A Quick Review
We have finished the
Book of James on Sunday mornings. In
a way, I’m sorry we’re done. As
I prepared the last message, I read through the book again just for a
quick review. I was amazed
at how much I had learned from the preparation to preach and how much
came back as I read through it again.
I hope together we’ve grown through the study of the book.
I know that I’ve been convicted every time I preached.
If it seemed like I stepped on a few toes, remember I was
stepping on mine first (that’s hard to do…stepping on your own
toes).
Mark Dever in his
New Testament introduction shows that James gives his readers truth
which exposes at least three myths.
These myths are things we might believe prior to learning the
truth from God’s Word.
Myth
#1- Trials Are Bad
Count
it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
[3] for you know that the testing of your faith produces
steadfastness. [4] And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may
be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4 ESV)
James gave us a new
way to approach trials didn’t he?
He said that we don’t have to fear them or even dread them
because it is through the trials that God will work with His children to
make us more like Christ. The
truth James is telling us is that trials are good.
Myth
#2- Faith Is What I Think
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 ESV)
The myth James
exposed by the truth of Scripture is that faith is not just something in
our mind. James gave us a
new way to examine our faith. He
told us faith is much more than simply agreeing with truth.
Faith is in our minds first and in our actions second.
If there are no deeds showing our faith, then our faith is not
genuine. A faith that is
only in the mind is not saving faith at all.
In chapter 2 James gave us three examples of what he meant, the
first shows false faith and the next two show real saving faith.
First he basically said, “Demons believe and even shudder but
their belief makes no difference in their actions.”
Second, he pointed us to Abraham and showed us that he had true
faith because it was seen in the way he lived his life. Third, James gave us the example of Rahab and told us that
her faith was real because she acted upon what she believed.
The truth James is telling us is that true faith is a visible
faith.
Myth
#3- Religion Is A Private Matter
As you read through
the book, you can see that James was encountering a group that believed
their religion was a private matter.
In other words, these people believed they could live any way
they pleased and that their life wouldn’t affect others within the
body. These people were
arrogant about the future (James 4:13-17).
They were quick to become angry and use hurtful words (James
1:19). They were guilty of
cursing one another (James 3:9-10).
They were slandering one another (James 4:11-12).
They were grumbling, showing favoritism to the rich and
oppressing the poor. (James 5:1-9) James was out to bring these sins to the attention of the
church because what they were doing individually affected the whole body
corporately. It is true
that religion is a personal matter but it isn’t a private matter. The truth James is telling us is that what we do and say
affect the whole body of believers.
So here is the challenge from James to us at Bigelow Church:
“Consider your trials joy. Look
for how your life makes your faith visible.
Guard your speech, because what you say affects everyone.”
Pastor Brian
