Book of James - Ch. 2, Vs. 1-26 (09/02/2001)

James 2:1-4 — The Sin of Respecting Persons

The book of James, the second chapter. My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. What's the first truth that you see in that sentence? Yes, you do.

He's talking to Christians, isn't he? My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. Roger, whose faith is it? David, is it our faith? It's not our faith, it's him, his faith. He has the faith and he is in us.

The Lord of glory, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. Now we're getting down to the reason why the verse was written, was to admonish us to not respect persons. Joy is respect of persons prevalent in the church.

You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment. Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. But in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man of vile apparel, a remnant, get it in a minute.

What does this tell you about the church? All right, that's what the verse teaches, but the first thing I see is that they were assembled. They had an assembly. Now we don't know where, but it was a gathering together of Christians to worship.

Then he goes on, a man with a gold ring or fine apparel, one that has the status of money, and you see come a poor man of vile remnant. The first love which proceeds from a true faith cannot exist with the respecting of persons.

Is that true, Roger? Absolutely. The love which proceeds from the true faith. For if we know what Christ's glory is and esteem it as we should, there would not be the respecting of people there is. And you have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, sit thou here in a goodly place, and say unto the poor, stand thou there or sit here under my footstool.

If you have respect to him that weareth the fine, say they have on a $600 suit and $200 shoes, we bring them in and seat them in the best seat. That's not right. Are you not then partial in yourselves and are you become judges of evil thoughts?

It should be with evil thoughts. Are you not then partial in yourselves and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

Does being poor eliminate you from being chosen? Does being chosen eliminate you from being poor? No. If you judge by outward appearances, what are you doing, Roger? All right. Do you see how not only this salvation law works, but it goes against the sovereign rule of God?

James 2:5-7 — God’s Choice of the Poor and the Blasphemy of the Rich

But he hath despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you and draw you before the judgment seats? How many of you have ever been sued by a poor man? Sued. It doesn't happen very often. The oppressor of the poor are usually the rich.

They are the money lenders. Those who brought suit for debt and hence draw the people before the judgment seats. Take them to court. Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by which you are called? By the very name that you possess, that you call yourself Christian.

They blaspheme the very name. They took every occasion to cast down the Christian name and the Christian faith. And have been from the beginning to the present day famous for their blasphemies against Christ and his religion.

Does God, does people, do people resent that there is a God? Well, I'll have to disagree with you. All of you. People don't resent that there is a God. What is it they resent? You ask, most people in the world will agree that there is a God.

But it's Jesus Christ they hate. They hate the thought of Jesus Christ. If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, you do well. So you are to love yourself.

Is that true, Greg? All right. You cannot do this with the old nature. Your neighbor is the next person God puts in front of you. Regardless of knowledge of him. But if ye have respect to persons, you commit sin.

And are convinced of the law as transgressors. Respect. What is respect? Roger, what is respect? All right. Respect is helping those that you prefer. Period. You prefer them for some reason. That's respect.

James 2:8-13 — The Royal Law, the Law of Liberty, and Mercy

For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. Let me ask you a simple question. Jesse, you're hanging over a cliff by a chain. I don't know how long the chain is.

Well, let's say it's ten links, the law. If one link breaks, do you fall just one-tenth of the way? That's the way a lot of us operate. For he that said, do not commit adultery, said also, do not kill.

Very same person. Now, if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill thou art become a transgressor of the law. You don't break it just by one-tenth. Kill here is murder. So speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

What does he mean by the law of liberty? Greg, what does that phrase mean? All right. We don't have to observe the Ten Commandments. We know there's no way we can keep them all. Yet in the eyes of God, we do keep them all.

Why, Bill? Because we are in them. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy, and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. Bill, what does, David, what does it mean, mercy rejoiceth against judgment?

That's good, Greg. Thank you. What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say that he hath faith and hath not works? Can faith save him? Clarence, are you saved by faith? Let me ask this question. Joy, is it possible for you to have faith and not know it?

I think so. Greg, all right. Have what? We also have faith. Yes, that's right. And he is warned. Yes, that's right. He didn't come to you before you were saved and torment you about not having faith because you don't.

That's right. When we... Well, that's true, but we don't know it, yes. All right, what leads to doubting faith? To stop studying, stop coming to class. You're going to do something all the time, anyhow.

But you just stop studying the Bible. You go by what somebody else has said and what somebody else told them. And little by little, you can slip away of this having of faith. But to have faith is to keep on keeping on wherever you are with whatever you're doing right now.

It's right now that you have faith. Now, you do not know how much faith you have until it's called for. Where do we leave off? Fourteen? Why does it profit my brethren though a man say he has faith and have not works?

Can faith save him? All things that come to you are brought by God. June, do you believe that? They are brought for you to act on. Do you believe that? Not to ignore or keep for yourself. Do you believe that?

