Our Christian Faith
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. - James 1:19
Today, let us meditate on the title of ‘Christian Faith’. When we are going on a trip, it is good to read a map so that we know how to get to our destination. We will know where we are going, how we're getting there, and what sites we're going to see. Having a map helps us to maximize the trip. James chapter one gives us a map for our Christian lives. Today, we're going to discover the lessons which James instructed to all the believers in Jesus. James 1:1 introduces us about James and to what he is about.
James was the half-brother of Jesus Christ. There were four men called James in the New Testament. Although, we cannot identify which one he is, we can conclude from the book itself that this James is a Palestinian. We know from chapter 1:6 where he talks about a wave of sea driven and tossed by the wind. In chapter 3:4 this James lived by the sea, and we know that he lived in a land full of figs, oil, and wine. Chapter 3:12 tells us that he lived in a land of salt and bitter springs. The James of whom we speak about today is the half-brother of Jesus Christ. The thing that sets Christ apart, in the mind of James, is the Resurrection. What makes Christianity unique from every other religion in the world, is our risen Savior Jesus Christ.
Faith and Commands:
The book of James is made up of 5 chapters of 108 verses, but what's more important is that 54 of them are imperatives, imperative meaning commands. Commands for our perfect christian lives. James is a commanding figure who does not want to hear your excuses. He wants to deal with function not theory. He wants to know more about your walk and less about your talk. He's concerned about your demonstration, not your declaration. And he wants to be able to observe your commitment, and not merely bend or curve around your conversation. James is concerned today that we have become milquetoast Christians. James is concerned that the church has become a playpen for babies rather than a workshop for adults. He preaches with fire with illustrations and analogies of people.
James a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Why wouldn't he say James, half-brother of Jesus? You see, James had come to understand that in his conversion, Jesus was not just his half-brother, but he was his Lord. James is going to say, If Jesus Christ is Lord, stop living idly and start strengthening your Christian faith. If Jesus Christ is Lord, nothing you face will be bigger than you. Because in order for it to be bigger than you, it has to be bigger than Him. And there is no such obstacle bigger than Him. And because you have Him, no obstacle is bigger than you. For the Lord says, “you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.” Jesus is Lord.
James 1:1 says that James is writing to those who have been scattered to the 12 tribes, who are dispersed. This refers to Jewish Christians who, through persecution in Acts chapter 8:1, have been scattered beyond Palestine. They were now scattered everywhere because persecution broke out in Jerusalem. Even though persecution had ended by Acts 9:31, there were many kinds of internal conflicts that had arisen. It was causing great pain in the lives of these believers.
We know James is writing to the believers, because he calls them in verse 16 ‘my beloved brethren’. In fact he says in verse 18, “Of His own will the Lord brought us forth by the Word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.” So James begins to talk about trials. In verses 2-3, James states, “count it all joy when you fall into various tails, knowing that testing of your faith produces patience.
Faith in Action
James 2:17 says, thus faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Verses 17 to 26 he is talking about our faith. Our faith is dead without action. Some of us may say, “well I'm waiting for God to help me.” James says, God is waiting for you to start moving so He can help you. Many of us want to be still targets and say, “Lord take me to victory”. The Lord Jesus Christ is saying, walk in victory, and you can watch me take you there. Some of us may say, maybe God doesn’t think it’s the right time, yet James is saying, no you are not ready yet. God is there with the Lordship of Jesus Christ to give you victory over your failed life, to give you victory over your failed passions, to give you victory over your failed addictions, to give you victory over those failed oppression and much more.
God who gives victory, through His many mechanisms to give you victory. Amen. That is why the Bible says, James 4:5 tells us, do think the Scripture says in vain. “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously?” But he gives more grace. The Spirit dwells in us. Understand, the Spirit doesn't walk you. The spirit helps you as you walk in the Lord. The Holy Spirit will not be your moving sidewalk underneath. The Holy Spirit will be your strength as you walk the narrow path towards victory and eternal life.
Faith of Active Christians
James says in 1:22-23 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;”
James continues to describe what a Christian life of genuine, trusting, and saving faith looks like. How must a Christian who truly trusts God the Father live from day to day? James makes it clear that those who trust God must not merely become experts at listening to God's Word. But we must act on what we hear. Do not bare favoritism, tame your tongue, fill yourself with heavenly wisdom, do not have pride, love your neighbor, and be patient and persevering in the Lord’s word. James 4:14-15
We have all gone to school and studied our books. We have all learned from our history books and literature stories. However, unlike simply gaining knowledge by reading history books or enjoying literature. But reading the word of God demands action. We cannot simply read and be idle. The word be means “to become” or “be born.” And the word lives and breathes by our actions. Do not be secular Christians. For they are like the seeds that fell among the rocks. Those whose faith did not grow strong roots in the Word of God.
