Works do not save you.  If that were the case, the cross was not necessary.  We could simply “work” our way to heaven.  Jesus came to live a perfect life and make a way for us to salvation through the shedding of His own precious blood.  However…HOWEVER…James makes it very, very clear that true faith WORKS!  We must see that our faith has feet and wings.  Roots of faith yield fruit of righteousness.  We will live out what God has given us.  We look up to Jesus for salvation.  We look inside ourselves and find Him there by His Holy Spirit.  We then look down for feet to wash.  We look around us for people to serve. 

Next week, we will hear James say that faith without works is dead, therefore useless.  We work out what God works in.  It no longer is a “have to” but it becomes a “want to.”  That’s what it means to be a bondservant.  We serve the master with love and devotion.  We allow Him to use us to touch others in His name.

These things are from chapter one.  First we put satan in his place. We face deception head on.   We realize that his attacks are temptations.  God does not tempt people.  We are to be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.  We put aside filthiness.  We hold our tongue in check.  We help widows and orphans with diligence.  We seek to remain unstained by the world and its lusts. 

James 2 begins with the mandate to wipe out the sin (yes, sin) of showing favoritism.  The rich man and the poor man should be treated equally.  Everywhere!  Not only in church, but in the workplace and in the home and everywhere else.  Never allow riches or the lack thereof to determine your reaction to people.  Showing partiality is just wrong.  Even before our current culture “demanded” respect, believers should have been the originators of showing love for everyone made in the image of God.  And, that would be everybody!!!

James validates the commandments given to Moses by the Lord.  The same One who said adultery is wrong also said that murder is wrong.  Anyone who disobeys in any area has committed sin.  James calls them “transgressors” in James 2:11.  A transgressor is one who steps over the boundary line of truth by committing error.  If we commit even ONE sin, we are violators of the commandments of God.  That simply means everyone is a sinner!  We all need Jesus.  It also means that nobody is perfect (except Jesus), but we should strive every day to do what is right. 

James 2:12 is where we have developed the paraphrase “Practice what you preach.” We also word that this way:  let your walk and your talk be the same.  Do what you say, say what you do.  There are lots of ways to express that truth.  So sad to see that believers are rarely good “billboards” for being a Christian. 

Your speech as well as your silence convey your true values.  When we are vocal with hurtfully bad manners, we are not serving well.  When we are silent in the face of injustice, we are also not serving well.  Jesus knew when to speak and when to be silent.  He also left us with the example of ministering to lots of different people and needs.  He touched and healed lepers.  He had meals with “sinners” labeled so by his own Jewish brethren.  He loved the woman at the well with all her baggage.  He reached out to prostitutes.  He met with teachers of the law.  He washed the feet of His disciples.  Last of all He reached out to ME…and YOU!