#Faith that #Works - #James 2: 14-26

We can easily agree that not because a nutritionist to tells someone, "you need to eat less", and to another, "you need to eat more," means that the nutritionist is contradicting him or herself, and that with one indication is debunking the other.  It is quite logical to conclude that we must consider the context of both statements and also know the optimal and ideal nutrition and body weight ranges.  In simple terms, the individual who is asked to eat less, it is probably because his or her weight is above optimal, and the one who is asked to eat more it's probably because his or her weight is below the ideal.  It is no different with Scripture, and specifically with the topic addressed by James in chapter 2 and verses 14 to 26, where in verse 21 says: "Was not Abraham justified by works ..." vs "For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory "(Romans 4: 2).  In a moment we will return to this very apparent contradiction, but we must first set the stage for an honest analysis to the intentions of both James, and Paul in The Epistle to the Romans.

What James wants to convey is not very complex: faith is not an intellectual or philosophical exercise, rather it's the taking of action motivated by the certainties and convictions beyond of what can be ascertainable (cf. Hebrews 11: 1).  James does not contradict Paul, but brings balance to the discussion of justification by faith, because "as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead" (James 2:26). The works are then the result of faith. Without these, faith is no longer faith, but simply reduced to a wish without any contribution to our salvation (James 2:14). The formulas "works without faith" and "faith without works" are both condemned in Scripture, so James corrects it by saying, "You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works "(James 2:18).

To believe in God to the point of trembling but not taking action is, in the words of James, to berely keep up with the demons, which are clearly beyond the possibility of salvation (James 2:19). Perhaps as a drug addict, for whom it's not enough to just believe he or she should quit using drugs in order to preserve his or her physical and mental health. By knowing and recognizing the harmful effects of drugs, the addict must act on those findings and refrain from consumption, to enforce the promise of long lasting health. Thus, faith is the conjunction of mental conviction plus acting accordingly. In the case of Abraham, which we referred to at the beginning of this review, both statements, by Paul and James, are correct. While James, who wrote his letter first, argues that in the case studies presented, faith was evident through the actions executed, Paul obviously writing to another audience with other deficiencies, argues that works, as good as they may be (Isaiah 64: 6), may be aliens to faith, and also manipulable, and therefore useless for generating justification. While James tells us that faith is not a feeling nor an intellectual or emotional exercise, Paul tells us that it is not because we do good things that we are saved. Overall, personal conviction (faith) founded on God's promises will dictate the course of our decisions and actions.

Love and the Law - James 2:1-13

The Bible reveals two standards by which we will be evaluated on the Day of Judgment: 1) Law, and 2) our response to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as our substitute.  And in the words of James, the determining factor in that judgment will be mercy, which "triumphs over judgment" (James 2:13).  However, mercy, as an argument for salvation, is only effective to the extent that we apply it to others.  James uses harsh words when he warns: "For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy" (James 2:13), the same idea widely used by Jesus in his teaching: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy" (Matthew 5 : 7), "But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:15), in the context of the Lord's Prayer, "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses" (Matthew 18:35), "Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of these, ye did it not to me" (Matthew 24:45), to quote some references.

James puts a special emphasis to the second part of the law, the part that has to do with how we treat of our fellow man, the last six commandments, as determining the accuracy of our observance of the first four commandments, which deal with our love and devotion to God (James 2: 1-4), as John says, "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must also love his brother "(1 John 4: 20-21).  So Jesus, who though his ministry represented the heavenly expectations regarding socioeconomic, cultural, political and religious interaction, consciously related to the "publicans and sinners" despite the constant criticism from the supposedly advocates of faith (Mark 2:16 ).

By presenting a case to which all could identify, James confronts his audience following up with the efforts of Jesus to reorder the dynamic of interrelation with in the government of God (James 2: 5-7) which requires not to be "with partiality" (James 2: 1).  By an apparent unquestioned accommodation to the social conventions of the time, James' audience has been giving undeserved attentions to the ones that subjugate and mistreat them while taunting the poor (James 2: 6).  Therefore he confronts them and exposes that what they have been doing is more than an oversight or a flaw.  James catalogs "partiality", nowadays bias and discrimination, as a sin (James 2: 9) and as serious as murder and adultery (James 2:11).  Thus, the law defies our nature for our loyalty to the Ten Commandments is revealed in the way that we actively treat others, loving our neighbor as ourselves (James 2: 8 and Leviticus 19:18).

