With Obedience Believers Respond to Jesus’ Work in Their Lives with Obedience and Compassion

Session 9

With Obedience Believers respond to Jesus’ work in their lives with obedience and compassion.

JAMES 1:19-27; 2:1-4

MEMORY VERSE: JAMES 1:22

READ James 1:19–2:13, First Thoughts (p. 94), and Understand the Context (p. 94). Highlight the actions James encouraged his readers to take, and mark each command with an H (Heeding), a D (Doing), or an L (Loving).

STUDY James 1:19-27; 2:1-4, using Explore the Text on pages 95–99. Pay close attention to James’s use of word pictures and illustrations. For further insight, consult the Explore the Bible Commentary, found in both print and digital format at LifeWay.com.

PLAN the group time using the ideas under Lead Group Bible Study (pp. 100–101), More Ideas (p. 102), ideas included in QuickSource, and ideas online at Blog.LifeWay.com/ExploretheBible/ Adults/LeaderExtras to customize the plans according to the needs of your group. Look for new ways to use the Suggested Music Idea (p. 102).

GROW from expert insights on weekly studies through the Ministry Grid (MinistryGrid.com/Web/ ExploretheBible).

GATHER the following items: Personal Study Guides; and Index cards and pens for each group member. Prepare to display the following Pack Items: PACK ITEM 2 (Outlines of Galatians; James); and PACK ITEM 5 (Poster: Pairs in Galatians and James). For More Ideas (p. 102), gather: Several types of mirrors; and Someone to speak on care for the homebound.

Date of My Bible Study:______93 © 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources FIRST THOUGHTS KEY DOCTRINE When the only option for communicating with someone long distance was Salvation a letter, people waited days before expecting a response. The telephone, Repentance is a genuine turning email, texting, and social media have all changed our expectations. Most from sin toward God. Faith is people today can’t imagine what it was like waiting for a return letter the acceptance of Jesus Christ to arrive! and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and (In PSG, p. 82) What is a realistic expectation for receiving a response to Savior (Mark 1:15). an email, text, or social media post? How does the source of the message impact your response speed?

BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR For additional context, read “The Social Elite in the First Century” in the Fall 2018 issue UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT of Biblical Illustrator. Available at LifeWay.com/BiblicalIllustrator. JAMES 1:19–2:13 James began his letter with a call to persevere during trials. Genuine Christian faith at work in difficult times produces spiritual maturity. James the shifted his focus in 1:19–2:13 to introduce a high expectation for maturing believers. A growing faith influences how Christians live day by day. Believers need a trustworthy guide for how to go about putting faith BIBLE SKILL into action. James pointed out that God’s Word is that guide (1:19-21). He instructed believers to listen, speak thoughtfully, and avoid anger as Memorize a verse and apply it to a specific ways to heed gospel truth. A humble Christian relinquishes those real life situation. attitudes that hinder a relationship with God. The believer turns to God’s Memorize James 1:21 in your Word, which has the power to change lives. preferred Bible translation. Then Believers are to learn from and then do the Word (1:22-25). James write the verse in your own used an illustration about a person who peered into a mirror and promptly forgot what he looked like. Obedience results when believers do what the words. Finally, write a couple of Word says. God bestows favor on those who do the Word. sentences here or in a journal, James explained that genuine Christians take on godly character stating how the verse can help expressed as compassionate love and moral purity (1:26–2:4). James you make a tough decision or addressed the problem of favoritism in the church, which negates any face a difficult situation. claim to compassion. Practitioners of pure religion take care of orphans and widows. They refuse to discriminate against the poor. They determine all persons to be of equal value in God’s eyes. James saw a solution to discrimination and favoritism in the church. He explained that God expected obedience to the royal law (2:5-13). James defined the royal law as loving your neighbor as yourself. Failure to love one’s neighbor goes against God’s highest intentions for Christians.

