What is the connection between faith and works?

At the church where I serve, we have been looking at a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of James. James was the half brother of Jesus who turned from being a doubter in Jesus to being a pastor of Jesus church and an author of this letter that is recorded for us in the Bible after seeing Jesus after He was raised from the dead. And as we look at this letter that was written by the half brother of Jesus, our hope and our prayer is that we would be able to wrap our heads, hearts, and hands around several timeless truths that occur in a life of faith that works itself out in a way that results in us living lives that look like Jesus.

 

This week, I would like for us to spend our time together picking up where we left off last week.  And as we jump into this next section of this letter, we are going discover a timeless truth that occurs in the life of a faith that works itself out in a way that results in us living lives that look like Jesus. However, before we jump into this section of this letter, I want to set this section of this letter up with a story.

 

My wife Julie, my daughter Rachel, and I lived in Kingman Arizona for about ten years. Then, in 2000, we moved from Kingman to Portland, Oregon so that I could attend seminary. After our first year in Portland, a family who were close friends with from Kingman, Jody and Wiatt, along with their daughter Kaylee, came to visit us.

 

We had shared several milestones as families together, including the birth of our children only two weeks apart. It happened that Jody was going to be in Portland to attend a conference for a week in July, so the entire family decided to join her for a vacation. During the time that Jody was involved in the conference, the rest of us would go out for some sightseeing of Portland.

 

One day during the trip, we decided to hang out at the hotel and swim at the pool. Jody and Wiatt were staying at the Marriott in Portland, which had a beautiful outdoor pool that was surrounded by the different wings of the hotel. Now, at this point, Rachel and Kaylee were both three years old.

 

As we began to swim, I immediately noticed that Rachel was a little apprehensive. Rachel had taken her first swimming lessons, but she did not seem totally comfortable. As time went on, however, she seemed to relax and was enjoying riding on her daddy’s back and floating in the pool with those little arm floaties and other toys.

 

After about 20 minutes, Kaylee decided to start the fun game of getting out of the pool so that she could have her dad catch her as she jumped back in. As soon as she hit the water and was caught by her dad, she would head straight to the ladder to start the process over again. After seeing Kaylee having such fun, Rachel and I decided to join in.

 

Rachel followed Kaylee out of the pool and walked beside her up to the edge, laughing with excitement the entire time. Rachel watched Kaylee jump into her daddy’s arms with claps and a loud yell. Then it was Rachel’s turn. And something very strange happened.

 

As Rachel inched closer to the edge of the pool, her joy and laughter turned to uneasiness and nervousness. As Wiatt and I gave words of encouragement, a fearful look came over her face. Rachel began to say “Daddy I’m scared. Daddy, I want to jump in, but I’m scared”. I began to reassure her, by saying that I would catch her and that she would be safe. I pointed out to Rachel that she still had her floaties on. I pointed out that I was standing there and would not move. I even held my arms out to show that I was ready to catch her.

 

I asked her if she thought I was a good swimmer. She said that she did, but that she still was not sure if she wanted to jump in. I then told her that once she jumped in the first time, she would enjoy it so much that she would want to do it over and over again. I continued to reassure and encourage her to take the step and jump in, yet Rachel was paralyzed with uncertainty.

 

Can you relate to this story? As a parent, can you remember a time that you were in a similar situation with your son or daughter? And even if you are not a parent, can you relate to being in Rachel’s position? Maybe for you it was not jumping into a pool, it was jumping into college. Maybe for you it was not jumping into a pool, it was jumping into a new job. Maybe for you it was not jumping into a pool, it was jumping into a major decision or transition in your life.

 

Have you been there? Have you faced that point in time where you needed to “jump off the ledge and into the pool” so to speak? I mean, we have all been there, haven’t we? So with that in mind, let’s jump back into this next section of this letter that was written by the half brother of Jesus and is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible, beginning in James 2:14-17. Let’s look at it together;

 

What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

 

James begins this section of his letter with a question, an illustration, and an answer. In verse 14, James asks “What use is it, my brethren, if someone has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?”

 

In other words, James is basically asking “what use is faith if that faith does not do anything? Does a faith that does not do anything really rescue anyone from an eternity separated from God? How can you say that you trust Jesus, when you do not do anything that demonstrates that you are trusting and following the message and teachings of Jesus?”

 

James then provides and illustration or example of such a faith that does not do anything in verses 15 and 16. If James was providing this illustration in the language we use in our culture today, this illustration might sound something like this: If someone was to come to the Emergency Assistance Window asking for help and we responded as a church by saying “I hope that everything works out, we’ll be praying for you. I will be praying that God provides you some food and resources. Good luck and have a nice day”.

 

James then answers his own question in verse 17 by stating that “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” And it is here that James reveals for us the reality that faith without fruit is a dead faith that cannot save. James point is that to say that we trust in Jesus but do not live a life that produces attitudes and actions that look like Jesus may mean that we have not really been rescued by Jesus. If the fruit, or what is produced in our lives, looks nothing like Jesus, then a natural question that must be asked is “Do we really know Jesus and have a relationship with Jesus?”

 

Now right about now you might be thinking to yourself “Well isn’t James saying that we are saved by works? Isn’t James saying that we are rescued from our selfishness and rebellion by what we do for God? Isn’t that what James is talking about?"

