Bible Study

This is a copy of the Sunday School Lessons presented to an adult class each Sunday.

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Location: Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States

Retired, Lobbyist in Washington,DC - Management - BS Chemistry and various continuing education courses

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Casual Christianty - Live Your Faith - James 1:19-25; 2: 14-26 - November 1, 2009

Bible Study – Casual Christianity – Live Your Faith – November 1, 2009

This begins a new series of study in the Book of James. The series is entitled “Confront Casual Christianity.”

We will be in the book of James for the next five (5) weeks.

Our scripture is James 1:19-21, 22-25; 2:14, 18-26.

The letter of James was written to both believers and those who claim to be believers emphasizing the importance of faith and works. James was the half brother of JESUS. James was the head of the Christian church in Jerusalem. James did not believe that his brother JESUS was the true Messiah until after HIS crucifixion and resurrection. The Apostle Paul met with James several years after his conversion experience.

Casual Christianity is such an important topic to study. I know my journey with the LORD focused on being a casual Christian for most of my early life. I simply did not want to be known as a religious fanatic. James helps us to explore the concept of works and faith. In my opinion, when the HOLY SPIRIT leads and guides believers, HE gives balance to our spiritual growth and maturity.

Often, people desiring to be religious serve faithfully in the church or some religious organization thinking that doing so will earn them the right to go to heaven. This was not the works James was discussing in his letter. James did not want those who thought they were Christians not to be deceived into thinking they were Christians when they were not. The works that James addresses are works of obedience and led by the HOLY SPIRIT. Christians must be called by GOD to serve. Non-believers working in the church or a religious organization have the opportunity to be exposed to the truth but they must accept CHRIST as their SAVIOR to become a Christian. A believer may say, “I have fire insurance because I have accepted CHRIST, therefore, I am not going to hell. I don’t have to do anything else.” Fire insurance is better than no fire insurance but there is so much more when a believer obediently serves his/her LORD. Having the assurance of salvation brings peace to us. Even as born-again believers, we all build using materials that will not stand the test of fire. But when we obediently serve our LORD, there will be some materials which will stand the test of fire. Paul covers this in First Corinthians 3:11- 15.

The Bible is very clear that a person cannot earn his/her way to heaven. The Bible is also very clear that a believer does earn rewards as he/she obediently obeys the LORD, as HE directs. The key words are “As HE directs.” That is why it is vital to have the relationship with GOD through an intimate, personal relationship with CHRIST. Focus on getting to know CHRIST and letting HIM direct you through the leadership and prompting of the HOLY SPIRIT.

Our scripture this week will help form a foundation for next week’s study, James 1:2-18.

Let’s read James 1:19-21:

Hearing and Doing the Word
19 My dearly loved brothers, understand this: everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, 20 for man’s anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. 21 Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and evil excess, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save you.[6] Lit save your souls

James, the half brother of JESUS, begins his letter in verse 1 by referring to himself as “a servant of GOD and of the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Then in verse 19, he refers to his fellow Christians as “dearly loved brothers (and sisters)”. This was a gracious opening followed by a stern “pay attention to what I am about to say.” He zeros in on the old adage, “The good LORD gave us two (2) ears and one (1) mouth, therefore, HE expected us to listen twice as much as we speak.” Christians are to listen, process and then speak after careful thought. When a believer flies off the handle it is never a good witness. However, there are times when it is okay to get angry.
It is okay when a believer gets angry at the things that make GOD angry. Such anger spurs a believer into action to do something about a certain matter or issue. Pure anger does not honor GOD.

James told his readers to make an honest assessment of their lives and ask GOD to help them get rid of the things that do not bring honor to HIM. Again, when believers have the right relationship with GOD through CHRIST, the HOLY SPIRIT searches their hearts and brings to mind the things that they need to work on. GOD never overrides a person’s will. It is always a person’s choice whether or not he/she is willing to yield to this process.

