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More James commentaries

James 1:1-4
How to Profit from Trials

James 1:5-8
How to Deal with Trials

James 1:9-11
The Perspective of Rich and Poor

James 1:12-18
Loving God In Spite of Trials

James 1:19-25
Qualities Needed in Trials

James 1:26-27
Doers - Not Hearers Only

James 2:1-9
Beware of Personal Favorites

James 2:10-18
Faith is Proved by Love

James 2:19-26
Faith is Proved by Works

James 3:1-8
The Tongue that Needs Tamed

James 3:9-12
The Lips Need to Bear Spiritual Fruit

James 3:13-18
Heavenly Verses Demonic Wisdom

James 4:1-6
Pride Promotes Strife

James 4:7-10
Humility Cures Worldliness

James 4:11-17
Don’t Boast about Tomorrow

James 5:1-6
Rich Oppressors Will Be Judged

James 5:7-12
Be Patient and Persevering

James 5:13-20
The Prayer of Faith

Faith is Proved by Love

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James 2:10–18
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)

Chuck Swindoll tells how he and his wife had the pleasure of spending an evening with former astronaut, General Charles M. Duke. They were fascinated as he told of the Apollo 16 mission to the moon, including some interesting tidbits related to driving “Rover,” the lu … More

Obedience

 

James gave us a great truth in this passage. He knew people would hardly consider themselves as lawbreakers when they showed prejudice or undue respect for the rich. However, James makes it  plain that this is no small offense. Total obedience to God is the important fact. God has unalterable laws and spiritual maturity is only attain­ed by complete and consistent obedience (vv. 10-13).

Paul says we are saved by faith and not by works alone (Eph. 2:8-9). Now James says we are saved by works and not by faith alone (vv. 14-18). How can both be true? There are basically 3 kinds of faith and only one is true saving faith:

  1. No Faith (Dead Works): Paul was writing to Ephe­sian legalists who were saying “we do not need faith we have works."  Paul tells them that works without faith will not save.
  2. Dead Faith  James is writing to religious Jews who were saying “we have faith so we can live any way we want."  Just because they said they were believers did not make them saved.
  3. Living Faith that Works: Both Paul and James would agree that true faith in Christ will result in a changed life.

Application

Is there some area in my live in which I am not in complete obedience to God’s plan for my life? This one reason I need to be searching the Scripture daily to find out if there is.

James 2:10-18 (English Standard Version)

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. 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. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 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? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 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.

View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway) »

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