 

There are some religious systems, that would day that it is our performance for God that results in us being right with God. That is the position of Islam, for example. Or in the case of Mormonism and even Catholicism, it is faith plus our performance, such as keeping the sacraments, which make us right with God.

 

However, if that is the case, if we are saved by works, or performance for God, that would seem to contradict what the Apostle Paul stated in Ephesians 2:8-9 that we are saved by grace through faith alone. So is James saying something different from Paul? And if so, who is right, James or Paul? We see James anticipate and articulate this challenge for us in the first part of verse 18;

 

But someone may well say, "You have faith and  I have works;

 

In other words, James anticipates the person who would say “Well you think you are saved by trusting in Jesus. Well look at everything that I do for Jesus so that I can be right with God. You go ahead and trust in Jesus; I trust in what I do for Jesus."

 

The motivation behind this statement, however, is the idea that faith and works are not necessarily related to each other. The assertion behind this statement is that it is possible to have either one without the other. In other words, it is possible to be right with God as a result of our performance for God without trusting in God. And it is possible to trust in God without doing anything for God.

 

But is that true? Can you have either one without the other? And specifically, can you really trust in Jesus without living a life that looks like Jesus?

 

We see James answer this question in the rest of verses 18-20. We will look at James answer tomorrow….

 

 

Prejudice puts us at odds with the message and teachings of Jesus...

This week we have been looking at a section of letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of James that was written by the half brother of Jesus who turned from being a doubter in Jesus to being a pastor of Jesus church and an author of this letter that is recorded for us in the Bible after seeing Jesus after He was raised from the dead.

And in James 2:1-13, we have discovered that the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice. We have talked about the reality that the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice because prejudice puts us at odds with one another.  You see, prejudice puts at odds with ourselves because at one time we were outsiders when it came to God as a result of our selfishness and rebellion against God. To demonstrate prejudice and treat people as outsiders puts us at odds with ourselves because of how Jesus treated us when we were once outsiders. As followers of Jesus we are to reflect Jesus by treating outsiders as insiders instead of demonstrating prejudice towards those who we may consider outsiders.

We also talked about the reality that the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice because prejudice puts us at odds with God’s activity in the world.  You see, prejudice puts at odds with God’s activity in the world because God chose the poor financially to experience the riches that come from a relationship with Him spiritually. And prejudice puts us at odds with God’s activity in the world because when we demonstrate prejudice, we are depriving others of the respect and honor that they deserve.

We at odds with God’s activity in the world when we demonstrate prejudice because when we demonstrate prejudice we disrespect and demean the name of Jesus. God is actively at work in the world to bring people to the place where they experience the forgiveness and the relationship with God that they were created for. And God’s activity in the world is independent of economic, cultural, or racial and ethnic status. So when we demonstrate prejudice to others, we place ourselves at odds with God’s activity in the world in a way that disrespects and demeans the name of Jesus.

Today, we will see James reveal for us a third reason why the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice in James 2:8-13:

 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

Here we see James quote from a section of as letter that is recorded for us in the Old Testament of the Bible called the book of Leviticus. In Leviticus 19:18, God commanded the Jewish people to love their neighbor as themselves. What is so interesting is that Jesus took this commandment and connected it with God’s commandment in Deuteronomy 6:5 to love God with all of our heart soul, mind, and strength to make what we refer to today as the Greatest Commandment.

That is why James refers to this as the royal law according to the Scripture. The royal law refers to the law given by Jesus as King that make up the letters contained in the Old Testament of the Bible. And in Matthew 24:34-40, when asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus as King expressed that the whole Law, in other words the whole Old Testament, could be summarized by these two interconnected commands. James refers back to Jesus words to remind the readers of this letter that by loving God with our total being and loving our neighbor as ourselves, we will live in accordance to what is good and right in God’s sight.

James then contrasts the royal law of loving God with our total being and loving our neighbor as ourselves with prejudice in verse 9. James explains that, for the person who demonstrates prejudice, you are committing sin. Now the word sin here refers acts of commission against God that flow from our selfishness and rebellion against God and depart from God’s standard of what is right. And as a result of our selfishness and rebellion against God through the demonstration of prejudice against others, James states that those who demonstrate prejudice are convicted by the law as transgressors. In other words, a person who demonstrates prejudice against others will be brought to the recognition of their wrongdoing against God and others by the message and teachings of Jesus that are recorded for us in the Law, which are the first five letters that make up our Bible today.

And it is here that we see James reveal for us the reality that the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice because prejudice puts us at odds with the message and teachings of Jesus.  You see, prejudice puts at odds with the message and teachings of Jesus because the message and teachings of Jesus calls us to love one another in a way that is free of prejudice. However, we are at odds with the message and teachings of Jesus when we rebel against Jesus command to love one another in a way that is free of prejudice.

And when we demonstrate prejudice, prejudice puts at odds with the message and teachings of Jesus in a way that results in us being convicted of violating the message and teachings of Jesus. We see James unpack this reality for us in verse 10 and 11. First, in verse 10, James explains that “whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” When James uses the word keep here, this word literally means to persist in obedience. James point here is that the person who persists in keeping all of the commands that are recorded for us in the Old Testament, yet loses one’s footing so as to rebel against God on one command, is guilty of rebelling against every one of God’s commands.

