James 1-3: Does It Show?


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Jun 25 2022 18 mins   55 1 0
Transcript Podcast Introduction Today is Epistles Sunday. We’ll read James 1-3. I’m calling today’s episode “Does It Show?.“ Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Jamie Street on Unsplash Comments on James 1-3 Thoughts on James 1 and 2 James was a brother, or more correctly, half-brother of Jesus, though he was not a believer until after the resurrection, but he became known as a pillar of the early church. After James writes his greeting, he immediately launches into the subject of dealing with difficulties. The Jews, believers in Jesus and otherwise, had been scattered, and under all sorts of persecutions. James wanted them to know that hard times are meant to grow our faith. There is no doubt that difficulties arise in every life. James wants us to see that God can and does use those times for our benefit. Don’t let anyone tell you that you must’ve done something wrong if you’re going through the fire. And then he goes on to say that just hearing the scriptures is not enough. Don’t think that by going to church or reading the Bible, or listening to this podcast for that matter, is enough to make you righteous. You must act on what you hear. The Word has to make a difference in your life. You must take action on what you hear. Then in the next chapter he talks about valuing some people over others, and how that is not what we should do. Each person has value, whether rich or poor, important in the eyes of men or insignificant. In God’s eyes, we are all the same. There are no celebrities in Heaven. James 2:14 -20 has caused a lot of controversy over the years, but in my mind it is quite clear. The message is this: if you say you love God, but your life doesn’t show it, you are fooling yourself. To expand on that thought, if I love God, I am going to just naturally begin to do things that show the love of God. I don’t do those things to gain God’s favor, and I don’t do them to earn points in Heaven. I do them because He has changed who I am. If I am the same person I have always been, then I have not truly met Jesus, and I am still lost. The example James gives is that of Abraham. He said he had faith, but until he showed that he was willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac, his faith was incomplete. It was only when he raised the knife to sacrifice his son that God pronounced him complete. And then, as James quoted from the Old Testament, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” And James said that Abraham was called the friend of God. Now, don’t misunderstand. We are saved by faith alone. There is nothing we can do to earn any part of our salvation. Zero. Nada. Nothing. But unless my faith results in a changed life, it is worthless, because a true faith in God fills us with the Holy Spirit, who brings about the fruit of the spirit that was talked about by Paul in Galatians 5:22 and 23: … love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control… Fruit just naturally grows on the tree, right? The apple tree doesn’t have to *try* to grow apples, it just does. Same with the fruit of the Spirit. If you have truly become a new person by yielding yourself to Jesus, then these things will become evident in your life. Is there a change in your life? Does it show? Thoughts on James 3 James wrote about how powerful the tongue is. He was referring to the actual spoken word, of course. But I think it would be safe here in the 21st century to expand the thought to what we say on the internet. On Facebook, Twitter and any other of the social media. Have you ever seen a post or comment on Facebook that ignited a firestorm of nasty responses? Probably so. Did anything good come of it? Probably not. Friends, if we are representatives of Jesus, we need to be aware of the words we use, both online and in the real world. People are watching and listening. I would much rather hold my tongue or step away from the keyboard than bring shame to J [...]