The Lord Almighty

James 5:4-5 - Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.

Genesis 17:1 - When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.

Ezekiel 16:49 - " 'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.

Jeremiah 12:3 - Yet you know me, O LORD; you see me and test my thoughts about you. Drag them off like sheep to be butchered! Set them apart for the day of slaughter!

Luke 16:22-23,30 - "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side…" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

Conclusions:

• Thirteen years had passed since Ishmael’s birth
• The Hebrew for God Almighty (El Shaddai) perhaps means “God, the Mountain One”, either highlighting the invincible power of God or referring to the mountains as God’s symbolic home
• God Almighty was the special name by which God revealed Himself to the patriarchs
• After Abram’s and Sarah’s attempt to obtain the promised offspring by using a surrogate mother, God appeared to Abram
• The Lord made it clear that if Abram was to receive God’s promised and covenanted benefits, he must be God’s faithful and obedient servant
• Abram’s faith must be accompanied by the obedience that comes from faith
• The sin of your sister Sodom highlights social injustice rather than immoral perversion
• Jeremiah asks that his wicked countrymen receive the fate they had sought for him
• Jeremiah’s request arises not so much out of a desire for revenge as the vindication of God’s righteousness
• The Talmud mentions both paradise and Abraham’s side as the home of the righteous
• Abraham’s side refers to the place of blessedness to which the righteous dead go to await future vindication
• Its bliss is the quality of blessedness reserved for people like Abraham
• Hades is the place to which the wicked dead go to await final judgment
• That torment begins in Hades is evident from the plight of the rich man
• The location of Abraham’s side is not specified, but it is separated from Hades by an impassable chasm
• Hades includes the torment that characterizes hell
• Some understand Jesus description of Abraham’s side and Hades in a less literal way
• The story of the rich man and Lazarus may suggest that Lazarus was intended, but Luke’s account seems to imply that Jesus was speaking also of His own resurrection
• If a person’s mind is closed and Scripture is rejected, no evidence—not even a resurrection—will change him

Application:

• Are you God's faithful and obedient servant?
• Are you arrogant, overfed and unconcerned?
• Do you seek vindication of God's righteousness?
• Are you prepared to go to the place of blessedness?
• Are you doing what you need to do to keep from being tormented for eternity?
• Is your mind closed?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Last Days

James 4:15-5:3 - Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.

1 Corinthians 5:6 - Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?

Acts 2:17 - " 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

1 John 2:18 - Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.

Conclusions:

• To illustrate Christian holiness and discipline, Paul alludes to the prohibition against the use of leaven in the bread eaten in the Passover feast
• Leaven in Scripture usually symbolizes evil or sin, and the church here is called on to get rid of the yeast of sin because they are an unleavened batch of dough—new creations in Christ
• Peter interprets the quote from Joel as referring specifically to the latter days of the new covenant in contrast to the former days of the old covenant
• The age of Messianic fulfillment has arrived
• With other New Testament writers, John viewed the whole period beginning with Christ’s first coming as the last days
• They understood this to be the last of the days because neither former prophecy nor new revelation concerning the history of salvation indicated the coming of another era before the return of Christ
• The word last in “last days”, “last times” and “last hour” also expresses a sense of urgency and imminence
• The Christian is to be alert, waiting for the return of Christ
• John assumed his readers knew that a great enemy of God and His people will arise before Christ’s return
• That person is called antichrist, the man of lawlessness and the beast
• But prior to him, there will be many antichrists
• Antichrists are characterized by the following: (1) They deny the incarnation and that Jesus is the divine Christ; (2) they deny the Father; (3) they do not have the Father; (4) they are liars and deceivers; (5) they are many; (6) in John’s day they left the church because they had nothing in common with believers
• The antichrists referred to in John’s letter were the early Gnostics
• The anti in antichrist means against

Application:

• Have you removed the yeast of sin?
• Has God poured out His Spirit on you?
• Are you alert waiting for the return of Christ?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Speaks Against His Brother...Speaks Against The Law

James 4:9-14 - Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

James 2:8 - If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.

James 5:9 - Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

Isaiah 2:22 - Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?

