James (written)

Saturday, 13 July 2019

…and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? James 2:16

James just spoke of the person who is “naked and destitute of daily food.” Now, referring to those he is writing to, he says, “and one of you says to them.” It is a believer speaking to the person who is naked or destitute of daily food. There is an obvious understanding of the person’s plight. Nobody could look at him and not understand the need which exists. And yet, instead of offering assistance, there is just a general greeting, “Depart in peace.”

The words were a common way of sending another off. Three examples from the gospels and Acts will show this –

1) After Jesus forgave a woman of her sins, he said, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” Luke7:50

2) After he had healed a woman of her flow of blood, he said, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” Luke 8:48

3) After Paul and Silas were released from captivity, the keeper of the prison said, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.”

In the case of James’ example, the individual says this to the one in need, but then adds in “be warmed and filled.” It sounds like a noble blessing and it is probably intended to make the one saying it feel good about himself, as if he had accomplished something. However, James continues with the words, “but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body.”

If you notice in the three examples from the gospels and Acts, those who were told to depart in peace had received some tangible benefit. The woman who was a sinner was freed from her sin-debt. The woman who had the issue of blood was freed from her affliction. And the apostles who were jailed were allowed to depart without further charge or harm. For them, the words “Go in peace,” were because they had been granted something that could provide them with the peace they were in need of.

On the other hand, the person who is in need in this example in James has been given nothing but a word of encouragement. Of this, James asks what will that profit them? The answer is, “Nothing.” In fact, it will only deepen the affliction they have through the knowledge that their destitute state doesn’t matter to another believer at all. Where is their love, empathy, or any care in their words? Has this person been healed in any way? Certainly not. But this is the purpose of our faith. It is to understand that we have been given mercy, and we are to then extend that mercy to others.

In his words, James uses the term ophelos, or profit. As in verse 2:14, he again asks, “what does it profit?” James is not speaking of the one with faith. Rather, he is speaking of the one in need. Therefore, the question of verse 2:14, “Can faith save him?”, is not speaking of the person with faith, but of the one who is in need. It should say, “Can faith heal him?” The answer is, “Without deeds, ‘No!’” That will continue to be explained in the next verses.

Life application: Doing good deeds for the name and for the cause of Christ – this is what James is speaking of today. How many times do we see a friend in need and feel sorry for him, but don’t really do anything to help him? “Gee, I’m so sorry about that Tom…”

Often we feel helpless simply because the problem is something too big for us to handle, or it is out of our area of expertise. Or, maybe we are just too busy to get involved. For whatever reason, we tell Tom, “I wish you well…” If our words aren’t backed up with something more solid, they may really mean nothing to Tom.

Quite often, something more solid can simply be spending time with the person. A lot of the pain of difficult times is the isolation during them. If a friend is sick, getting divorced, financially ruined, etc., then it is true that we may not be able to help them with the main problem. But we may be able to lend an ear when they need to talk, or to take them out – away from their pains for awhile – to dinner or a movie. What is seemingly unhelpful may be a great value to the person.

In James 2:16, the matter is something we could help with – a friend or stranger who is cold and hungry can easily be given something warm and some food. Wishing them well and spending a few minutes with them really doesn’t help them at all. What they need is a Big Mac and a blanket.

If you have never helped out at a homeless shelter or an inner-city mission, you might try it. And you might realize that it is a blessing to you as much or more than for the people whom you have helped. Make an effort to help in whatever capacity is relevant to the situation. People don’t normally forget kindness and the Lord certainly remembers every good act done in His name.

Lord, give us hearts to help the helpless; give us the desire to assist the needy; grant us the ability to carry through with those intentions, and to provide us with the understanding that You are the one to receive the glory when the deed is done. May we be instruments of Your love to those who are suffering. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Friday, 12 July 2019

If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, James 2:15

James now gives an extreme example of how faith should be worked out in deeds. He just asked about someone not having works, while having faith. He asked, “Can faith save him?” In the commentary on the previous verse, it was questioned who “him” was speaking of.