Now a natural objection that could arise here is “Well Dave, how could I be guilty of breaking all of the commands when I only broke one of the commands. I mean that does not seem at make sense. Dave, that does not seem to add up, literally or figuratively.” If that objection is running through your mind, I just want to let you know that is a fair objection. And we see James anticipate and respond to that objection in verse 11.

Here we see James quote the seventh and the sixth of the Ten Commandments that are recorded for us in a section of a letter in the Old Testament of the Bible called the book of Exodus. James states for He who said, "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY," also said, "DO NOT COMMIT MURDER." Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.” In other words, just because you do not sleep with someone else’s wife or undress her with your eyes, but instead choose to kill someone, you are just as guilty.

To understand James point here, think of it this way. If you commit adultery, are you loving your neighbor as yourself? No you are not? If you commit murder, are you loving your neighbor as yourself? No you are not. So if you break any one of these commands individually you are breaking the command to love your neighbor as yourself. So, if you demonstrate prejudice, are you loving your neighbor as yourself? No you are not.

James point is that to demonstrate prejudice is no different than to sleep with someone else’s wife or to willingly take the life of another. There is no difference because all of those commands break the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself, which ties all of these commands together as the royal law that was proclaimed through the message and teachings of Jesus. You see, we are convicted of violating the message and teachings of Jesus because breaking one of Jesus commands breaks Jesus command to love one another in a way that is free of prejudice.

To love your neighbor as yourself is to be free of prejudice. When we love ourselves over our neighbor we are prejudice towards ourselves over our neighbor. We demonstrate prejudice when we sleep with someone else’s spouse, when we undress someone with our eyes, when we murder someone, or break any of God’s commands. We demonstrate prejudice because we believe someone or something is better than someone or something else. We demonstrate prejudice in adultery because we look at someone else’s spouse as being better than our own. We steal because we look at something that we don’t have as being better than what we do have. And in our prejudice, we externally judge others as being of less value and worth than ourselves.

And because of that reality, James calls followers of Jesus throughout history to speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. But what does that mean? When James refers to the law of liberty, he is referring to the message and teachings of Jesus that reveal the true nature and expectations of the law.

You see, the message and teachings of Jesus reveal the reality that external obedience alone does not produce a right relationship with God because external compliance does not deal with the realities of the condition of our heart. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus repeatedly stated “You have heard it said, but I say to you”. Jesus repeatedly made this statement because Jesus recognized what we often miss, which is that our external actions are driven by our heart attitudes. And it is our heart attitude of prejudice that will drive our external actions towards others.

James point is that we are to express ourselves in words and actions in such a way that is free from prejudice by following the message and teachings of Jesus. And as followers of Jesus, we are to keep the message and teachings of Jesus because those who rebel against Jesus command to love one another in a way that is free of prejudice will receive no mercy from Jesus.

In verse 13, James reminds the readers of this letter that those who reject the message and teachings of Jesus by demonstrating prejudice instead of kindness and concern for those around them will receive no kindness from Jesus. Instead, as followers of Jesus, it is the kindness and concern toward others that is free from prejudice that will triumph over the condemnation that will come to those who reject the message and teachings of Jesus to instead demonstrate prejudice.

So are you struggling with prejudice? Are you struggling with prejudice based on the social appearance of others? Are you struggling with prejudice based on the ethnic or racial appearance of others? Are you struggling with prejudging others based on externals appearance instead of internal character?

 Because the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice. The faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice because prejudice puts us at odds with one another. The faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice because prejudice puts us at odds with God’s activity in the world. And the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice because prejudice puts us at odds with the message and teachings of Jesus.

Prejudice because prejudice puts us at odds with God’s activity in the world...

This week, we are looking at a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of James. Yesterday, in James 2:1-4, we discovered that the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice. Just as it was for followers of Jesus in James day; just as it has been for followers of Jesus throughout history, the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice.

 

Yesterday, we talked about the reality that prejudice is making judgments about others based on the external appearance of others. Prejudice is prejudging others based on the external social, economic, cultural, or ethnic appearance of others. James revealed for us the reality that the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice because prejudice puts us at odds with one another.  You see, prejudice puts at odds with ourselves because at one time we were outsiders when it came to God as a result of our selfishness and rebellion against God.

 

James point here is that as followers of Jesus who were once outsiders but now have been made insiders, how can we treat anyone as outsiders?  To demonstrate prejudice and treat people as outsiders puts us at odds with ourselves because of how Jesus treated us when we were once outsiders. As followers of Jesus we are to reflect Jesus by treating outsiders as insiders instead of demonstrating prejudice towards those who we may consider outsiders.

And as followers of Jesus, when we demonstrate prejudice, we put ourselves at odds with others by making judgments about others that are morally and socially worthless because those judgments are based on externals such as the cotton count of their clothing or the color of one’s skin instead of the content of one’s character. As followers of Jesus, our faith and confident trust in Jesus should bring unity and community.

 

However, prejudice will only put us at odds with one another in a way that brings division and disunity. Today, we see James reveal for us the second reason why the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice in verse 5-7:

 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?

