The Handbook of Faith

Over the past few months, we’ve walked through the book of James together. As we wrapped up, I’d like to offer a few of my thoughts. I’ve always seen James as a sort of handbook for the Christian faith. James teaches us how to live our lives as Christians. He teaches us about the ins and outs of what a Spirit-filled life looks like. He gives us rules, codes, and wisdom to follow in order to look more like Christ. The letter of James is a gold nugget for believers, but before we look at his teachings, let’s first discuss the background of James and his letter.

First of all, who is James? It is thought to be James, the brother of Jesus. Before Jesus’ death and resurrection, James doubted Jesus’ claims to be the Messiah. However, after the resurrection, Jesus appeared to James and he became a believer. From that point on, James played a key role in the early Church, and he would eventually go on to preside over the Jerusalem Council and lead the Church in Jerusalem. In his letter, James identifies himself as “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Imagine calling yourself a servant of your own brother. Not only that, but he calls his brother ‘Lord.’ James, who used to play with Jesus as they ran around the streets of Nazareth, now calls his brother ‘master.’ I am in awe of James’ humility here, and I think we can all learn a thing or two from it. It’s one thing to submit to Jesus now, but it’s another to submit to your older brother who you grew up with. If James humbles himself before Jesus, how much more should we?

After his greeting, James opens his letter with the topic of trials:

 James is writing to the dispersed Jews. These people have been forced from their homes and away from their families, constantly under the threat of death, but James tells them to ‘count it all joy.’ Take a minute to reflect on your own life. Perhaps you have gone through similar persecution, or maybe your trials haven’t been quite as extreme, but still difficult- the loss of a loved one, struggling to find a job, the list goes on. Whatever our trials are, we all go through difficult times in life, but James tells us to ‘count it all joy.’ In other words, be thankful for your trials. 

In the next section, James writes, 

How foolish does that sound! We all know what we look like, how could we forget? Sadly, we often act like the man in the mirror who forgets what he looks like. Often, when we read the Bible or listen to a preach, we walk away and immediately forget what we just read or heard. It’s similar to a mother telling her son to not touch the stove, but he does anyway and ends up burning himself. When we don’t listen to what God is telling us, we could end up hurting ourselves. What if, everytime we read the Bible or listened to a preach, we were able to take away one lesson and try to implement it into our lives? Soon, we would start looking less like the world and more like Jesus!

Let's move on to taming the tongue. James offers up 4 object lessons when it comes to taming the tongue: A bit in a horse’s mouth, a ship’s rudder, a small spark that starts a forest fire, and all kinds of animals being tamed. Through these object lessons, we learn that although our tongue is just a small part of who we are, it can control our whole body, and it is very difficult to control. Finally, James gives two more object lessons: a spring and a tree. Just as a freshwater spring can’t produce saltwater and an orange tree can’t produce apples, neither should our tongue produce both blessings and curses. As Christians, we are to control what we say. Words are very powerful. 

Growing up, we would say that ‘sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.’ However, as we’ve grown up, we’ve learned that it’s simply not true. A bone will heal in due time, but it’s words that leave deep slashes that can remain for the rest of our lives. Jesus Himself said, “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person." We should be wary of what we say, and use our tongue to love others rather than speak hate.

Next, James warns against boasting about tomorrow, and then he finishes up his letter right where he started. He tells us that we are to be patient in suffering and then drops this impactful line: “You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.” We can find hope in our suffering by looking forward to the coming of Jesus when He will set all things right and defeat evil once and for all! Maranatha, come Lord Jesus!

In his closing remarks, James reminds us to pray. Prayer is the thread that ties everything together in James’ letter. Is your faith being tested? Pray. Struggling with favoritism? Pray. Need help taming your tongue? Pray. Worried about tomorrow? Pray. Prayer is at the very core of who we are as humans. Not only that, it is at the very core of what it means to be a Christian. Simply, prayer is talking to God. James tells us to pray in all circumstances and to pray with one another. Finally, he says, 

Read through James’ handbook of the Christian faith. Do not forget what you read like a man who looks in a mirror and forgets what he looks like, but spend some time reflecting. Let its truth seep into your bones; let it affect every area of your life. Learn how to live your life as a Christian so that you can begin to look less like the world and more like Jesus. Finally, pray. 

Remember, your prayers have great power through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Let’s go into the world and be a light for Jesus!