The Letter of James is traditionally believed to be written by the half-brother of Jesus. James grew up in the same home as Jesus – with Mary and Joseph as their parents. Familiarity with Jesus may have made James very skeptical in believing his brother, Jesus, could be the Messiah promised by God. It is believed that James later became a leader in the Jerusalem Church after his brother, Jesus, the Christ, was crucified and resurrected. From that moment on, James became a solid, faithful follower of Jesus as his Lord and Savior emphasizing in his letter how we are to translate our love and Christian faith into godly actions in our walk with our Lord.

James 1:1-8: “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”

Wilmer C. Fields, a pioneer in Christian communications and an advocate for freedom of the press, writes,

“The practical character of the [James] letter shows up immediately. He advises the brethren to learn to get something worthwhile even out of troubles and trials (vv 2-4). ‘Count’ them on the side of joy. View them as capable of being instructive. They provide a test run for your faith. Successful testing of your faith can give you confidence for anything that lies ahead.” (Paschall & Hobbs, The Teacher’s Bible Commentary, p 782)

When James calls himself a servant of God, he makes a confession of his allegiance to Jesus counting every trial as a testing of his faith in Jesus. As disciples following Christ, we will discover several outcomes:

1. We will have a deep filling of Joy (v2). To be a follower of the Lord Jesus, we must have a single focus in our life – to have a deep, lasting joy in our personal, obedience to the Master Creator of the Universe – not just a fractional loyalty to a religious belief. This joy comes from our personal relationship with our Lord who orders our life and very existence. 

Without a close, living relationship with Christ, we become merely adherents to a religious belief system. He is as much alive with us today as He was two thousand years ago when He walked physically on earth. He is as challenging today in our world as He was to the early disciples in their ancient world. Until James realized Jesus was truly the Living Messiah, he had an almost hostile, contempt toward Jesus during His life and ministry. But once he saw Jesus alive after His crucifixion, James believed!

Consequently, as William Barclay writes in his Introduction to the Letter of James,

“There will be the tests of the dangers, the sacrifices, the unpopularity which the Christian way must so often involve. But they are not meant to makes us fall; they are meant to make us soar. They are not meant to defeat us; they are meant to be defeated. They are not meant to make us weaker; they are meant to make us stronger. Therefore, we should not bemoan them; we should rejoice in them. The Christian is like the athlete. The heavier course of training he undergoes, the more he is glad because he knows that it is fitting him all the better for victorious effort.” (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series, the Letters of James and Peter, p 43)

A countenance of joy must replace a frowning, stern disposition. It is said, “If you are happy and you know it, tell your face!” What does your face say to others about the joy in your life?  Remember: “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10. It is from our greatest challenges and trials we can face that we can find our deepest joy.

2. We will find and know the source of true wisdom (v 5).  When we totally trust and act on God’s Word and His Presence for our decisions in life, we lean not on our own understanding, but on God’s perfect Will and His knowledge of our lives. Calab knew God’s will and wisely acted on it. 

“Calab had a spine to match his great heart. For God’s purposes, that made all the difference. When the Israelites, after departing Egypt, were directed by God to cross the Jordan and possess the Promise Land, they sent scouts ahead to check it out. Calab’s friends returned from their mission believing the place to which God was calling them could not be conquered. But Calab, the man with an undivided heart and a strong spine, saw the situation differently. He called on the people to believe God’s promise and be committed. Sadly, the people were swayed by the majority opinion, but for his faithfulness, Calab was one of the two men in his generation to see the Promised Land. Numbers 14:24: ‘But because my servant Calab has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.’” (Every Day for Every Man, 365 Readings for Those Engaged in the Battle, June 3) The wisdom in Calab trusted God’s wisdom instead of the popular opinion of the others.

3. We will see changes in how we communicate with others. James writes in 1:19-20: “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

James explains that even with all of our trials and difficult relationships, when we believe the truth of God’s promises and His Presence, it will change every relationship in our lives. Not only does God give us a new heart but He gives us a new and different attitude toward our relationships. There are three characteristics that are evidence of being a true and obedient servant of God.

We are swift to hear.  We become more willing to hear others share their thoughts than we are in speaking our own opinions and having the last word.