Here we see James remind followers of Jesus throughout history of God’s transformational intervention and activity in the world. James reminded the readers of his letter that God’s choice when it came to who He rescued from selfishness and rebellion was not based on economics.

As a matter of fact, James points out that God often chose those who were poor economically to become rich spiritually by providing them the faith to place their confident trust in Jesus so that they could experience the forgiveness and the relationship with God that they were created for. God often chose those who were poor economically to receive the riches that come from experiencing eternal life in relationship with God and participation in God’s royal reign as a part of the family of God in the kingdom of God. 

However, as James points out in verse 6, there were some followers of Jesus who have dishonored the poor. There were some followers of Jesus who were robbing those who were poor economically of the honor or respect that was due them as a result of their bearing the thumbprint of God.

And it is here that we see James reveal for us the reality that the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice because prejudice puts us at odds with God’s activity in the world.  You see, prejudice puts at odds with God’s activity in the world because God chose the poor financially to experience the riches that come from a relationship with Him spiritually. And prejudice puts us at odds with God’s activity in the world because when we demonstrate prejudice, we are depriving others of the respect and honor that they deserve.

Regardless of economics, all of humanity was created in the image of God for relationship with God and one another. Yet, there were some followers of Jesus who only viewed others through the prism of economic status.  However, in the second half of verse 6, James confronts those who were engaged in this prejudice with the reality that they themselves were the victims of prejudice by those who were better off economically.

James basically says to these early followers of Jesus “So let me get this straight. You are demonstrating prejudice to those who are poorer than you by depriving them of the honor and respect that they deserve. But aren’t you also suffering from the same type of prejudice from those who are better off than you? Aren’t you being exploited by others who are better off than you? Aren’t those who are better off than you taking you to court so that they can try to get more from you? Are you enjoying being victimized? No. Then why are you victimizing others by demonstrating prejudice against them?”

James hammers his point home in verse 7 by reminding these early followers of Jesus that those who were wealthy and were demonstrating prejudice by exploiting and dragging them off to court to get more from them were blaspheming the fair name by which you have been called. Now to blaspheme is to speak in a disrespectful way that demeans, denigrates, and maligns someone. So the name of Jesus was spoken of in a disrespectful and demeaning way by those who were wealthy and far from God as they exploited and drug into court followers of Jesus.

But why would James remind the readers of this letter of that reality? James point here is that just as the prejudice of those who were wealthy and were exploiting poor followers of Jesus disrespected and demeaned the name of Jesus, we at odds with God’s activity in the world when we demonstrate prejudice because when we demonstrate prejudice we disrespect and demean the name of Jesus. God is actively at work in the world to bring people to the place where they experience the forgiveness and the relationship with God that they were created for.

And God’s activity in the world is independent of economic, cultural, or racial and ethnic status. So when we demonstrate prejudice to others, we place ourselves at odds with God’s activity in the world in a way that disrespects and demeans the name of Jesus. But not only does the faith that works not demonstrate prejudice because prejudice puts us at odds with one another. Not only does the faith that works not demonstrate prejudice because prejudice puts us at odds with God’s activity in the world.

Friday, we will see James reveal for us a third reason why the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice...

The faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice...

At the church where I server we have been spending our time on Sunday mornings looking at a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of James. James was the half brother of Jesus who repeatedly doubted Jesus claim to be God, but became a follower of Jesus who was the pastor at the church in Jerusalem and who was ultimately killed for believing that Jesus was God. James turned from being a doubter in Jesus to being a pastor of Jesus church and an author of this letter that is recorded for us in the Bible after seeing Jesus after He was raised from the dead.

And as we look at this letter that was written by the half brother of Jesus, our hope and our prayer is that we would be able to wrap our heads, hearts, and hands around several timeless truths that occur in a life of faith that works itself out in a way that results in us living lives that look like Jesus. This week, I would like for us to pick up where we left off last week. And as we jump into the next section of this letter that was written by the half brother of Jesus, called the book of James, we will see James reveal for us a timeless and true principle when it comes to the faith that works.  So let’s discover that timeless truth together beginning in James 2:1:

My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.

James begins this section of his letter to early followers of Jesus with a command. And that command is this: do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. Now when James uses the phrase with an attitude of personal favoritism, this phrase literally means to have partiality or prejudice. This phrase conveys the concept of making judgments about others based on external appearances.

If James was communicating this command in the language we use in our culture today, this command would have sounded something like this: Do not live out your day to day life as a follower of Jesus in such a way that you judge others based on externals. Make sure that you do not look up or down on others based on the external appearance of others.

And it is here that we see James reveal for us a timeless truth when it comes to the faith that works. And that timeless truth is this: The faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice. Just as it was for followers of Jesus in James day; just as it has been for followers of Jesus throughout history, the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice.

Now a natural question and objection that could arise at this point is “Well Dave, why would you say that the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice? How can you say that the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice? After all, there is slavery throughout the Bible. And there were Christians who had slaves up to the civil war in America. So how can you say that the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice?”

My response to those objections would be two-fold. First off, the vast majority of slavery that was participated in by the people of God in the Bible involved individuals who were not able to take care of their financial obligations. And as a result, these individuals would enter into slavery as a way to pay off their debts.