Conclusions:

• The law of love is called royal because it is the supreme law that is the source of all other laws governing human relationships
• The royal law is the summation of all laws
• James calls for patience toward believers as well as unbelievers
• “The Judge is standing at the door!” is a reference to Christ’s second coming and the judgment associated with it
• The New Testament insistence on imminence arises from the teaching that the last days began with the incarnation
• We have been living in the last days ever since the incarnation
• The next great event in redemptive history is Christ’s second coming
• The New Testament does not say when Christ’s second coming will take place, but its certainty is never questioned and believers are consistently admonished to watch for it
• It was in this light that James expected the imminent return of Christ
• “Stop trusting in man” means cease from man or give up on man
• “Stop trusting in man” describes the rejection of the Messiah
• Ironically, the one Man who should have been trusted and esteemed was rejected, given up on by men
• The Messiah alone was (and is) worthy of the esteem wrongly given to frail leaders

Application:

• Do you keep the royal law?
• Are you patient toward others and do you watch for Christ's second coming?
• Do you trust in man?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Near To God

James 4:8 - Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Psalm 73:28 - But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

Zechariah 1:3 - Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Return to me,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD Almighty.

Malachi 3:7 - Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. "But you ask, 'How are we to return?'

Psalm 119:113 - I hate double-minded men, but I love your law.

Conclusions:

• “I will tell of all your deeds” is a concluding vow to praise God for all His mercies to him
• If the people of Zechariah’s day would change their course and go in the opposite direction from that of their forefathers, the Lord would return to them with blessing instead of with a curse
• If the Lord is to come for Israel’s redemption, she must repent
• A double-minded man is unstable in all he does

Application:

• Do you praise God for all His mercies to you?
• Have you returned to God?
• Have you repented?
• Are you unstable in all you do?

Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Resist The Devil

James 4:6-7 - But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Ephesians 4:26-27 - "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

Ephesians 6:12,14-15 - For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms…Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

Conclusions:

• Personal sin is usually due to our evil desires rather than to direct tempting by the devil
• However, Satan can use our sins—especially those, like anger, that are against others—to bring about greater evil, such as divisions among Christians
• “Not against flesh and blood” is a caution against lashing against human opponents as though they were the real enemy and also against assuming that the battle can be fought using merely human resources
• Rulers and forces are Paul’s allusions to powerful beings in the unseen world
• The belt of truth is the symbolic clothing of the Messiah
• Character, not brute force, wins the battle, just as in the case of the Messiah
• The warrior’s character is his defense
• God Himself is symbolically described as putting on a breastplate of righteousness when He goes forth to bring about justice

Application:

• Have you given the devil a foothold?
• Do you lash out against human opponents?
• Are you standing firm?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Impartial

James 3:16-17 - For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

Hebrews 12:11 - No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Romans 12:9 - Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

James 2:1,8,10,12-13 - My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism…If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right…For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it…Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

Conclusions:

• When received submissively, discipline is wholesome and beneficial
• Love is the Christian’s love for fellow Christians and perhaps also for his fellowman
• Sincere love is true love, not pretend love
• The love Paul speaks of in Romans 12:9 is not mere emotion but is active love
• God does not show favoritism—nor should believers
• The law of love is called royal because it is the supreme law that is the source of all other laws governing human relationships
• The royal law is the summation of all other laws
• The law is the expression of the character and will of God; therefore to violate one part of the law is to violate God’s will and thus His whole law
• The judgment is not for determining eternal destiny, for James is speaking to believers, whose destiny is already determined
• This judgment is for giving rewards to believers

Application:

• How do you receive discipline?
• Is your love sincere?
• Do you show favoritism?
• Do you keep the royal law?
• Do you stumble at any point with the law?
• Do you speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Wisdom

James 3:10-15 - Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.

James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10,14-16 - However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"—but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God…The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

Conclusions:

• Wisdom enables one to face trials with pure joy
• Wisdom is not just acquired information but practical insight with spiritual implications
• “What God has prepared” is probably not to be limited to either present or future blessing; both are involved
• The “Spirit searches all things”, not in order to know them, for He knows all things
• Instead the Holy Spirit comprehends the depth of God’s nature and His plans of grace; so He is fully competent to make the revelation claimed here
• “Man without the Spirit” is described in Jude 19 as one who follows mere natural instincts
• The non-Christian is basically dominated by the merely physical, worldly or natural life
• Because the non-Christian does not possess the Holy Spirit, he is not equipped to receive appreciatively truth that comes from the Spirit
• The non-Christian needs the new birth
• The spiritual man is the mature man
• One who does not have the Spirit is not qualified to judge the spiritual person
• Thus believers are not rightfully subject to the opinions of unbelievers.