If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, just to say you're a Christian is not proof to others. The devil says, just profess that you believe. That's all that's necessary. Too many preachers are arguing with Satan instead of putting forth the Lord.

The devil says, remember you're just human. And all humans make mistakes. Don't worry about it. Get all you can because you just go around once. If you don't take it, somebody else will. Just do what feels good to you.

If others don't like it, that's their problem and so on and so on. Always remember we are justified before man by what? By works. And we're justified before God by what? By faith. And one of you say unto them, depart in peace.

Be ye warmed and filled. And notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body, what does it profit you? Faith is knowing that you're not talking to a fence post, by the way.

Even so, faith, if it have not works, is dead, being alone. If you do not have faith, what are you? Dead. You can tell me you have all the faith in the world. But if you don't show me, I can't believe it.

If you are not a child of God, you'll act like it. Is that true? If you're not a child of God, you'll act like it. If you're not a child of God, then you'd act like it. Is that straight? Don't say so unless you believe it.

If you're not a child of God, you'll act like it. All right. Yea, a man may say, Thou hath faith, and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show you my faith by my works. Is it possible, Jesse, for you to show Greg by your works that you have faith?

Is it possible, if you don't have faith, to show him by your works? All right. You can act like a Christian and not be one. Paul says, Paul preaches saving faith. James, professing and possession of faith.

Paul preaches works of the law. James, works of faith. Saving faith is alive. Professing faith is dead, which is no faith at all. You don't have faith. James teaches about the fruit of faith. Paul teaches about the root of faith.

Fruit and root. 19, Thou believest that there is one God. Thou doest well. The devils also believe and tremble. And he means demons and the devil believe and tremble. Now, why do they believe there is a God?

Greg? What? All right. Our Lord, I'll have to say. Why do they believe there is a Lord? It's because they have seen him. They have been created by him. There is no work without faith. Also, no faith without works.

The two go together. Works, deeds approved of God, is what works is. Is that true, Virg? Works, deeds approved by God. That's right. Practice, exercise same faith as Abraham. Self-denial is not pleasing to the flesh.

That which you really desire to do for God is accepted as though done, just as Abraham. God accepted Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac. Did he sacrifice Isaac? Bill, the same as done. So, if you desire to bake a cake or buy attire for some person and you're providentially hindered from doing it, how does it stand with God, David?

As if you did it. Now, if you genuinely desire to do it, you can't fool God. The believers that take comfort in the bare profession of faith are dead while they live. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Was not Abraham our father justified by the works when he had offered up Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by his works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God.

Jesse, what is it that was imputed unto God? Jesse. What is it that was imputed unto God? What is the it? Faith. Most people that haven't been in my class will answer believe. But you're not saved by belief.

You see then how that by faith a man is justified, and not by faith only. You cannot be justified before God by your works only. Faith justifies before God. Works of righteousness, that which originated with God, sent by God to you to act upon for God.

Works of righteousness. They originated with God. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works when she had received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Think of a beautiful rose bush. It's in full bloom. Can the bloom be seen without the root of the rose bush? It can be seen, but you know there's a root there. Faith is that unseen root. Good works is the bloom.

So you must have both. Works and faith. There's been a lot of contention among the theologians. I don't think we have any problem with it. Alright, anything you want to go over again? Sure. You seem to be in the home a lot of places.

And I know we're changing, talking about showing the better seats to the rich and stuff. But in the day to day life, I think we see a more and more presence. It still does not excuse us for the way we act.

Because the best we can do will show favoritism to an individual. That's right. And yes, that's absolutely right. You would not honor and respect me if you refused to listen to another good teacher. The Nichols.

What's the man in California? MacArthur. Yes. Who? John MacArthur. MacArthur. He's a good teacher. Very good teacher. And they listen to him. When he and I disagree, which hasn't been very much, but they make the decision and believe as the Bible teaches.

So we do show favoritism between the Christian and non-Christian. But within the Christian body, we should not show favoritism. David, you want to say something? Yes. Well, at least they can do that later.

The argument is, if you put that stipulation on it, then you're saying you're stating only by words. Whereas other people look at it and say, well, if you're really a Christian and you really have a faith, then your desire to do the work is going to be reflected in your life.

But you'll see many, many Baptist churches. They will fall inside that. You can be a Christian without ever assuring that it's going to work. I think that's a false teaching. It is a fraud argument. It's all on their side, though.

They're arguing against the truth. That's right. We can influence no one but ourself and others to a lesser degree. So we, and I'm talking about the group, honor God, honor the Lord to be Lord in our life.

It does not mean that we have to ignore or be snotty to the world. We are to live with everybody peaceable, as peaceable as they will let you. All right, is there anything else? If not, Greg, you dismiss us.

Thank you.