James 2 - Are You Good? Really?

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2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

One of the issues with the Jewish Christians who James was writing to is that they neglected the needs of the poor. They focused on the rich because they might be able to pay them back. They were breaking the second half of the Great Commandment, "Love your neighbor as yourself!" James points out that this is just one of the many ways we break God's commandments. It doesn't matter which commandment we break, but when we do we are guilty in the eyes of God. James says, 

"For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." Verse 12

Sometimes we are subjective as to what laws of God we focus on. We focus on commandments like "do not commit adultery" or " do not commit murder", but sometimes neglect "coveting our neighbor's stuff", or "spreading lies that ruins someone's reputation". 

When someone says they are a good person what exactly does that mean? Who is the judge? What commandments need to be obeyed to be good? All of them? Some of them? Or, what good deeds do you need to do to be considered "good"?  You can see this is a very subjective question. If Jesus said, "Why do you call me good?" He was confronting the religious leader's definition of "being good". 

We are good if we love God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind. We are good in God's eyes if we love our neighbors as ourselves. While the other commandments are certainly important in and of themselves, these two are a summary of how we please and obey God. 

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

This is the famous, "faith without works is dead" passage. This is one of the verses which gave Martin Luther cause to dislike the letter of James. Notice what this says and what it doesn't say. It doesn't say we are saved by works. But it does say faith without them is dead. The assumption if these people are Christians, they have been given the gift of faith.  But if they were not putting it into action, it was dead. 

The bottom line is that when you are given the gift faith, it is given so that you can put it into action. We put it into action when we trust God and do the things he has asked us to do. We put our faith into action when we live the type of life Jesus would if he were us. 

The opposite is also true. Faith WITH works is alive. When we are living a life of faith, our lives are very exciting and alive. We are asking the question, "I wonder what God will do next?" Faith is an adventure when we listen to the Holy Spirit and step out in faith in obedience. 

James, then gives the example of Abraham. When God called Abraham and made him a promise to bless with him many descendants, Genesis 15:6 says, "And Abram believed God and it was credited as righteousness." Note Abram did not do anything to be considered righteous, but he trusted in God's promises. 

Later, in Genesis 22, God asked Abraham to give up his only son, Issac! Abraham put his faith into action by being willing to give up his only son as a sacrifice. But at the last moment God intervened and saved Issac from being killed by his father. Abraham put his faith into action in a way that not many parents could ever do! This is why he is often called, "The Father of Faith!" 

Where is God calling you to put your faith in action? Is your faith alive or dead? Is your faith leading you into exciting situations where you have to trust in God's provision? 

If you exercise your "faith muscles", your faith and relationship with God will get stronger! You will develop more confidence in the God who always keeps His promises!