We are slow to speak. We do not blurt out our thoughts and personal opinions, but listen and are willing to share the truth of God’s Word. Remember: Isaiah 55:10-11: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

We are slow to wrath. Our anger will never accomplish God’s will but can distracts others from what God is wanting to do through our words and actions. If anger originates from our personal opinions instead of the Word of God, it creates quarrels and conflict. It is difficult to have righteous anger. William Barclay concludes,

“Here is a great, uplifting thought: “The Christian must expect to be jostled by trials on the Christian way.” All kinds of experiences will come to us. There will be the test of the sorrows and the disappointments which seek to take our faith away. There will be the test of the seductions which seek to lure us from the right way. There will be the test of dangers, the sacrifices, the unpopularity which the Christan way must so often involve. But they are not meant to make us fall; they are meant to make us soar.” (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series, the Letters of James and Peter, p 43)

“Even If” is a deeply personal song for singer-songwriter, Tim Timmons, written after his 2001 terminal cancer diagnosis. He was given 5 years to live but is now over 24 years into this journey. He emphasizes maintaining true faith and worship of God regardless of whether healing occurs. He worships the God in the fire rather and remembers that whatever happens, God is still good and is our only hope. 

LISTEN to Tim Timmons’ song: “Even If” (YouTube, Tim Timmons’ song: “Even If”)

The Letter of James, Principles of Discipleship (Part 2)

When we desire to follow Jesus, we truly realize that our Lord loved every person He met – whether rich or poor, attractive or not-so attractive, good or bad. He teaches us that having the love of Christ is the greatest catalyst we have to turn the world upside down for Jesus.

“God’s love for you is unconditional; it never changes. Before you were formed in the womb, He loved you. He’s watched over you lovingly from your earliest days, longing for your heart to call His name. . . You are the apple of His eye. His love for you has no limits. Your service can’t make God love you any more, and your sins can’t make Him love you any less.” (Every Day for Every Man, 365 Readings for Those Engaged in the Battle, March 6)

During his 1962 lecture tour of the USA, a student asked Swiss theologian Karl Barth to summarize his entire theological work in one sentence. After a moment of thought, Barth responded, “Yes, I can. In the words of a song I learned at my mother’s knee: ‘Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.’”  Barth might not have been orthodox in his theology, but by summarizing Christian dogmatics in the children’s hymn by Anna Bartlett Warner, he accurately captured the gospel’s message. The Christian message is the simple fact that Jesus loves me. (TGA, The Gospel Coalition India, Christopher David Blog, September 25, 2024) AND because of His unfailing love for us, God gives us the fruit of loving others with His kind of love.

Often the church prioritizes a greater importance to the rich and successful from the poor and needy. But Jesus Christ gave equal importance to all including the least, the left-out, the lonely and the ones that the world has little use for. He is the first recorded world leader who intentionally touched a leper to heal him or give women credible worth when He visited the Samaritan woman at the well. She had failed in all her marriages and was presently living with a man, a social outcast in her town. She was despised and rejected, a subject of ridicule and gossip (John 4) but Jesus saw her and spent time talking with her seeing great value in who she was.

Religion twists the law by picking out the most important and high-ranking people to be their leaders. Jesus chose tax collectors, prostitutes and fisherman to be the leaders of the New Testament Church. These religious Law Keepers failed God’s most basic law towards other people found in Leviticus 19:18, “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”

1. James 2:1-8: “My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, ‘Here’s a good seat for you,’ but say to the poor man, ‘You stand there’ or ‘Sit on the floor by my feet,’ 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? 8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right.” 

James gives us a reminder to be like Paul in Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” We are to die to ourselves and to our selfishness, wants and desires. God wants to replace this attitude in us with His loving kindness toward others. Warren W. Wiersbe writes,

“When the enemy fails in his attacks from the outside, he then begins to attack from within; and one of his favorite weapons is selfishness. If he can get us thinking only about ourselves and what we want, then he will win the victory before we realize he is even at work. Selfishness means putting myself at the center of everything and insisting on getting what I want when I want it. It means exploiting others so I can be happy and taking advantage of them just so I can have my own way. It is not only wanting my own way but expecting everyone else to want my way too. Why are selfish people so miserable? I think Thomas Merton said it best: ‘To consider persons and events and situations only in the light of their effect upon myself is to live on the doorstep of hell.” (Be Determined, p 59)

2. James 2:9-13: “But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” Malcolm Tolbert writes,

“We have substituted beliefs about Jesus for commitment to follow him. You can believe certain things about Jesus without it costing you money, position, or prestige; But if you dare to follow Jesus, that is something else altogether! You may have to give up your job; move to another country. You will have to cut across the grain of accepted social values and prejudices. It is much safer to believe in Jesus with the top of the head than to make the dangerous decision to follow him.” (The Teachers Bible Commentary, p 647)

3. James 2:14-18: ““What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15Supposed a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”