Application:

• Do you have practical insight with spiritual implications?
• Do you love God?
• Has God revealed to you what He has prepared for you?
• Do you understand the things that come from the Spirit of God?
• Do you make judgments about all things?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Set On Fire By Hell

James 3:4-9 - Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.

John 8:44 - You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Luke 16:23 - In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.

Genesis 1:26 - Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

Conclusions:

• Jesus clearly excluded the idea of the universal fatherhood of God
• “You want to carry out your father’s desire” points to determination of will
• The Jews problem was basically spiritual, not intellectual
• Being oriented toward Satan, the Jews were bent on murder and eventually would succeed
• Truth is foreign to Satan and those who are his
• Hades is the place to which the wicked dead go to await the final judgment
• That torment begins in Hades is evident from the plight of the rich man
• The location of Abraham’s side is not specified, but it is separated from Hades by an impassable chasm
• Hades includes the torment that characterizes hell
• Some understand Jesus description of Abraham’s side and Hades in a less literal way
• God speaks as the Creator-King, announcing His crowning work to the members of His heavenly court
• Since man is made in God’s image, every human being is worthy of honor and respect; he is neither to be murdered or cursed
• Image includes such characteristics as righteousness and holiness and knowledge
• Believers are to be conformed to the likeness of Christ and will someday be like Him
• Man is the climax of God’s creative activity, and God has crowned him with glory and honor and made him ruler over the rest of His creation
• Since man was created in the image of the divine King, delegated sovereignty was bestowed on him

Application:

• Do you have spiritual problems?
• Where are you going to spend eternity?
• Are you conformed to the likeness of Christ?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Not By Faith Alone

James 2:24-3:1 - You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

James 2:21 - Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

Hebrews 11:31 - By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

Luke 20:47 - They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."

Conclusions:

• Apart from its context, James 2:21 might seem to contradict the Biblical teaching that people are saved by faith and not by good deeds
• But James means only that righteous action is evidence of genuine faith—not that it saves, for the verse that he cites to substantiate his point says, “Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness”
• Furthermore, Abraham’s act of faith recorded in Genesis 15:6 occurred before he offered up Isaac, which was only a proof of the genuineness of his faith
• As Paul wrote, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”
• Faith that saves produces deeds
• The prostitute Rahab is a designation describing her way of life prior to her newly found faith; also a testimony to God’s boundless grace that can reach down and redeem and raise any sinner to eternal dignity
• Because a teacher has great influence, he will be held more accountable
• The teachers of the law took advantage of widows by fraud and schemes for selfish gain
• The higher the esteem of men, the more severe the demands of true justice; and the more hypocrisy, the greater the condemnation

Application:

• Does your faith produce deeds?
• Have you been redeemed and raised to eternal dignity?
• As a teacher, you will be held more accountable.
• Do you take advantage of people for selfish gain?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Dead

James 2:15-19 - Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

Galatians 5:6 - For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Romans 3:28 - For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

1 Corinthians 8:5-6 - For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

Conclusions:

• Faith is not mere intellectual agreement but a living trust in God’s grace that expresses itself in acts of love
• When Luther translated Romans 3:28, he added the word alone, which, though not in the Greek, accurately reflects the meaning
• God the Father is the ultimate source of all creation
• God the Son is the dynamic one through whom, with the Father, all things came into existence

Application:

• Do you have faith expressing itself through love?
• Are you justified by faith?
• Do you live for God (the Father) and through Jesus Christ (the Son)?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Merciful

James 2:12-14 - Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?