James made it clear that GOD’S Word is the power that can bring about change. Each person must look into HIS Word, seek truth and respond to the truth that is revealed. GOD’S Word is powerful and acts like a mirror reflecting a person’s very core, which results in that person seeing what he/she looks like spiritually and what needs to be worked on. The implanted Word of GOD does ITS’ work to bring about sanctification. When GOD does the work, we never become self-righteous. When the believer does the work, it often produces a self-righteous result. We are all sinners saved by grace!!! The closer we get to GOD and the more we get to know HIM, we see how sinful we are and see an even greater need for CHRIST in our lives.

In verse 21, James was urging his readers to take off their old way of life and put on the life of CHRIST. He compared it to taking off your old dirty clothes and putting on your new clothes of righteousness. James stated that GOD’S Word had been implanted in the believer when he/she received CHRIST as his/her SAVIOR. The true believer needs to take off his/her old life and to allow the righteousness he/she already has to be revealed.

James alludes to a process. If a believer already has the Word implanted in him/her, then when he/she reads GOD’S Word, then it acts like a spiritual mirror revealing his/her spiritual nature. When a believer’s true spiritual nature is revealed, when he/she looks into GOD’S Word, James tells his readers what needs to done in the next scripture.

Let’s read James 1:22-25:

22 But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face[7] Lit at the face of his birth in a mirror; 24 for he looks at himself, goes away, and right away forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts—this person will be blessed in what he does.

James emphasized the need for believers to honestly look how they respond to GOD’S Word when they read or hear it. Does it move them to action or do they do nothing? The way a person responds is a spiritual barometer which can reveal whether or not he/she is a true believer.

In order for a person to live, he/she has to breathe in air and exhale. The process of breathing is vital to human life. The process of taking in GOD’S Word and putting it into action is vital for every believer’s spiritual health and confirms whether or not he/she has been born-again.

A mirror reveals good and bad. When a person looks into a mirror and sees a flaw or a problem and does nothing about it, it shows that looking into the mirror was futile. It reveals the heart and intent of the person. So merely reading or hearing GOD’S Word without the intent of learning and doing something about it is of no value.

GOD’S Word was written by GOD through many different authors many years ago. GOD’S Word is just as fresh and vital for leading all believers today as the day it was written. The HOLY SPIRIT translates HIS Word into application for living and serving today. Spiritual growth and maturity comes from on-the-job training. The training manual is HIS Word. We study it to learn more about GOD and CHRIST as the HOLY SPIRIT leads us to all truth. It is vital that all believers be led by the HOLY SPIRIT into obedient service.

Let’s read James 2:14, 18-26:

Faith and Works
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith, but does not have works? Can his faith[4] Or Can faith, or Can that faith, or Can such faith save him?

James was urging his readers to not deceive themselves. A person can say he/she has faith but that does not mean he/she actually has saving faith. Here the word “faith” is tied to the word “belief.” Demons believe in GOD and they tremble.

Faith or belief is like a story I heard years ago and one you have likely heard as well. A tightrope walker (funambulists), Blondin, had a rope stretched across Niagara Falls. He walked the rope a number of times. He pushed a wheelbarrow across, walked blindfolded, carried a person on his back and walked on stilts crossing from one side to the other. I have heard that he often asked for a volunteer to allow him to carry him/her across. He turned to a spectator and asked him if he believed he could walk from one side to the other carrying a sack of potatoes. The spectator said, yes. Blondin then asked if he would allow him to carry him across, walking on the rope. The spectator refused. This is a good example of putting your faith or belief into action. We can intellectually believe or have faith but unless we put that faith or belief into action, it never comes to completion or proved. In other words, lip service does not cut it with GOD.