HEEDING (JAS. 1:19-21)

VERSES 19-20 James addressed his readers as dear brothers and sisters. Perhaps these JAMES 1:19-20 gentle words softened the blow of the demands issued in the following verses. The words understand this served as an attention getter. James might have 19 My dear brothers said, “Listen up.” The next few verses contained valuable information for and sisters, understand everyone in the church. Verse 19 contains three crucial admonitions for Christian living. First, this: Everyone should be quick to listen summoned readers to pay attention to the “word of truth” be quick to listen, discussed in verse 18. Christians should listen with eager anticipation to slow to speak, and God’s Word. Second, be slow to speak. “Think before you speak” might be slow to anger, 20 for James’s advice here. The third admonition was to beslow to anger. This word for anger emphasizes a slow-burning anger that is constantly building. human anger does Anger closes one’s mind to the truth of God. These three imperatives, when not accomplish God’s practiced, can save a believer from a great deal of pain. righteousness. James possibly knew about some anger issues between some of the Christians to whom he wrote. Anger short-circuits the accomplishment of God’s righteousness in our lives. The apostle Paul normally used the term righteousness to describe the righteous status that God gives to Christians as a gift (Rom. 5:17). Here, James was emphasizing the fruit of righteousness, or righteous living, as he did in James 3:18. Human anger does not produce righteous living. Anger can undermine God’s purposes. What about the righteous indignation Jesus showed toward the moneychangers at the temple in John 2:13-16? Certainly a place exists for believers to speak up for just causes in strong terms. The anger James described, however, differed from righteous indignation. Anger that rages out of control does not represent God’s way of solving problems.

What role does God’s Word play in controlling our emotions?

JAMES 1:21

VERSE 21 21 Therefore, ridding James urged believers to rid themselves of all moral filth and the evil that yourselves of all moral is so prevalent. Simply put, take off all forms of sin like you shed dirty clothes. Anger fit into the general sin of moral filth that needed to be shoved filth and the evil that into the clothes hamper. James used the adjective based on this word is so prevalent, humbly translated moral filth to describe the clothing of the poor man in James receive the implanted 2:2. All moral filth represents any sin that taints the spirit of a believer and word, which is able to hinders a right relationship with God. If believers peel off moral filth and … evil, what do they put on in its save your souls. place? James urged his readers to humbly receive the implanted word.

Session 9 : With Obedience 95 © 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources Humble reception of something from God means willingly taking it and using it for His purposes. The implanted word represents God’s truth established in your life. A seed must be planted in the soil before it sprouts. First you hear the Word and God plants it in your heart (v. 19). Once heard and grasped, the Word can do its work in a life. The Word produces faith that functions to grow Christians to maturity.

DOING (JAS. 1:22-25) JAMES 1:22 VERSE 22 22 But be doers Humbly receiving the implanted word (v. 21) involves a response to the of the word and word: be doers of the word and not hearers only. Jesus affirmed that true not hearers only, blessing from God comes to those who “hear the word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:28). deceiving yourselves. The tense of the Greek verb translated be doers stresses continuous action. This is an on-going lifestyle of practicing the Word of God. We receive the gospel, but we continually and consistently live it out as well. The individual who sees obedience to the Word as optional is JAMES 1:23-24 deceiving himself. 23 Because if anyone is VERSES 23-24 a hearer of the word James elaborated on the person who is a hearer but not a doer. The person and not a doer, he is who listens to the Word of God but does not obey it is like someone looking like someone looking at his own face in the mirror. Mirrors in the first century were made of polished bronze or copper. at his own face in a Even the best mirrors produced distorted reflections. The word looking mirror. 24 For he looks denoted intense observation. The imperfection of the metal required a at himself, goes away, close look to see the reflection. A look in the mirror might suggest the need to clean dirt off the chin or smooth down unkempt hair. and immediately forgets In James’s example, the person looks at himself, goes away and what kind of person immediately forgets what kind of person he was. This individual paid little he was. attention to his own face. James’s illustration indicates that hearers of the Word who were not doers knew what the Word says, but they refused to act on it. To look in the mirror and forget to do what it indicates needs to be done represents being confronted by the Word of God and refusing to obey its demands. JAMES 1:25 25 But the one who looks VERSE 25 James built on the idea of hearing and doing when he wrote about the one intently into the perfect who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom. The person who looks law of freedom and intently examines something closely. James equated the hearer of the word perseveres in it, and is (v. 23) with the looker into the perfect law of freedom. A law denotes a standard not a forgetful hearer but of conduct. The Old Testament law instructed people how to live. Here, the law of freedom represents the law enacted by Christ as the Word of God. a doer who works — this No distortions like those of a first-century mirror exist in the perfect law. It person will be blessed in reflects the flawless image of Christ as the living Word of God. what he does. Adherence to the perfect law frees people to pursue obedience to God’s will. The individual who looks intently at the law of freedom perseveres in it.

