OVERVIEW
Genuine faith will show itself in a transformed life of good works. These good works are not a substitute for justification by faith – they are the fruit of that justification. But apart from such evidence of a changed life, one’s profession of faith must be viewed as dead and hypocritical. This is a very practical letter that teaches Christians how to apply the Word and Wisdom of God to everyday living. There is no theological ivory tower where one can hide and profess loyalty to Jesus. One must live in the real world with a real and dynamic faith that is visible through its works.
BIG IDEA
IN THE PRACTICAL REALITIES OF EVERYDAY LIFE, GENUINE FAITH EMBRACES FULLY THE WILL OF GOD
James 2:17 “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”
BASIC OUTLINE
NINE TESTS OF GENUINE FAITH … FAITH WITHOUT “X” IS DEAD
1:1 OPENING GREETINGS
I. (1:2-18) FAITH WITHOUT PERSEVERANCE IS DEAD
PERSEVERANCE = THE TEST OF GENUINE FAITH
A. (:2-12) TRIALS TEST OUR FAITH WITH THE GOAL OF PERSEVERANCE
B. (:13-16) TEMPTATIONS CANNOT BE BLAMED ON GOD
C. (:17-18) THE SOVEREIGN WILL OF GOD BLESSES US FROM START TO FINISH
II. (1:19-27) FAITH WITHOUT OBEDIENCE IS DEAD
OBEDIENCE = THE TEST OF GENUINE FAITH
A. (:19-21) OBEDIENCE REQUIRES A RECEPTIVE HEART
B. (:22) OBEDIENCE REQUIRES PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRUTHS OF GOD’S WORD
C. (:23-25) CONTRAST BETWEEN A FORGETFUL HEARER AND AN EFFECTUAL DOER
D. (:26-27) PRACTICAL EVIDENCES OF OBEDIENCE
III. (2:1-13) FAITH WITHOUT IMPARTIAL LOVE IS DEAD
IMPARTIAL LOVE = THE TEST OF GENUINE FAITH
A. (:1) THESIS STATEMENT
B. (:2-4) SIMPLE ILLUSTRATION
C. (:5-7) PARADOX OF TRUE RICHES AND TRUE POVERTY
D. (:8-11) IMPARTIAL LOVE IS THE ONLY WAY TO FULFILL THE LAW
E. (:12-13) MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT
IV. (2:14-26) FAITH WITHOUT GOOD WORKS IS DEAD
GOOD WORKS = THE TEST OF GENUINE FAITH
A. (:14) FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION
B. (:15-16) SIMPLE ILLUSTRATION
C. (:17) SUMMARY APPLICATION
D. (:18-26) REBUTTAL OF OBJECTIONS
V. (3:1-18) FAITH WITHOUT PRACTICAL WISDOM IS DEAD
PRACTICAL WISDOM = THE TEST OF GENUINE FAITH
A. (:1-12) PRACTICAL WISDOM: THE TAMING OF THE TONGUE
B. (:13-18) PRACTICAL WISDOM: ITS SOURCE AND CHARACTERISTICS
VI. (4:1-10) FAITH WITHOUT INTIMACY WITH GOD IS DEAD
INTIMACY WITH GOD = THE TEST OF GENUINE FAITH
A. (:1-2) RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS CAN BE TRACED BACK TO WORLDLINESS
B. (:3-6) FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD = HOSTILITY TOWARDS GOD
(THE TUG OF WAR BETWEEN FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD AND FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD)
C. (:7-10) INTIMACY WITH GOD = THE CURE FOR WORLDLINESS
6 STEPS TOWARDS RENEWED INTIMACY WITH GOD
(THE PATHWAY TO TRUE INTIMACY WITH GOD)
VII. (4:11-17) FAITH WITHOUT SUBMISSION TO THE WILL OF GOD IS DEAD
SUBMISSION TO THE WILL OF GOD = THE TEST OF GENUINE FAITH
A. (:11-12) DON’T USURP GOD’S ROLE AS JUDGE
B. (:13-17) DON’T USURP GOD’S ROLE AS MASTER OF OUR DESTINY
VIII. (5:1-12) FAITH WITHOUT THE FEAR OF GOD IS DEAD
THE FEAR OF GOD = THE TEST OF GENUINE FAITH
A. (:1-6) THE DANGER OF RICHES
B. (:7-11) THE DANGER OF COMPLAINING
C. (:12) THE DANGER OF SWEARING
IX. (5:13-18) FAITH WITHOUT FERVENT EFFECTUAL PRAYER IS DEAD
FERVENT EFFECTUAL PRAYER = THE TEST OF GENUINE FAITH
A. (:13-16) PRAYER OF FAITH OFFERED FOR THE SICK
B. (:17-18) EXAMPLE OF ELIJAH
(5:19-20) CLOSING GREETINGS
RESCUE THE PERISHING
WHY STUDY THIS BOOK?
