Into James 2 we go!

I preached on this text this past Sunday – so I feel like I’ve done this already.
If you missed it – go back and check out the podcast or scroll back one post on this blog for the transcript.

James 2 is moving the call to action from general to particular.
And really, James is reminding us that we cannot just say we believe things.
We have to actually do something.
James brings up this issue of someone walking into worship dressed really nicely and being given much care and attention, and then someone else walks in all dirty and they are told to go sit over in the corner.
James calls this favoritism.
And it does not fly.
You cannot show favoritism AND believe in Jesus, James says. (2:1)
What good is that “belief” if it doesn’t help anyone?
What good is that “belief” if it doesn’t act?
James is being none to subtle here – Your belief is NO GOOD without actions to back it up.
Faith without works, James says, is dead. (2:17)

I preached a bit on this part on Sunday – but I want to be clear here too – works here are works on behalf of the neighbor, not works that you do to get right with God.
James knows this.
But he’s not so sure everyone else does.
See, people were hearing that they were “saved by faith” and they began to think they no longer had to act.  They were saved!  Yipee!
But James knew that the people who would be most affected by this false belief were the poor – those who relied on the actions of others to survive.
He is reminding the early church, and US, that our faith saves us, but our faith cannot and is not true or real without actions on behalf of the poor and needy.
It is how we act that shows our faith.
Not because God needs our works to earn our salvation – but because our neighbor needs them to live.
I love the end of the 2nd chapter when James even pulls out Abraham as the example of this.  Yes, he says, yes, we laud Abraham as the greatest most faithful man, but he acted his faith out by placing his son on the altar. (2:21)
He says it was the action, not the words of Abraham that made his faith great. (2:24)

BOOM.
My thoughts on James Chapter 2?  One of my favorite chapters in the Bible.
You cannot have inactive faith.  It doesn’t exist.
It’s dead.
Faith is, by definition – alive and active.

So go and DO SOMETHING.