James points his finger at the passions that are at war within us as the problem. The arguments and conflicts that were disrupting Christian fellowship could not be ascribed to righteous passion or justifiable zeal; it was selfish, indulgent desire that was responsible.

The tongue is you in a unique way. It is a tattletale that tells on the heart and discloses the real person. The misuse of the tongue is perhaps the easiest way to sin. The tongue has no built in restraints or boundaries.

James gives an example of the favoritism: Two people, distinguished from each other by their dress. One is wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, the other, poor, enters the church, and is treated drastically different because of economic status. The poor person is treated with disdain, and even contempt

Just as a long-distance runner perseveres in order to grow in perseverance, we also persevere. We weather trial and

temptation, knowing it will strengthen and toughen us up, it will help us help others, and will also prepare us to recognize and overcome the sins trying to sidetrack us.

The letter has a strong tone of pastoral exhortation. James has a greater frequency of imperatives than any other New Testament book. His purpose is not just to inform, but to command, exhort and encourage a change of lifestyle in his readers.

Christians have been introduced into the life of the world to come. What a tragedy, then, if they conform to the perishing world they have left. The believer, whose life is that of the new world to come, does not think like an unbeliever. Paul does not envisage a mindless emotionalism, but a deeply intelligent approach to life, as characteristic of the Christian who has been renewed by the Holy Spirit.

Both theology and philosophy wrestle with the tension which exists between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. The question is: If God is absolutely sovereign, in what sense can we meaningfully speak of human choice, of human will? It is doubtful that finite human beings can cut the Gordian knot concerning God’s sovereignty and human responsibility.

There is a righteous way and an unrighteous way, a good path and a foolish path. After all, the Bible is realistic. Even many great heroes in the Bible were compromised.

Revelation 14:7 does not give us the content of the gospel, but addresses the motive to respond to the gospel, since the end is so close. People are called to respond in worship to their Creator, because judgment time is here.

It will take God’s immeasurable power to bring about the ultimate transformation on the last day. But already His formidable power—the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, is at work in us by His Holy Spirit to transform us, to begin the work of changing our hearts and minds.