In addition, God provided specific directions to the Jewish people when it came to how they were to treat these slaves and instituted the year of Jubilee to bring freedom to slaves. Second, just because there were Christians in America who participated in slavery prior to the Civil War that does not mean that God approved of such slavery that was prejudiced in nature. You see, simply put, prejudice is making judgments about others based on the external appearance of others. Prejudice is prejudging others based on the external social, economic, cultural, or ethnic appearance of others.

And in James 2:1-13, we will see James reveal for us three different reasons why the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice. We see James reveal that first reason why the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice in verse 2-4. Let’s look at it together:

 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

Here we see James use an illustration to unpack the devastating effects of prejudice. However, to fully understand this illustration, we first need to define some terms. First, when James refers to the assembly here, he is simply referring to a gathering of followers of Jesus. This could be at a Sunday worship gathering; this could be at a community group.

Now when James talks about a man entering into this gathering of followers of Jesus with a gold ring and fine clothes, it is important to understand that in the culture of the first century, a gold ring was worn by those who were in the upper classes of Roman society. In addition, when James uses the phrase pay special attention to, this phrase conveys the sense of paying special attention so as to look on someone with favor.

By contrast, when James refers to the poor man sitting down by a footstool, to sit at a footstool was a sign of contempt and disdain. In the first century, the footstool would often be the place that would be occupied by a servant or slave. If James was writing this letter in the language that we use in our culture today, this illustration would have sounded something like this:

"If someone comes to your church or community group driving an Astin-Martin and wearing Louie Vitton and you go out of the way to pay attention to them and say “here is a really nice place for you to sit” and then another person who is poor comes to your church or your community group and you ignore them or simply say “go sit out of sight” have you not made distinctions among yourselves?”.

You see, what was happening was that the poor were viewed as outsiders who were forced to sit on the outside, while those who were wealthy were viewed as insiders who were invited inside. Now what is so interesting is that the phrase “make distinctions” literally means to be at odds with oneself. But not only does this prejudice make us at odds with ourselves and others. James explains that this prejudice results in us becoming judges with evil motives. James point here is that prejudice results in us rendering judgments about others that are morally and socially worthless.

And it is here that we see James reveal for us the reality that the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice because prejudice puts us at odds with one another.  You see, prejudice puts at odds with ourselves because at one time we were outsiders when it came to God as a result of our selfishness and rebellion against God. Yet, God sent His Son Jesus so that we would have the opportunity to be insiders with God as a result of placing our confident trust in what God had done for us through Jesus life, death, and resurrection.

James point here is that as followers of Jesus who were once outsiders but now have been made insiders, how can we treat anyone as outsiders?  To demonstrate prejudice and treat people as outsiders puts us at odds with ourselves because of how Jesus treated us when we were once outsiders. As followers of Jesus we are to reflect Jesus by treating outsiders as insiders instead of demonstrating prejudice towards those who we may consider outsiders.

And as followers of Jesus, when we demonstrate prejudice, we put ourselves at odds with others by making judgments about others that are morally and socially worthless because those judgments are based on externals such as the cotton count of their clothing or the color of one’s skin instead of the content of one’s character. As followers of Jesus, our faith and confident trust in Jesus should bring unity and community. However, prejudice will only put us at odds with one another in a way that brings division and disunity.

James then reveals for us the second reason why the faith that works does not demonstrate prejudice. We will look at that second reason tomorrow…

Integrity in our obedience and in our worship...

This week, we have been addressing one of the most common objections and accusations that those who are far from God have when it comes to Christianity and the church, which is that the church and Christians are a bunch of hypocrites. We have been looking at a letter to early followers of Jesus that was written by the half brother of Jesus called the book of James, where we discovered a timeless and true principle when it comes to the faith that works and the issue of hypocrisy. And that timeless and true principle is this: The faith that works produces a life of integrity.

So far, we have talked about the reality that the faith that works produces a life of integrity that responds to others the right way. As followers of Jesus we live lives of integrity that reveal and reflect Jesus to others when we are swift to actively engage others by actively listening to others. We live lives of integrity that reveal and reflect Jesus to others when we are slow to express our opinions to others and instead take the time to listen to their opinions. We live lives of integrity that reveal and reflect Jesus to others when we are slow to express our displeasure and disapproval of others.

In addition, we discovered that the faith that works produces a life of integrity that accepts the message and teachings of Jesus. As followers of Jesus we live lives of integrity that reveal and reflect Jesus to others when we accept the message and teachings of Jesus by not being full of ourselves, but by humbly placing ourselves under the authority of the message and teachings of Jesus. We live lives of integrity that reveal and reflect Jesus to others when we accept the message and teachings of Jesus so as to rid ourselves of the moral corruption and wickedness that can cause us to stumble in our relationship with Jesus. And we live lives of integrity that reveal and reflect Jesus to others when we accept the message and teachings of Jesus in a way that results in our lives reflecting God’s transformational activity in our lives as we become more like Jesus. Today, we will see James reveal for us a third way that the faith that works produces a life of integrity in James 1:22:

 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.

