James 2:1-26

James 2

James 2:1-4

• James 2:1 – Faith and favoritism do not go together.


• James 2:2-4 – In those days, the senatorial class wore gold rings. The peasant class would typically only have a single cloak and would likely be dirty. We might be tempted to make friends with the wealthy people for our own evil motives (business deals, etc.). We should instead emphasize what is common. We should have the attitude from Luke 6:5 and love all men.

James 2:5-7

• You can serve God or not whether you are rich or poor. The poor were often especially responsive to the gospel. The gospel is an avenue by which the poor can be elevated. See Proverbs 30:9; Matthew 19:24; 13:22. Do not reject someone that God accepts.


• Something was apparently going on where the rich were oppressing people.


• James 2:7 – The rich people of that day had apparently been blaspheming the name of Christ or Christians in general.

James 2:8-13

• James 2:8 – “Love your neighbor as yourself” is called the royal law. It goes all the way back to Leviticus 19:18 and was repeated several times afterwards, including Matthew 22:39.


• James 2:10 – If you break any part of the law, you are guilty of the law as a whole.


• James 2:12 – The law of liberty gives us liberty from sin – not from laws or obligations to God.


• James 2:13 – God causes our behavior to come back around and meet us. If we do not forgive, God will not forgive us. Matthew 18:35

James 2:14-26

• James 2:14 – Faith means nothing without action behind it.


• James 2:15-16 – If someone is in legitimate need and your faith is not sufficient to act in helping the person, your faith is dead.


• James 2:19 – The demons also believe in God. Clearly their faith is not sufficient. See Luke 4:33-34; Acts 19:15.


• James 2:21-23 – Exhibit A: Abraham was justified by acting on his faith and sacrificing his son Isaac. Compare justification in Titus 3:7; Romans 5:9; I Corinthians 6:11. How are we justified? By all of these things!
  
  
  
  • Genesis 22:1-18 – Abraham offered Isaac.
  
  
  • Hebrews 11:17 – Abraham acted out of faith!
  
  
  • It is not faith or works. Abraham showed his faith by his works of obedience.
  
  
  
  


• James 2:24 – Man is not justified by faith alone.


• James 2:25 – Exhibit B: Rahab was justified by her active faith.
  
  
  
  • Hebrews 11:31
  
  
  
  


• James 2:26 – Faith without works is like a body without a spirit – it is just a corpse.


• See Romans 4:1-5. Is this saying the opposite of what we just read? No. It is comparing “works” here to wages that are due to a working man. It is pointing out that we do not earn our way to heaven. We are justified because God has forgiven our sins.