A true heart for discipleship shows up best in how we talk and walk [care] for the people we live beside daily – not in the number of verses we’ve memorized or in the mission trips we’ve taken. It is how we treat others each day beginning with our close family members and those we share life with together that proves our heart. Do we often take them for granted? Do we behave better towards strangers than we do to people we say we love?  In our church (as in marriage), we often are forced to be close and serve our brothers and sisters in Christ – showing them godly love and personal value. Christ calls the Church “His Bride” and we are part of the family of God who have been called to serve each other in His love. Paul Stevens writes on close relationships that exist especially in marriage,

“To be married means to have our privacy invaded, to live dangerously close to another sinner, to be interfered with by someone who claims to love us but does not always know how. Yet to be married also means to celebrate a sacrament every day, all day, through everything we share, even when we’re not together. Marriage is a risky business, but one that is fraught with the deepest kind of joy.” (Couples Devotional Bible)

The Letter of James, Principles of Discipleship (Part 3)

An authentic disciple’s faith does not earn his salvation but reveals real faith from counterfeit. James gets into the face of those practicing “cheap” grace that does nothing to change their relationships with others and uses Abraham and Rahab as models of righteousness. Both of these individuals were not good law keepers but somehow, they understood what it was like to love God with a radical obedience. Faith is not just talking the talk but walking the walk our Lord had here on earth. Jesus says in Luke 9:23: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”  There is a high cost of faithful discipleship. It means meeting the daily challenge of loving others like Christ even when it may require our sacrifice and pain.

James 2:18: “But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”  

When we let go and let God, we yield our fears to trusting God who reveals what is real and deep within our hearts and not what is false and shallow.

James 2:19: “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.”  When we let go and let God, then our beliefs become certainty and not just theoretical. Disciples are known throughout the world by their faithful obedience to God’s Word. But even John, Jesus’ cousin, had a time of doubting in who Jesus was after Jesus revealed Himself as the Promised One. Writer Julie Wood says, “John’s doubts weren’t sinful, but they did cost him the peace of mind faith provides. He’s been tripped up by his own expectations, yet Jesus offered a word of blessing to those who aren’t offended (Greek: skandalizo, meaning “to trip up,” “cause to stumble”) by Him (Luke 7:23: “And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”) (Connect 360, 2025 Study of Luke, Standing by His Word, p 141)

James 2:20: “You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?”  Where there is no fruit of true faith, there is no faith at all. Faith is revealed by the fruit that we bear. John 15:1-5 says: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”

James 2:21-24: “Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,’ and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.”

Abraham was not an example of perfect faith but he had a deep desire to obey God doing whatever God asked him to do even when He requested the sacrifice of Abraham’s most precious son, Isaac. Bible scholar Solomon Andria writes,

“The author [of James] gives two examples drawn from God’s Word: Abraham (2:21) and Rahab (2:25), both of whom become ancestors of our Lord Jesus. Our ancestor Abraham was such an example of faith in action that he is called the father of believers (Gal. 3:7-9). His faith expressed itself in his willingness to sacrifice his only son to God (Gen.22:1-19). This sacrifice is the action by which Abraham demonstrated his faith (2:23). He was not justified by this action but by the faith that produce it.” (Africa Bible Commentary, p 1513)

James 2:25-26: “In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”

Rahab was not a model of perfection but one of simple and radical obedience even when it could have cost her life. 

“A genuine faith is one that is actively at work. Paul said the works of the law could never save a man. James says that works of faith are proof of salvation. Abraham’s faith was not an empty profession but a principle of action (vv.21-24). The same is true for even a prostitute, like Rahab (vv. 25-26). Just as Abraham showed his faith by his willingness to offer Isaac, so Rahab showed her faith by aiding the spies. Faith and works cannot exist separately and alone. They must go together.” (H. Paschall & Herschel Hobbs, The Teachers Commentary, p 783)

“Rahab is a remarkable example of the fact that God can use whomever he chooses to accomplish his will (1 Corinthians 1:26-31). Though a prostitute and a Gentile, Rahab is listed in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5). She is remembered as a model of faith completed in works (James 2:25) and is listed among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11.” (Global Study Bible, p 1774)

When building the ark, Noah placed his faith in action. He spent weeks, maybe years, building an ark to protect his family in a world who was skeptical of his Almighty God. Instead of giving in to peer pressure and mockery, Noah listened only to God’s voice which instructed him in everything he was to do. Jeff Wells writes,

“People of faith don’t play it safe. Faith invariably involves risk, the unseen, and the unknown. If we go through life playing it safe, being comfortable and cozy, never on the edge, then we are not living by faith. . . .They [people of faith] live an adventure, trusting God to protect them and guide them.” (The Great Verses, 365 Verses to Learn, to Love, to Live, p 419)

