True disciples of the kingdom of heaven show unlimited forgiveness to their brothers in Christ, because they have been shown unlimited forgiveness by the Father.

The cure for the smug attitude that badmouths and judges other Christians is a clear awareness of the final judgment, which should lead us to a humble dependence on Jesus Christ that drives out all feelings of false superiority.

James launches a powerful attack on worldliness, accusing all who compromise with the world of spiritual adultery. Those who are tempted to hop in bed with the world must come to their senses, repent of their adultery, humble themselves before God, flee from the devil and draw near to God. The humble can be confident of Gods grace to follow Christ and assured of future exaltation.

James dismisses all the common excuses for quarrels and fights, pinpointing the source squarely in our desires that rule our hearts rather than submitting to Gods good purposes for us.

The Bible never lets us divorce wisdom from its fruit. True Biblical wisdom, which comes from Heaven, always results in godly character that produces peace among believers. Any so-called wisdom that springs from envy and selfish ambition and leads to disorder and every vile practice actually comes from the pit of Hell.

Jesus has only one offer on the table - Deny yourself, take up your cross, follow Me. Lose your life for Christ and the Gospel in order to gain it eternally. When He comes in glory, Christ will be ashamed of anyone who turns in shame from Him in this wicked world.

About 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, God announced that He was going to perform and astounding miracle. A virgin would conceive and give birth to a son. That son would be Immanuel, God with us. God fulfilled His promise when the virgin Mary conceived and bore Jesus, the Son of God. The greatest blessing and joy for Christians is fellowship with Him now through the Holy Spirit and face-to-face fellowship forever in Heaven.

The Bible talks about four vital appearances of Jesus Christ - His appearance as a baby in Bethlehem, His appearance after rising from the dead, His appearance now as advocate before the Father and His future appearance in glory. Each of these appearances is critical to God's one plan to rescue rebels and transform them into God's loving servants and joyful worshipers.

James continues his expose on the tongue, comparing it to a fire, a world of unrighteousness, an untamed creature and a restless evil. Using the tongue to bless God and curse people who bear God's likeness is as impossible as fig tree bearing olives or a salt pond giving fresh water. Since the mouth speaks out of the overflow of the heart, taming the tongue requires a heart transformation through faith in Jesus Christ.

Although our tongues are such small members of our bodies, they have great influence, like bits in horses mouths and rudders of sailing ships. We constantly stumble in the way we use our tongues, which in turn reveals our wicked hearts. Because teachers in the church use their tongues more frequently, they need to exercise great care because God will judge them more strictly.