We’ve all done it. Positioned ourselves near those who seem to be more powerful, have more money or influence of some sort; tried to befriend someone for a selfish reason. I think this comes naturally to us because we are naturally selfish and want to do things to get ourselves ahead in whatever way we can. This is our default plan of action if we aren’t consciously striving to follow Jesus’s example instead of our own desires.
My dear friends, don't let public opinion influence how you live out our glorious, Christ-originated faith. If a man enters your church wearing an expensive suit, and a street person wearing rags comes in right after him, and you say to the man in the suit, "Sit here, sir; this is the best seat in the house!" and either ignore the street person or say, "Better sit here in the back row," haven't you segregated God's children and proved that you are judges who can't be trusted? (James 2:1-4, The Message)
I can see this happening today- the well-dressed folks (who appear to have it all together) sit front and center in church, and the rough looking character in the back gets shady looks from those around him… The problem here is that God tends to look at things quite different from the way we do.
Listen, dear friends. Isn't it clear by now that God operates quite differently? He chose the world's down-and-out as the kingdom's first citizens, with full rights and privileges. This kingdom is promised to anyone who loves God. (James 2:5, The Message)
To avoid favoritism, I have to ask God to help me see others with His eyes. It’s easy to slip up. When I notice myself starting to look down on or judge certain people, the warning bells go off that I have not been sharing in God’s heart for His people and it’s time to hit the reset button.
The next part of the chapter deals with faith and works and how they fit together. Some people might interpret this section as saying that works are what actually save us, but I think they are misunderstanding what James is saying. I like this image that I heard a speaker discuss recently- she said that “faith is the root and works are the fruit”. Faith has to be there first, it is unseen, but nevertheless growing strong underground. The roots are preparing for growth of the tree and the production of fruit. If the roots are strong and doing their job, the rest of the tree will be strong and it WILL bear fruit. Scraggly, old, dried up roots cannot produce delicious, juicy fruit. Likewise, strong, thriving roots will not yield shriveled-up, rotten fruit. It is a natural process- one follows the other. If our faith is strong- built on knowledge of God, experiences with Him, and we are following through in living our lives for Him, there will be results. We will naturally do good works. They will flow out of an authentic faith. This is different from the idea that works will save us. That would be seeking out things to do to earn God’s love. That is backwards and unnecessary. (and impossible!)
There seems to be three types of faith that James talks about in this chapter. The first is an intellectual faith:
Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? (James 2:14-17, The Message)
Come on now, how many of us have told someone “I’ll pray for you!” and then never actually did? Our intentions were good, but they were only a thought and never materialized into anything real. (If there was an emoticon for a guilty face, I would insert it here.)
The second is a type of faith that involves belief and emotion:
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that —and shudder.(James 2:19)
Obviously just believing there is a God is not enough. The demons know that and they shudder at the thought. Someone can believe in God and get warm fuzzy feelings from time to time, but that does not indicate a saving faith.
The third Is a dynamic faith- this involves our intellect, emotions, and our will:
Wasn't our ancestor Abraham "made right with God by works" when he placed his son Isaac on the sacrificial altar? Isn't it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are "works of faith"? The full meaning of "believe" in the Scripture sentence, "Abraham believed God and was set right with God," includes his action. It's that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named "God's friend." Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works?
The same with Rahab, the Jericho harlot. Wasn't her action in hiding God's spies and helping them escape—that seamless unity of believing and doing—what counted with God? The very moment you separate body and spirit, you end up with a corpse. Separate faith and works and you get the same thing: a corpse. (James 2:21-26, The Message)
The mesh of believing and acting; that is what makes our faith alive. Separate our faith and our actions, and all you are left with is a corpse. I didn’t notice until writing this that James’s use of Rahab as an example of true faith also ties in his point from the beginning of the chapter about favoritism and judging people on outward appearance. She was “The Jericho Harlot” and still a great example of dynamic faith. I like that connection.
This can be a wake-up call for some of us- I don’t want to be in the category of people who are all words and no substance, and I certainly don’t want to be lumped in with the demons. I think it is important that we continually examine our lives for “fruit” and be aware of the fact that authentic faith will produce authentic fruit.
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