James 1:19-27
*Who
is it (this passage/all of Scripture) about? (God/how He wants
believers to live to portray that they belong to Christ)
*
Who is James writing to? (believers)
Therefor, to
understand this passage, we must first determine if we are saved
(gospel/the message of salvation from our sins that is found in Jesus
alone). If we find ourselves not saved, then we must consider, again,
Jesus' offer of salvation.
*If
we find ourselves to be saved, then how does this passage apply to
our lives?
*When King David
faced his times of most intense persecution and danger, he
frequently prayed a rather impressive request. On his heart was
his need not merely for protection from his attackers but, even
more, for protection from sin. (Psalm 25:4-5, 20-21) (Psalm
141:3-4)
*It was a kind of praying we Christians need to learn: not just "Lord, keep me safe," but "Lord, keep me pure," because we abhor sin even more than suffering.
This is the need the apostle James saw for the young Christians who had been scattered by persecution. He wrote in loving concern to strengthen them for clear-headed moral courage even when others were doing evil and even when that evil was being done against them.
*But James is not merely a moralist. A moralist has a list of ethical guidelines by which to live a happy and respectable life. A Christian has a person, Jesus Christ, to whom the Christian owes everything, to whom the Christian surrenders everything, for whom the Christian lives in everything. Because of that relationship with Christ, the Christian becomes a person of deep moral commitment. That is how James writes – as a Christian of profound moral earnestness. Therefore what he writes now is not just a gathering of moralisms: "Be quick to listen and slow to speak, because it will help you get along better with people." James is writing about life in Christ. (Does this reflect your life?)
*It was a kind of praying we Christians need to learn: not just "Lord, keep me safe," but "Lord, keep me pure," because we abhor sin even more than suffering.
This is the need the apostle James saw for the young Christians who had been scattered by persecution. He wrote in loving concern to strengthen them for clear-headed moral courage even when others were doing evil and even when that evil was being done against them.
*But James is not merely a moralist. A moralist has a list of ethical guidelines by which to live a happy and respectable life. A Christian has a person, Jesus Christ, to whom the Christian owes everything, to whom the Christian surrenders everything, for whom the Christian lives in everything. Because of that relationship with Christ, the Christian becomes a person of deep moral commitment. That is how James writes – as a Christian of profound moral earnestness. Therefore what he writes now is not just a gathering of moralisms: "Be quick to listen and slow to speak, because it will help you get along better with people." James is writing about life in Christ. (Does this reflect your life?)
*He has just been
telling his readers: When you face trials of
various kinds, beware of the temptation to sin. It is not
the suffering of the trial but the temptation to sin that is the
most serious danger to you, because sin kills the sinner. Sin
gives birth to death, whereas you have been given birth by the
work of Christ to be delivered from sin and death. Because
you have been given life in Christ, now live the righteous
life that God desires.
Romans Road to salvation: Romans 3:23; 3:10-18; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9; 10:13; 5:1; 8:1; 8:38-39; John14:23a
With commentary from Bible Gateway: http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/Jas/Righteous-Life-God-Desires
Bible Study Credits: Terri Stellrecht http://howmysaviorleadsme.blogspot.com/
