Monday, November 24, 2008

James Chapter 2 - November 24, 2008

*Sorry about last week...I am lame.

*Thought I'd have some fun and modernize the passages instead of commenting.

2:1ff - If you are a Christian and you are really trying to live out your faith in Jesus Christ, you better not be playing favorites. How sick would it be for a believer to reject somebody because they weren't rich enough or pretty enough...God doesn't play favorites and neither should we!

2:5 - We need to get a clue. Who cares about worldly wealth. The truly rich in this world are those who have to completely rely on God. The poor and broken reach out to our Lord Jesus Christ and are given hope and strength. The rich think they have it all figured out...they think they can take care of themselves, and their faith (or lack there of) gives testimony about where they put their trust.

2:13 - Don't expect to be treated with mercy if you are an unmerciful jerk. When in doubt about how to handle a situation, err towards mercy not towards judgment. Mercy always wins over judgement in the end.

2:14ff - What is the point of being a Christian if your belief changes nothing about the way you live you life! Seriously, go follow somebody else if the way of Jesus holds no bearing on who you are and what you do. Our actions don't save us, but they definitely show what we care about. How insanely sick would it be for a Christian to see a person who is starving and say, "I'll pray for you," as we head off to McDonald's? Let you treatment of others reflect the mercy that God has showered down on you.

2:19ff - (Insert sarcastic clapping here) Congratulations, you believe in God? Wow, even the demons believe that there is a God. In fact, they believe so thoroughly that they shudder in response to His power (Some Christians don't even do that). You talk a great game, but your faith is backed up by action. If you truly understand the power of the God you theoretically believe in...do something about it. Live for Him.

2:26 - A Christian who refuses to act like Christ (At least to make an attempt) is no Christian at all.

1 comment:

Stephen said...

By not showing favorites, it kind of shows the lack of interest in worldly power or any biases in humanity we might have, and it would help us to get rid of those biases.