James 2

Thanks for joining me.

Today we'll cover James 2 on how to treat our Christian brothers and sisters.

James covers issues like not showing partiality to visitors or members of a church.

For example, there was once a woman who had wealth, so she visited a church looking worn and disheveled, not wearing the finest clothes.

God looks at the heart and not the outward appearance.

James also covers right and wrong and other topics in this chapter.

Listen to hear this interesting chapter of James, James 2.

1.

The evidence of regeneration and the question being asked, can the new birth be seen? Foundational scriptures today would be our 1 John and then also Galatians 5, 22 through 25.

Then James 2 is the next chapter.

If regeneration... is an inward supernatural work of God, how can we know that something has actually happened? Can spiritual life produce visible evidence? Can a person claim to have been born again, while absolutely nothing about the direction of that person's life changes.

And perhaps an equally important question, if a regenerated believer still struggles with sin, does that mean regeneration never occurred? These are important questions because scripture gives us two truths that must be held together.

Kingdom truth number three.

Living faith produces visible works.

Now we come to James 2.

James asks one of scripture's most penetrating questions.

Either will of the Father is to believe, which is, some people would cite John 6, 40 for that.

Or it's saying that not everyone who just makes a claim to faith is saved, which is true because James 2.14 talks about that.

If someone says, keyword says he has faith but does not have works, can that faith save him? No, that kind of faith can't save you because it's just a said faith but not actually trusting in the heart.

Because true faith does result in good work.

Chai.

Thank you Chai for your super chat.

Do you think James 2 and Hebrews 11 are basically teaching that good works are a fruit of faith or do you have another view? So James 2 is talking about true faith results in good works.

Not everyone who says, keyword says they've got faith, genuinely has faith.

And then Hebrews 11 goes on to commend Rahab's faith.

James 2:25 says, "Was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by her works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?" So James is saying Rahab's works were justified on this occasion.

So scripture at least gives affirmations to the stories in which Rahab and the midwives lied to wicked men.

This has led to a variety of Christian ethical positions on those who lie, us- or use deceptions to preserve innocent life, um, though they are withholding truth from the wicked.