James Week- 6

We are finally into Chapter 2.  Chapter one was full of very simple and useful insight, so let’s dive in and see what ol’ Jimbo has to say in the next chapter:

Read James 2:1-4

Man we stink at this.  This is SO hard to do!  ESPECIALLY in a youth group!!!!!  Let’s be real and honest….as teens, you are a little more judgmental than maybe at any other time in your life!  Trust me. I was a teen and I remember this to be 100% true!  I would not have believed it at 17, but looking back I know the truth.

Why do we favor the rich, popular, well dressed, handsome etc?

God has EVERYTHING he could ever want.  He is NOT impressed with any of these!  And as His kids, neither should we be!  Yet, almost against our will, we are pulled that way.  We can say it doesn’t affect us but be honest…..we pay more attention to super jock, or the kid wearing the fancy clothes, or the chick with the hot bod, etc………  It is just natural for us! 

Did you catch that…we like to say “it is just natural”………………….but here’s the deal, according to James:

God calls us to be supernatural!

We are heirs to all that God has….so why should we be impressed with temporary riches, fame, popularity etc?  After all, we will be sitting with the King of the Universe! 

We need to start understanding that we are special…God has made us SO invaluable!  We are the most special people in the universe!  If we truly learn to understand that…..we could learn to look at everyone equally! 

Read vs 5-7

It is pretty apparent that God has a special place in his heart for the poor.  Scripture is littered with hints of this.  Why do you think this is so?  Why are the poor so important to God?

Maybe one reason is because they are despised and downtrodden and rejected by everyone else.  And if you haven’t noticed God is into love and comfort J, and who needs these things more?

Maybe another reason is that they KNOW they need help.  It doesn’t take much to convince a poor man that they need God’s help in their lives! 

James wants us to know that God places high value on the poor and if we want to be like Him, then it would be smart to treat them like he wants us to.

Read vs 8-11

Imagine you were getting ready for the date of your life!  Let’s say you went all out fellas….limo, roses, chocolates….. fancy restaraubnt reservations…..and even got a big pimpin’ white tux!  On your way out, Mom wants to hug ya and as she does your little sister, hands full of red ketchup from dinner grabs your jacket to kiss you!  OH NO!  You’re front is covered with a huge stain now!!  It is ruined!  Sure, it is only a little stain, but there's no way you can wear that tux now.

Same is true with us…………a little sin can ruin us.  One little sin makes us guilty of breaking the WHOLE LAW!

You couldn’t go on the date saying “I know there's a big red stain on the front of my tux, but look at the rest..it is white as snow!”

Neither can we stand before God and say “yeah there’s some sin I haven’t dealt with…but the rest of me is SO pure!”

The point James is making is that GOD DOES NOT GRADE ON A CURVE! J  He wants us completely whole…not partially!

And he wants us to reach out to those around us…but NOT JUST the rich neighbors etc…. (sound like a broken record J)….because this is fulfilling only part of the law!  We should be reaching out to the ugly, stinky and poor!  We should be laying down our reputations and loving the “unloveable”.

READ MATT 25:34-40

Read vs 12-13

Once again…James has told us clearly what is right and wrong and then he says “NOW GO DO IT!”

This book does this a lot,  That is one of the reasons I chose this study.  It gives practical hands on advice.  But let me warn you………don’t let this become a trap, if it’s used like a list of do’s and don’ts it could become a burden to carry around!  It is not meant to cause guilt and hopelessness because you cannot ever do it all! 

Did you know in fact that Martin Luther wanted to throw James out of the Bible!!??!!??  It’s true!  He felt that James talked too much about law as opposed to grace of Christ.

I think Martin (who is a hero of mine) just didn’t get it.  I think James is talking of an entirely different law…..the law of freedom!

We can NEVER work or earn our way to heaven…this is why we NEED Jesus!  Because we will 100% undoubtedly screw up!  But with Jesus we can be free of screw ups……. The law of freedom! J Isn’t grace good?

Before being Christians we were slaves to sin..controlled by the world’s lusts, desires etc….after being saved though..Christ took up residence inside us and broke that power controlling us!  He FREED US!  Now we have the desire and ability to start caring for others and for God………this is what it is all about!

It is not a dusty list of rules…but a relationship.  And once we have that relationship he will empower us to do good….not cuz’ we have to but WANT TO!

Like me and my wife.  I do things around the house for her…not because I have to (well maybe sometimes J) but I WANT to……………………even when the couch potato in me doesn’t want to clean the kitchen…the loving husband in me does!  And that is the part I listen to!  (except in football season J)

Same with us and God folks…….. Once we are born again…we start doing good for different reasons!