David Wilkerson writes, “Our faith is not meant to get us out of a hard place or change our painful condition. Rather, it is meant to reveal God’s faithfulness to us in the midst of our dire situation.” (Barbour’s Encyclopedia of Great Christian Quotes, p 137)

“God is asking for only one simple thing from you right now. It’s really the only thing that He has ever desired from you. It is that we simply trust Him. Hebrews 11:6 says that ‘without faith it is impossible to please God.’ There is only one important question that I get to answer every day of my life. It is, ‘Will I trust you God?’ It is the only question that really matters.” (Divorce Heroes, Turning Marital Destruction Into Spiritual Transformation, p 35)

The Letter of James, Principles of Discipleship (Part 4)

John writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) James spent his early life living close to Jesus as his half-brother, and when he writes instructions to the early disciples about the words they speak, he teaches what he had learned from his own experience – the power of the words of Jesus. 

James describes the disciplining of our words in several passages in the Letter of James linking how our walk and our talk are related to each other. In James 3, Warren Wiersbe writes,

“The believers James wrote to were having problems with their tongues (1:26; 2:12; 4:1, 11-12). Of course, the tongue is not the problem; it is the heart (3:14; Matt. 12:35-37). . . .If your tongue is under God’s control, you will take what you say seriously (v1), and your whole body will be under His discipline (v2). Just as a horse needs a rider holding the reins, and a ship needs a pilot at the rudder, so your tongue needs a master; and God is the only one who can do the job.” (With The Word, the Chapter-by-Chapter Bible Handbook, p 826)

James 3:8: “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” James warns in a very graphic way the damage that an “out-of-control” tongue can do in a disciples’ life toward their relationships with others. 

Dennis and Barbara Rainey write,

“In the book of James, we see other word pictures. James says that the tongue can be like a bit that directs a horse, or a rudder that controls the course of a ship. It can be like a fire or a poison, both of which create destruction. Or it can be like a fountain or a fig tree, from which either good or bad may spring. . . . Words are like seeds. Once planted in your mate’s life, your words will bring forth flowers or weeds, health or disease, healings or poison. You carry a great responsibility for their use. As Proverbs 18:21 warns: ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue.’ Your words have the power to contaminate a positive self-image or to heal the spreading malignancy of a negative one.” (Building Your Mate’s Self-Esteem, p 109)

James 1:19: “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,”  To combat the different dangers and powers of the tongue, James directs us to be “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” This sequence of how we are to relate to others, especially those who are close to us and or even following us spiritually, is that we listen more; that we carefully respond to what we hear and that we are careful not to become angry toward others or hold grudges over what we are dealing with.

1. Norman Wrights says, “You can impact your future partner if you’re an encourager rather than a critic, a forgiver rather than a collector of hurts, and enabler rather than a reformer.” (Barbour’s Encyclopedia of Great Christian Quotes, p 90) This advice works in any relationship.

James 1:26: “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”  The greatest challenge for those who follows Christ is to imitate the way He walked and talked with those around Him. 

James 2:12: “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, . .”

Matthew 12:33: “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers…., 

Jesus addresses the Pharisees who were supposed to be the religious teachers of their day with heated words. The origin of an out-of- control tongue is an out-of-control heart. When our heart is controlled by selfishness then our speech will reflect those words cursing others instead of blessing. 

Isaiah 55:11: “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.,,” If our heart is like the heart of Jesus, then our words, when spoken from our heart, will bring life and growth, not death and destruction.

Jeff Wells writes, “See His grace. See his love for the undeserving, the downtrodden, and the guilty. Watch the spurned tax collectors and prostitutes clamor around him. Hear him protect the woman caught in adultery: ‘Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more’” (John 8:11). (The Great Verses, 365 Verses to Learn, to Love, to Live, p 212)

Communications arts and sciences professor Quentin J. Schultze notes that our communication should be careful, truthful and loving. He continues, “Our communication should manifest the love of God, who became fully human for us and for our salvation. . . Our communication continues God’s redemptive plan when we offer the love of Christ to others. Christians are God’s conduits, the Creator’s eyes, ears, and voice on earth. Our communicative talents belong to Christ, not to ourselves. . . Radical Christians speak and listen carefully, delicately, and purposefully.”(NIV Stewardship Study Bible, p 402) 

The Letter of James, Principles of Discipleship (Part 5)

James 3:1-2: “My brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (NCV)

