Introduction

Tonight we continue our 66-book series with the Book of James. We are going to read the whole book together—all five chapters. This book is a pastoral letter; it reads like a sermon. Just like in most sermons at Grace, we take Scripture and seek to understand it. However, most sermons at Grace Bible Church, and most sermons in general, take a very small section of Scripture. We dig deeply into one section to understand its parts. Josh Kelo did that in a nine-part series back in 2019, and I commend it to you. The women here have gone through a digging deeper series, going deep into James in a Bible study. It is a book you can study and read on your own verse by verse.

But what we do in the 66-book series, and what I am doing today, is more like when you are in Google Maps and you search for a business or home. Normally, we zoom way in. But sometimes it is helpful to zoom out and get the 30,000 or 60,000-foot view, where you can see how that single location sits within the neighborhood, the city, the state, and even the country. It is helpful to zoom out and look at a whole book. I hope this series is more than just the sermons you come and hear. It is incredibly helpful—something I hope each one of you is doing and will do until the day you die—is read the whole Bible, study the whole Bible on your own. These sermons, and we have almost made it through the whole Bible now, are online; they are on YouTube playlists and on our website. I hope you use these on your own as you enter a book and study it in small parts, just like on Google Maps you might zoom out first. I hope you use these to zoom out. That is what I want to help you see today.

Many parts of James are favorite sections that can stand on their own. They are so rich, so deep, you could park on one paragraph for a month and not exhaust it. But it is helpful to zoom out. That is what we are doing.

Let’s Pray

One of the commands that is so clear in the Book of James is that we be doers of the word and not hearers only. Every one of us here is going to hear from God’s word, but apart from His grace and His Holy Spirit active in us, we will not be able to ultimately be doers of the word. We need His help. We who hear, and how much more the one who speaks, need help. So let us pray, and then we will get started.

God, I pray for Your Holy Spirit to be active as I speak—that my words would be accurate, that they would be helpful. God, take Your words and drive them deep: split us apart and open us up to the very core of who we are and change us. Affect us. The very theme of this book is that we cannot be unaffected by Your word; it must indeed affect and change every single aspect of our life. So I pray that You would do that. I pray we would listen carefully, that when we see change that needs to be made, we would do it. Where we see something about You and Your character that should affect the way we live, we would walk in that. God, I pray we would not be able to leave this room tonight, this reading of Your word, unaffected. For Your glory, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Open your Bible to James chapter 1. You will see me reading big chunks of Scripture today—do not tune out. That reading is the real sermon. My words are commentary on this. Sometimes people tune out until after the reading, but we are going to read the entire book of James, bit by bit. Listen carefully. I am reading from the ESV—that is the version I have studied and memorized in, and it is hard for me to read from something else without stumbling. I know that might be different from the version in your lap, but that can be a feature: you can just sit and listen.

Before we start reading, I want you to understand who James is, because this is a pastoral admonition to believers. Understanding who James is might help you understand his words in a way that affects you more deeply. You will see that the book starts: “James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (verse 1). He identifies himself as James, then writes to the 12 tribes in the dispersion—the Diaspora. By this time, that word had become a technical name for the Jewish people residing outside of Palestine, something that was promised in Deuteronomy 28. God had promised that if Israel disobeyed, He would disperse them, though one day He would regather His scattered people from among the nations. James is writing to Jews scattered, and he is writing from the home base: Jerusalem. He is pastor of the church, the leader of the church in Jerusalem (made up primarily of Jews), writing to Jews who have believed in Jesus probably a decade or a bit more after Jesus died and rose from the dead. That regathering had not yet happened—it still has not happened—so James writes to these Jesus-believing Jews scattered abroad.

Who Is James?

