James Episode 8

James 2:8–26

[8] If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. [9] But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. [10] For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. [11] For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. [12] So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. [13] For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith Without Works Is Dead

[14] What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? [15] If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, [16] and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? [17] So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

[18] But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. [19] You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! [20] Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? [21] Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? [22] You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; [23] and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. [24] You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. [25] And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? [26] For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. (ESV)

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Transcript

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James 2:8–10 

[8] If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. [9] But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. [10] For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. (ESV) 

This is one of the touchy subjects. I have no idea how far we will get in the rest of this chapter today, but we have to unpack this. 

I try my best to come off meek, wether it’s face to face or teaching online. I used to be arrogant, but that was taken out of me a long time ago. That being said, concerning the law, very few actually understand what is meant. Most apostolics don’t understand, hebrew roots folks don’t understand. 

We have a movement that believes anything goes, while making up their own standards that usually have little to do with scripture. Don’t get me wrong, my wife still wears a dress. You would be hard pressed to find me out in short sleeves for that matter, but many of the things that have been put across apostolic pulpits have been personal preference, not scriptural standards. 

So what has caused this? Partly because one koine greek word is used to translate multiple things from hebrew. 

Nomos means Torah. Great! Nomos also means civil law as we have in the United States. Ok, but still not that confusing. Nomos also means established customs, and being translated into the same word, Nomos, creates chaos in the Christian world! 

We have those telling us that the 10 commandments aren’t even binding, while we have the hebrew roots movement and the messianic jews trying to bring us under what Paul says in, Romans 7:14 

[14] For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. (ESV) 

We’re no longer holding slaves, the hebrew “eved Ivri” and keeping one forever making him “eved nirtza”, literally a pierced slave by putting an aul through his ear. Isaiah 53:5 tells us that He, the Messiah was pierced for our transgressions. Messiah tells us in, Matthew 20:28, 

[28] even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (ESV) 

To understand one use of “law” from another we must go back to Sinai. Moses went up on the mountain in Exodus 20. He received the Ten Commandments in chapter 20, and then the next 3 chapters are basically YHVH on the mountain, expounding to Moses how to implement the commandments and how Israel can rule itself justly according YHVH’s commands.

There’s more after chapter 23, Moses comes down, goes back up with the elders, Moses goes up with Joshua and receives the pattern for the Tabernacle, but what most people understand to be the Law did not come about yet. 

We all know about the Golden calf that Israel made and worshipped in the absence of Moses in chapter 32 and one of my favorite excuses I’ve ever heard coming from the mouth of Aaron “I threw the gold in the fire and out came this calf”. Moses comes down, the levites make their stand for YHVH and Moses breaks the first set of stone tablets. 

Galatians 3:19 

[19] Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. (ESV) 

and 1 Timothy 1:8–11 

[8] Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, [9] understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, [10] the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, [11] in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. (ESV) 

This is what it means in Romans 13 about love is the fulfilling of the law. It’s not null and void, but if you have His Spirit within you as per Jeremiah 31:33 

[33] For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (ESV) 

If His covenant is written on your hearts, that the Ten Commandments, how can I prove that it’s the Ten Commandments and not the entirety of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy? Simple, Deuteronomy 4:13 

[13] And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments, and he wrote them on two tablets of stone. (ESV) 

Now according to Paul, if His Ten Commandments are written on your heart, you won’t kill, because you love your brother. You won’t steal, you won’t commit adultery. The law is for the lawless, because if the law of God is written on your heart, as the Apostle John has said, 1 John 3:1–10 

[1] See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. [2] Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. [3] And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 

[4] Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. [5] You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. [6] No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. [7] Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. [8] Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. [9] No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. [10] By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. (ESV) 

The Word of God interprets the Word of God. All we have to do is let it! 

James 2:11–13 

[11] For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. [12] So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. [13] For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (ESV) 

Vs 13 rings of the Words of Messiah, Matthew 6:14–15 

[14] For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, [15] but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (ESV) 

James 2:14 

Faith Without Works Is Dead 

[14] What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? (ESV) 

This flies in the face of protestant christianity. This is why Martin Luther wanted James removed the cannon of scripture. But this is easily reconciled. 

James 2:15–17 

[15] If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, [16] and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? [17] So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (ESV) 

How is this easily reconciled with Paul? James says if you have faith, you must have the works, Paul says; Ephesians 2:10 

[10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV) 

To put it simply, James says if you truly have faith, you’ll have works, Paul is saying if you have faith you will have works, not to be saved, but because you are saved! 

James 2:18–26 

[18] But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. [19] You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! [20] Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? [21] Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? [22] You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; [23] and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. [24] You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. [25] And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? [26] For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. (ESV) 

It’s easy to claim to have faith if your faith is never tested! But again, from the Apostle Paul, 

Romans 5:1–5 

Peace with God Through Faith 

[1] Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. [2] Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. [3] Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, [4] and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, [5] and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (ESV) 

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Until next time, this is brother Jason, reminding you that Jesus is not in the godhead, For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9 [KJV] 

Goodbye, and God bless!