James 2:17 KJV [17] “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”      Please note the order in which James is speaking in this verse. He first mentions faith and then works because faith always comes first. Salvation is the result of putting faith in the Word of God and not a result of faith, plus works. That is not what James is teaching. Works can never produce faith, and they are not equal to faith, but true faith will produce works.      James teaches us that when a man puts his faith in Christ, works will …

James 2:16 KJV [16] “and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?”       We know that prayer is a valuable tool in our Christian life. Prayer opens the windows of Heaven and moves the heart of God. However, there comes a time when we need to quit praying and begin taking action. God spoke about this to Moses in Exodus 14:15 and Joshua in the same manner in Joshua 7:10-11.      God expects us to pray, but …

James 2:15 KJV  [15] “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,”      We know that our text today is connected to the context of this chapter. However, I want us to dwell on this verse and consider the poor and needy. As Americans, it is difficult for us to think about people going without the bare necessities of life. Even the homeless in America can find shelter, a soup line, or a local charity to feed and clothe them for free. America is still a land abounding in wealth, allowing even the poor to rise above …

James 2:14 KJV [14] “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?”      We have all known people who claimed they believed, but their lives contradicted that claim; there seems to be no fruit of faith in their lives. We have all met this crowd and wondered, “Do they truly know the Savior?”      Just because someone claims to have faith does not mean that they do. James is not teaching us that works are an essential part of salvation. He is simply balancing the scale for …

James 2:13 KJV [13] “For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.”      We have often heard people say, “Life is not fair.” We all know that God is the Giver of life, so if we say life is not fair, it is the same as saying that God is not fair. Christians believe in the providence of God. We know God is sovereign and providentially works in the affairs of men.      The Lord does not judge based on fairness, but He judges based on mercy. If we got what …

James 2:12 KJV [12] “So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.”      You would not think that the words “law” and “liberty” would be together in the same context. However, we see both of these words in our verse today. We understand as Christians that we could never keep the law. We know that Christ fulfilled the law. We know that we are not under the law, but we are under grace. We know the Bible is the law of liberty. Most would agree that these are all facts.      …

James 2:11 KJV [11] “For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.”      I heard an illustration on the radio by the late, great Bible teacher and radio preacher, Bro. Lehman Strauss, that I thought was interesting. He told of a man in his community arrested for the murder of a girl. He was tried for the murder and found guilty by the jury. During the trial, several witnesses testified of the man’s character and all of the …

 James 2:10 KJV [10] “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”     D. L. Moody gave a great illustration of this verse when he compared God’s law to a chain with ten links suspending a man over a precipice. If all ten links were to break, then the man would fall to his death; if only five links broke, he would fall to his death; and if only one link broke, he would still fall to his doom. Regardless of the number of links broken, the unity of the chain …

James 2:9 KJV [9] “but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.”      If there has ever been a word misused and abused in our society, it is the word “discrimination”. Many use this word to their own advantage, disregarding the damage done to those falsely accused. Business owners have walked lightly for years in fear that an employee would file a lawsuit against their business and take them to court over some trivial act of so-called discrimination.      If I sound a little “put out” with the term, it is …

James 2:8 KJV  [8] “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:”       Laws are passed and put into effect to help us govern our lives. They are for serving the community by helping to provide safety and freedom. It is sad to see the lawlessness that is going on in America today. As Christians, we feel burdened when the wicked rule. They want to ignore the laws that honor God, as well as the laws that uphold decency and morality. They want to pass laws that cause …