96 Explore the Bible | Leader Guide © 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources This person is not a forgetful hearer like the one who soon forgets the face in the mirror. Instead, the law of freedom infills you and inspires you to good works. The persistent hearer of the Wordwill be blessed in what he does. The term blessed is the same term Jesus used in the beatitudes of Matthew 5. The blessed person receives an assurance of God’s presence through obedience to His Word. The blessing represents God’s approval and favor on a person who seeks to be attuned to His will.

(In PSG, p. 87) What specific truths have you gleaned from recent encounters with God’s Word? How has awareness of those truths affected the way you live?

The treatment of other people stands out as one of the most revealing indicators of Christian character.

LOVING (JAS. 1:26-27; 2:1-4)

VERSE 26 The treatment of other people stands out as one of the most revealing JAMES 1:26 indicators of Christian character. James addressed the person who thinks he is religious. What did James mean by the term religious? 26 If anyone thinks he The term indicates the external, observable qualities of the life of is religious without faith. Some people thought religious acts like praying, fasting, giving, attending church, and other pious deeds gained favor with God. Not so, controlling his tongue, according to James. He saw real religion as actions that result from a his religion is useless changed heart. and he deceives himself. James provided some examples of rightly motivated religion. The first example involves control of the tongue. Recall James’ command to be “slow to speak” (1:19). A rightly motivated religion does not allow for uncontrolled speech. Claim to be religious all you want, but a tongue out of control exposes a shallow religion. A religion that cannot control the tongue is useless. James exposed it as empty. Religious words and practices that produce no ethical effects reveal a superficial religion not based on the saving work of Christ. Right- hearted religion evidences itself in Christ-like obedience that works for the good of other people. A person who buys into the useless religion James addressed deceives himself. He lies to himself if he thinks he can say enough religious words and do enough religious activities to be right with God. True religion comes from the life changed by God. Human effort always falls short.

Session 9 : With Obedience 97 © 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources VERSE 27 JAMES 1:27 In addition to the tongue, a Christian demonstrates his faith through pure and undefiled religion. James listed things in verse 27 that demonstrate 27 Pure and undefiled genuine faith in Christ. Specifically, James used the example of a religion religion before God that will look after orphans and widows in their distress. In first-century culture, orphans and widows had no standing in society or any ability by the Father is this: to which to support themselves. To look after means “to assist” and is often look after orphans used in Scripture to refer to God’s coming to deliver His people from crisis and widows in their (Matt. 25:36; Luke 1:68). Assisting orphans and widows in their distress can be messy, expensive, and thankless. The genuine Christian, however, distress and to keep expresses the heart of Jesus by caring for those who hurt. oneself unstained from the world. To Look after Orphans and Widows (In PSG, p. 88) God has a special concern for Deuteronomy 10:18; Psalms orphans and widows. 10:14-18; 68:5; 146:9; Hosea 14:3 God has commanded His people to Exodus 22:22-24; Deuteronomy take care of orphans and widows. 24:17; 27:19; Psalm 82:3; Isaiah 1:17; Zechariah 7:10; James 1:27

The next example of pure and undefiled religion isto keep oneself unstained by the world . In this context the world depicts a system of values influenced by evil, centered on self, and opposed to God. To be unstained by this world requires a diligent, daily focus on God’s purposes.

CHAPTER 2; VERSE 1 JAMES 2:1 James continued the theme of a genuine religion by describing a situation that apparently arose out of a church problem. He called on his 1 My brothers and Christian brothers to not show favoritism. The term denoted partiality sisters, do not show or discrimination toward people. It literally means “to receive the face,” implying judgment of a person based on outward appearances. Preferential favoritism as you treatment of people based on appearance, race, economic status, or social hold on to the faith standing fails Jesus’ love standard. in our glorious Lord Favoritism does not become those who hold to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. Love, not discrimination, brings glory and honor to an Jesus Christ. exalted Lord Jesus Christ. Unloving acts on the part of His people distract others from experiencing His greatness.

