Welcome to week nine of our study on the Epistle of James! Today we will examine some verses that often cause confusion among Christians as far as how our works justify our faith. What does James mean when he says “faith without works is dead?” Is faith without works useless? These verses can make people wonder if works are required for salvation, or are we saved by faith alone? We will attempt to answer these questions tonight!
Contents
Week One – An Expository Study of James
Week Two – Joy in Our Trials
Week Three – Giving Birth to Sin Part One
Week Four – Giving Birth to Sin Part Two
Week Five – Receiving the Word
Week Six – Receiving the Word Part Two
Week Seven – The Royal Law
Week Eight – The Royal Law Part Two
Outline
- Opening prayer
- Introduction
- Read James 2:14-22
- Read the study notes from ESV.org
- Answer questions 1-5 on page 7 of Workbook on the Epistle of James
- Closing prayer
Opening Prayer
Almighty God, thank you once again for the time we are about to spend together studying your Word. Please be with us tonight Lord as we examine some of the more confusing verses of Scripture and help us understand the very important point James wants us to take from this part of his letter. In the Name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
Previous Highlights
- We learned to avoid treating people with partiality or prejudice, especially using the example of treating the rich better than the poor.
- God often selects those who have nothing to carry out His will so that “no one may boast before him” (1 Cor 1:26-29).
- The commandment to love our neighbor should be the supreme law governing our relationships.
- We should not dismiss our sin, rather we should be whole or complete in our faith.
- In Christ we are forgiven from sin and free to obey our Father who is just and merciful.
- God’s mercy is an act of divine favor and compassion on us, we should go out of our way to also be merciful and compassionate.
Application
Read James 2:14-22 and answer questions 1-5 on page 7 of the workbook. Read Week 6: Faith Without Works is Dead on Esv.org.
For additional information, read Why is Faith Without Works Dead? and watch the following video:
Closing Prayer
Holy Lord, maker of us all, you call us to love our neighbors as ourselves and teach us that faith without works is dead. Open us to the opportunities for ministry that lie before us, where faith and works and the need of our neighbor come together in name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.[1]
Next Week
Next week, we will be looking at James 2:23-26 and answering questions 6-9 on page 7 of the workbook. Have a wonderful week, ladies!
Featured image is from The Testing of Your Faith – James 1:1-8.