Rev Gav
What is faith without action?
The Book of James sits at the back of your Bibles. Being only five chapters long, it is easily missed, and takes only about ten minutes or so to read, however, it can be a little chewy for us to digest. Attributed to the brother of Jesus, the writing is early, and since the first Christians were all Jewish, the book of James was written directly to a Jewish audience. The opening lines address the book to the ‘twelve tribes (of Israel) scattered among the nations’, there are references to the law of Moses, references to Old Testament characters such as Abraham, Job, and Rahab, quotes from Genesis, Exodus, Proverbs, Deuteronomy, and Leviticus, allusions to the Psalms (e.g. James 1:9-11 and Psalm 103:15-16) and other non-canonical Jewish books such as the Wisdom of Solomon and Sirach. Yep, the book of James is a Jewish book through and through, and written from the perspective of one of the first Jewish people who had encountered Jesus Christ. So how do we non-Jewish believers begin to unpack a book steeped in Jewish culture and tradition, albeit a ‘Christian’ one?
The book of James reads like a collection of quotes or different discourses. It appears as if the book is a collated group of sayings or teaching from James that, because it is written in beautiful Greek, someone has tied together to form a more continuous narrative. It might be helpful to think of it as the ‘best bits’ of someone’s teaching. This is why there are so many well-known memorable nuggets scattered throughout its paragraphs. There is stuff in there about not swearing on anything but letting your ‘yes be yes’ and your ‘no be no’. There is teaching about wealth, stuff about planning for your future, the danger of ‘the tongue’, wisdom, judging others, praying for the sick, and more. Such is the richness, that the book of James is like a pizza made only of toppings, and although you can consume the whole thing in one go, it might be best to have a piece at a time! Saying this, and despite its Jewish heritage, there are broad and helpful themes that we can draw from the book.
One of the central and underlying themes of the book is seeing everything in life — our relationships, our religion, our possessions, our beliefs, and our behaviours — in the light of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the reader is implied and taken for granted, and even though only directly referenced once (James 4:5), the understanding is there throughout the book, underpinning all the different teachings. The fact that God has put the Spirit of Jesus into each of us has implications for every aspect of our lives, and perhaps, this is why the book of James also has this kind of shotgun approach to teaching, quickly moving from one aspect of life to another without pausing for breath.
As a pastor and teacher, although whole-heartedly urge our church to read scripture, I worry a little that new Christians will read the book of James and trip up on some of the trickier parts where they do not understand the references or context. Carefully unpacking each section is beyond the scope of this article, therefore if you read James, and I hope you do, hold lightly the bits you do not understand or seem a little incongruous. Try, instead, in the ten or so minutes it takes to read, to gain an overall flavour of the different messages. Here are a couple of pointers:
Firstly, God sees past our appearance, our wealth, and our possessions, and sees us as we truly are. Therefore, if we are filled with the Spirit of God, we must see people as God sees them and show no partiality and no judgment. If you are ever in doubt as to whether to show someone mercy or judgement, remember these words, “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:13).
Secondly, “faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead.” As the Holy Spirit living in us is always outwards looking and always looking to the interest of others, a life guided by the Spirit can only be one that has positive practical and tangible outcomes for others and the world around us. Remember, we are called to join in with God’s mission in the world, for its restoration, redemption, and renewal. Our faith is not primarily for our own benefit!
Thirdly, a life in the Spirit, means a life surrendered to God’s will. In the words of Paul, “you are no longer your own.” (1 Corinthians 6:19) This means that in all decisions, we should consult God and be led and directed by the Spirit. We do not serve ourselves but God and our whole lives should be lived under the banner of God’s will and purpose. Each day, we should pray, “Lord, what would you have me do today? How can I be Jesus to the world?”
The crux of the book of James is an appeal for you to stay connected to God through the Holy Spirit. Over and over again, James implores his readers not to disconnect, therefore ask God for wisdom, purge uncleanliness, persevere in doing good, and keep your body, mind, and emotions under the direction of the Spirit. In the words of James, may you be the pure-in-heart, patient, humble, prayerful, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, merciful, fruitful, impartial, and sincere person God has called you to be.
Amen.
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This is a nice introduction to the book of James!
For me, I like to think of James in concert with Paul. Many people put them as opposing views but I do not think that this is so. Paul was arguing against people who were still trying to hold onto the Law as a means of salvation, that was why he put the emphasis on faith. James was addressing day to day living and what being a Jesus follower meant through that lens so his emphasis was on action, or "works".