Luke 6:37 - "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

James 1:25 - But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

Romans 3:22-24 - This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Conclusions:

• Jesus did not relieve His followers of the need for discerning right and wrong, but He condemned unjust and hypocritical judging of others
• The perfect law is the moral and ethical teaching of Christianity, which is based on the Old Testament moral law, as embodied in the Ten Commandments, but brought to completion by Jesus Christ
• In contrast to the sinner, who is a slave to sin, obeying the moral law gives the Christian the joyous freedom to be what he was created for
• Justified describes what happens when someone believes in Christ as his Savior: From the negative viewpoint, God declares the person to be not guilty; from the positive viewpoint, He declares him to be righteous
• God cancels the guilt of the person’s sin and credits righteousness to him when justified
• No one lives a perfectly good, holy, righteous life
• There is no one righteous and all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
• Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by observing the law
• Even though all are sinners and not sons, God will declare everyone who puts his trust in Jesus not guilty but righteous
• This legal declaration is valid because Christ died to pay the penalty for our sin and lived a life of perfect righteousness that can in turn be imputed to us
• Christ’s righteousness will be credited to believers as their own
• The central thought in justification is that although man clearly and totally deserves to be declared guilty, because of his trust in Christ God declares him righteous
• God declaring the believer righteous is stated in several ways: (1) freely, (2) by His grace, (3) through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus and (4) through faith
• Redemption is a word taken from the slave market—the basic idea is that of obtaining release by payment of a ransom
• Paul uses redemption to refer to release from guilt, with its liability for judgment, and to deliverance from slavery to sin, because Christ in His death paid the ransom for us

Application:

• Do you judge? Do you condemn? Do you forgive?
• Do you obey the moral law?
• Have you been justified and redeemed?

All Scripture verses taken from the NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Judged

James 2:1,11-13 - My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism…For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

Exodus 20:13-14 - "You shall not murder. "You shall not commit adultery.

James 1:25 - But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

John 5:24 - "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

1 Corinthians 3:12-13 - If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work.

2 Corinthians 5:10 - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Conclusions:

• Adultery is a sin against God as well as against the marriage partner
• The Hebrew for murder usually refers to a premeditated and deliberate act
• The judgment in James 2:12 is not for determining eternal destiny, for James is speaking to believers, whose destiny is already determined
• The judgment is James 2:12 is for giving rewards to believers
• The perfect law is the moral and ethical teaching of Christianity, which is based on the Old Testament moral law, as embodied in the Ten Commandments, but brought to completion by Jesus Christ
• In contrast to the sinner, who is a slave to sin, obeying the moral law gives the Christian the joyous freedom to be what he was created for
• God does not show favoritism—nor should believers
• Whoever believes in Him has eternal life shows faith and life are connected
• Eternal life is a present possession for believers
• The believer has crossed over from death to life, meaning the believer no longer belongs to death
• Gold, silver and costly stones represent precious, durable work that stands the test of divine judgment; symbolic of pure Christian doctrine and living
• Wood, hay or straw is worthless work that will not stand the test; symbolic of weak, unpleasing teaching and life
• Fire is God’s judgment
• The work of some believers will stand the test while that of others will disappear—emphasizing the importance of teaching the pure word of God
• Appearing before the judgment seat of Christ has nothing to do with justification, which is credited to the Christian fully and forever through faith in Christ; instead, it refers to what we have done with our lives as Christians
• Although the body is wasting away, we are responsible for our actions while in it

Application:

• Are you an adulterer?
• Are you a murderer?
• Do you speak and act as if you are going to be judged?
• Do you obey the moral law?
• Do you show favoritism?
• Do you hear God's Word and believe Him?
• What is your foundation built on?
• Will your work stand the test?
• What have you done with your life as a Christian?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived fron NIV Study Bible

Favoritism

James 2:9-10 - But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

James 2:1 - My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.

Galatians 3:10 - All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."

Conclusions:

• God does not show favoritism—nor should believers
• The law is the expression of the character and will of God; therefore to violate one part of the law is to violate God’s will and thus His whole law
• All who rely on observing the law refers to legalists—those who refuse God’s offer of grace and insist on pursuing righteousness through works
• All who rely on observing the law are under a curse because no one under the law ever perfectly kept the law
• God’s blessing has never been earned, but has always been freely given

Application:

• Do you show favoritism?
• Do you violate any part of the law?
• Do you rely on observing the law?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Royal Law

James 2:6-8 - But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong? If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.

Leviticus 19:18 - " 'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

Romans 13:8 - Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.

