Yay, Hay, it’s Tuesday! Welcome back. It’s a treasure having you come study with me. We’re on the second of the five chapters of James today and we’re staying in the Message for the most part because it has a way of wording James that touches my heart a little easier and my hope is it does the same for you.
To begin, let’s pray:
Lord Jesus, we’re here to learn what You have for us today. So lead us, teach us, show us what wonders await when we follow these words and live out our faith, by faith. Yours is all the glory. In Your name, we pray. Amen.
James Chapter 2 in the Message.
The Royal Rule of Love
Read verses 1-4
Don’t let public opinion influence how you __________ out our __________________, Christ-____________ faith.
There’s something we need to stop right here with. Am I the only one who sees this as ‘don’t let your fear of what you think others think change the way you live out your faith’?
Read verses 5-7
Verse 5 in the NIV
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?
Citizens of the Kingdom, with full rights and privileges. Promised to anyone who loves God. Oh yes, it is totally possible to love God. To love Him without abusing anyone else.
Now that you’ve read both verse five in the MSG and verse 5 in the NIV, combine the two in the most positive way. Here’s how I would.
Listen, dear ones of faith, God has chosen those who are full of faith, those who love him no matter their social standing to be full citizens with all the rights and privileges that come with that in His Kingdom.
Now you try.
Read Verses 8-11
What is the Royal Rule of the Scriptures?
Verse 10 in the NIV:
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
What the MSG calls the Royal Rule, the NIV calls the Royal Law.
In your Bible, which you should have along with something to write with and on as we go through this… (if you don’t have one, go to Biblegateway.com)
Read Leviticus 19:18. Who is speaking?
Read Luke 6:27-31. Who are we to love? Who are we to bless? Who are we to pray for? What are we to do?
Read Matthew 5:43-48. Do you think Jesus is telling us that by doing this we will really be perfect?
Read Luke 10:25-37 How did the ‘expert in the law’ decide who was his neighbor?
God and Jesus, both said this, Jesus even extended it. This is why it’s a Royal Law. It’s a direct command from God the Father and the mouth of Jesus.
I can’t help but think all I have read and heard in the past three days has remained so in my head so that He could point out these commands and in this way tell us all that we’re not doing this. If we’re not loving the people around us, those we come in contact with, or used to before Covid-19 hit the country, we’re not obeying this or even it’s corollary command “Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.” Which is sometimes referred to as the Golden Rule.
Let’s go back to James now.
Read Verses 12-13
Galatians 5:22-24 NIV
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Colossians 3:12-14 NIV
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Kind mercy, kindness wins over every other act we can do. It’s both a gift and a virtue. It’s both a way of being and a blessing to others. It’s closely related to gentleness, because kindness can be gentle and gentle can be kind but it isn’t always. Might I suggest you, pray these virtues over yourself before you put on the armor. And if you read Peter’s letters he goes into even more we can add to our faith. But since we’re in James, let’s get back to James.
About verses 12-13, do you see the Rule mentioned as the one we talked about a few verses ago? If loving our neighbors, who are all that we come in contact with or anyone else we can show kindness to, then we have millions of neighbors. Millions of them. And some don’t even live within our nation’s borders. If you don’t feel kind, pray. Keep putting it on as the Colossians letter says and be kind. Especially to the people closest to you.
I will not say it’s easy. Nothing about it is easy. It’s simple, but not easy. That’s why we all must pray.
Read James 2:14-19
Faith in Action
James 2:17 NIV
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Faith is more than belief. Faith is proven by working it, using it, exercising it, living by it. To love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves, to really treat others as well as we treat ourselves, that would prove genuine faith.
Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is ________________________________________________________?
Read James 2:21-24
“Abraham believed God and was set right with God,” includes his action. It’s that ________ of believing and acting that got Abraham named “_______________”.
Do you suppose if we believe and act we’ll also be called God’s friends?
John 15:14 NIV
You are my friends if you do what I command.
Write that verse and underline the two verbs and then circle the reason.
Read James 2:25-26
Do you remember what Rahab did? Obviously he told us, but do you really remember the story? And did you know she’s listed in Jesus’ lineage? The story is in Joshua 2. The lineage is in Matthew 1, she’s in verse 5 and she’s mentioned in Hebrews 11 as well, the Hall of Faith, ‘because she welcomed the spies.’
Matthew 1:5-6 NIV
Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
and Jesse the father of King David.
Faith, faith, faith, faith, the man after God’s own heart.
Doesn’t that just warm your heart. It’s weird how this is written, yes, that’s NIV, but it means Rahab is Boaz’s mom. Ruth is Boaz’s wife. Jessi is Ruth and Boaz’s grandson and David, Rahab’s great, great grandson.
The very moment you separate body and spirit, you end up with a __________. Separate faith and works and you get the same thing: a __________. That means no eternal life. No way no how. Live by faith and you will live.
Living a life of faith is bound to bless the generations below you: your kids, their kids, their kids and their kids.
May you find yourself this week with more faith as you attempt to use it, more kindness as you put it on and pray for it and more love for others as you take these words and try to live them out.
Let’s end this with The Blessing. Let it wash over you. Let it build your faith.