James says there is a great responsibility placed upon teachers and mentors who disciple others because those who want to follow Jesus will be attentive to not only the words we speak and teach, but more importantly, the way we live.  James places on teachers the necessity for a strong accountability to God when we teach others. When we are called to be teachers and leaders of the faith, we are to be examples of what the Lord Himself modeled while on earth. John MacArthur writes,

“The word [teacher] is translated ‘master’ in the gospels and refers to a person who functions in an official teaching or preaching capacity. . . [who’s given] stricter judgement. The word translated “judgement” usually expresses a negative verdict in the NT, and here refers to a future judgement. . .This is not meant to discourage true teachers, but to warn the prospective teacher of the role’s seriousness.” (The MacArthur Study Bible, p 1930)  

James, when training teachers in the early Jerusalem church, gave some very strong directives for those who were shepherd/teachers and leaders in the church. The most essential part of teaching leadership is that one is being personally guided and led by our Lord Jesus and His Word. Waylon Moore writes,

“Teach and model from Scripture. If you teach a concept, but don’t model it in your life, you nullify what you’re teaching. If you model a principle, but don’t teach it, no one knows why you’re doing it.  Get the mentoree ‘in the Book’ quickly. Paul reminded those he invested in of his character: ‘for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you . . .(I Thessalonians 1:5).’ ” (The Power of a Mentor, p 19-20)

James states that a true leader and disciple-maker is one who spends time with the Lord on a daily basis in prayer and in His written Word. Also, a teacher/leader is to live a blameless life as well. Blameless, but not sinless – as Jesus Christ is the only sinless man to ever live. Yet because of God’s grace, He uses men and women as teachers and leaders who seek to live sincere and transparent lives as they lead other men and women to follow Jesus. Pastor Greg Laurie says,

“He [a teacher] is not called to be sinless but to ‘sin less!’. . .  Real Christians demonstrate their faith by the way they live. . .There is a difference between someone who stumbles, sins, and is sorry for it and repents and the person who willfully sins without any desire to change from that sinful lifestyle. . . These people are religious, but they don’t have a relationship with God.” (The Greatest Stories Ever Told, The Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ, p 252)

A “Jesus-centered” heart in a disciple of Christ teaches others how to live in open communication with God. When instructing others to follow Jesus, Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:2, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”  Paul humbly challenges Timothy to teach others just as Paul taught him. Teachers are called to be like shepherds of a flock of sheep. They must care for and lead others to follow Christ as they follow Jesus.

James 3:2 says, “We all make many mistakes. If people never said anything wrong, they would be perfect and able to control their entire selves, too.” (NCV)

Oswald Chambers says, “It is a snare to imagine that God wants to make us perfect specimens of what He can do; God’s purpose is to make us one with Himself. . . .I am called to live in perfect relation to God so that my life produces a longing after God in other lives, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God is not after perfecting me to be a specimen in His show-room; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He likes.” (on Philippians 3:12, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect . . .” (My Utmost for His Highest, December 2)

In the early church, teachers were treated with great honor and esteem. Next to the apostles and prophets, teachers were the most deeply respected. However, the apostles and prophets traveled and were on the move as they served the “whole Church” staying very long with just one congregation.  William Barclay writes, “But the teachers worked within a congregation, and their supreme importance was that it must have been them that the converts were handed over for instruction in the facts of the Christian gospel and for edification [strengthening] of their Christan faith.” Barclay continues: 

“There are two dangers which every teacher must avoid. . . . He must have every care that he is teaching the truth, and not his own opinions or even his own prejudices. It is fatally easy for a teacher to distort the truth and to teach, not God’s version, but his own. He must have every care that he does not contradict his teaching by his life, continually, as it were, not, ‘Do as I do’ but ‘Do as I say!’ He must never get into the position when his scholars and students cannot hear what he says for listening to what he is.” (The Letters of James and Peter, p 80-81)

Ephesians 4:11-13 reads: “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” (NLT) 

“Teachers are called to shepherd those they teach. Of all the Ephesians 4 ministries listed, shepherds (frequently referred to as ‘pastors’) and teachers are the most common and accepted in the Church. In Ephesians 4, shepherds have a God-given desire to care for, nurture, guard, and guide the flock. Their genuine love for people is tangibly felt, as it is evidenced in real concern and practical care for individuals. . . .”

“As seen in the Parable of the Lost Sheep in Luke 15, the shepherd’s heart is at times more focused on rescuing and restoring the one lost sheep than managing the many. However, it requires more than love and good intentions to fulfill the role of the shepherd. . . . Shepherds deal with people’s lives and are looked to and relied upon by them. They must act with absolute integrity, as befits any servant of God. They must never be self-seeking, or abuse the trust they are given by being controlling or manipulative. Their focus must always be on the righteous will of God and the best interests of the people.” (ONE Church Ministries, Vision & Commitment, Session 15, Shepherds and Teachers)

1 Peter 5:2-3 says, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”  Teachers must know and follow the authentic Shepherd of John 10:14-16: “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.” 

