Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More
True conversion.
Text: James (outline)
Let’s Write a Letter
Gentiles – Acts 15:12-29 James directs writings to be made to the Gentiles to instruct them in the Lord Jesus Christ and true conversion. If your brand of dispensationalism makes James contradict Paul, then you have James telling the Gentiles to do one thing, but the Jews to do something else. That’s not what’s happening after Jesus Christ’s resurrection.
James’ letter is the application of the book of Hebrews. Going on to perfection was something Paul said to the Hebrews. The point was that Christianity was the fruition and product of true Judaism. Christianity is the fulfillment of Judaism. Looking for the Messiah and here is the Messiah, the Christ. Perfection is a theme in James as it was in Hebrews. James is talking about effective faith.
Not a “Jewish gospel”
I had a few misconceptions about this letter. These arose from the dispensational teachings that because James is addressed to the twelve tribes he’s giving Jewish doctrine which seeks to reinstitute righteousness by the law. James is the one who says if a man offends in one point of the law he’s guilty of all (James 2:10). He is absolutely NOT trying to get Jews back under the law to improve their standing with God. Contrary to some opinions, James does not teach salvation by the works of the law. He tells the readers they are sinners in 1:19-25.
- The significance of James’ writing to the twelve tribes scattered abroad is that he spoke of faith and said nothing of circumcision, which was what most Jews associated with righteousness.
- James is also addressing churches since he has some things to say about church life itself toward the end of his letters
About Faith
The word faith shows up more times in the book of James than in 60 other books in the Bible. Acts, Romans, Galatians, 1 Timothy, and Hebrews are the only books where faith shows up more. In fact, for as short as the book of James is, there is more discussion of faith in James than in any other book in the Bible: one verse out of every nine discusses faith. Faith in the book of James
- Qualifying faith (trial of faith) 1:3
- Asking in faith 1:6
- Impartial faith 2:1
- Rich in faith 2:5
- Unprofitable faith 2:14-26
- Prayer of faith 5:15 (Elijah’s Prayer Life)
James writes about victorious faith and true conversion. James says don’t tell me about your faith, show me. The book of James is very troubling to anyone professing faith in Christ as just a religious creed. On the other hand, James is a big blessing to anyone who possesses saving faith, is serving God, and finds trouble along the way.
James says that it is impossible to convince anyone of your faith without faithful works. If what someone calls faith has not produced anything in their lives they are deceived about what they call faith. James is impossible to handle for an “easy-believeism” crowd. It’s why Martin Luther hated James. He felt like James was promoting self-righteousness, which James isn’t. He’s teaching people to do right when they can, to close their mouths when they shouldn’t talk, to not be a respecter of titles or bank accounts. But doing those things doesn’t make a person self-righteous, it’s applying God’s righteousness to their own lives.
