James

The Book of James

 

​WHEN FAITH NEEDS TO GET REAL

​

Now that you have understood that you're saved by faith, not by works. You know that Jesus' righteousness covers you. You've grasped that salvation is a gift you receive, not a prize you earn.

​

Good. That's the foundation.

 

But here's the question: what does that faith actually look like when you wake up Monday morning? How does it show up when your boss treats you unfairly? When you're scrolling social media and everyone's life looks better than yours? When someone who wronged you walks back into your life? When you've got money in your account and someone else doesn't have enough to eat?

 

That's where James comes in.

James was Jesus' half brother. He grew up with Jesus, didn't believe in Him during His ministry, but after the resurrection became a pillar of the early church. He led the Jerusalem church and was known for his wisdom and commitment to practical righteousness.

His letter is blunt, direct, and intensely practical. If Romans is the theology professor explaining doctrine, James is the coach yelling from the sidelines: stop talking about it and do it! He's not contradicting Paul. He's complementing him. Paul explains what saves you. James explains what saved people look like.

​

This letter will challenge you. It will make you uncomfortable. It will confront your priorities, your speech, your treatment of others, your relationship with money, your prayer life, everything. James doesn't let you hide behind theological knowledge whilst living like everyone else.

​

If you want comfortable, encouraging words, read something else. If you want truth that cuts through pretence and calls you to authentic faith, keep reading.

​

Consider It Pure Joy When You Face Trials

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, writes to the twelve tribes scattered amongst the nations. That's his audience: Jewish believers who've been scattered by persecution, living as minorities in foreign cultures, facing hardship.

​

His opening words are startling: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

​

Pure joy. Not grudging acceptance. Not grim endurance. Pure joy when you face trials. Why? Because trials aren't random. They're purposeful. God uses them to develop perseverance, which leads to maturity.

​

You're not supposed to enjoy suffering. But you can have joy in it because you know God's using it to transform you. The trial isn't the end. It's the tool God's using to shape you into who you're meant to be.

​

Ask for Wisdom

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double minded and unstable in all they do.

​

You need wisdom. Not just information, wisdom. The ability to navigate complex situations, make good decisions, understand what matters, see through deception. You can't figure this out on your own. But God gives wisdom generously to anyone who asks.

​

The condition is belief. When you pray, actually expect God to answer. Don't hedge your bets. Don't pray with one foot out the door, ready to rely on your own understanding if God doesn't come through. Ask with faith. Believe God will give you the wisdom you need.

 

Rich and Poor

Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation, since they'll pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even whilst they go about their business.

​

James refuses to let poverty or wealth define your value. If you're poor in this world's eyes, remember your position in Christ. You're a child of God, an heir, destined for glory. That's your real identity.

​

If you're rich, remember how temporary it all is. Your wealth will fade. Your status will pass. Don't put your confidence in things that won't last.

​

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

​

When Temptation Comes

When tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they're dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it's full grown, gives birth to death.

​

Don't blame God for temptation. God doesn't tempt you. Temptation comes from your own desires. Here's how it works: desire conceives, then gives birth to sin, then sin gives birth to death. It's a progression. Recognize it early and you can stop it. Let it run its course and it destroys you.

​

Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who doesn't change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all He created.

​

God is the source of good gifts, not temptation. He's unchanging. He gave you new birth through the word of truth. You're firstfruits of His new creation. That's who you are.

​

Quick to Listen, Slow to Speak, Slow to Anger

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger doesn't produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that's so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

​

This is practical wisdom for everyday life. Listen more than you talk. Think before you speak. Don't let anger control you. Human anger, that reactive, defensive, self righteous rage, doesn't produce God's righteousness. It just makes things worse.

Get rid of the garbage in your life. The moral filth, the evil that's everywhere. Humbly receive God's word. Let it save you, not just from hell, but from yourself.

​

Don't Just Listen, Do

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but doesn't do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it, not forgetting what they've heard, but doing it, they will be blessed in what they do.