The Bible is consistent in revealing the character, the essence of God when it says, "Whoever does not love does not know God; for God is love "(1 John 4: 8).  The reasons for the observance of the law must always stand in love, to God and neighbor.  The Scriptures indicate of a future judgment to which we will all have to face (Romans 14:10), to which James warns: "So speak and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty" (James 2 : 12), where our best defense is "mercy," as long as we have exerted it ourselves in our dealings with others, including those who, by the standards of today's society, do not deserve it.

Being and Doing

I must confess that I feel quite redundant by sharing my personal conclusions drawn from the study of the Epistle of James.  It is so plain and to the point that trying to reexplain it gets very close to saying it the exactly as it is written.  Yet, it puts on the table concepts that, though easy to agree and understand, they require a complete transformation of the human nature in order to successfully be implemented.

The last six verses of the first chapter of James restore the divine motifs of the design and establishment of religion as a system that allows humans to adequate themselves to receive and accept the gift of salvation.  Not much different of what we may be experiencing today, either as individuals or as a church, James warns us of the self-deception in which we can fall by thinking that human responsibility towards God is sufficient by only attending a worship service in order to receive instruction through of the Word (James 1:22).  Apparently, listening to a good sermon is not enough. James expands: "For if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face a mirror.  For he observes himself and goes away, and immediately forgets what was" (James 1: 23-24), presenting the idea that the fundamental function of instruction is to evaluate, which should enables us to identify and locate our present reality.  Yes, Hebrews tells us that "the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword; penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart "(4:12), but it is limited to only teach and evaluate, and if not followed by action, loses its effectiveness, as the experience of the rich young ruler demonstrates (Matthew 19: 16-22).

James does not generate new concepts, he simply follows through the instructions found in the writings of the prophets reaffirmed through the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus restructured and restored the divine standards that define the spirit and dynamics of God's government.  Here, religion is rescued from the limitations of the human thinking and action, and raises it as a promoter that defines the spirit of heaven, spirit that made possible our salvation (John 3:16).  And just when we felt we were good (Luke 6: 33-34), Jesus leads us to love our enemies, those who hate us, to those who curse us and those who slander us (Luke 6: 27-28), and it is in this context that is shared the golden rule, which states that "as ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them" (Luke 6:31).  It is not a call for passiveness, I won't mess with you and you don't mess with me, but a call to intrude on your life as I would want you do in mine.  And ends by saying: "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful ... Forgive, and you will be forgiven ... with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to" (Luke 6: 36-38).

The law, the Ten Commandments are written in the most basic terms, limited to only prevent damaging each other.  But God's law, like any law, is supported by values that ​​in this case reflect the values of the government of God which are to love God with all your heart, and love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22: 37-39).  Not killing, not stealing or not committing adultery do not meet the objectives of the law of liberty (James 1:25), because it will always be easier not to kill my enemy than to love him as myself.  The law of liberty, that James identifies with the Ten Commandments, is the starting point that leads us first to avoid murder, to then lead to a love that person who we wished would be dead.

Religion, according to God's design, has its strength in the practical impact of benefiting those around us (James 1:27).  Although the intellectual exercise is striking, and the debate is tempting, James rescues and channels the divine goals of religion to a personal reform through practical love and genuine service to others (James 1: 26-27).  As thought found in Steps to Christ where says: "Those who thus devote themselves to unselfish effort for the good of others are surely working out their own salvation." {80.2}

Enduring Temptation

It is my guess that the primary objective of James is to convince us that the ultimate consequence of enduring, resisting and overcoming temptation is eternal life (James 1:12). As the life of each of us may corroborates, the experience of going through trials and temptation is so real that it cannot be ignored. Therefore James take us to recognize and acknowledge its evidence and existence so that we can focus, now, on the divine promise of ultimate victory (Romans 8:37).