“As the shepherd cares for the sheep, the sheep get to know their shepherd better. The Good Shepherd knows his sheep and his sheep know him. They get to know him better by listening to his voice (the Word) and experiencing his daily care. As the sheep follow the Shepherd, they learn to love and trust him.” (The Transformation Study Bible, p 1802)   

This is why the leaders God puts into the church are to shepherd new believers born into a growing faith in Jesus. These leaders have such an important responsibility to ‘get it right’ in their own lives because there will be many who will follow them as they themselves follow Jesus. Our words and our walk are so important in teaching and discipleship.

Paul Powell concludes, “Don’t try to manipulate them [the church] by saying, ‘God told me to . . .’  Don’t try to force them to accept your ideas. Just tell them straight up, kindly, plainly, convincingly, what you think the church ought to do and trust them to follow you. But you’ve got to tell them. If you are afraid to do that, you will never lead them. Your voice is your principal means of leading. . . . To be an effective leader, you must live a noble life. Character is essential to Chrisitan leadership.” (A Digest for Church Renewal, p 15)

The Letter of James, Principles of Discipleship (Part 6)

1. An authentic faith precedes having a powerful prayer relationship with God. When a disciple of Christ has a single-minded faith and love for the Savior, a powerful prayer life results in God answering our prayers. 

James 1:5-8: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”

“Double-minded thinking can turn any of God’s good gifts inside out. When we start with warped motives that center on our own selfish agendas, we always end up loving what should be repulsive: Adultery. Insult. Dishonor. Pride. We were created to long for God alone, to run after him with all the passion of a lover. When passion for God drives our motives, we’ll pursue the right things in the right way – the things that feed life and godliness in Christ. When our requests are driven by godly motives, God pours out grace. When our prayer is for God to provide good and perfect gifts, we’ll always have more than we need.” (NIV Stewardship Study Bible, p 403)

2. Faulty prayers come from a self-centered desire to get answers that will satisfy our selfish needs. We are not praying with the heart of God but praying from our own selfish motives and desires.

James 4:1-3: “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.” 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

Oswald Chambers says, “Our ordinary views of prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer as a means of getting things for ourselves; the Bible idea of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself. . . . As long as you are self-sufficient, you do not need to ask God for anything. . . , Prayer is not a question of altering things externally, but of working wonders in a man’s disposition.” (My Utmost For His Highest, August 28th)

John Mark Comer shares his spiritual mentor’s advice, “When you sin [and I will, as you will], don’t hide it from God. Hold it before God, with no excuses, no blame shifting, no denial, . . . And then let God love you into who you have the potential to become. But this is a very different kind of prayer than many of us are used to. I grew up praying in a mode that was wordy, fast-paced, and a bit demanding. Prayer, to me, meant asking God for things, mostly good things, but still, the aim was to use a lot of words to ask God for what you needed and desired. And there’s a place for that.” 

He continues, “Yet contemplative prayer isn’t looking to get anything from God; it’s just looking at God. ‘I look at Him, He looks at me, and we are happy.’  . . . Dr. Rich Plass wrote, ‘Contemplative prayer is a willingness to enjoy and be present to God. It is a matter of being consciously aware of my presence in Christ and attentive to Christ’s presence in me. It is saying yes to God with my whole being but without words.’”

“Unfortunately, many of us still view following Jesus as a means to an end – a ticket to Heaven, to nice feelings, to a successful, upwardly mobile life, and so on, . . . (Practicing the Way, Be With Jesus, Become Like Him, Do As He Did, p 50, 52)   Praying is not our saying repetitive phrases and spiritual words but it is our coming into God’s presences humbly and reverently – without any demands or commands!

3. Elijah models the type of prayer that God desires from His children who truly trust Him and seek His Face. 

James 5:17-18: “Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” 

“We, the believers, are in a better situation than the Old Testament people of faith because we have the Holy Spirit in us, moving us to prayer (proseuchomai in Greek) and praise. Yet James makes it clear that our prayers must be accompanied by faith in God (James 1:5-8). We must believe in the Almighty God we are petitioning. He cites Elijah’s courageous prayer for rain as a model of a great prayer of faith (see James 5:17-18). Jesus Himself took time to teach His disciples to pray and encouraged them never to give up praying (see Luke 18:1). . . . With it, we can enter God’s presence and present our thanks and humble requests. God promises to hear us and answer us.” (Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words, p 138)

William Barclay writes, “Above all, there is the idea that no limits can be set to the power of prayer. The Jews had a saying that he who prays surrounds his house with a wall stronger than iron. They said, ‘Penitence can do something; but prayer can do everything.’ To them prayer was nothing less than contacting the power of God; it was the channel through which the strength and grace of God were brought to bear on the troubles and problems of life. How much more must this be for a Christian?” (The Letters of James and Peter, p 131-132)

4. Our lack of personal communication with God will create a spiritual vacuum within us. When the external pressures in our life exceed the internal relationship with God, we will implode.