Conclusions:

• The law of love is called royal because it is the supreme law that is the source of all other laws governing human relationships
• The royal law is the summation of all laws
• Love your neighbor as yourself is quoted by Christ, Paul and James
• The stricter Pharisees added to “love your neighbor as yourself” what they thought it implied: Hate your enemy
• Jesus reaction to hate your enemy was love your enemies. Jesus reaction was in line with the Old Testament teaching and was more in agreement with the middle-of-the-road Pharisees
• Rabbi Nahmanides caught the sentiments of the middle-of-the-road Pharisees: One should place no limitations upon the love for the neighbor, but instead a person should love to do an abundance of good for his fellow being as he does for himself
• Neighbor does not merely mean one who lives nearby, but anyone with whom one comes in contact
• To love is the one debt that is never paid off
• No matter how much one has loved, he is under obligation to keep on loving
• Loving one another includes not only fellow Christians but all people, as loving his fellow man makes clear
• The law is the Mosaic law, which lays down both moral and social responsibilities

Application:

• Are you loving your neighbor as yourself?
• Do you seek revenge or bear grudges against people?
• Do you love all people?

All Scripture verses from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Word of truth

James 1:18-25 - He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

1 Peter 1:23 - For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

John 8:32 - Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

James 2:12-13 - Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

John 8:34 - Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

Conclusions:

• The new birth comes about through direct action of the Holy Spirit, but the word of God also plays an important role, for it presents the gospel to the sinner and calls on him to repent and believe in Christ
• The imperishable seed is doubtless the word of God, which is imperishable, living and enduring
• Perfect law is the moral and ethical teaching of Christianity, which is based on the Old Testament moral law, as embodied in the Ten Commandments, but brought to completion by Jesus Christ
• In contrast to the sinner, who is a slave to sin, obeying the moral law gives the Christian the joyous freedom to be what he was created for
• Closely connected with Jesus, the truth is not philosophical truth but the truth that leads to salvation
• The truth will set you free from sin, not ignorance
• The judgment is James 2:12 is not for determining eternal destiny, for James is speaking to believers, whose destiny is already determined
• The judgment in James 2:12 is for giving rewards to believers
• A sinner is a slave to sin because he cannot break free by his own strength

Application:

• Have you been called to repent and believe in Christ?
• Are you being what you have been created for?
• Do you know the truth?
• Do you speak and act based on heavenly rewards?
• Are you a slave to sin?

All Scripture verses from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Every Good And Perfect Gift Is From ABove

James 1:16-17 - Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

1 Corinthians 6:9

Numbers 23:19 - God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

Malachi 3:6 - "I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.

James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Conclusions:

• People who engage in the practices of 1 Corinthians 6:9 as well as the other offenders in 1 Corinthians 6:10, are explicitly excluded from God’s kingdom
• “God is not a man, that He should lie” describes the unchangeability of the Lord and the integrity of His word
• Balaam is a foil for God—constantly shifting, lying, misleading, changing—a prime example of the distinction between God and man
• Contrary to what many in Malachi’s day were thinking, God remains faithful to His covenant
• Israel was not destroyed in spite of Israel’s history of unfaithfulness
• Wisdom enables one to face trials with pure joy
• Wisdom is not just acquired information but practical insight with spiritual implications

Application:

• Do you engage in the practices of 1 Corinthians 6:9?
• Are you constantly shifting, lying, misleading and changing?
• Do you have a history of unfaithfulness?
• Do you have practical insight?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Nor Does He Tempt Anyone

James 1:13-15 - When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Genesis 22:1 - Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.

Genesis 3:6-7,15,22 - When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves…And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."… And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."

Job 15:35 - They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb fashions deceit."

Conclusions:

• Tempted refers to temptations that test one’s moral strength to resist sin
• Because God in His very nature is holy, there is nothing in Him for sin to appeal to
• Isaac had grown into adolescence or young manhood when Abraham was asked to sacrifice him
• God tested Abraham. God did not tempt Abraham, for God does not tempt
• Satan tempts us in order to make us fall; God tests us in order to confirm our faith or prove our commitment
• Abraham answered with the response of a servant, as did Moses and Samuel when God called them by name
• The three stages—desire, sin, death—are seen in the temptations of Eve and David
• Good, pleasing and desirable are three aspects of temptation
• Once initiated, sinful thoughts develop quickly into evil acts
• No longer innocent like children, Adam and Eve had a new awareness of themselves and of each other in their nakedness and shame
• The antagonism between people and snakes is used to symbolize the outcome of the titanic struggle between God and the evil one, a struggle played out in the hearts and history of mankind
• The offspring of the woman would eventually crush the serpent’s head, a promise fulfilled in Christ’s victory over Satan—a victory in which all believers will share
• In a terribly perverted way, Satan’s predictions came true
• Sin, which always results in death, cuts the sinner off from God’ gift of eternal life

Application:

• Do you accuse God of tempting you?
• Do you answer with the response of a servant?
• Do you conceive desire?
• Do you give in to temptation?
• Do you conceive sinful thoughts?
• Are you ashamed when you sin?
• Are you a believer?
• Have you been cut off from God's gift of eternal life?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible.

