This week’s passage in James hits on the more subtle sins Christians oftentimes neglect in their own lives. It’s easy to point out what we consider to be “big sins” in others; things like murder, rape, extramarital affairs, homosexuality and the like. But James wants us to tackle sins of omission in our own lives just as voraciously as the more obvious sins of commission. James tackles two particular sins in this text that are rooted in spiritual arrogance. Speaking evil against brothers and sisters and living our lives like practical atheists. When spiritual arrogance affects our tongues and our plans in life, we are sure to go off the rails and experience disappointment and disillusionment. The antidote to this destructive spiritual arrogance, is radical dependence on Jesus which brings freedom, hope and healing to our tongues and our life plans!

I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel - Guest Pastor - 07.25.21 by New Life of Asheville

In this week’s passage, James uses the common experience of friendship to teach us some important lessons about where we place our allegiances in this life. In fact, James is going to present us with a pressing problem that we all face, and then drive home a spiritual solution that we all desperately need. The problem, as it turns out, is friendship with the world, which he equates with spiritual adultery. We’ve all been tempted to love the things of this world (comfort, pleasure, riches, relationships, etc) more than we love God. But James reminds us that God is jealous for His people, and that we should pursue intimacy and friendship with God above all else in this life. The solution to our spiritual adultery is to humbly submit our lives to a good God by resisting the devil, drawing near to our Savior, and turning from our sin. Regardless of our past, our current sin struggles, or what the future holds...there is always more grace to be found in God!

As James continues to give us the marks of authentic faith, he shifts us to two pictures of wisdom. The truth of the matter is that we all live according to some code of wisdom. Whether you get wisdom from Hollywood, friends, Google or a religious system, we’re all on a quest to find wisdom that will lead us to a happier life. James says that there are two types of wisdom: worldly wisdom (3:14-16) which leads to chaos (4:1-3) and godly wisdom (3:13) that leads to a harvest of righteousness (3:17-18). James gives us a list of characteristics that mark each type of wisdom and the implicit challenge is clear: you need wisdom from Jesus, rather than wisdom from the world. Godly wisdom produces a gospel-centric life that will allow us to flourish now and in the future!

As James continues to flesh out his premise that authentic faith in Jesus leads to real fruit in our lives, he begins to talk about the power of words. The old saying we all heard as kids “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” is one of the biggest lies ever told. Words destroy marriages, cripple children, divide churches, and drive nations into war. But words can also bring life, healing and hope. Jesus teaches that words reveal the heart. So the key isn’t just guarding our words, it has to be change at the heart level. We don’t need a tongue doctor, we need a heart doctor! And change that deep only comes by walking with Jesus and being empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak words of life into those around us. This is good fruit that flows from authentic faith!

This section of James’ letter to scattered and persecuted Christians across the Roman Empire is one of the more controversial passages in the New Testament. James makes a radically bold claim: faith without works is dead! In other words, authentic faith leads to real fruit. He goes on to paint a picture of 3 kinds of faith: dead faith, demonic faith, and living faith. James wants us to know that mere lip service to Jesus or simple intellectual assent to a set of beliefs does not equal saving faith. Real faith always bleeds out into real life. He’s not arguing for perfection in the life of the Christian, but he is arguing for progress as outward evidence of a living inward faith. Authentic faith in Jesus leads to real fruitful life in this world!

As we jump into the second chapter of this little power-house of a book, we see James address a super practical outworking of authentic faith. He’s already addressed how followers of Jesus ought to walk through trials, bridle our tongues and care for the marginalized. He now shifts to the subject of favoritism. James unapologetically proclaims that faith and favoritism are incompatible. He then points to God’s own character for the reason why God’s people should be impartial with others. The truth of the matter is that we all tend to drift toward favoritism, partiality and prejudice. We tend to want to impress those we think can benefit us materially or socially. And yet, the gospel of Jesus breaks down the very racial, social, and economic walls that the world naturally erects. James finishes this section by reminding us of coming judgment, and the fact that we ought to give mercy to the measure that we have received mercy from Jesus. The gospel screams “mercy triumphs over judgment!” Let our lives reflect that reality!

James: Life Through The Word - Ranjit David, Guest Pastor 06.13.21 by New Life of Asheville

The book of James is one of the most hard-hitting, practical and challenging books in all of Scripture. It was very likely penned by the younger half-brother of Jesus who rejected his big bro until after the resurrection. From that point forward, James became a ferocious follower of Jesus and a pillar in the Jerusalem church. He’s writing this letter to believers who have been scattered because of persecution and are suffering the immense weight of trials, pain, difficulty and temptation. He opens the letter by encouraging them to count their trials as joy, knowing that God is at work accomplishing great things in their lives through their trials. He challenges them to endure to the end, while asking God for wisdom in the storms of life, knowing that He’s a good God who wants the very best for His children.

Jesus closes this most magnificent prayer by praying for those who would follow Him in generations to come. It is stunning that almost 2,000 years ago, Jesus was praying for you and me! In this prayer, 3 things seem to be specifically on His mind. Unity, closeness and love. Unity with one another, according to Jesus, is how we authenticate the gospel message to a watching world. Closeness with Jesus is what He desires for our lives. We need relational connection with the Savior in order to thrive spiritually. Lastly, becoming agents of love in a world full of darkness and hate is crucial for those who would follow Jesus. If God is love (1 John 4:8) then His people should be the people of love.