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James: From Unbelieving Sibling to Believing Servant

James: From Unbelieving Sibling to Believing Servant. James 1:1. James & the Church. A beloved epistle early on James avoids deep doctrinal issues and goes straight to the heart Christian character + Godly wisdom = Genuine faith A faith devoid of “works” is a faith devoid of life

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James: From Unbelieving Sibling to Believing Servant

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  1. James: From Unbelieving Sibling to Believing Servant James 1:1

  2. James & the Church • A beloved epistle early on • James avoids deep doctrinal issues and goes straight to the heart • Christian character + Godly wisdom = Genuine faith • A faith devoid of “works” is a faith devoid of life • Living faith is one that has an effect on behavior • There is no room for complacent Christianity • Martin Luther on James: “an epistle of straw” • No significant mention of Jesus or the gospel • No mention of the Holy Spirit • Contradicted Paul’s “salvation by faith” teaching and instead taught “salvation by works” • Luther placed it after Revelation in his German Bible • Luther should have read James in light of the Sermon on the Mount rather than Paul

  3. James & Jesus • James sounds strikingly like Jesus, especially the ethical exhortations of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 – 7) • Much of James reflects Leviticus 19 which served as the heart of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount • Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount are echoed 21 times in 5 chapters of James! • Just as Jesus emphasized the practical nature of faith, James is intensely practical as it helps us grow in our faith • “Faith said must correspond to the life led” • It’s easy to claim faith, it’s harder to live it • Just as Jesus emphasized community, so too does James • Just as Jesus emphasized individual faith, so too does James • The Christian community is only as faithful as its individual members

  4. James 1:1 • Which James? Most likely the brother of Jesus who was once an unbeliever (John 7:2-5) • Prominent leader in the Jerusalem church (Acts 15; 1 Cor 15:7; Gal 2:9) • While he could boast as the brother of Christ, he is content to be his “servant” • This stings in a world hung up on titles as signs of social standing • Jesus’ Lordship is mentioned in the same breath with God implying Jesus’ divinity • James no longer views Jesus simply as his brother but as his Master, Messiah, and God • Addressed to Christians scattered by God throughout the world to be “salt and light” • “Greetings” – James begins this letter like his previous one (Acts 15:24)

  5. Summary • Just as James calls himself the servant of God and Christ, we should remember that the greatest in the kingdom is the one who serves (Mark 10:42-45) • We, like James’ original readers, are scattered throughout the world while our ultimate citizenship is in heaven • God reminds us not to be too comfortable in this world • A word on “practical” • Relevance with today’s social norms or reinforcing our own cultural values • James is impractical: 1) counter-cultural, and 2) challenges our assumptions at every turn • If we feel comfortable with the teaching of James, then we have probably misunderstood it • The church is to be a counter-cultural community that models living, active, dynamic faith

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