​

This is the theme of James' entire letter. Faith without action is dead. Listening without obeying is self deception. You look in the mirror, see what needs to change, then walk away and forget. That's useless.

​

True faith looks intently at God's word, remembers what it says, and does it. That's what brings blessing.

​

Those who consider themselves religious and yet don't keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

​

Real religion isn't about rituals or appearances. It's about caring for vulnerable people and refusing to let the world's values corrupt you. If you claim to be religious but your speech is destructive, you're deceiving yourself.

​

Don't Show Favouritism

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favouritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, here's a good seat for you, but say to the poor man, you stand there or sit on the floor by my feet, have you not discriminated amongst yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

​

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? But you've dishonoured the poor. Isn't it the rich who are exploiting you? Aren't they the ones who are dragging you into court? Aren't they the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of Him to whom you belong?

 

James confronts favouritism head on. You treat rich people better because you want something from them. You dismiss poor people because they can't do anything for you. That's evil. That's discriminatory. That's sin.

​

God chose the poor to be rich in faith. He values what the world dismisses. When you show favouritism based on wealth or status, you're adopting the world's value system, not God's.

​

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, love your neighbour as yourself, you're doing right. But if you show favouritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as law breakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

​

You can't pick and choose which commands to follow. If you break one, you're a law breaker. The law is a unit. You don't get credit for following 90% of it whilst ignoring the rest.

 

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who hasn't been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

 

Show mercy. You'll need it when you're judged. And mercy triumphs over judgment. When you show mercy to others, you're demonstrating the character of God.

 

Faith Without Works Is Dead

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, go in peace; keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it's not accompanied by action, is dead.

 

Here's where James gets controversial. He's not saying you're saved by works. He's saying genuine faith produces works. If your faith doesn't change how you live, it's not real faith. It's dead. Useless.

 

Someone will say, you have faith; I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I'll show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there's one God. Good! Even the demons believe that, and shudder.

 

Believing correct theology doesn't save you. Demons have perfect theology. They know exactly who God is. And they're terrified. But they're not saved.

 

You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God's friend.

 

Abraham believed God. That faith was credited to him as righteousness. But that faith produced action. When God told him to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham obeyed. His faith was demonstrated by his actions. The two worked together.

 

You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

 

Faith and works aren't enemies. They're partners. Faith produces works. Works demonstrate faith. A body without spirit is a corpse.

 

Faith without deeds is equally dead.

 

Tame Your Tongue

Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

​

James turns to one of his major themes: the tongue. If you can control your speech, you can control everything else. But controlling your tongue is incredibly difficult.

​

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they're so large and are driven by strong winds, they're steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.

​

Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil amongst the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

​

Your tongue is powerful out of all proportion to its size. A small rudder steers a massive ship. A tiny spark ignites a forest. Your words set the direction of your entire life. And when your tongue is corrupted, it corrupts everything else.

​

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It's a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

​

No human being can tame the tongue. Read that again. You cannot, in your own power, control your speech. It's a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

​

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who've been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this shouldn't be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

​

You praise God on Sunday and curse people on Monday. You worship in church and gossip in the car park. You post Bible verses online and tear people down in the comments. James says this is inconsistent, hypocritical, wrong. What comes out of your mouth reveals what's in your heart.

​

Two Kinds of Wisdom

Who is wise and understanding amongst you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbour bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, don't boast about it or deny the truth. Such wisdom doesn't come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

​

There are two kinds of wisdom. One comes from above. One comes from below. How do you tell them apart? By the fruit.

Earthly wisdom produces envy, selfish ambition, disorder, evil. It's about getting ahead, protecting your interests, winning at others' expense. It looks smart, but it's demonic.

​

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

​

Heavenly wisdom produces peace, consideration, mercy, good fruit, impartiality, sincerity. It seeks the good of others. It makes peace. It produces righteousness.

