Lesson 449 - Senior
Memory Verse
"Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom" (James 3:13).
Cross References
I Respect of Persons
1. If we have respect of persons we are partial in our judgment, [JAM:2:1-4]; [DEU:1:17]; [MAT:22:16].
2. The poor are often rich in faith, [JAM:2:5]; [ISA:57:15]; [1CO:1:26-28].
3. Rich men often oppress one and bring one into judgment, [JAM:2:6-7]; [ACT:15:12].
4. The Royal Law is, "Love thy neighbour as thyself," [JAM:2:8]; [LEV:19:18]; [MAT:22:39]; [ROM:13:8-9]; [GAL:5:14].
5. If we have respect of persons, we commit sin and transgress the law, [JAM:2:9].
6. Whosoever offends in one point of the Law is guilty of all, [JAM:2:10-12]; [DEU:27:26]; [MAT:5:19].
7. He that showed no mercy shall receive judgment without mercy, [JAM:2:13]; [PRO:21:13].
II Faith and Works
1. Can faith without works save a man? [JAM:2:14-16] [MAT:7:26].
2. Faith without works is dead, being alone, [JAM:2:17-20], [JAM:2:26].
3. Abraham's faith was followed by his works when he offered up Isaac, [JAM:2:21-24]; [GEN:22:1-18]; [ROM:4:3]; [GAL:3:6]; [HEB:11:17].
4. Rahab was justified by works, proving her faith, when she received the spies, [JAM:2:25]; [JOS:2:1-22]; [HEB:11:31].
Notes
Respect of Persons
To bring out the teaching regarding respect of persons, James lays the foundation by addressing them as "brethren." If we are all brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, then are we all on one common level. When we have been born of the Spirit of God, into the family of God, we are equal so far as class is concerned. One may have more talents than another. We notice that the one who was given two talents, and gained other two talents, received the same warm plaudit as the one who was given five talents and gained five more.
Moses told the Children of Israel not to have respect of persons in judgment. They should hear the small as well as the great and should judge righteously between every man and his brother. Even the Pharisees recognised that Jesus regarded not the persons of men.
James says, "If ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" [JAM:2:9-10]).
The Law is spoken of as a seamless garment; if you have broken it in any one place, you have broken the whole. If you have offended the Law in any one point you are as liable to condemnation as though you had offended in every point. It is as in musical harmony: one discordant note spoils the whole.
The Poor, the Rich
If you give the rich man a high seat and the poor man the low seat, you are wrong. If the glory of Christ rests on the poor believer, he should be treated with the same respect as his richer brother. To dishonour one because he is poor, is to dishonour one whom the Lord honours. Who are we to dishonour one on whom the glory and favour of God rests?
Often the poor and lowly have that simplicity of faith, which makes them rich toward God. They possess a childlike trust in the promises of God that are often overlooked by the high-minded.
Jesus said, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" [MAT:18:3]).
The Royal Law
God is love. The law of love is called the Royal Law. A lawyer asked Jesus which was the great commandment in the Law. Jesus answered: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" [MAT:22:37-40]).
Paul wrote to the Romans, "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law" [ROM:13:10]).
The Law of Moses was a law of bondage. The Gospel is a law of liberty. Through God's mercy we are free to love and obey willingly If we fulfil the Royal Law of love, we do not fear judgment, for "mercy rejoiceth against Judgment."
Justification
Some have thought that Paul and James contradicted each other in their teachings on justification. There is no contradiction: one complements the other. They are talking to two different classes of people.
The class of people that Paul was dealing with believed that their good works justified them in the sight of God and would take them to Heaven. There are many of that class of people in the world, and even in the churches, today. How often do we hear people say, "I have no religion but the Golden Rule"! They ignore completely Jesus' injunction: "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" [JHN:3:5]).
Paul was trying to make them understand that without the new birth it would be impossible for them to gain Heaven. It takes the new birth or the quickening of the spirit of man by the Holy Spirit to bring to life the spirit that is dead through sin.
We are born again through faith in the atoning Blood of Jesus Christ. No works that we could do, no merits of our own, could ever win us an entrance into the Pearly Gates. We must come through the Door into the sheepfold, and Jesus is the Door. When we repent, confess and forsake our sins and turn to Jesus with all our heart, then faith swings the door open and we enter into the sheepfold. (See [JHN:10:9].) That brings into our heart a living faith; and a living faith is an active faith. That kind of faith does not sit idly by when we see a brother or sister destitute of daily food, but it does something about it. That brings us to the class of people James is talking about: those who say they have faith and do nothing to help the one in need. James says their faith is dead. With a dead faith there is no action. It matters not how much faith we say we have, if there is no action, the brother is still destitute of food.
"Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone" [JAM:2:17]). Just as the body is dead without the spirit, so faith is dead without works. James says, "Shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." He proves that faith apart from works is dead.
Examples
Both Paul and James use Abraham as an example. Paul quotes [GEN:15:6], where the Word tells us that Abraham believed in the Lord and He counted it to him for righteousness. James shows us how Abraham's faith was an active faith and produced works when he offered up Isaac on the altar. It was faith expressed by action.
Rahab believed what she heard about the mighty works of the God of Israel and received the spies in peace. She skilfully hid them from the enemy while they searched her house and then let them down over the wall by a scarlet cord. She was taken into the fold of Israel because of her faith in Israel's God and the action she took in protecting the spies.
The Word tells us: "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith" [Hebrews 11:7).
This all clearly shows us that Paul's exposition of the doctrine of justification by faith, and James' teaching of the doctrine of justification proved by-works, are complementary one to the other. They are in perfect accord.
God justifies the ungodly through faith, then that faith is manifested to the world through his words and works.
Questions
1. Explain why it is wrong to show respect of persons.
2. What places people in one class?
3. What is the Royal Law?
4. Why is it wrong to give the rich the best seat and the poor the low seat?
5. How are we justified before God?
6. Explain how Paul's and James' versions of justification are in harmony.
7. In how many points does one break the Law before one is guilty of the whole?
8. How did Abraham prove his faith in God?
9. How can one be rich toward God?