Faith that Works: The Letter of James

Written between 44 and 49 AD, the Letter of James is considered to be the earliest New Testament epistle, dating 5-8 years before Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. James belongs to the wisdom literature tradition in the Bible–like Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. And unlike Paul’s epistles, it is not a book of deep doctrine; a defence of Christianity; or an explanation of how to be saved; but is rather written to individuals who are assumed to know the basics of faith; and was intended to drive home the importance of living out the truth and obtaining authentic, spiritual maturity. With its 54 imperative verbs, from beginning to end, James is an urgent demand for reality in religion. It rebukes sham and hypocrisy, insisting that conduct must conform to creed, and profession must be matched by performance. After all, what good is truth if we don’t know how to live it? What good is intention if we can’t carry it out? Real faith must work; it must produce and bear fruit–mere intellectual assent is not enough. Throughout his epistle, James integrates true faith and everyday experience, arguing that the proof of the reality of our faith is a changed life. This makes the Letter of James not only the most practical book in the New Testament, but also extremely relevant to the church today because it prescribes real faith for real life.

Someone wrote that the Letter of James is like taking a cold shower–uncomfortable, but invigorating! James is definitely not for the weak of heart or the easily offended. James is in your face and he tells it like it is–he doesn’t mix words and he pulls out all the stops. Confrontation, challenge, and a call to deeper commitment await us in the pages of this book–the goal of which is to help us develop real faith and real lives in a real world.

“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?”
(James 2:14)

SERMONS

Sermon: “Enduring the Trials of Life”

Preacher: The Rev. Christopher Doering

Date: Sunday, July 3, 2016

Scripture: James 1:1-11

Handout: EnduringTrials