Posts with the category “church”

Key ScripturesJonah 2:9 – “Salvation belongs to the Lord!”Romans 11:36 – “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”1 Corinthians 1:26–31 – “God chose what...  Read More

Key Scriptures2 Timothy 1:13–14 – “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the...  Read More

Key ScripturesEphesians 2:8–9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”Romans 9:15–16 ...  Read More

Key ScripturesRomans 9:11–16 – “Though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him wh...  Read More

Key ScripturesRomans 1:16–17 – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes… For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for fai...  Read More

Key ScripturesRomans 4:4–5 – “Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is...  Read More

Key ScripturesRomans 3:10–12 – “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”Ep...  Read More

Key ScripturesEphesians 1:3–6 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him b...  Read More

Key ScripturesJonah 2:9 – “Salvation belongs to the Lord!”Ephesians 2:8–9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of work...  Read More

James concludes his section on the tongue with a striking reminder: the tongue is not merely a problem to be managed, but a power to be stewarded. He asks, “Does a spring pour forth from the same open...  Read More

James continues his sober teaching on the tongue with a piercing reality: “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth co...  Read More

James’ teaching on the tongue takes a sharp turn from illustration to warning. If the tongue has the power to direct like a bit in a horse’s mouth or a rudder on a ship, it also has the power to destr...  Read More

Like the bit in the horse’s mouth, like the rudder on the ship, may your tongue be directed by Christ Himself. Then your words will not only guide your own life toward righteousness but will also lead...  Read More

When James turns to the subject of the tongue in chapter 3, he begins with a striking command. This is not an isolated proverb. It comes after James has already laid out four marks of a true believer:...  Read More

IntroductionMoses was a man of God. A friend of God. A prophet unparalleled (Deut. 34:10). He confronted Pharaoh, split the Red Sea, received the Law, and shepherded a nation. His name is invoked in e...  Read More

May God grant us the grace of living faith—a faith that breathes obedience, proves itself in works, and holds fast to Christ until the end.......  Read More

James knows that words can be slippery. People can redefine faith however they want. So he grounds his teaching in Scripture and history. To prove that faith without works is dead, he turns to two unl...  Read More

James 2:14 strikes like a hammer: “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” The answer is obvious. No—it cannot. James is not attac...  Read More

James 2:14 asks a pointed question. The form of the question in Greek demands a negative answer. No—such a faith cannot save.That raises the vital issue: what exactly is saving faith? In every generat...  Read More

It is no exaggeration to say that James 2:14–26 is one of the most debated passages in the entire Bible. At face value, it seems to stand at odds with Paul’s letters. Paul proclaims, “Therefore, since...  Read More

IntroductionNot every "Christian marriage" is spiritually aligned. Many faithful believers find themselves married to spouses who are either unconverted, spiritually cold, or nominally Christian at be...  Read More

James closes his rebuke of partiality with a powerful conclusion. He doesn’t merely call us to avoid favoritism; he calls us to live in light of God’s final judgment. These two verses anchor our obedi...  Read More

After exposing the sin of partiality, James turns to the heart of the matter: the law of God itself. Favoritism is not a minor misstep—it is a violation of the royal law, a transgression of God’s holy...  Read More

James has just rebuked the church for showing partiality to the wealthy while dishonoring the poor. Now, he presses further by asking a piercing question.James confronts the upside-down values of the ...  Read More

James continues his argument against partiality by giving us a vivid illustration. This is not a hypothetical story. It is exactly what was happening in the churches James was addressing. A wealthy vi...  Read More

James opens chapter 2 with a strong and unmistakable command. This is not a suggestion for more mature Christians, not a polite encouragement, not even a mere principle for church leaders. It is a div...  Read More

IntroductionMoses was the man of God. The chosen deliverer. The prophet who spoke with Yahweh face to face. If ever there were a man whose children should have walked in covenant blessing, surely it w...  Read More

James concludes chapter 1 with one of the most memorable verses in the entire epistle:“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their afflict...  Read More

James has already warned us that hearing without doing is worthless. Now he turns his attention to a specific test of genuine faith: the tongue.“If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle hi...  Read More

James does not waste words. After urging believers to receive the implanted Word with meekness (James 1:21), he immediately warns against self-deception: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers onl...  Read More

One of the most quoted verses in James is, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22). It’s a rallying cry for obedience, and rightly so. But here’s the danger: if we jump straight to d...  Read More

When James sat down to write his letter, he was addressing a very specific group of people. He writes in James 1:1, “To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion.” These were Jewish Christians scattered bec...  Read More

IntroductionThe story of Moses and Zipporah is not often held up as a model of biblical marriage. It’s tucked between the dramatic scenes of Moses’ call at the burning bush and his confrontations with...  Read More

Salvation Begins with God’s WillJames concludes this section on trials and temptations with a profound theological statement:“Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should b...  Read More

Don’t Drift in Your TheologyJames interrupts his flow with an urgent pastoral warning:“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.” (James 1:16)Why? Because in the heat of trials and temptations, we’re p...  Read More

When Trials Turn into TemptationsJames makes a critical distinction in verses 13–15: while God ordains trials to strengthen and sanctify us, He is never the source of temptation to sin.“Let no one say...  Read More

James knows how easily we confuse trials with temptations. The two often come close in our experience, but they are not the same thing. Trials are tests from God to strengthen our faith; temptations a...  Read More

In real estate, the mantra is “location, location, location.” In Bible study, it’s “context, context, context.” Before we even set foot in verse 12, we need to remember where James has been leading us...  Read More

James ends this early section of his letter with a shocking statement: God levels the ground. Not economically, not socially, but spiritually. And He often does it through trials.This is not political...  Read More

There’s nothing more disorienting in a trial than spiritual instability—feeling like your soul is being pulled in two directions. That’s what James is addressing here. Right after telling us to ask G...  Read More