1 Thessalonians 5:17: “Pray without ceasing!”  

Jeff Wells writes, “This three-word command seems impossible at first glance, yet we know that our Father doesn’t give us commands to defeat and frustrate us. He gives us commands for our good. What is God telling us here? Be in an attitude of prayer all the time. Live your life in the presence of God. Realize that God is right there with you throughout the day and night. Sense, remember, and enjoy his presence. Talk with him throughout the day. The idea is to have an ongoing conversation with God: talking, listening, singing, thinking, asking, interceding, praising, confessing, laughing, and weeping. It is a life lived in God’s presence, enjoying God throughout the day.” (The Great Verses, 365 Verses to Learn, to Love, to Live, p 405)

5. Until God has our undivided attention through prayer and Bible study, there can never be a personal, spiritually-inspired “awakening” within our spirit to His Holy Spirit.

Acts 4:13: “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” 

Do others realized that we have been with Jesus? Oh yes, they can tell; these encounters develop a powerful witness of our lives. When we “spend time with Him,” Jesus changes us!

6. When God brings us into a new personal relationship with Himself through prayer and reliance on His Word, He awakens within us His vision and purpose.

Acts 2:45-47: “They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”  Prayer awakens something new and fresh within us – a new direction, a new vision and a God-led purpose for our lives. 

The Letter of James, Principles of Discipleship (Part 7)

One mark of a growing disciple is not simply how well he begins his walk with Christ but how faithfully he finishes. James encourages us to remain faithful through temptations, suffering, disappointment and trials. God is not only interested in our profession of faith but in our perseverance through every season of life. Genuine faith keeps trusting God when life becomes difficult. Endurance and perseverance are not signs of our own strength but evidence of the Holy Spirit producing Christlike character within us. Jesus is our greatest example of these qualities – endurance and perseverance.

Endurance and perseverance are often connected together. Endurance is having patience during hardships and difficult situations with faith and hope. Perseverance is deciding to reach a goal by overcoming obstacles even with delays or failures. Endurance focuses on bearing the difficulties while perseverance emphasizes a commitment to keep on going in spite of all difficulties. Both are essential in following Christ. (Internet Bible Dictionary)

1. Perseverance produces eternal reward. James 1:12: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.(NKJ) Every believer will face temptation and trials. The blessing is not found in avoiding hardships but in remaining faithful through them. Jesus endured temptation without sin providing the perfect example. Hebrews 4:15: “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

“Conforming is an act of the will regarding the choices you make in life, and that is what you do when you bounce the eyes and starve the mind. But transformation goes well beyond your choices because it reforms your will and your mind-set at the core. If you’re never transformed, your addictions are never truly put down. Your impurity can be managed, but you need to kill it. Remember, the old you is dead. You have given up your right to choose your way, and you have been crucified in Christ.” (On Temptation Every Day for Every Man, 365 Readings for Those Engaged in the Battle, Dec. 22)

Ephesians 6:18: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end will all perseverance and supplication for for all the saints—”

2. Abraham, an example of persevering faith. James 2:21-22: “Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.”(NKJ) Abraham trusted God even when asked to offer his beloved son Isaac upon the altar. His obedience did not earn his righteousness but revealed the depth of his faith. Every disciple will eventually be asked by God, “Will you trust Me with what you love most?” For Abraham it was Isaac. For us it may be our career, finances, reputation, family, health, or future. Jesus reminds us to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33) Growing faith will always surrender everything to God. 

Warren Wiersbe on Faith: “People with dead faith substitute words for deeds. They know the correct vocabulary for prayer and testimony, and can even quote the right verses from the Bible, but their walk does not measure up to their talk. They think their words are as good as works, and they are wrong!” (A Year in the Word, Pause for Power, p 341)

3. Rahab shows courageous perseverance. James 2:25: “Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

Rahab’s determination and perseverance in obeying God’s command created a righteousness apart from her previous unrighteous life. In taking care of the spies, she took a leap of faith with courage. Rahab’s past did not determine her future. Risking everything by protecting the Israelite spies, she believed the God of Israel was the true God. Her courageous obedience transformed her life and she became part of the family linage of Jesus Christ. God delights in using ordinary people with extraordinary faith. Our failures can never disqualify us when we place our trust in Christ. 