Now if you grew up in church or went to church for any length of time, you probably heard this phrase. But what exactly does this church mumbo jumbo talk phrase actually mean? This phrase, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today would have sounded something like this:

Make sure that as a follower of Jesus you are living your day to day life in a way that actually follows the message and teaching of Jesus. Make sure that you do not deceive yourself into thinking that hearing the message and teaching of Jesus is the same as actually following the message and teaching of Jesus. Make sure that you do not deceive yourself into thinking that knowing a lot about Jesus is the same as knowing and following Jesus”. James then paints for us a timeless word picture to drive this point home beginning in verse 23-24:

 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

Now I imagine that one of the first things that all of us did when we woke up this morning was to look in the mirror. Some of us looked in a small mirror. Others looked in a full length mirror. Some of us even looked at a hand held mirror on the way to work or school this morning. But, why did you look in the mirror?

We look in the mirror to contemplate and consider what we look like, don’t we? We look in the mirror because the mirror exposes what we really look like, doesn’t it? Because the mirror doesn’t lie, does it? Have you ever woke up in the morning, only to discover a new patch of acne on your face? Or a new wrinkle? Or a few more grey hairs? Or a few less hairs? You did not realize what had happened overnight, until you looked into the mirror. And then you wish you did not look in the mirror. And the stronger the mirror, the more it exposes.

A few years ago, when we took the students to New Orleans for the challenge conference, we stayed in a hotel that had one of those professional concave mirrors. You know the mirror that exposes every single pore on your face. That mirror revealed and exposed things that I had previously never seen on my face. Like how poorly my electric razor shaved my face. You see, we look in the mirror to either verify that we look o.k. or to expose the things we need to change before we head out into public.

Now, if you were to look in the mirror in the morning to see that you had a bunch of toothpaste still on your lips and had only shaven half of your face and that your hair was all out of place, how would you respond? You would not respond by leaving the toothpaste on your lips, would you? You would not respond by leaving half of your face unshaved, would you? You would not respond by leaving your hair a mess, would you?

No, you would not take the time to contemplate and consider what you saw in the mirror and then walk away and do nothing to deal with what was exposed when you looked in the mirror?  James explains that is exactly what we do when we deceive ourselves into thinking that hearing the message and teaching of Jesus is the same as actually following the message and teaching of Jesus does. James explains that is exactly what we do when we deceive ourselves into thinking that knowing a lot about Jesus is the same as knowing and following Jesus does.

James point is that the message and teachings of Jesus are a mirror that exposes areas in our life that are out of place and need to be taken care of. The message and teachings of Jesus are a mirror that exposes areas in our lives that do not line up with the life that Jesus calls us to live.

However, the person who deceives himself into thinking that hearing the message of teachings of Jesus is the same as following the message and teachings of Jesus responds to what is exposed by the message and teachings of Jesus by walking away from those teachings and doing nothing with those teachings. James then contrasts the person who deceives himself into thinking that hearing the message of teachings of Jesus is the same as following the message and teachings of Jesus with one who actually follows the message and teachings of Jesus in verse 25:

  But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

Now when James uses the phrase to look intently, this phrase is a word picture of one stooping down in order to examine something from a closer point of view. James is explaining that the person who looks in the mirror of the message and teachings of Jesus with a focus on not simply hearing, but actually contemplates and considers what the message and teachings of Jesus have exposed and are calling them to do, and then acts by following and aligning one’s life with the message and teachings of Jesus, that person will be the recipients of God’s blessing, or divine favor, in their lives. 

And it is here that James reveals for us the reality that the faith that works produces a life of integrity that obeys the message and teachings of Jesus. As followers of Jesus we live lives of integrity that reveal and reflect Jesus to others when we respond the message and teachings of Jesus by obeying them. We live lives of integrity when we respond to what the message and teachings of Jesus expose in our lives by addressing those areas in our lives so that our lives are aligned and following the message and teachings of Jesus.

So here is a question to consider when it comes to the issue of integrity: Are you obeying the message and teachings of Jesus in your life? Or are you deceiving yourself into thinking that hearing the message and teaching of Jesus is the same as actually following the message and teaching of Jesus? Are you deceiving yourself into thinking that knowing a lot about Jesus is the same as knowing and following Jesus?

Because the faith that works produces a life of integrity that obeys the message and teachings of Jesus. James then reveals for us a fourth way that the faith that works produces a life of integrity in verse 26:

 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Now James statement here, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: “If anyone considers themselves to be living a life of integrity with God in their relationship with God, and yet does not hold in check his tongue, they have deceived themselves at the core of their being and their worship of God is empty and lacks truth”. James here is revealing that we are hypocrites when our worship of God does not match up with our words toward others.  James is echoing the words of his brother Jesus, who said the following in Luke 6:45:

"The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.”

James then explains that, by contrast, worship that is pure and full of truth before God “is to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” Now when James refers to visiting widows and orphans in distress, this phrase conveys the sense of exercising oversight and care in order to look after widows and orphans that were experiencing trouble and distress. In the culture of the day, as it is today, widows and orphans were marginalized by society and were especially vulnerable.

In addition, James explains that worship that is pure and full of truth before God results in a life that persists in displaying the character of Jesus in the midst of a world that is hostile to God and places itself in opposition to God and God’s kingdom. And it is here that James reveals for us the reality that the faith that works produces a life of integrity that worships Jesus with our words and our actions toward others.

