For where envy and self seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. (17) But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. (18) Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (4:1) Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? (2) You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. (3) Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

James, the half brother of Jesus and the head of the church in Jerusalem, wrote this letter to churches of that ancient world which were experiencing conflict and not dealing with just hypothetical situations. James was showing how God’s wisdom will lead to harmonious relationships in contrast with “worldly” wisdom which inevitably leads to conflict. James writes that the source of God’s wisdom is from above and we will only attain it by seeking God and the truth of His word. God’s wisdom is pure, unanalyzed untainted, free from any jealousy or selfish ambition. Seekers of this wisdom must be motivated always to glorify God and to build up the person to whom we are speaking. God’s wisdom is peaceable in all relationships. We should never compromise doctrinal purity or essential truth, neither should we fight over minor matters where godly people differ. Godly wisdom is gentle and a man/woman with this quality knows how to forgive when strict justice gives him/her the right to condemn. That God’s wisdom is reasonable does not mean men are gullible but are willing to defer to another as long as a core doctrine or moral principle is not at stake.

God is merciful to us in spite of the fact that our problems usually stem from our own sin and rebellion. Godly wisdom is not theoretical but practical. It is unwavering and we cannot be a friend of the world and God at the same time. Worldly wisdom produces conflict and is rooted in bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, both dealing with hidden motives of our hearts. It is arrogant, prideful, earthly, natural and demonic. (The word natural in the Bible is always used negatively as opposed to spiritual things.)

James advised judging our selfish motives to resolve conflicts – we will not resolve conflict until we correctly identify the source of it. Our prayer life – or lack thereof reveals the focus of our hearts. The focus of the person who does not pray is toward self, not God.

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? (15) If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, (16) and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? (17) Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (18) But someone will say, “you have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

The verses we study today were written by James, the half brother of Jesus and the head of the church in Jerusalem. These verses seem to be James contradicting the apostle Paul who taught that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, apart from works. James seems to be saying we must have faith plus works to be saved. At the heart of this dispute is the question, “What is genuine saving faith?” And, “What is false faith that does not save?” James wrote these verses to confront the problem of those who profess to believe in Christ but do not have any behavior to show for it.

We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. James does not dispute this but is dealing with the question of what is true saving faith. James shows that a new birth (saving faith) is not due to anything in us and thus it is by grace. It comes to us by the exercise of God’s will. Both James and Paul teach that genuine faith results in good works. IBut there is such a thing as false faith which does not save; that is the false idea that someone works many good deeds apart from faith in Christ will be saved. Or if faith is merely intellectual and doesn’t affect one’s daily life this is not true faith. Paul also spoke of false faith – those who profess to know God but by their deeds they deny Him. Their profession of faith is false and does not save. The faith that does not save is a mere profession of faith that does not result in a life of good deeds.

Good deeds are not tacked on to salvation by faith but are inherent in saving faith. When God imparts new life to us we are changed from within – a fundamental change from death to life that is associated with genuine faith. Because of its very nature this new life will result in good works. Those who merely say that they have saving faith but live for themselves are deceived.

My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. (2) For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, (3) and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes, and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” (4) have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? (5) Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

Our verses today were written by James, the half brother of Jesus and the head of the early Christian church in Jerusalem. The verses focus on partiality and why it was/is wrong. James is giving us a negative example of public behavior and challenges us: if we show favoritism toward some and bias toward others it is a denial of faith and the gospel. The Christian faith is utterly incompatible with favoritism. His words apply to all prejudice based on economics, status, race etc. This sin stems from pride and plagues every generation. The sin of partiality persists especially where specialized churches are aimed at a homogeneous congregation unit, not New Testament churches where there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, slave and freeman.

Partiality usurps God’s sovereignity. It is faith in Christ that brings us all to salvation, whatever our backgrounds, in God’s family. Partiality puts man as a judge in the place of Jesus Christ. When we exalt men on account of their wealth or power or status we rob glory from Jesus Christ who gives us everything we are and have. When we make distinctions among people based on outward factors we set ourselves up as judges – we do not see the hearts of men as God does. God’s choice of those He elects for salvation is completely based on God’s choice and purpose and they are saved apart from any merit or qualifications on the part of those chosen. So in the outreach of churches petty favoritism and shallow prejudices are shown to be incompatible with the Christian faith. This does not mean it’s wrong to make appropriate distinctions.

Partiality here is self serving discrimination that is based on shallow externals which is a generational failing. I was made aware of partiality when I went to art school and there were no clues visible as to the background and status of others. We were all dressed in rather poor clothes with little or no jewelry, covered in paint. With no externals we learned to look at others as fellow travelers with no partiality or bias. We are here to walk each other home.

(17) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (18) Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. (21) Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (22)But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (27) Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

The letter was written by James, the half brother of Jesus and the head of the church in Jerusalem in those ancient days of the early church. James lines up with all of Scripture when he says that it is the doer of the Word that will be blessed in what he does – hearing the Word without doing it leads to self deception and is the default mode of our fallen hearts. This problem is of forgetting God – it is not a memory problem but a priority problem. If we hear the Word but do not put it into practice we delude ourselves. From God comes every good and perfect gift. The greatest gift from God is the gift of His only begotten Son and those who believe this are born again by the word of truth. Salvation springs from the God’s deliberate initiative.

Religion can be a matter of pride and outward and worthless performance but to live the Word leads to blessings. It takes time and care to apply the Word not just to outward behavior but to the heart – All sin stems from the heart. The blessed hearer however applies the Word so that it changes our conduct and character in the sight of God. Our focus is shifted from self to others. All emphasis throughout the Bible is NOT on human will in salvation but rather on God’s will in our salvation. God was/is the only reason we responded in faith. His will brought us from death in sin to life in faith in Christ. God saved us for His purpose. Since salvation is totally from God’s will and power He will care for us through every trial.

Since God saves us for His purpose, He will care for us through every trial. We are to be in this world but not of it. We are not to embrace the world’s goals, priorities and temporal values. We are to behave as we believe.