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James
Who are the rich? People don’t think they are rich! We always think that we are middle class. Thus, when we read this text, we may have assumed that this is not us! But this is also for us. We are rich, relative to global and historical peers.
Thus, it will do us well to pay attention to what James says in these verses. James speaks honestly about the spiritual danger being rich means for us, and respond rightly.
“If the Lord wills” - what comes to mind when we hear this phrase? What do we ourselves think of when we say it? This study deals with two main things — the often prideful posture of our hearts, and the sovereignty of God.
In this section of James, we will be considering the issue of conflict. James highlights 3 dimensions about conflict — heart, spiritual and verbal (how we use our words).
God's word is here to tell us that there are two kinds of wisdom. What do you see when you seek for wisdom? As we come before God's word, ask that He would humble our hearts and help us to know rightly which of the two wisdoms that He describes in James 3 that we are actually pursuing.
In this section, James will help us see how the gospel transforms our words and how we can live it out practically.
Christians believe that we have a hope because God has made Himself known to us through His word. What does it look like to work out our faith before this God? This is what James is showing us today.
After addressing favouritism within the church community, James continues to address his readers by speaking about relationships with others.
In this section, we will see James’ command to not show partiality in church.
But how does James go from suffering, trials and tribulation to partiality?
James has been dealing with trials and sufferings in the Christian’s life. Here, he continues to lay out a lifestyle and a people that deals with trials and sufferings in a way that’s different from the world.
James gives us practical handles for godliness. Last week, we saw that the Christian will face trials of various kinds, and the call to turn to God and ask Him for wisdom.
In every trial, everyone is twice tested. Firstly, in the trial itself. Secondly, in the inward trial. There is a temptation to self-pity.
As we read in the previous study, James is writing to the 12 tribes in the Dispersion in this epistle (Jas 1:1). In this study, we continue to see what James wanted to exhort the Christians to cling on to and pursue.
We begin a new study in the book of James, In this study, we will take a look at the opening verse to understand who is wrote the book, and the centrality of the gospel through the chapters.