Once defined the promise that describes our destiny, James call us to reflect and identify the source and origin of the temptation that we so often have to cope with, and oh surprise, surprise... No wonder Paul exclaimed: "Miserable me! Who will rescue me from this body of death? (Romans 7:24). James assures us that "each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed" (James 1: 13-14). In other words, our actions come to be the voice of our nature, as it is the cause of our constant drive to consider and implement the actions of sin. Eve's experience illustrates the sequence of events that leads to the action of sin. Satan led Eve to feel a nonexistent need. She was in no need of food, and had a countless of other options to suit her taste. However, ignoring the thousands of options, she came to concentrate on the one and only tree that wasn't an option. The text says that under the false promise of preserving immortality and the acquisition of wisdom equal and rival to God's, Eve saw, wished, and "she took of its fruit," and finally ate (Genesis 3: 1-6). James indicates that we, having inherited this inclination to rebellion, by natural tendency, the act of sin is first conceived in our minds (James 1: 14-15).

James, like the rest of Scripture, reminds us that our personal argument to survival will always end in death. But it is here, at the level of conception of sin, not the level of implementation, that transformation must occur. That is why we are told to receive "with meekness the engrafted word, which can save" our souls (James 1:21), putting the pride and self-sufficiency on the side, in the words of James: "all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness. "

Scripture offers several strategies to internalize the arguments that promise to transform our nature. In Psalm 119: 11 we find, "In my heart I have hidden your word that I might not sin against thee,” giving the idea of complete assimilation. In Luke 4:8 Jesus used Scripture as a final and irrefutable argument against Satan, and in Ephesians 6:17 God's Word is a defensive tool as well as a weapon to advanced. It should be our first action to reverse the effects of our rebellious nature, a constant exposition to the divine influence through His Word. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17). Since the efficiency of divine intervention is subject to our attitude and subjection, we are warned and reminded of our limitations in order to develop an attitude of constant learning (James 1:19-20). At this point the secret is not in what we say, or the strength of our arguments because, really, who are we? The Scriptures define us in terms of a limited and even degrading terms (Isaiah 64: 6). But that's the message of James, which restates hierarchies and directs us in a process that ensures our regeneration, and eternal life.

The Perfection of Our Faith

Jesus embodied the sacrifices required to offer us legal innocence and eternal life (Hebrews 9: 12-14), for he "endured the cross, despising the shame," as "author and finisher" of our faith (Hebrews 12: 2).  Since we too live within the context and dynamics of the great controversy, we have become victims of constant harassment by the forces opposed to God's government and being exposed to its trials and hardships, regardless of our acceptance or lack thereof of God's promises.  From God's perspective, however, and although suffering is a natural part of the experience of every human being, James invites us to reconsider this unavoidable reality as a positive development (really?)  He invites us to " counted all joy" when we are in the midst of various trials (James 1: 2), thought it also shared by Peter, who reminds us that we should not be surprised when we see ourselves involved in the "fiery trial", and use it as reason for joy (1 Peter 4:12).  Not that the tests are part of an obstacle course, a source of suffering to invite God's compassion, or an exam to earn heaven, but an indicator of the obvious, that we are at war (Revelation 12:17 ) and in a process of rehabilitation on our way to eternal life (1 Peter 1: 6).

Thanks to the option offered by heaven, we have the opportunity to focus on God's offer which goes beyond suffering, finding that the promise is well worth the sacrifice.  Why sacrifice?  Because to make that promise a reality, it requires a definite intent of the individual to act patiently against his own nature (James 2: 4), in mutual commitment to other believers "until we all reach unity in the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God," which is identified as a state of perfection, to the parameters established by the ministry and person of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:13).  Paul tells us that the motivations to reach this state of perfection, or maturity, do not rest on personal or spiritual achievements or failures of the past, but in the constant search for achieving the goal that God has seen fit to describe in His Word (Philippians 3:12-14).

One essential ingredient to make the dynamics just described a possibility, is wisdom, or the ability to discern the divine will that, according to James, is available to us in response to the request in faith to God (James 1: 5).  This knowledge will be acquired through the unquestioned and defenseless submission to the authority, instruction and will of God (James 1:6-8,19-21), and it will manifest itself through our behavior (James 3:13).

Religion is the machinery that God has implemented to channel us in this dynamic of salvation, which inevitably leads to selflessness and detachment (James 1:27 & 2:15,16).  Any other path we may take, it will be a clear indication that the implementation of religion has not been according to the divine version.

