Expository on James Part 2

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

Today we will continue our journey together through the book of James.
We now turn to the second chapter of the book of James:

2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 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. 3 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,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 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? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of Him to whom you belong?

We talked about how, in these times, social status was everything.
A powerful, wealthy person was thought to be blessed,
but a poor person was thought to be cursed.
And in chapter 1, James explains that in God’s eyes, all are equal.
Now he explains that it should also be that way in our eyes.

We should no longer judge people based on what they wear,
what they own, how much or how little they have.
We should look at the character of a person.
We should see the value in each person as a creation of God.

And if you look closely, you will see that they were judging and discriminating against people because of their looks.
If you looked a certain way they liked, then you were treated with favor.
If you looked another way that they didn’t like, you were treated poorly.

Fast forward to today.
Do we, as Christians, still judge people based on what they look like?
What their clothes look like?
What they drive? What their social status is?
How about the color of their skin?
If they have tattoos?
Sure we do. But it shouldn’t be.

James condemns every form of favoritism, prejudice, classism, appearance-based judgment, and self‑serving behavior among believers.

He demands that followers of the Lord treat every person with the same dignity, honor, and love—regardless of wealth, status, background, or outward appearance.

And here he points out something found throughout Scripture: God shows a pattern:

• He exalts the humble.

• He chooses the lowly.

• He draws near to the broken.

• He gives faith and strength to those who have nothing else.

Why? Again—God is not a respecter of persons. But poor believers often have:

• deeper trust in God,

• less dependence on earthly security,

• more humility,

• more spiritual hunger.

God frequently uses the poor and overlooked because they rely on Him, not themselves.

But these early believers were honoring the ones who were in positions of power,
who were put there because of their social status,
who actually went against everything they believed in
and were blaspheming Christ!
And dragging them into court!

What Christian in their right mind would treat with honor
a politician or a judge—or anyone, for that matter—
who is openly against Christ and His Word?

I’ll tell you—those who vote for them. Those who openly go against God’s Word.
Who support abortion, support homosexuality.
Like James, it just boggles my mind…

These are the same ones dragging God’s people into courts today:

• The Christian baker who won’t bake a cake for a gay wedding

• The district judge who wouldn’t give a marriage certificate to a gay couple

• The elderly couple who were protesting peacefully against abortion

• The high school coach who prays with his team

• The gym teacher who won’t allow a boy in the girls’ locker room

Like James, we say:
7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of Him to whom you belong?

Yet they get their honor—they vote for them, thus approving of them.
Why? Because they “look like what they like.” They are wearing blue and not red.

Most Christians tow the party line.
They vote according to their family heritage.
If Democrat, then always vote Democrat.
If Republican, then always vote Republican.
Regardless of whether their policies line up more with God’s Word or not.

They, like these early believers, are somehow able to separate their spiritual life and their physical life,
and vote not according to God’s Word—but on social standing.

8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

And so we must treat everyone exactly how we want to be treated.
We must love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

That means we must be committed to our neighbor as we are committed to ourselves—
regardless of how they look, what they believe, what party they belong to,
what color their skin is.

I don’t have to agree with them.
I don’t have to accept their beliefs.
I can even be openly opposed to their beliefs.
I don’t even have to like them.
But I have to treat them as I would want to be treated.
And I have to be committed to them—
committed to their salvation,
committed to their well‑being.
If they are thirsty, give them a drink.
If they are hungry, give them some food.
If they are injured, bind their wounds.

We are commanded to even love our enemies in this way.
That is what makes us different as Christians.
The defining characteristic of Christianity is love.
God is love.
His people are love.
We even love our enemies.

We don’t wage jihad against those who don’t believe what we do.
We don’t behead them.
We don’t throw them off buildings because they are gay.
We don’t wish them into hell.
We don’t riot and destroy their homes and businesses.
We love them.

10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For He who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

So here is a revelation—an important teaching we must understand.

In the Law of Moses, which these Jewish believers were raised on,
which James says is like a mirror that reveals our sin in chapter 1,
he shows that if you break just one of the Ten Commandments,
you are guilty of breaking all the other nine.

Although they were keeping the law in all the other ways,
they were breaking one law by what they were doing here.

And so likewise,
if we break just one law of Christ,
we are guilty of breaking them all.
If you tell lies, you are guilty of murder.
If you murder, you are guilty of lying.

The law is one, not many.
It is either broken or not.