James continues in 1:25, “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
Faith through Spiritually Mature
James 1:4 tells us that ``But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” When James uses the word, “to be perfect” in the book of James, he doesn't mean without any error. It means to be grown-up. Our teenage years are known to be turbulent years. Years where we sin and make many mistakes, but if you study the word of God and abide in His laws, you will reach spiritual maturity. Some of us associate growing old equals growing up. However, some of us have been Christians for twenty-five years, but we are still in the spiritual nursery. Some of us have been Christians for a long time, but still do not know how to handle spiritual problems. Because we're still baby Christians.
When you haven't grown up, you cannot handle nor face the trials of this life. How can you face mature problems and not be mature? A reason why some of us want to walk away from our troubles is because we haven't grown up. The reason why some of us give up in waiting for God is because we have not grown up. The reason why some of us cannot get rid of certain sins is because we have not spiritually matured. When you grow up, you can handle more than a baby. So let me show you a key verse from chapter 3:17 “the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” Dear brothers and sisters, our spiritual maturity grows as you lean on the wisdom of God and not the wisdom of this world or ourselves.
Faith during times of Sickness
James 5:14-15 says, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”
Understand, this verse not only applies to those who are physically sick, but also those who are spiritually weak and hurt. In verse 15, James describes the expected solution is a "prayer offered in faith" by the elders: “The Lord will raise him up.” These two verses describe a person who is physically ill, and the promise is of a physical healing. James says, ‘call upon the Lord and heed the prayer of His servants with faith, and you shall be blessed and healed. Your faith opens the doors for healing and miracles.
But James also includes those who are spiritually weak and hurt. James also describes a person struggling with a weak faith and spiritual hurt. Through faith in God and faith in prayer, the promise is for a restored trust in God. In either case, if the cause of the problem is because of sin in that person's life, that sin will be forgiven.
Dear brothers and sisters, during this time, we are facing a pandemic. It has changed our normal lives and many people have been affected financially and physically. There have been loved ones in our church, who have been affected by the coronavirus. But whether this situation or virus affects us either spiritually or physically, the Lord wants us to call upon Him. “A prayer of faith will save the sick”.
Faith through Prayer
Read with me in James 5:16, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” There are some Christians who deal with powerlessness. James continues encouraging the believers to express their dependence on God. This is done by participating in prayer. In previous verses, James tells the believers to respond to trouble by praying to God, to respond to cheerfulness by singing songs of praise, and to respond to illness or spiritual weakness by calling for elders of the church to pray for them.
Here in verse 16, James writes that it should be common practice for Christians to confess our sins to each other and to pray for each other, so that we may be healed through our prayers and the prayers of others. While some can read the word "healed" as a reference to healing from physical illness, this healing can also refer to discouragement and spiritual weakness. But for both physical and spiritual healing, two things are required from Christians.
We must, first, confess our imperfections to each other and, second, pray for each other. Now we are not called to stand before the church congregation and announce all our sins from the prior week. More likely, James calls on Christians to be in a close relationship with other spiritually mature Christians. Believers who will pray for you, support you, and guide you in times of trouble. We need fellow believers with whom we can be vulnerable with.
It seems likely, in the modern world, that very few Christians are practicing this. We are just too afraid to be that vulnerable. James's command is for us, as much as the original readers. The church would be far healthier if more of us prayed for each other, in family love, to overcome our specific sins. After all, James writes, prayer works. God listens and responds. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective because God hears and takes action.
CONCLUSION
In the book of James, he reaches out to the scattered believers of 12 tribes. He teaches them how to live by faith and the law of the Lord. James teaches about the principles we must follow within our Christians lives. These principles are what separate us from the world, for we are children of God.
Do not wait on the Lord to carry you through your troubles. The Lord is waiting for you to get up and walk in your Christian faith. Do not wait on a miracle, if you are not walking in your faith. Let your Christian faith be shown through your action, for James calls you to be doers of the word and not just listeners. Let the law of the Lord live inside of you and through your actions, whether in your home, in the store, and even at work. Do not be hesitant to proclaim proudly, your Christian faith.
Walk in your faith, act according to your faith, and grow in your faith. Read and meditate on the scriptures, for the Lord calls you to be mature in your Christian faith. Spiritual maturity comes from when you have accepted your sinful ways and have turned to follow the Lord. Maturity comes from understanding right and wrong, even in a sinful world. The Lord says, call upon me and call upon my servants when you are sick and hurting. Let a prayer offered in faith by the elders rise you up from your sickness or hurt. During times of spiritual weakness, let the faith of elders support and strengthen your faith also. James also instructed the believers to confess your sins and pray for one another. Be vulnerable and open to accepting the broken hearted. None of us are perfect, for we are all sinners from the womb. Let your Christian faith be strengthened as you confess your sins and hold and pray for those who need spiritual support.
To the scattered believers, who are lost in this world, God calls you to separate yourself from this world by strengthening your spiritual faith. Walk in your faith, act according to your faith, grow and mature in your faith, lean on your church elders during times of sickness and spiritual weakness, and be vulnerable and open to the lost around you. Pray for them. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective because God hears and takes action. Amen.