VERSES 2-4 James offered the example of two strangers coming into a church meeting. One comes into the meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes. The word James used for meeting is “synagogue” (sunagogen). We typically think of synagogues as places where Jews met for worship. The word, however, can refer to any place of assembly. James most certainly had in mind a church meeting. One visitor wore the trappings of wealth. Jewelry and bright clothing set him apart. He appeared to be an important person. Did he dress up just to show off and call attention to himself? The second stranger was a poor

98 Explore the Bible | Leader Guide © 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources man dressed in dirty clothes. His clothing indicated poverty. Society would have considered him insignificant and irrelevant. JAMES 2:2-4 Preferential treatment of people based on appearance, race, economic status, or social standing fails Jesus’ 2 For if someone comes love standard. into your meeting wearing a gold ring James anticipated the church’s response to the two strangers. and dressed in fine They looked with favor on the man wearing fine clothes. This man got clothes, and a poor everyone’s attention based on his outward appearance. He was told, “Sit here in a good place.” He was given a place of comfort and prominence in person dressed in filthy the church. clothes also comes in, Contrast that with what they offered the poor man. They ordered him 3 if you look with favor to “Stand over there” or “Sit here on the floor by my footstool.” Possibly this meant, “Go stand up in the back or take this unimportant place on on the one wearing the floor at the feet of the people we find more acceptable.” the fine clothes and James lowered the boom. He asked, haven’t you made distinctions say, “Sit here in a good among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? They turned place,” and yet you say a worship service into a courtroom and judged these two guests by outward impressions. James’s argument resembles Leviticus 19:15, a to the poor person, passage his readers likely knew: “Do not act unjustly when deciding a “Stand over there,” or case. Do not be partial to the poor or give preference to the rich; judge “Sit here on the floor by your neighbor fairly.” 4 Preferential treatment of people dishonors God. Jesus never judged my footstool,” haven’t people based on how they looked. He looked at the heart. you made distinctions James compared the church’s favoritism to the renderings of judges with among yourselves and evil thoughts. They rendered unjust verdicts based on outward appearances. become judges with Their decisions gave preference to the rich and powerful, and they took advantage of the poor and powerless. evil thoughts?

What are some specific examples of how you have seen Christians show compassion and love to people the world might consider to be of low standing?

(In PSG, p. 89) How does expressing love to others regardless of social standing or life situation demonstrate the gospel? How does a person’s failure to show compassion to others demonstrate his or her need for the gospel?

FOCUS ATTENTION (FIRST THOUGHTS) INTRODUCE: As group members arrive, give each person an index card and direct them to write their response to the first question on page 82 of the PSG: What is a realistic expectation for receiving a response to an email, text, or social media post? On a signal from you, direct them to show their cards. Instruct group members to rearrange their seating so they are in order from the shortest amount of time to the longest. How does the source of the message impact your response speed? (PSG, p. 82)

GUIDE: Using Pack Item 2 (Outlines of Galatians; James), point out that today’s discussion from James will cover Genuine Faith.

TRANSITION: As we have already seen in our study of James, this short letter is full of commands. And the first command we will study in this session is very practical but also very difficult.

EXPLORE THE TEXT INTRODUCE: The goal of this section in James is for Christians to respond to Jesus’ work as they received the implanted word (Jas. 1:21). Remind the group that James’s readers had been dispersed because of persecution (see Acts 8:1) and were undergoing trials and the testing of their faith.

READ: Invite a volunteer to read James 1:19-21, and direct group members to listen for the three qualities that will increase our ability to hear. Write “Quick to Listen,” “Slow to Speak,” and “Slow to Anger” on the board.

EXPLAIN: You may have heard the saying “God gave us two ears and one mouth, and we should use them in proportion.” But so often, the angrier we get, the less we listen. James warned us that human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.

