“Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself” (James 2:17).

One of the interesting things for an unbeliever looking at Christians is that they do not understand how faith can be a virtue.  But here you have it.  One the one hand, everyone has faith in something.  From that faith they act.  But here, we see that the world’s faith looks at the Christian message and sees that one who subscribes verbally is one who has faith.  Not so.  Faith bears fruit.

Lord, You know that if my heart is not in it, what I say are just empty words.  Lead me, Lord, in the way of heart-truth so that I would live according to the goodness of Your grace and mercy.  Show me how, O Lord, from the heart out to be one who acts upon this faith You have given me.  Guide me now and forever in order that I would hold fast to the truth You have revealed through Jesus.

Lord Jesus, in Your grace I have hope upon hope.  Lead me, Lord, in this hope You have given me so that I would live by it and through it with You.  It is not that I need earn anything, but that if I truly believe, I will act upon what I believe.  Let me not be led astray by this world’s way of looking at things, but by Your way that You have put into my heart.  Guide me to be genuine and true to the faith You have given me.  Amen.

“If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?” (James 2:15-16)

In our day, we see this as the government’s job.  The problem is that the government is an impersonal thing that treats only the symptom and not the person.  If you have a family member – note this is not speaking of a stranger on the street – and do not invest yourself in them, what use is that?  One without the bare necessities is the one we should help.  How we have gotten out of hand in our contemporary culture.

Lord, this goes to the heart of stewardship and seeing who is my neighbor.  Lead me up the path to better understand the prudence and temperance that is needed to live my daily life in a faithful way.  Guide me, Lord, so that I may learn from You how to do these things.  Teach me through Your Word in order that I may be useful.  Take away my excuses and grant that I become one who does what I say I believe.

Lord Jesus, You know where I have done this on a spiritual level.  There are those who are in great need, spiritually starving to death, and I go on with life without a care.  Guide me, Lord, so that I may now and always be sensitive to my brothers and sisters (in faith and otherwise) and not just cater to the selfish wants of this age, but also to the spiritual needs which are the foundation of the age to come.  Amen.

“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works?  Can that faith save him?” (James 2:14)

When we know that we are in the law of liberty, that is, we have decisions we can and do make, but that salvation is the free gift of the Lord, we can better understand how to connect this idea with what Jesus says.  Jesus said that we are to bear fruit if we have faith (and hear the “if.”)  If, the imperative, then we will do things that are in accordance with the Father’s will.  How can one then not bear fruit?

Jesus cursed the fig tree that bore no fruit.  The one who says anything contrary to what they are doing is a liar.  We are to be consistent in thought, word, and deed.  What you believe is what you act upon.  When you have faith, actions come out of that faith.  You will do according to that in which you have faith.  Come then, live your life in accordance with all that Jesus has commanded.

Lord Jesus, You know where I live out the conundrum that Paul explained in Romans seven.  You know where I am conflicted within myself.  Lead me, Lord, in the way of true life so that what I say and what I do are the same thing.  Guide me, O Lord, in order that I may learn from You and not just hear your words and have them fall away from me.  Teach me how to put into practice this faith which You have given me.  Amen.

“For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13).

God is merciful.  But what does one do with those who have no mercy.  They cannot receive what they will not give.  To the merciless there is no mercy.  Look, you get what you deserve unless another has mercy.  The merciless will get what they deserve.  The wages of sin is death and we have all sinned.  Therefore, we all deserve death, and for except God’s mercy, that is what we would receive.

Lord, you know where I seek what I seek and do what I do and where I am merciless.  You have said mercy triumphs over judgment.  Let me be one who follows You and practices the triumph of mercy.  I do feel the desire for vengeance; but help me live instead in the truth that You have conquered death and given us grace.  Guide me in Your goodness to live into the life of faith which gives to others what I have received.

Lord Jesus, we all deserve Your just condemnation because we are under the Law, but You have come in mercy, removing the curse of the Law so that we would have life and not death.  Guide me, dear Lord, to understand that in You there is all hope and an eternal future.  Lead me according to Your goodness to give mercy to others.  Help me to know that in You there is nothing but hope and an eternal future.  Let Your mercy triumph so that in Your grace I may always abide.  Amen.

“So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty” (James 2:12).

The law of liberty is this:  you have been set free from living in terms of salvation by works.  That was never the rule, but many have lived with the idea that, knowing that there is wrong, they must correct the wrong.  Such a thing is not possible.  The wrong is not just in you, but in your neighbor as well.  So, live according to the grace given you and abide in faith, hope, and love, knowing you have been set free by Christ.

You have been set free to live into the eternal life to which you have been called.  You have not been freed to do as you please.  The attitude of doing as we please is what has caused the mess we live in.  You are freed from having to do the impossible in order to do what you are able to do, and that is willingly submit to the Lord.  So then, submit to His will and His way so that you may discover the better life.

Lord, Help me to understand more fully the gift of grace that You have given me.  Help me to stop trying to earn salvation, but instead see Your Spirit working through me to bring about a new person.  Lead me, O Lord, in the way of everlasting life and help me to live according to what is right and good.  You know what I need.  Lead me today in meeting those needs.  Amen.

“For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law” (James 211).

