The Book Of James In 11 Lesons Series

Read verses 20-23.

Here the proof was in the pudding so to speak. The reason Abraham obeyed God’s command was because he truly believed God’s promise “In Isaac shall your offspring be called”. His radical obedience to go so far as to give up his son of promise, released God to provide a ram for the sacrifice. This ram of course, foreshadowed the “Lamb of God” who would be the ultimate substitute, dying in our stead.

Read verse 24.

Here is the most controversial verse in James. It is, however, actually only a reinforcement of James’ theme. Living faith (God implanted faith) produces good in our choices and actions.

Read verse 25.

Rahab proved her faith by what she did. Her life radically changed from what it had been before. The people of Jericho were deathly afraid of Israel. They knew that they were going down. Rahab reached out in faith, and the blood red cord she displayed from her home represents the blood of Jesus Christ causing the wrath of God to pass by the person who is trusting in that blood sacrifice. Rahab had also shown her faith ahead of time by hiding the spies. Her life was so changed that she ended up in the genealogy of the Lord.

Read verse 26.

Summation verse: If it’s the real thing, it produces a changed life.

APPLICATION

1. Can you see the large difference between attempting to be saved by doing good, which is impossible, and the reality that genuine saving faith changes people? Discuss… Examples/stories.

2. Why is mere belief not the same as saving faith?

3. Is Jesus Christ on the throne of your heart, giving you new life and divine direction?

NOTE: This chapter does not imply that true believers walk in sinless perfection. Paul wrote extensively about his internal struggle against sin. What James makes clear is this: there is a positive, love motivated flow of good, in the lives of true believers.

THE BOOK OF JAMES

Lesson 5: Taming the Tongue

(Chapter 3:1-12)

Anyone who has lived very long, and has been sensitive enough to try to control what he or she says and to whom; knows that our words sometimes seem to take on a life of their own. It is just about the hardest discipline there is to be perfected in the choice of what we say. The natural tendency is to get into sharing negative things about others to third parties, putting ourselves down, pronouncing negative predictions, being insensitive in how we speak to those close to us, and just generally misusing the God given power of speech.

As people mature and make an effort to do right with our speech, we are less like this, but, there are still times when, even for genuinely born again believers, when we slip and really mess up, perhaps hurting people in the process.

Our mouths’ powers of speech were made to bless people, to instruct, to correct constructively, to pray, to praise, to sing, to confess God’s Word into situations, and other such positive uses. James knew something about the struggle involved in moving from the negative to the positive. Let’s consider these things now.

Read 3:1-2.