Who is this James? He identifies himself as a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not the James of Peter, James, and John—this James was Jesus’s brother. Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3 mention that. Mary was not a perpetual virgin as the Catholic Church falsely teaches. James was Jesus’s half-brother. He had other brothers: Joseph, Jude, and Simon. Jude wrote the second-to-last book of the Bible. James could have said, “James, the brother of Jesus Christ,” but he did not. He said, “James, the slave of Jesus Christ.” Interestingly, James often refers to his recipients as brothers. He does not say, “Listen to me because I am Jesus’s brother.” He says instead, “We are all Jesus’s brothers—I am writing to you as a slave of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

This James, the other James, was beheaded by Acts 12. Then, in that same chapter, Jesus’s brother James, who likely did not believe in Jesus before the resurrection, suddenly appears. First Corinthians 15 says Jesus appeared to Peter and to James. By Acts 1, James is with all the believers in the upper room. By Acts 12, about 10 or 15 years after Jesus’s resurrection, he is a leader in Jerusalem. By Acts 15, he is clearly the key leader in the Jewish church at Jerusalem. Paul calls him a pillar. James writes as a pastor toward Jesus-believing Jews, spread throughout the Diaspora, in the early days of the church. As the gospel spread to Gentiles, there was a need to clarify what true faith is—what does faith actually look like?

So James writes for pastoral concerns to the scattered church. He writes, describing and encouraging them toward a genuine faith that will survive testing, flourish under testing, be matured under testing, and survive until the end of their lives so they can receive the crown of life promised to those who endure.

Overview of James

The Book of James does not have a strict, linear outline, the way Paul typically builds an argument. It is not a theological treatise or a purely logical argument, but rather a pastoral letter, a sermon, a pleading. Chapter 1 serves as an introduction to all the themes that will come up in chapters 2 through 5. You will see James talk about how genuine faith is marked by testing under trial, godly wisdom, prayer, humility, a proper view of riches and poverty, how we respond to God’s word, use of the tongue, impartial love, concern for the needy, rejecting worldliness—if you know the book, that sounds like an outline of chapters 2 through 5, but it is also the order of topics in chapter 1.

James does not build a single neat outline; he offers an introduction and then revisits the same themes, cycling through them. It is interesting to study this book next to the Sermon on the Mount, as you will hear echoes of Jesus repeatedly, even direct quotes. It makes sense—James grew up with Jesus, seeing crowds hear the word preached and then walk away unaffected. James says, “Christians, you must not be like that. Genuine faith must mark you in every aspect of your life. Let me plead with you and describe what genuine faith is.”

We will simply move front to back through the book, though James himself cycles through themes repeatedly. As you read, do not expect a linear argument; he is instead admonishing us and continually calling back to those themes.

James 1:2 – Genuine Faith & Trials

Finally, let us look at James 1, verse 2. James starts his book showing that genuine faith will pass the test of perseverance in suffering. This is really the central theme. You see it at the beginning and again at the end: you must persevere in suffering—and in trials generally—by genuine faith, which endures in all of life, especially in testing. Verse 2 reads: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

When God saves a person by grace through faith—whether in the first few years of the church or 2,000 years later—that faith will be seen. The testing of faith proves its genuineness. Count it all joy when your faith is tested, because if Jesus is in you, you will ultimately pass the test. If you see something inconsistent, James will later say you should repent. But do not be paralyzed by analysis. Count it joy, because the testing shapes you and matures you. God uses trials like a sculptor uses a hammer and chisel on marble. That hurts from the marble’s perspective, but the result is a work of art. James says to let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be complete, not sinless but whole, shaped into what God saved you to be.

We are joyful when we get what we want most. If your greatest desire is holiness and ultimate life with God, then every trial that makes you more Christlike and steadfast is a gift from God. When you face trials, it tests your faith. You will feel your need for God, especially for wisdom to endure. Verse 5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting.” James emphasizes you cannot have it both ways—you cannot be faithful and faithless at the same time. The double-minded man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Genuine faith asks in confidence because God is a good Father.

James continues: do not put your confidence in riches, and do not despair if you are poor, because true blessing is the crown of life. Verses 9–12 read: “Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation…the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

Genuine Faith & Temptation

Second, James addresses relating to God properly in sin or temptation. God does not intend trials as opportunities for you to sin. He intends them to refine you, not to make you fall. Verse 13: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.” If you sin in a trial, that comes from within you, not from God. James warns, “Do not be deceived… every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation.” God’s intention is not your failure; His unchanging goodness gives you these trials for your sanctification, but if you respond in sin, you must own that sin, not blame Him. Instead, trust that in His sovereignty, He is accomplishing your maturity.