James doesn’t specifically answer the question, but he proceeds to give his example which closely reflects the sentiment of Matthew 25 concerning the judgment of the nations based on the treatment of those who are hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked, sick, and in prison. His example is concerning a “brother or sister.”

James is speaking of a believer in Christ who sees another believer. In this, he says that person is “naked.” The word is rarely used to signify stark naked. Rather, it is a person who possesses only his undergarments, or who is poorly clothed in the extreme. James further says that he is “destitute of daily food.” This is well translated. The word is ephémeros. It signifies that which occurs on the basis of a day. From day to day this person is lacking food. With this in mind, he will continue with the thought in the next verse.

Life application: Regardless of the issue of whether James is speaking of deeds resulting in salvation, or whether he is speaking of deeds accomplished in faith by those who are saved, shouldn’t we consider the plight of others simply because they are also God’s image-bearers? Let us not lose sight of the trees for the forest. May we open our hearts to those who have such great needs as are spoken of by James in this verse.

Lord God, give us willing hearts to love and assist those who are destitute, caring for them and their needs according to our ability to do so. Help us not to turn a blind eye to our brother or sister who is in need when we are able to help in getting them back on their feet. May this be so in order that You will be glorified through the works we accomplish in Your name. To Your glory we pray. Amen.

Thursday, 11 July 2019

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? James 2:14

James is now going to discuss several verses on faith versus deeds. How these verses are interpreted sets the stage for how you believe your salvation is accomplished and completed in Jesus Christ. Also, these verses – in particular – provide a dividing line between Roman Catholicism and Protestant theology.

Did Jesus accomplish everything on our behalf in order to be saved, or do we need to “participate” in our justification before the Lord? And further, is “faith” considered a deed or not? The Roman Catholic Council of Trent in 1546 put their side firmly in writing. Here is one of the applicable canons –

Canon 24:  “If any one saith, that the justice received is not preserved and also increased before God through good works; but that the said works are merely the fruits and signs of Justification obtained, but not a cause of the increase thereof; let him be anathema.”

Roman Catholicism states that we can only preserve our faith by deeds. It implies that Jesus’ work was insufficient in and of itself to justify us and maintain our justification.

Protestants hold to biblical doctrine which states that man is justified by faith in Christ alone, but Roman Catholicism says that works are a cause of the increase of justification – without which one who has come to Christ can still be lost (“the justice received is not preserved and also increased before God through good works”). In other words, and this is clearly stated by the Roman Catholic Church, that one must participate in their salvation – be it initial or continued salvation. As in everything dealing with the RCC, it is a “plus” religion – Jesus, plus Mary; faith, plus works; the Bible, plus the church decisions; etc.

Understanding this, attempts are made by protestants to weasel out of the words of James as well. They equivocate on the meaning of “works” in order to justify that James isn’t saying what he is saying. For example, the Pulpit Commentary says –

“The two apostles use the word ἔργα [with] different senses. In St. Paul it always has a depreciatory sense, unless qualified by the adjective καλὰ or ἄγαθα. The works which he denies to have any share in justification are ‘legal works,’ not those which he elsewhere denominates the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ (Galatians 5:22), which are the ‘works’ of which St. James speaks.”

This doesn’t resolve the matter at all. It further confuses it. This is because the issue at hand is not “works” but of someone being saved, which James states is what then justifies in verse 2:23. Whether these are legal works or so-called “fruit of the Spirit” works doesn’t change the matter of justification at all. Comparing Paul’s words with what James will speak of from now until the end of the chapter comes down to one thought, and one thought alone – “Is man justified by faith alone, or is he justified by works?” Or can it be that they are referring to two sides of one coin, faith being equated with the work?

If by faith alone, then what is James speaking of when he says, “works?” Because “fruit of the Spirit” works doesn’t really mean anything in justification. The reason for this is that if one has the Spirit, that person is saved (Ephesians 1:13, 14). So how can “fruit of the Spirit” works be the basis for justification – meaning being deemed righteous before God and thus saved?

