James 2

James 2 begins with an exhortation to avoid favoritism, a principle that remains relevant for today's congregation. While he uses the example of the rich and the poor, it could be equally applied to other areas, such as charismatic personalities, the more melancholic, the popular, and the unknown. This sin is rampant in the church, where we are known for our cliques and for excluding people based on our personal preferences. James warns that creating such distinctions can lead to judgmental attitudes that result in corrupted motives (James 2:4). James continues to point out that Christ died equally for all and all are heirs of the Kingdom and part of the household of faith (James 2:5). By showing favoritism, we bring dishonor to other members of the Body of Christ, and he warns that the very people that we show such favoritism to, are just as likely to abandon us and cause us to bring disrepute to the Body of Christ by our association with them (James 2:7). For James, the church must live by what he calls the "royal law" of love (James 2:8). When we show partiality, we sin.

James takes this opportunity to explain that it does not matter if one keeps the law in one way, only to break it another (James 2:9-11). Guilt in one area often leads to guilt in all areas. Because of this, the church is to align its actions with its message: that of freedom in Christ, the law of liberty (James 2:12). He warns about the judgment that will fall on us if we fail to act mercifully towards others (James 2:13). My father, a minister, always told me that he would rather be wrong on the side of mercy, than wrong on the side of judgment. I have seen him live this out and have embraced it myself. Mercy always triumphs, even if only for the one extending it, because it has to do with the transformation of our character.

     James continues to associate faith with works by asserting that action is the natural result of faith (James 2:14). One cannot claim to have faith without seeing it manifested in one's daily life and actions. Daily, I pray that the Lord will provide opportunities for my faith to expand. However, for James, this is not just about answered prayer, but about actively living out a life of professing faith in a hostile world. By walking out what we preach, we provide the world with tangible proofs that our confession is true, and we exalt the name of Jesus. While prayer is valid, if we can meet a practical need, we should do so. This reflects Christ well, in that Jesus met the physical needs of people even while ministering to their spiritual needs (James 2:15-20). Faith must meet with action and, in unison, bring about change. It is easy to profess one thing until one must act on it. Using Abraham as an illustration, Abraham said he believed God, but until he had to act on it by sacrificing his child of promise, it was not a complete faith (James 2:21-24).

     James uses Rahab also to illustrate this point, mentioning that she sent out the messengers by a different way (James 2:25). This is reflective of Ezekiel's instructions to the people who approached the temple to exit by a separate way than how they entered (Ez. 46:9). Though Rahab would not have known this, her actions showed what was written within her heart. Our faith may gain us entrance, but we should never leave the presence of God the same way we enter. We should leave motivated to act in obedience from a heart that has been transformed. Our works enliven our faith, much as the spirit does the body (James 2:26), and we, as the church, have been called to be agents of life in a culture that propagates death.