James

The Letter from James

This lesson is the first of five lessons from the letter written by James. Here in this first lesson, James teaches us how works are associated with justification.

Justification by Works (Part 1)

1 A chain of verses to get us started

James 1:21   tells us to "Receive the implanted word which is able to save your souls"

James 1:22   explains exactly what it means to receive God's word: "Be DOERS of the word and not hearers only".

James 1:27   mentions some of the things included in being DOERS: "Visit the fatherless and the widows in their troubles and keep oneself unstained by the world""

James 2:12   All through his letter James emphasises ACTIONS: "So speak, and so ACT, as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty".

James 4:17   is very clear about the need for good deeds: "To him who knows to DO good, and does not do it, to him that is sin".

2 Introducing the term "works"

In the scripture chain we just looked at, James tells us about the need for answering God's word with DOING and ACTION. James also uses the word "works" which means exactly the same thing, namely DEEDS or ACTIONS by which we OBEY "the implanted word".

James 2:24   is an example: "You see that a man is justified by WORKS and not by faith only".

Lke 6:46   Jesus once said, "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, when you don't DO what I say?". When we try hard to put our faith into PRACTICE, by doing the things that Jesus commands, we are doing "works".

3 Good works include NOT doing wrong things

James 1:21   introduces the idea of receiving the implanted word with this instruction: "Putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness" So we see that NOT DOING WRONG is just as important to "works" as DOING RIGHT.

James's idea of "works" includes NOT DOING things that are sinful or harmful. You may have noticed this fact when we looked at James 1:27.

Good works means DOING RIGHT —"visit the fatherless and the widows". However, good works also means NOT DOING WRONG —"keep oneself unspotted from the world".

4 James’s main teaching about good works

James 2:14-26   is a part of his letter where James talks in detail about the need for "works". Please read it carefully.

We will now spend some time studying this passage as a series of word-pictures that illustrate the need for "works" together with faith.

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