James was saying that intellectual faith or belief is not the kind of faith that saves you. A true believer puts his/her faith into action as led by the HOLY SPIRIT. I have asked people if they are a Christian and their response has been, “My parents were Christians or I came from a Christian home.” This is well and good but coming from a Christian home or being raised in a church does not make a person a Christian no more than kittens in an oven make them biscuits. Each person is accountable for his/her sins and must ask for forgiveness and ask CHRIST to come into his/her life. What makes a person a Christian is CHRIST in him/her and not the church he/she goes to. It is good to go to a Bible teaching church to grow after becoming a believer.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.”[5] The quotation may end here or after v. 18b or v. 19. Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith from my works.[6] Other mss read Show me your faith from your works, and from my works I will show you my faith. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe—and they shudder. 20 Foolish man! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? 21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was perfected. 23 So the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness,[7] Gn 15:6 and he was called God’s friend.[8] 2 Ch 20:7; Isaiah 41:8 24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by a different route? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

James has created a hypothetical person. Some person may say “You have faith, and I have works.” Can faith be demonstrated without works? How do you show faith without some demonstration? James was saying that the only way a person can show faith is by action or works. I think these are works of faith as directed by GOD. When a believer is grafted into the true vine of CHRIST, he/she will produce fruit.

James is clear that the demons believe in GOD and they shutter or tremble. Demons cannot be saved but humans can be. GOD’S desire is for all to have saving faith but that requires a decision. It is more than intellectual consent that GOD or CHRIST exists; it is that because of CHRIST all humans have the opportunity to have saving faith.

James leads his readers to consider the faith of Abraham (Genesis 22:1-19) and Rahab the Gentile prostitute (Joshua 2:1-24). It was their faith that pleased GOD and confirmed the presence of GOD in their lives. James used Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation and Rahab, a Gentile prostitute to show that HE was no respecter of persons. HE looks upon the heart. Proof of what is in a person’s heart is demonstrated by obedient action to GOD’S commands. Those who have faith in HIM and respond accordingly were declared righteous by GOD. Their response was proof of their faith. That is why a person must choose whether or not to accept CHRIST as his/her SAVIOR and then obediently serve the LORD as HE leads by the HOLY SPIRIT.

Let’s look deeper. Abraham was on a life long journey of discovering GOD. The ultimate test and moment of growth and maturity came together when he would have sacrificed his only son Isaac. GOD gave him the test and also provided the ram for sacrifice. Abraham had the faith in GOD, that if he had sacrificed Isaac, which meant reducing Isaac to ashes, GOD would have raised him from the ashes. The point was Abraham’s heart and proof of his faith by being willing to sacrifice his only son.

Abraham was growing and maturing toward righteousness by his obedience to GOD. He was putting his faith into action, which was declared as righteousness.
Now consider what CHRIST did for all believers. The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:21:

21 He (GOD) made the One (JESUS) who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Abraham had to journey through life and faced the ultimate test for any father in order to be declared righteous by GOD. Any person who believes in CHRIST as his/her SAVIOR is made righteous the instant he/she becomes a Christian. All of his/her sins are washed whiter than snow. Salvation is the beginning for all believers since CHRIST gave HIS life for them. Their Spiritual journey begins from a righteous foundation with GOD. Every believer’s journey is a process of sanctification and culminates when he/she meets JESUS face to face. With Abraham it was a struggle to be declared righteous by GOD, which required him to face sacrificing his only son.

Think about that for a minute. Abraham was declared righteous when he was willing to obey GOD and sacrifice his only son. His son, Isaac, was as good as dead. GOD had to stay his hand. Abraham had to make that decision. When people are faced with whether or not to accept CHRIST as their SAVIOR, their decision is whether or not they are willing to die to self or not. Just as Abraham chose to be obedient to GOD’S command and in doing so was deemed righteous, when people choose to ask CHRIST to forgive them of their sins and to come into their hearts, they are declared righteous by GOD because of what CHRIST did for all believers.

Rahab, the Gentile prostitute, believed in the GOD of the Israelites and acted upon her faith by saving the lives of the Jewish spies.

In verse 26, James tells his readers that faith without works is like the human body without a spirit. It is dead. A person who does not put his/her faith into action or works is spiritually dead. He/she needs to be born-again, spiritually.

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