4. Job models endurance during suffering. James 5:10-11: “My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”

James speaks of Job as an example of steadfast endurance that requires courage and determination. Job lost his family, possessions, health, and reputation. He struggled with questions of grief yet refused to abandon God. James reminds us, “The Lord is very compassionate and merciful” even when we cannot understand God’s purpose. Faith does not require that we know every answer; faith only requires trusting the One who does. Rick Warren writes, “The secret of endurance is to remember that your pain is temporary but your reward will be eternal.” (The Purpose-Driven Life (2002)

A man born without arms or legs, Nick Vujicic is an incredible picture of faith and courage in action. In his book Unstoppable, he writes about facing discouraging challenges, “I know the feeling all too well. In fact, in my speeches I encourage my audiences to do whatever it takes to fight back from adversity by demonstrating my method for getting up without arms and legs. I plop down on my belly, then apply my patented forehead-brace-and-crawl move to return to an upright position. I tell my audience that even when there appears to be no way, there is always a way. . . .There is a certain peace to be found in knowing that there is a masterplan for your life and that your value, purpose, and destiny are not determined by what happens to you but how you respond.” He continues, “The worst times that test your faith can be the best times for renewing it and putting it into action. A wise soccer coach once told me that he values losing as much as he values winning, because losing reveals weaknesses and failings that have probably been there all the time and need to be addressed if the team is to experience long-term success. Losses also motivate his players to work on the skills they need to master in order to win.” (Unstoppable, p 30, 39)

Paul David Tripp discusses life struggles: “Every leader who becomes an oak of righteousness will weather harsh storms of life and ministry. Perhaps it will be crushing ministry failure, or the heartbreaking rebellion of a child, or a ministry betrayal, or a battle with an area of sin, or a debilitating church controversy, or a physical illness, or a financial distress, or the death of a love one, or a passage of spiritual discouragement, or an attack on his character or qualifications, but every leader will face storms of some kind.” (Lead, 12 Gospel Principles for Leadership in the Church, p 197)

5. Elijah reminds us that God uses ordinary men. James 5:17-18: “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”

Elijah was a man “with a nature like ours”. Although God worked mighty miracles through him, Elijah still experienced discouragement, fear, and depression after demonstrating God’s amazing power on Mt. Carmel. His life reminds us that spiritual giants are only ordinary people who continue to trust an extraordinary God. Though Elijah endured the mocking and scorn of all the people, he persevered in displaying one of the greatest miracles of God’s power in the Bible. God’s power is not just for perfect people. It is for all His children who continue to trust and seek Him in faith and prayer.

Finishing well is the goal.  Our Christian life is often compared to a marathon rather than a sprint. A marathon is not won during the first mile but by enduring and persevering till the race is finished. Jeff Wells writes, “In my twenties, as a professional distance runner, I ran marathons around the world. My concern for these 26.2-mile races was not to start well, but to finish well. In fact, I wanted to run the last half of the race faster than the first half. The spiritual life is a marathon, not a sprint, and God wants us to finish strong. As Paul neared the finish line of his life, he could testify, ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.’ Three staccato statements that make the same point: I have finished the course God gave me. I endured faithfully to the end.” Charles Swindoll concludes, “Although we give the appearance of security, our lives are marked by uncertainty, adversity, brevity [briefness]. All the more reason to gain perspective on how to live it. Walking with God does that. It doesn’t guarantee we’ll live longer, but it does help us live better. And deeper. And broader. Since you know nothing about the day, week, or year before you, commit yourself anew to Him who knows the times and the seasons.” (NIV Stewardship Study Bible, p 401)

Pledge: “The Fellowship of the Unashamed” Consider prayerfully making this pledge between you and our Lord; sign and date it keeping it in a place to remind you of your commitment of endurance to our God. 

“God’s call to us is to become like Christ; to not count our lives dear, but to count Jesus as more worthy than life itself.” “I am part of the “Fellowship of the Unashamed.” The die has been cast. The decision has been made. I have stepped over the line. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away and be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap giving and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, love with patience, live by prayer and labor with power. My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable, and my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won’t give up, shut up, let up or slow up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up and spoken up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My banner is clear: I am a part of the “Fellowship of the Unashamed.” (Strong Men in Tough Times, Edwin Louis Cole, p204-205)

Ron Wells, www.centrepoint.cc