As followers of Jesus we live lives of integrity that reveal and reflect Jesus to others when we worship Jesus with our words toward others. We live lives of integrity when we worship Jesus with our actions towards others that reveal and reflect Christ in our character and our conduct toward others.

So here is a question to consider when it comes to the issue of integrity: Do you worship Jesus with your words and actions toward others? Or do you view worship as something that occurs for an hour on a Sunday? You see, worship, simply put, is a response. Worship is a response that is focused on who God is, what God has done, and what God has promised to do. Worship is not simply singing, reading your Bible and prayer, although it can involve singing, Bible reading, and prayer. Worship is a lifestyle; worship is a life that is lived in a way that is focused on and that responds to God’s character and activity in the world.

Because, the timeless reality is the faith that works produces a life of integrity. The faith that works produces a life of integrity that responds to others in the right way. The faith that works produces a life of integrity that accepts the message and teachings of Jesus. The faith that works produces a life of integrity that obeys the message and teachings of Jesus. And the faith that works produces a life of integrity that worships Jesus with our words and our actions.

So how are you doing? Are you a hypocrite, a poser who says “here is the message and teachings of Jesus, and you need to follow them, but I am not going to follow them”. Or are you a human being who is striving to follow the message and teachings of Jesus, yet sometimes falls short.

Because the faith that works produces a life of integrity.

Integrity in our response to others and to the teaching of Jesus...

This week we are looking at a next section of a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of James. Yesterday, we discovered that it is in this next section of this letter to early followers of Jesus that was written by the half brother of Jesus that we see James reveal for us a timeless and true principle when it comes to the faith that works and the issue that Christians and the church is full of hypocrites.

And that timeless and true principle is this: The faith that works produces a life of integrity. We discovered that the word integrity does not mean perfection. Instead, the word integrity literally means to be whole and undivided. Integrity is a consistency between attitudes and actions. Integrity is a consistency between character and conduct. Integrity is a consistency between what we say and what we do. Integrity is a consistency between our public life and our private life. Integrity is a consistency in what we strive for and what we call others to strive for. Integrity is walking the walk and not just talking the talk.

Now a natural question that arises here is “Well Dave that sounds great, but how does the faith that works produce a life of integrity? And how can I grow when it comes to living a life of integrity? In a section of this letter, we will see James reveal for us four different ways that the faith that works produces a life of integrity. James reveals for us the first way in James 1:19-20. Let’s discover that way together:

This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

James begins this section of his letter by stating this you know, my beloved brethren. Now this statement, if communicated in the language we use in our culture today, would have sounded something like this: “My beloved followers of Jesus, make sure you pay attention and put into practice in your day to day lives what I am about to say”.

James then provides three commands to followers of Jesus throughout history: Be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. In other words, James is commanding followers of Jesus to respond to others in a way that is swift to listen to others and slow to express ourselves to others. As followers of Jesus, we are to be swift to listen to others and slow to express our displeasure to others.

 James then provides the reason why we are to be swift to listen to others and slow to express our displeasure towards others by stating the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. But what does that mean? James point here is that when we respond to others by expressing our displeasure to others, we will not bring about or accomplish what is right in God’s sight. When we respond to others in a way that does not reveal and reflect Jesus to others, we do not advance God’s kingdom mission.

And it is here that we see James reveal for us the reality that the faith that works produces a life of integrity that responds to others the right way. As followers of Jesus we live lives of integrity that reveal and reflect Jesus to others when we are swift to actively engage others by actively listening to others. We live lives of integrity that reveal and reflect Jesus to others when we are slow to express our opinions to others and instead take the time to listen to their opinions. We live lives of integrity that reveal and reflect Jesus to others when we are slow to express our displeasure and disapproval of others.

So here is a question to consider when it comes to the issue of integrity: Do you respond to others the right way? Do you respond to others in a way that reveals and reflects Jesus by being swift to listen and slow to speak and anger? Those are challenging questions, aren’t they? I know they are for me. But the faith that works produces a life of integrity that responds to others the right way. James then reveals for us a second way that the faith that works produces a life of integrity in verse 21:

 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

Now when James uses the phrase putting aside, here, this phrase literally means to lay aside or rid oneself of. What James commands followers of Jesus to rid themselves of is all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness. In other words James is commanding followers of Jesus to rid themselves of any moral corruption or wickedness that is prevailing in our lives. 

Now an immediate question that arises here is, “well Dave how do I do that?” James provides the answer by explaining that we are to in humility receive the word implanted. Now when James uses the phrase receive the word implanted, this phrase literally means to accept something that is already present and established so as to indicate your approval. The word here refers to the message and teachings of Jesus that had already been established in their lives.

James then explains that it is the message and teachings of Jesus that reveal for us how we can be rescued from our selfishness and rebellion that separates us from God so that we can experience forgiveness and the relationship with God that we were created for. And it is here that James reveals for us the reality that the faith that works produces a life of integrity that accepts the message and teachings of Jesus. As followers of Jesus we live lives of integrity that reveal and reflect Jesus to others when we accept the message and teachings of Jesus by not being full of ourselves, but by humbly placing ourselves under the authority of the message and teachings of Jesus.

