The Book of James, Chapter 2: Read &/or listen from the Bible.
1/ Warning against partiality – James 2:1-13
a) Beware of Personal Favoritism -> Show mercy
b) The Royal law vs.8 = The Law of Liberty vs. 12 = Love God & love your neighbor (Mat.22:37-39). More here.
2/ Faith & Works – James 2:13-26
a) Faith without actions/deeds = dead
b) Faith with actions = complete, made perfect, credited, accomplished.
1/ Warning against partiality – James 2:1-13
1 My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. 2 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, 3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” 4 have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? 7 Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; 9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Even James was half brother of Jesus, he recognize Him as his Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. The title “Lord of glory” is a firm acknowledgment of Jesus’ divine nature & majesty, equating Him to God & the glory of God described in Psalm 24:7-10.
James is telling us that one should not profess faith in Christ and, at the same time, presume to be superior to others. All believers are brothers & sisters in the body of Christ. Also if we love our neighbor as ourselves (as Jesus taught) we are not going to show favoritism.
The Royal Law, vs. 8: We Christians are in a new covenant, we follow the teachings of Christ, and He summed up the 10 commandments of ‘the law’ in two. The first 4 commandments in the Old Testament have to do with our LOVE for God & the rest (6) have to do with our LOVE for the people. Therefore ‘Love is the fulfilling of the law‘ (Rom. 13:10).
“Jesus said to him: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt 22:36-40). – That means the entire Old Testament’s books.
Jesus also gave a new one to His ‘followers’, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you.”Jn. 13:34.
To differentiate them from the 10 commandments of the Old Covenant, now that are summarized, in the New Testament it is called the Royal law (James 2:8), the law of liberty (James 1:25 & 2:12) , the law of Christ (Gal.6:2). The law of the Spirit of life (Roma.8:2). There was a change of law Heb. 7:12. So we believers of Christ are not without law.
“2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. ” Rom. 8:2-4.
2/ Faith & Works – James 2:14-26
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect G5048? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
James is talking here about this person that says he has faith or ‘says’ he believe in Jesus but doesn’t follow Him in practical ways or is not a doer of the Word. He mentions that demons also ‘believe’ there is a God, they even believe Jesus is the Son of God (Mk. 3:11) but they aren’t saved. Intellectual faith doesn’t save. Jesus said we need to be born again, born of the Spirit of God.
Genuine faith is active, if our faith is dormant then it isn’t true faith. What we believe will impact our actions, for that matter faith, is expressed or works through love (Gal.5:6). Works won’t save us, they are just evidence of a genuine faith. Do you remember Jesus said by their fruit you will know them? (Mat.7:16 & 20).
We Christians have a law, Mat.22:37-39 which is to love. To love God & love our neighbors as ourselves, if we really love God, or others, we will do something to help those in need, & mainly we have a responsibility for brothers & sisters in the faith. (Gal. 6:10).
” 17 Whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, but closes his heart of compassion from him, how can the love of God remain in him? 18 My little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.” (1 Jn.3:17-18).
‘Salvation’ is through faith in Jesus Christ not by works (Eph. 2:8-9), but that same faith will progressively cause a transformed life that will go from producing works of the flesh (Gal. 5) to producing the fruit of the Holy Spirit, as we surrender to His lead (Gal. 5:22–25).