Blessed

James 1:12 - Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Genesis 22:1 - Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 - However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"—but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Matthew 5:10 - Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Psalm 1:1 - Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

2 Timothy 4:8 - Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Conclusions:

• Abraham was tested, not tempted, for God does not tempt
• Satan tempts us in order to make us fall; God tests us in order to confirm our faith or prove our commitment
• Abraham answered with a response of a servant, as did Moses and Samuel when God called them by name
• What God has prepared is probably not to be limited to either present or future blessing; both are involved
• Theirs is the kingdom of heaven is a present reality as well as a future hope
• Psalm 1:1 speaks progressively of association with the ungodly and participation in their ungodly ways
• Blessed is the happy condition of those who revere the Lord and do His will, who put their trust in Him, and so are blessed by God
• The Psalter begins by proclaiming the blessedness of the godly and ends by calling all living things to praise God in His earthly and heavenly sanctuaries
• Counsel is deliberations and advice
• Sinners are those for whom evil is habitual; for whom wickedness is a way of life
• Mockers are those who ridicule God and defiantly reject His law
• Paul uses the metaphor of the wreath given to the winner of a race
• Paul could be referring to (1) a crown given as a reward for a righteous life, (2) a crown consisting of righteousness or (3) a crown given righteously by the righteous Judge
• That day is the day of Christ’s second coming

Application:

• Do you answer with the response of a servant?
• Do you love God?
• Are you persecuted because of righteousness?
• Do you revere the Lord, do His will, and put your trust in Him?
• Do you long for Christ's appearing?

All Scripture verses from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Brother In Humble Circumstances

James 1:5-11 - If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.

Psalm 119:113 - I hate double-minded men, but I love your law.

Isaiah 40:8 - The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever."

Conclusions:

• A double-minded man is unstable in all he does
• Wisdom enables one to face trials with pure joy
• Wisdom is not just acquired information but practical insight with spiritual inclinations
• The plans and purposes of the nations will not prevail

Application:

• Are you a double-minded person?
• Do you ask God for wisdom?
• Do you believe the word of God stands forever?

All Scripture verses from NIV

Comclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Holy Trinity

1 Thessalonians 5:25-28 - Brothers, pray for us. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

2 Corinthians 13:14 - May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Conclusions:

• The benediction in 2 Corinthians 13:14 is Trinitarian in form and has ever since been a part of Christian worship tradition
• The mystery of the Holy Trinity is known to be true not through rational or philosophical explanation but through Christian experience, whereby the believer knows firsthand the grace, the love, and the fellowship that freely flow to him from the three Persons of the one Lord God

Application:

• Do you know the grace, love and fellowship that flows freely from the Holy Trinity?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Faithful

1 Thessalonians 5:24 - The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

1 Corinthians 1:9 - God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

Numbers 23:19 - God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

Philippians 1:4-6 - In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Genesis 18:25 - Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

Conclusions:

• Paul’s confidence rests in the nature of God, who can be relied on to complete what He begins
• God may be trusted to do what He has promised, namely, to keep believers strong to the end
• “God is not a man, that He should lie” describes the unchanging Lord and the integrity of His word
• Balaam is a foil for God—constantly shifting, lying, evading, changing—a prime example of the distinction between God and man
• Paul is confident, not only of what God has done for the readers in forgiving their sins, but also of what He has done in them
• Work refers to God’s activity in saving them
• Day of Christ Jesus is His return, when their salvation will be brought to completion
• It is God who initiates salvation, who continues it and who will one day bring it to its consummation
• Abraham based his plea on the justice and authority of God, confident that God would do what is right

Application:

• Does your confidence rest in the nature of God?
• Do you trust God to do what He has promised?
• Do you believe in the integrity of God's Word?
• Are you confident in what God has done for you?
• Are you confident that God will do what is right?

All Scripture verses from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Stduy Bible