And so James begins with, “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?” The word “profit” is found only in 1 Corinthians 15:32, here in James 2:14, and again in James 2:26. It signifies something heaped up or increased and thus, “cumulative advantage.” Can a person saying “I have faith” without there being some type of work to support it be a means of increase? From there, James defines what that “increase” or “profit” is – being saved. This is seen in the question, “Can faith save him?”

The question is, “Who is ‘him’?” It is almost universally accepted that “him” is referring to the person who has the faith. However, the Greek allows for it to be another. Instead of the individual with the faith, it is rather more likely speaking of the person who is in need of mercy. James 2 is speaking of the relationship of one towards another (verses 2-4; verse 6; verse 8; and then verse 13). The person in verse 13 failed to show mercy to another and thus gets no mercy.

Further, the word sózó, translated as “save” here does speak of salvation quite often, but it is also used in the gospels concerning healing (Matt 9:21, 22; Mark 5:23, 28, 34, etc). James will next speak of one who is in great need, and he asks if our faith alone can correct that need. When James says “profit” here, who is it that he is referring to? The answer is found in verse 2:26. It is not speaking of the profit of the one with faith, but the one who has the need. And so, in essence, James is saying, “Can my faith profit another? Or, do I need to demonstrate the faith I have in order for another to profit?”

James cannot be speaking of the profit of faith for the one with the faith because he himself has already told us that it does in Acts 15. Peter rose to address the council at Jerusalem and he stated, “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”

Peter called out openly what Paul proclaims in Ephesians 2:8, 9. That a person is saved by grace, and that is through faith in what Christ did, not in our own works. James agreed to this and sent out a letter to the early church that the Gentiles were not bound to the law of Moses. He also gave several recommendations to the churches in order to keep the congregation out of a greater dilemma, but these were not points of salvation. Rather, they were things to be done because of salvation until the time that they could be more fully explained by the epistles.

Life application: If we are (as Paul says) justified by faith alone apart from deeds of the law (Romans 3:28), but James says that “a man is justified by works, and not by faith only” (James 2:24), then the answer to this issue must be based not on the type of works, but the impetus behind them. Consider this as you do your deeds before God. What is it that impels you to accomplish certain things, and what are you looking to obtain as a result of your works?

Heavenly Father, give us wisdom in discerning the truth of difficult passages in Scripture. At times, there are things which arise which are really tough for us to understand. May our doctrine be pure and may our hearts be in tune with living out the truth of Your word. This to Your honor and glory and to the saving of our souls. Amen.

Wednesday, 10 July 2019

For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:13

The Greek reads with more force than is presented here. It more rightly says, “For the judgment will be merciless to the one who has shown no mercy.” It is a precept which permeates Scripture in various ways. Solomon says this in Proverbs –

“Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
Will also cry himself and not be heard.” Proverbs 21:13

James’ words also remind the reader of the parable of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18:21-35. Jesus shows there that mercy in us is something that is evaluated by God in our own judgment. David’s words in 2 Samuel acknowledge this precept as well. There he says, “With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful.”

The reason for this is that mercy is an attribute of the Lord. It is a part of His very nature. In Exodus 34, when revealing His glory before Moses, the Lord proclaimed –

“The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, ⁷ keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6

Later in Numbers, when the people of Israel sinned against the Lord, Moses appealed to Him for them. In his appeal, he said, “And now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken.” After that, he repeated the very words of the Lord from Exodus 34 as the prime example of how the Lord would most effectively reveal His great power –

“‘The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’ ¹⁹ Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” Numbers 14:18, 19

Astonishingly, Moses saw the power of the Lord most fully demonstrated in His mercy and forgiveness. This is what the Lord had declared concerning Himself, and Moses grasped onto it, knowing that the Lord is unchangeable in His Being. As this is so, he appealed to that truth.