• To warn against hypocrisy and provide an objective basis to test the validity of one’s profession of faith
• To emphasize practical application of the Word and Wisdom of God rather than mere head knowledge
• To learn how to face trials in the Christian life and how to seek wisdom from God
• To encourage perseverance in the face of difficulties
• To fight against prejudice and social injustice.
• To fully submit to the will of God
• To develop an effective prayer life
NOTABLE QUOTES
David Malick: Message: When believers are under trials, an obedient and faithful response (quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger) toward the Lord and other believers will move the Lord in His goodness to provide wisdom and blessing for their needs rather than necessary discipline for their evil.
I. An Introduction of Greeting: James as a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ sends greetings to the twelve tribes who are scattered among the nations (1:1)
II. An Exhortation to Face Trials in a Godly Way: James urges his readers to adopt a good attitude toward trials and not to incriminate God but to recognize themselves as the fountain of death because He is separate from evil and only gives forth life (1:2-18)
III. A Summary Exhortation to Action for Those Under Trials: In view of God’s regenerative work through His word, believers under trials are exhorted to receive without opposition God’s sanctifying word (be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger) 1:19-20
IV. Obedience to the Word of God Yields an Experience of Salvation: James affirms that believers who are under trials need to remain obedient to the word of God in order to experience salvation in their lives by being quick to obey God’s word, by being wise in their speech, and by asking God to help them with their struggles rather than becoming angry and lashing out (1:21–5:12)
V. Restoration Through the Community: In order to continue under sever trials, James exhorts believers to express their hearts to God and each other, always with the stronger helping the weak with sin so that life may be preserved (5:13-20)
Vaughan: “James is the most intensely practical book of the New Testament. There is, to be sure, a ‘compressed theology’ in James (cf. 1:1, 18, 21; 2:1, 5; 5:7, 9, etc.), but theological teaching is not the chief contribution of the book. James is ‘the epistle of practice,’ the Amos of the New Testament. It rebukes all sham and hypocrisy, insisting that conduct must conform to creed, that profession must be matched by performance. From beginning to end it is an urgent demand for ‘reality in religion.’ James would surely have agreed with Bunyan that ‘the soul of religion is the practical part.'”
Ken Boa: Talk Thru the New Testament:
James is an intensely practical manual on the outworking of true faith in everyday life. It explores Christian conduct from several perspectives and shifts abruptly from topic to topic. Faith perseveres under trials, resists temptation, responds to the Word, overcomes prejudice, produces good works, controls the tongue, manifests wisdom, submits to God rather than worldly pleasures, depends on God rather than wealth, and waits patiently for the return of the Lord. Biblical faith moves from assent to actions, from words to works.
Outline:
I. Character of Faith
A. (1:1-12) Persevering under Trials Will
B. (1:13-18) Progress of Temptation
C. (1:19-27) Planting the Word Word
D. (2:1-13) Personal Favoritism Works
E. (2:14-26) Performance of Faith
II. Control of Faith
A. (3:1-12) Power of the Tongue Words
B. (3:13-18) Portrait of Pure Wisdom Wisdom
III. Conflicts of Faith
A. (4:1-12) Perversity of Pleasures Worldliness
B. (4:13-5:6) Pride of the Rich Wealth
IV. Consummation of Faith
A. (5:7-12) Patient Endurance Wait
B. (5:13-20) Prayer and Restoration Wholeness
Chuck Swindoll: In the opening of his letter, James called himself a bond-servant of God, an appropriate name given the practical, servant-oriented emphasis of the book. Throughout the book, James contended that faith produces authentic deeds. In other words, if those who call themselves God’s people truly belong to Him, their lives will produce deeds or fruit. In language and themes that sound similar to Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, James rails against the hypocritical believer who says one thing but does another.
For James, faith was no abstract proposition but had effects in the real world. James offered numerous practical examples to illustrate his point: faith endures in the midst of trials, calls on God for wisdom, bridles the tongue, sets aside wickedness, visits orphans and widows, and does not play favorites. He stressed that the life of faith is comprehensive, impacting every area of our lives and driving us to truly engage in the lives of other people in the world. While James recognized that even believers stumble (James 3:2), he also knew that faith should not coexist with people who roll their eyes at the less fortunate, ignore the plight of others, or curse those in their paths.