James reminds them that Jesus taught that hating another person is the same as murder.
And these believers were guilty of murder.
Hate is the opposite of love.

Hate is not being committed to someone—
not giving them a drink when thirsty,
not giving them food when they are hungry,
not dressing their wounds,
not caring if they are hurt or in danger.

You can maybe see why hate is the same as murder in the eyes of the Lord—
if you would let a person starve or bleed out.

12–13 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 has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

The Jews really struggled unlearning the Law of Moses and transitioning to the Law of Christ.
The Law of Moses was condemning.
The Law of Christ is merciful.
The Law of Moses shows God’s judgment.
The Law of Christ reveals God’s mercy.
The Law of Moses imprisons.
The Law of Christ sets free.

God is both judging and merciful.
So he reminds them to live under the Law of Christ that gives freedom.

What is mercy?
It is not giving someone what they deserve.

Do people deserve to be unloved?
Do people deserve wrath?
Do people deserve hell?
Yes—but that is where mercy comes in.

And if I want mercy, then I must show mercy.

This is not saying we should not judge.
We most certainly have to judge.
We don’t judge according to our own understandings and beliefs,
but according to the Word of God.
But judgment must be coupled with mercy.

Jesus said, “By what measure you use to judge,
that same measure will be used for you on judgment day.”
And if you don’t forgive others, then you will not be forgiven.
If you don’t show mercy, then you won’t be shown mercy.
And if you show a little mercy, then you will receive a little mercy.
And if you show a lot of mercy, then you will be shown a lot of mercy.

Now James is going to address that you do not show favoritism
only by what you don’t do—
but also by what you do.

And in this, we are taught an amazing principle:

14–17 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 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 is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Wow… the famous words of James:
Faith without works is dead.

To claim with your lips that you believe in Christ
but do nothing to help these poor people among them—
it’s worthless, it’s nothing, it’s dead.
It’s not real faith.
It’s lacking something.
It’s incomplete.

To go from making them sit on the floor
to now saying with your lips, “We wish you the best,”
is not enough.
You must help them.
Otherwise your faith is dead.

Does this make sense?

I get bothered when someone asks,
“What can we do for the brother or sister in Christ who is in need?”
and someone answers, “Pray for them.”

I’m not condemning prayer.
I am condemning the heart of that person.
He said, What good is it to say some good words,
but do nothing?

And that is what most Christians do.
They “give it to God” and expect Him to take care of it.
But God takes care of it through His people!

But the problem runs even deeper:
Most Christians do not even know what the needs of their fellow believers are,
because they are too busy with this world
to actually be in the other believers’ lives.
Too busy with their own problems
to have time to deal with others’ problems.

Yet there are those among us who are hurting,
who are struggling,
who are poor,
who are just a few steps away from giving up—
and they do not even know, let alone do anything about it.
They say a prayer…

And so in this, an important principle about faith is revealed—
true faith, that is.

Anyone who claims to have faith
that is not accompanied by action
is dead.
It is nothing more than belief.
And belief alone cannot save you.

18–19 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

20–26 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. 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 is like a coin.
It has two sides.

On one side is belief—
the mental acknowledgment that there is a God,
that God is one yet exists in three persons,
and His name is Yahweh.
And the second member of God came to the earth,
was born of a woman,
lived, taught, died, and rose again,
and His name was Jesus.

But that belief alone cannot save you.
Even the demons believe that.
Even Satan believes.

But when you flip the coin over, it must have action.
Faith is acting out on what you believe.

The demons know He is God.
They even know they will lose in the end.
But they still do not act on that.

How dumb can they be, right?
Well—just as dumb as people who know judgment day is coming
yet do not act on that.

If we claim to be believers in Christ,
then that should result in us doing what He tells us to do in His Word.

And it runs much deeper than the surface-level,
superficial religious motions.
It is the call to surrender to the Lordship of Christ,
to make Him the Lord of your life.

And if you believe, but Christ is not Lord of your life
—in all ways—
in your behaviors and in your purpose…

If He is not Lord of your behaviors,
If He is not Lord of your tongue,
If He is not Lord of your eyes,
If He is not Lord of your ears,
If He is not Lord of your purpose,
If He is not Lord of your goals,
If He is not Lord of your desires,
If He is not Lord of your ambitions,
If He is not Lord of your plans,
If He is not Lord of your pursuits,
If He is not Lord of your aspirations,
If He is not Lord of your objectives,
If He is not Lord of all—
then He is not your Lord at all.