Moses is considered Israel’s great lawgiver. A law demands justice leading to punishment for transgression. But Moses saw the strength of the Lord in withholding that, and in its place granting mercy. Does that not sound like God working in Christ? The greatest demonstration of all of God’s power is found in the giving of His Son for sinful man. It is the very heart of the gospel, and the gospel is the very heart and purpose of all Scripture in regards to salvation. Paul says as much in Romans 1:16 –

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

The law and its penalties could not compare to the mercies of the Lord. And the Dispensation of Law was but a dark moment in redemptive history as it led to the gloriously revealed light of the Dispensation of Grace. Moses, understanding this precept above all else, then spoke out his petition to the Lord, and the Lord pardoned according to his plea.

This is why the judgment will be merciless to the one who has shown no mercy. It is because in not showing mercy, we cast off one of the principle attributes of God, in whose image we are created. But in being merciful, we too will find mercy. As James says, “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” God who is merciful will look upon us in mercy when we reflect His nature and demonstrate mercy.

Life application: James indicates that mercy is a powerful tool for good in our lives and for our eternal destiny. A good way to remember the meaning of mercy is to remember it along with the meaning of grace. Mercy is not getting what you do deserve; grace is getting what you do not deserve.

As Jesus speaks of this so poignantly in Matthew 18, take time today to read the entire parable and see how this confirms what James says. However, remember to take the entire subject of forgiveness in context. When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, all our sins are forgiven. Therefore, in the context of the Christian’s life, being unmerciful will result in loss of rewards, not condemnation. Either way, being merciful will keep us from a greater judgment because we are acting as our Heavenly Father does when we stray.

Lord Jesus, it is not always easy to be merciful, but it reflects Your divine character when we are. Because of this, please grant us the ability to be more merciful to others so that we might be pleasing to You. May Your words sink into our lives and become our very nature – to Your glory! Amen.

Tuesday, 9 July 2019

So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. James 2:12

James now gives a summary statement based on what he has been speaking about for quite some time. He says, “So speak and so do.” He had shown earlier in this chapter that those who speak with partiality sin, in particular verses 2-4. He had written about being doers of the word at the end of the previous chapter, in particular verses 22-27.

He now combines those thoughts to show that believers are to unite proper speaking with proper action. In this conduct, our speaking and our doing are to be considered as done by “those who will be judged by the law of liberty.” This takes the reader back to his words of verse 1:25 –

“But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

The “law of liberty,” as explained in verse 1:25, is where liberty defines the perfect law. It is what is obtained from it. And so, it is a law which is completely different than the bondage of sin leading to death which is found in Adam. The law of liberty is the gospel where sin is not imputed. Because this is so, the believer should strive all the more to conduct his affairs in holiness. Rather than a license to sin, he is given the freedom to act apart from sin, and it is that law of liberty by which we will be judged.

In this, we are to speak and to do in accord with our position in Christ. To understand what that means, James will continue on with further explanation. His words in the coming verses will combine the thought of speaking and doing with real, practical examples of what he means. But his words in the second half of this chapter are also some of the most debated over and misunderstood verses in the epistles, and so they must be carefully evaluated.

Life application: In evaluating James 2:12 & 13, the context needs to be considered. It is certain that if you have accepted Jesus Christ, you are forgiven –

“I write to you, little children,
Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.” 1 John 2:12

Forgiveness in Christ is a done deal. From the moment you receive Him, you are forgiven of every sin you have committed and of every sin you will yet commit. One cannot lose his salvation. However, judgment for a believer is based on rewards for faithfulness.

The law of Christ gives freedom from sin and condemnation, but it doesn’t give freedom for licentiousness. It is most important to keep these things in their proper perspective, and this is what James is relaying to us in his words.

Saved believers will stand at the judgment seat of Christ to receive rewards based on the life we live in Him. Because of this, we should speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom. And how can we do anything else! Jesus gave His life for us. Shouldn’t we then do our utmost to bring Him the honor and glory He deserves? Live for Him today, tomorrow, and always!

Lord Jesus, give us the ability to be merciful to others, just as you have been to us! If you have forgiven all of our transgressions, then we should remember that others deserve the same. Remind us that when they turn and ask for forgiveness, we need to show the same mercy that we have been shown. Thank You Lord for Your goodness to us! Amen.