​

Which wisdom are you operating by? Look at the fruit in your life. Is there peace or disorder? Mercy or bitterness? Good fruit or evil practices? That tells you where your wisdom comes from.

​

What Causes Fights

What causes fights and quarrels amongst you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but don't have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You don't have because you don't ask God. When you ask, you don't receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

​

Why do you fight with people? James says it comes from unfulfilled desires. You want something. You don't have it. So you fight to get it. You're driven by selfish motives. Even your prayers are selfish. You want God to give you things so you can indulge yourself.

 

You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that He jealously longs for the spirit He has caused to dwell in us?

​

This is strong language. James calls them adulterous. Why? Because they're trying to maintain friendship with the world whilst claiming to follow God. You can't have both. Friendship with the world is enmity against God. Choose one.

​

But He gives us more grace. That's why Scripture says: God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.

​

Here's the hope: God gives more grace. Yes, He opposes the proud. But He shows favour to the humble. Humble yourself and you'll find grace.

​

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.

​

This is the path: submit to God, resist the devil, come near to God, clean up your life, grieve over your sin, humble yourself. Do this and God will lift you up.

​

Don't Slander Each Other

Brothers and sisters, don't slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you're not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There's only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you, who are you to judge your neighbour?

​

Stop tearing each other down. When you slander another believer, you're setting yourself up as judge. That's God's role, not yours. You're a fellow defendant, not the judge.

​

Don't Boast About Tomorrow

Now listen, you who say, today or tomorrow we'll go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. Why, you don't even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You're a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, if it's the Lord's will, we'll live and do this or that. As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.

​

You make plans like you control the future. You don't. Your life is a mist. Here for a moment, then gone. This isn't pessimism. It's realism. You're fragile. Your time is limited. Your control is an illusion.

​

Make plans, but hold them loosely. Say, if the Lord wills. Acknowledge that God's in control, not you.

​

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it's sin for them.

​

This is a sobering statement. Sin isn't just doing wrong things. It's also not doing right things. If you know what's good and don't do it, that's sin. Omission is as much sin as commission.

​

Warning to Rich Oppressors

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that's coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You've hoarded wealth in the last days.

​

James unleashes on wealthy oppressors. Not wealthy people in general, but those who've gained wealth through exploitation and live in luxury whilst ignoring the suffering of others.

​

Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You've lived on earth in luxury and self indulgence. You've fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You've condemned and murdered the innocent one, who wasn't opposing you.

​

This is God's perspective on economic injustice. The wages you withheld cry out. The workers you exploited cry out. God hears. He sees. And judgment is coming.

​

If you have wealth, use it justly. Pay people fairly. Be generous. Don't hoard. Don't exploit. Don't live in luxury whilst others suffer.

​

Be Patient Until the Lord Returns

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.

After confronting the rich oppressors, James encourages the suffering. Be patient. The Lord is coming. Justice is coming. Vindication is coming. Don't give up.

​

Don't grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you'll be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

When you're suffering, it's easy to take it out on each other. Don't. The Judge is coming. He'll sort it out. You focus on enduring faithfully.

​

Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who've persevered. You've heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

​

Remember Job. He lost everything. He suffered terribly. He persevered. And in the end, God restored him. God is compassionate. He's merciful. Trust Him even when you can't see the outcome.

​

Above all, my brothers and sisters, don't swear, not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple yes or no. Otherwise you'll be condemned.

​

Let your word be trustworthy. Don't make elaborate oaths. Just say yes or no and mean it. Your character should make your word reliable without needing oaths to back it up.

​

The Prayer of Faith

Is anyone amongst you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone amongst you ill? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they've sinned, they'll be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

​

Prayer isn't a last resort. It's the first response. Trouble? Pray. Happy? Praise. Sick? Call for prayer. Sin? Confess and pray together.

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Not because the person is impressive, but because God answers prayer.

​

Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

​

Elijah was human like you. But his prayers were powerful. He prayed and drought came. He prayed and rain came. That's the power of prayer when offered in faith.