We live lives of integrity that reveal and reflect Jesus to others when we accept the message and teachings of Jesus so as to rid ourselves of the moral corruption and wickedness that can cause us to stumble in our relationship with Jesus. And we live lives of integrity that reveal and reflect Jesus to others when we accept the message and teachings of Jesus in a way that results in our lives reflecting God’s transformational activity in our lives as we become more like Jesus.

So here is a question to consider when it comes to the issue of integrity: Are you accepting the message and teachings of Jesus in your life? Are you humbly submitting your thinking to the message and teachings of Jesus? Or are you arrogantly submitting the message and teachings of Jesus to your thinking? Because the faith that works produces a life of integrity that accepts the message and teachings of Jesus.

Tomorrow, we will see James reveal for us two additional ways that the faith that works produces a life of integrity...

The faith that works produces a life of integrity...

At the church where I serve we are spending our time looking at a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of James. The book of James was written by a man named James, who was the half brother of Jesus who repeatedly doubted Jesus claim to be God, but became a follower of Jesus who was the pastor at the church in Jerusalem and who was ultimately killed for believing that Jesus was God. James turned from being a doubter in Jesus to being a pastor of Jesus church and an author of this letter that is recorded for us in the Bible after seeing Jesus after He was raised from the dead.

And as we look at this letter that was written by the half brother of Jesus, our hope and our prayer is that God would enable us to wrap our heads, hearts, and hands around several timeless truths that occur in the life of the faith that works in such a way that results in us living lives that look like Jesus.

This week, I would like for us to spend our time addressing one of the most common objections and accusations that those who are far from God have when it comes to Christianity and the church. If you are not sure you buy the whole Jesus, Bible, church thing and you may have made this accusation against Christians. And if you are a follower of Jesus, you may have heard this accusation made against the church and Christians.

The accusation and objection that I want us to address this morning is this: the church and Christians are a bunch of hypocrites. Maybe you believe that the church is full of hypocrites and if we could have a conversation at the courtyard coffeehouse, one of the first questions that you would ask me is “Well Dave, don’t you see that the church is just full of hypocrites? That’s why I don’t like to come to church, because the church is full of hypocrites. How can you say that the church is not full of hypocrites?”

If we were able to have that conversation, here would be my response. First, what do you mean when you say that Christians are hypocrites? The word hypocrite literally means to join in playing a part of pretending and was used to describe someone who was an actor in the Greek theatre. In our culture today, we would refer to such a person as a poser.

A hypocrite creates a public impression that is at odds with ones real motivations or purpose. A hypocrite, by definition, is someone that says “here is the message and teachings of Jesus, and you need to follow them, but I am not going to follow them”. A hypocrite fails to follow the message and teachings that they impose on others.

However, a follower of Jesus who strives to follow the message and teachings of Jesus, yet sometimes falls short is not to being a hypocrite. Instead they are being a human being. So if you define a hypocrite as someone who falls short of the standard that they are striving to live, then we are all hypocrites. If that is how you define being a hypocrite, you will fit in quite well at church. You would fit in quite well here because even if you don't buy the whole Jesus, Bible, church thing, you have a standard that you set for yourself when it comes to how you live your life. And there are times that you fail to live up to the standards that you set for yourself, don’t you? So if that is how you define a hypocrite than you will fit in here quite well.

Unfortunately, the sad reality is that there are followers of Jesus who are hypocrites. There are followers of Jesus who say “here is the message and teachings of Jesus, and you need to follow them, but I am not going to follow them”. And hypocrisy in the life of a follower of Jesus gives the distinct impression that Christianity does not work. I mean, if Christianity worked, if a life of faith in Jesus was supposed to work, then why would anyone not strive to follow the very message and teachings that they would attempt to impose on others? And what is so fascinating is that the issue of hypocrisy is not a new issue; the issue of hypocrisy is a human nature issue. So how does the faith that works address the issue of hypocrisy?

To answer these questions, I would like for us to spend our time together this week by picking up where we left off last week by looking at the next section of a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of James. And it is in this next section of this letter to early followers of Jesus that was written by the half brother of Jesus that we see James reveal for us a timeless and true principle when it comes to the faith that works and the issue of hypocrisy. And that timeless and true principle is this: The faith that works produces a life of integrity. Just as it was for followers of Jesus in James day; just as it has been for followers of Jesus throughout history, the faith that works produces a life of integrity.

However, to fully understand this timeless and true principle, we first need to wrap our minds around what the word integrity actually means. The word integrity does not mean perfection. Instead, the word integrity literally means to be whole and undivided. Integrity is a consistency between attitudes and actions. Integrity is a consistency between character and conduct. Integrity is a consistency between what we say and what we do. Integrity is a consistency between our public life and our private life. Integrity is a consistency in what we strive for and what we call others to strive for. Integrity is walking the walk and not just talking the talk.

Now a natural question that arises here is “Well Dave that sounds great, but how does the faith that works produce a life of integrity? And how can I grow when it comes to living a life of integrity? In James 1:19-17, we will see James reveal for us four different ways that the faith that works produces a life of integrity.

Tomorrow, we will see James reveals for us the first way that the faith that works produces a life of integrity…