November 20, 2024
“You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4 ESV). Who did James accuse of adultery? Wasn’t it those who claimed to be Christians and therefore members of the Bride
November 19, 2024
“You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. … For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” (James 2:24, 26 ESV). At first glance, this statement about faith from James seems to contradict Paul’s letters to the Romans and
November 21, 2023
“You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.” (James 5:8 NLT). As the farmer patiently waits for the rain and the harvest, so James called believers to be patient and courageous until the Lord’s return. For the Lord’s coming is near. How near? No one knows, except the
November 20, 2023
“Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it” (James 4:17 NLT). There are sins of commission and sins of omission. The first is to commit a sin by breaking a law, and the second is to omit to do the good thing that was within your power
November 18, 2023
“My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?” (James 2:1 NLT). The apostle James wrote that believers should not show partiality to some over others. He especially had in mind those who were favoring the rich over the
November 17, 2023
“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking” (James 1:5 NLT). It seems self-evident that the one who lacks wisdom would ask the all-knowing God for help. Yet, asking God is often the last choice, rather than the first. Prayer is
November 21, 2022
WHO DO YOU CALL? Today, when someone complains of an illness or pain. The first question they are asked is: “Have you called the doctor?” Yet, when James was writing his epistle, the first question would’ve been: “Have you called the elders of the church?” Having available modern medicine, we forget the benefit of prayer
November 20, 2022
WILL WE EVER HAVE PEACE ON EARTH? We may blame conflict on external circumstances caused by others, but James said that war actually originates within each of our hearts. How long in human history did man exist before his first quarrel? Not long. Just long enough for two brothers to be born. Yet God saw
November 17, 2022
MOVING TRIALS FROM THE SAD COLUMN TO THE GLAD COLUMN James described the spiritual mindset that the Christian should have when facing trials. What is this mindset? “Great joy.” Not happiness, which is based on external happenings, but “great joy,” which comes from within and is the fruit of the Spirit for the believer that
November 21, 2021
THE LORD’S COMING IS NEAR As the farmer patiently waits for the rain and the harvest, so James called believers to be patient and courageous until the Lord’s return. For the Lord’s coming is near. How near? No one knows, except the Father. As Jesus taught, “Now concerning that day and hour no one