​

Bring Back Those Who Wander

My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

​

The letter ends with a call to care for each other. If someone wanders from truth, go after them. Bring them back. When you turn a sinner from error, you save them from death and cover a multitude of sins.

​

Don't write people off. Don't give up on believers who've strayed. Go after them. Restore them. That's what love does.

What This Means for You

​

James is relentless. He doesn't let you hide behind theology whilst living like everyone else. He demands that your faith produce action, that your beliefs change your behaviour, that your profession of Christ be evident in how you treat people, control your speech, handle money, and respond to suffering.

​

Here's what James teaches you:

Trials develop you. Don't waste your suffering. God's using it to produce perseverance, maturity, completeness. Embrace the process.

Ask God for wisdom. You need it. He gives it generously. Ask with faith and expect Him to answer.

​

Don't show favouritism. Treat everyone with dignity and respect regardless of their wealth, status, appearance, or position. God doesn't show favouritism. Neither should you.

​

Faith produces works. If your faith doesn't change how you live, it's dead. Genuine faith inevitably produces obedience.

Control your tongue. What you say matters. Your words set the direction of your life. Guard your speech. Speak blessing, not cursing. Build up, don't tear down.

​

Pursue heavenly wisdom. Earthly wisdom produces disorder and evil. Heavenly wisdom produces peace, mercy, and good fruit.

 

Choose wisely.

Submit to God. Resist the devil. Come near to God. Clean up your life. Humble yourself. God will lift you up.

​

Don't judge others. You're not the judge. God is. Focus on your own obedience, not others' failures.

​

Hold your plans loosely. You don't control tomorrow. Say, if the Lord wills. Acknowledge God's sovereignty over your life.

​

Use wealth justly. If you have resources, use them to help others. Pay fairly. Be generous. Don't exploit or hoard.

​

Be patient in suffering. The Lord is coming. Justice is coming. Endure faithfully. Don't give up.

​

Pray about everything. Prayer is powerful. It's effective. Don't neglect it. Pray when you're in trouble. Praise when you're happy. Seek prayer when you're sick. Confess and pray together.

​

Restore those who wander. Don't write people off. Go after believers who've strayed. Bring them back. Save them from death.

​

Your Next Steps

James doesn't leave room for passive reading. His letter demands response. Here's how to live it out:

Identify one area where your faith is dead. Where's the gap between what you say you believe and how you actually live? Pick one area and close that gap this week.

​

Take your tongue seriously. Pay attention to what you say. Before you speak, ask: is this true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? If the answer to any of those is no, don't say it.

​

Show mercy. Look for someone you can help this week. Someone who can't pay you back. Someone who's struggling. Meet a practical need.

​

Confess your sin to another believer. Find someone trustworthy and be honest about what you're struggling with. Pray together.

​

Ask God for wisdom about a specific situation you're facing. Don't just pray vaguely. Identify something where you need divine wisdom and ask specifically.

​

Check your motives in prayer. Are you praying selfish prayers? Are you asking God to give you things so you can indulge yourself? Align your prayers with God's priorities.

​

Go after someone who's wandered. Is there a believer you know who's drifted away from faith? Reach out. Have a conversation. Show them you care.

​

Faith That Works

James won't let you settle for theoretical Christianity. He demands faith that works, belief that produces action, profession that's backed by practice.

​

This isn't about earning salvation. It's about living out the salvation you've already received. If you're genuinely saved, if the Holy Spirit truly lives in you, your life will show it. Not perfectly, but progressively. Not flawlessly, but faithfully.

​

Stop making excuses. Stop hiding behind grace. Stop claiming faith whilst living in contradiction. Let your faith get real. Let it show up in how you speak, how you treat people, how you handle money, how you respond to suffering.

​

That's what James demands. That's what authentic Christianity looks like.

​

Now go live it.

​

Scripture paraphrased and quoted from various translations for clarity.

© The Unknown Believer