Even in your heart.  Even if you think of these things and do not physically act upon them, the Lord considers them a sin.  Remember that James is speaking of the inner person.  Who is the ‘you’ that no one sees?  And do not think that one sin is worse than another, save the unforgivable sin of unbelief.  But one who, with pride, arrogantly devastates another commits a spiritual sin worse than those that are just against the flesh.

Pride is what took down the devil.  Do not be deceived, those who go on sinning as if nothing matters are far worse than those who live as pagans but know that what they are doing is wrong.  But you who know, live in such a manner that you do neither.  Live with the goal of not sinning at all.  Receive grace when you fall into sin but seek the life to which you have been called and see the work of the Lord on the inner person, for this is the way of life.

Holy Spirit, You know me better than I know myself.  You know where I am wrong and where I have sinned.  Lead me through these faults to the place where I simply do what is pleasing to the Father.  Guide me, O Lord, in the upward call of faith which You have given me.  Lead me according to Your goodness and mercy to see that in You and by Your grace I have hope upon hope.  Amen.   

“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all” (James 2:10).

We are saved by grace apart from works of the law.  But we are saved for a purpose, and a part of that purpose is that we become like Christ.  Put these two things together and you begin to understand what James is saying.  Your heart will reflect who you are.  The goal is perfection (completion of the Holy Spirit’s work) and the Lord of Life will not stop until that is accomplished.  Come then willingly into the work of the Lord.

If James is the brother of the Lord, then he would have spent his childhood with Jesus.  He would understand some of the things that can only be understood within family dynamics.  Regardless of why, sometimes the church either goes overboard with legalism, or else underwhelms with antinomianism.  Do not go in either direction.  Hear what Scripture says and with prudence be temperate in all things.

Lord, You have saved me, but there is still work to be done.  You said be perfect even as the Father is perfect.  That was not a suggestion.  Lead me, O Lord, to know that You will work today and every day in me to bring about what has always been intended.  Guide me, Lord, in the way of life so that I would now and always look to You, the author and finisher of my faith, to bring to completion all that is needed.  Amen.

“But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors” (James 2:10).

As these things are said, do not think in terms of the need of doing these things, or else.  Think instead that these things reflect who you are on the inside.  When you are prejudiced against certain others you are placing yourself in the place of prejudging others.  We do this sinfully and very easily.  But the Spirit goes to work so that we may not do these things, but instead learn how to love all others impartially.

Lord, You know where I do not love others as You would have me do.  You know where I struggle.  Guide me, dear Lord, to live into the life of faith You have given me so that I would no longer live as a transgressor.  Guide me to live according to Your goodness and mercy and to share that goodness and mercy with all whom I meet.  Lead me, Lord, in the way of everlasting life.

Lord Jesus, You came for the whole world.  You came so that those people from every tribe, tongue, folk, and nation would have the opportunity to become children of God.  Lead me, O Lord, in the way of this calling.  Let nothing hinder my humbly walking with You; nor let me foreclose what needs to happen in my heart and mind.  Go the whole length in order that I would be transformed by Your grace and mercy to be as You know I need to be.  Amen. 

“If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well” (James 2:8).

Here is the point.  Your neighbor is your neighbor.  Rich, poor, or whatever does not matter.  Even if they are pink with four eyes, the Lord has commanded that we love our neighbor.  Come then and walk in the way of the Lord and let His Spirit confront you in your heart when you are not living as the Lord is teaching you to live.  The point here is that you know them, now learn to live out these things.

Lord, You know my heart and You know where I do have my prejudices.  Guide me, Lord, in the way of life so that I would now and forever be guided by what is right and true.  That which I say is true of others, whom I see lie and manipulate, shows me that, in truth, we all (and that means me) have done so.  I do have prejudice and do not love my neighbor as You would have me love them.  You have shown me how to be obedient in all things. Now help me to do it.

Lord Jesus, You were obedient unto death, even death on a cross.  Lead me, O Lord, in the way of life in order that I would now and forever be guided by You.  Help me to understand that You have come for this very purpose.  Help me to look to You who served all types of people as You lived life and did Your ministry here in this age.  Guide me in the way I need to go and help me to live out these principles simply.  Amen.

“But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?  Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?” (James 2:6-7)

It is a funny thing, but we honor the rich and often we want to be like them.  If we have experienced want, or times when others seemed to be adding to their wealth at our expense, then we understand what it is to be the poor man.  The Lord is after the attitude of our heart.  Neither wealth nor poverty mean anything.  How you are before the Lord and others is what matters.

Lord, I once heard a very poor man say, “I may be poor, but I am not destitute.”  I have met one rich man who was generous.  I have seen the two sides in harmony, but I have also seen the two sides live sinfully, showing partiality.  Help me to walk humbly with You and regardless my position in life to be content with what I have.  You have shown me that all of this (whatever is around me) is temporary, but that You, the Creator of all things, are forever.

Lord Jesus, the only things You left were Your garments, which were gambled for. You lived each day in whatever provision was available, even making provision for others when You fed thousands.  Help me live in Your example and regardless of what I do or do not have, live in complete dependence upon You.  Guide me this day, Lord, to walk humbly with You, knowing that in You alone is all hope and a future.  Amen.