James, the brother of the Lord

Quite often I reflect on what would have meant to live and experience the ministry of Jesus Christ.  It does not take much to romanticize the idea and imagine the many pleasant hours listening to his teachings and participating in his miracles, which would certainly lead us to a constant spiritual ecstasy, "as God surely expects us to."  However, Scriptures reveal a different dynamic which is closer, perhaps, to our present reality, for the shortcomings of the human spirit have not changed in the past two thousand years.  In so, the Gospels testify to the continued rejection of the ministry of Jesus Christ by the Pharisees, but how to blame them if I too, and most likely, would have questioned his intentions and would have limited his influence in my church to avoid any destabilization.  Isn't that my job as a pastor?  I mean, even his brothers doubted him! (John 7: 2-5).

We may infer, then, that James, one of his half brothers, and a character that we will be in association with for the next three months, is included in the statement, "... neither did his brethren believe in him."  However, Scriptures indicate the process to which he was subjected to that led him to be not only witness of his miracles and teachings, but also of his resurrection and commission (1 Corinthians 15:7), becoming an active element in the life of the developing movement (Acts 1:14), growing to become a leader and column (Galatians 2: 9), and making of his writings a projection of the teachings of Jesus Christ (James 1:22 and Matthew 7:24 , James 3:12 and Matthew 7:16, James 4:12 and Matthew 7: 1).

To the annoyance of Martin Luther, James' contribution, now as a recognized leader and authority of the new community, is to redirect and retune the understanding of the dynamics of faith.  It is clear that he is responding to a dangerous tendency that threaten to pervert the function thereof.  In this way, he understands that his greatest contribution is to communicate that faith, to be faith, must be linked and associated with the according action (James 1:22), an idea in tune with the statement of Jesus: "You are my friends if do what I command "(John 15:14).

Becoming identified also as one of the pillars of the nascent movement, James is part of the making of what might be called today as the first church manual.  Ten years have passed since the deliberate inclusion of the Gentiles to the Christian movement, which certainly presents several challenges that threaten the unity of the movement.  Moreover, none of the books of what we now call the New Testament have been written yet, so the first indications are simple and basic. The requirement is disassociation from paganism, and association with Scriptures (Acts 15: 20-21).

The study of the ministry and contribution of James today allows us to have a broader vision, in addition to the writings of the other apostles, of the privileges and responsibilities of Christians in the context of the daily and practical life of my church.

Don't let me get me ... (John 8:1-11)

Whom was Jesus protecting and/or defending when he said: "Let him who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her"? (John 8:7).  The obvious answer would be: the "woman taken in adultery", right?  I think, however, we could dig a little deeper, and perhaps discover other people who might have been in the mind of Jesus.

It is important to first establish that the scene does not seek to justify sin. In fact, sin is identified, and discipline is applied.  By telling the women, "sin no more", is not only sin identified, but also discipline applied (not condemning does not means there was no discipline).  Also, by writing on the ground, Jesus identifies the sins of the accusers.

Who is Jesus protecting? According to the law revealed by God (Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 22:21-24), which establishes the punishment for adultery, Jesus finds a formula that potentially would preserve the life of the woman; she can be stoned still, only if the prosecutors are willing to also receive their fair punishment for their sins as stipulated by the law.  The Bible testifies that one by one of the accusers received the gift of conviction of sin (John 16:8); by not condemning the woman, they are not condemned.

Who was Jesus protecting when he wrote on the ground? Yes, the woman, but, was not Jesus also protecting the

scribes and Pharisees? By releasing the woman they were being covered with the same blanket of mercy with which Jesus was covering the woman, don't you think? Jesus was protecting them from themselves.

Understanding our nature, and foreseeing our salvation, Jesus, being merciful but also fair and just, insist that we place ourselves within reach of his saving power by (Luke 6:36-38):

• "be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful"
• "judge not, and you shall not be judged"
• "Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned"
• "Forgive, and you will be forgiven"
• "Give, and it will be given to you"
• "with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you"

In Scripture is a constant, while we foolishly insist to lose our souls, Jesus insists, above our folly, to save us (Romans 5:20).