Responding to God’s Word

Third, genuine faith passes the test of responding properly to God’s word. The only way you will possibly remain steadfast under trial is by being a doer of the word, not just a hearer. Hearing or reading it is necessary, but not sufficient. You must do it. James 1:19–27: “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger…put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word…be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” If you look in the mirror and see a problem but walk away without fixing it, the mirror does you no good. So it is with God’s word: if you read it and do not act on it, it does you no good.

James calls the word “the law of liberty.” Believers are not freed from the requirement to obey God, but freed from bondage to sin so that we can obey Him. Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed—to obey God.

Chapter 1 has introduced the themes we will see repeated. The main idea is that the testing of our faith leads to endurance, which leads to maturity and final salvation, if we truly believe.

In chapter 2, James says genuine faith will pass the test of impartial, merciful love. We must love like Jesus—with impartiality and mercy. “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory…” Suppose a rich man comes in and a poor man comes in, and you pay attention to the rich but dishonor the poor. That is sin. God chose the poor to be rich in faith, and He promised them the kingdom. If you really fulfill the royal law—“You shall love your neighbor as yourself”—you do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as a transgressor. You cannot keep part of the law and break another part; if you break one, you are guilty of all. James warns that “judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

James then clarifies faith and works. We are justified by grace through faith alone, but if someone says they have faith and have no works, can that faith save them? “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Demons believe in God’s existence but do not love or obey Him. Abraham and Rahab illustrate that genuine faith produces real obedience. “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”

Chapter 3 addresses taming the tongue. If you are mature and complete, that will be evident in how you speak. “We all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man.” Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The tongue is small, yet like a rudder that steers a ship, or a spark that starts a forest fire, it has massive impact. James says, “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people…my brothers, these things ought not to be so.” You cannot yield fresh water and salt water from the same spring. If your heart is changed, your speech should show it.

Then James sets forth godly wisdom. “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in meekness of wisdom.” Earthly wisdom is marked by jealousy and selfish ambition, leading to disorder. But wisdom from above is “pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

In chapter 4, James confronts worldliness. Quarrels and fights come from passions at war within us. “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.” Friendship with the world is enmity with God. James calls them “adulterous people,” for trying to love God and the world at the same time. But God gives more grace. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” If you find worldliness in your life, you must repent: “Be wretched and mourn and weep…humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” Do not judge your neighbor; there is only one Judge—God Himself.

James then warns about boasting in tomorrow: “You do not know what tomorrow will bring. Your life is a mist.” Instead, say, “If the Lord wills, we will do this or that.” Also, do not swear oaths by heaven or Earth; let your yes be yes and your no be no, so you do not fall under condemnation.

In chapter 5, James addresses rich oppressors: “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.” They have gained wealth by fraud, living in luxury and fattening themselves in the day of slaughter. They have condemned and murdered the righteous person who does not resist. But James tells believers to be patient until the coming of the Lord. The judge is standing at the door—He sees all, and He cares about justice, so you need not take revenge. Consider Job’s steadfastness. The Lord is compassionate and merciful.

Because Jesus is coming, genuine faith will be a praying faith. “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” If you are so weak you can hardly pray yourself, call the elders to pray for you. The prayer of faith will restore the weary, and if you have committed sins, you will be forgiven. James says to confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. Then he cites Elijah, a man with a nature like ours, who prayed fervently for God’s purposes. God loves to answer prayers that bring repentance.

Conclusion

Finally, James concludes by saying if anyone wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, that person saves his soul from death and covers a multitude of sins. This entire letter insists that the faith that saves is a faith that endures—not perfect faith, but faith that returns when we fail, faith that is a doer of the word and not just a hearer. May we receive this grace from God and live it out.

Let us pray:

God, I pray that if there are any here who are wandering from the truth, if there are any who know this truth but know their life is inconsistent with the faith they claim, I pray they would turn now. Even this message from James could save that person’s soul from death so they would receive the crown of life promised to all who love You, all who endure. We love You, and we need You. This kind of faith can only come from You. Please provide it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.