GUIDE: Assign two volunteers to read aloud Proverbs 29:22 and Ephesians 4:26. Clarify that James did not say never get angry but be “slow to anger” (v. 19). The anger Paul talked about in Ephesians would not stir up conflict or increase rebellion, since that would be sinful.

DISCUSS: Which is easier—being quick to listen, slow to speak, or slow to anger? Which is the most difficult? Explain. (PSG, p. 84)

TRANSITION: James instructed his audience to be quick to listen. But that doesn’t mean we should only listen. In the next passage, he will emphasize the importance of acting on what we hear.

READ: Read aloud James 1:22-25, as everyone listens for the imperative in the passage. Point out that verse 22 is this session’s memory verse.

EXPLAIN: Someone who only listens to the Word without doing anything about it is like a college student who audits a course but doesn’t receive any credit for it. But even worse, according to verse 22, they are deceiving themselves, which would be like a college student who expected to get credit for a course she didn’t do any work for. Invite group members to share other analogies that illustrate James’s point. Say: James used another vivid word picture for this same concept in verses 23-24.

100 Explore the Bible | Leader Guide © 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources GUIDE: If you lead a coed group, direct the men and the women to form groups and determine the average amount of time each group spends looking in the mirror before they leave the house in the morning. Allow each group to guess the number the other group came up with. Ask: What are the things you are looking for when you look at yourself in the mirror? What might be some of the reasons people would give for not doing anything about what they saw in a mirror? Are any of those similar to why people don’t act on what they hear in God’s Word?

MINI-LECTURE: Present a brief mini-lecture on what James intended with referencing freedom’s “perfect law” in verse 25 (PSG, p. 87). Emphasize the difference between working for salvation and working from salvation.

DISCUSS: Invite the group to share ways they responded to the questions on page 87 of the PSG as they prepared for the group time.

TRANSITION: Once James established the importance of being doers of the word, he then gave his readers a specific example of how to be a doer.

READ: Call on a volunteer to read aloud James 1:26-27. If you have group members with different translations, encourage volunteers to share how their Bible translates “useless” in verse 26.

ASK: Why would failing to control his tongue make someone’s religious acts useless? Why do you think the care for orphans and widows is such a clear indicator of whether someone has truly responded to the gospel?

GUIDE: Further emphasize this contrast in James’s book by pointing out all the pairs that support taking action on Pack Item 5 (Poster: Pairs in Galatians and James).

SUMMARIZE: Review the paragraph under Verse 27 on page 98 of this book.

READ: Call for another volunteer to read James 2:1-4. Encourage group members to picture your church’s sanctuary as they listen to the Scripture being read.

ASK: How does expressing love to others regardless of social standing or life situation demonstrate the gospel? How does a person’s failure to show compassion to others demonstrate his or her need for the gospel? (PSG, p. 89)

SUMMARIZE AND CHALLENGE (IN MY CONTEXT) DISCUSS: Review the statements under In My Context (PSG, p. 90) to present a summary of the study. Ask: What did this passage teach us about responding to Jesus’ work in our lives with obedience and compassion? Invite the group to share specific Scripture verses to support their responses.

CHALLENGE: Call attention to the third question set under In My Context (PSG, p. 90): Discuss with the group ways of demonstrating care and concern for either orphans or widows or the poor. What action should the group take to be involved in a local ministry to orphans, widows, or the poor?

PRAY: Lead the group in prayer, asking God to strengthen your group’s resolve not to merely listen to the Word but to do what it says.

Session 9 : With Obedience 101 © 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources PRACTICE • Spend time this week looking at verse 25 and reflecting on what it means to persevere in the freedom of pursuing God’s will. Be aware of what might be keeping you from making the changes you see in the mirror of God’s Word. • Work on the memory verse for this session (Jas. 1:22). Do an Internet search for images and art to go along with this verse that you can text to group members throughout the week.

MORE IDEAS

FOCUS ATTENTION (FIRST THOUGHTS) To replace the Focus Attention activity, present your introduction and welcome as you normally do but at less than half your normal volume. Eventually group members will catch on to what you are doing. Use their reactions to assist in your discussion of what it means to be quick to listen and slow to speak.

EXPLORE THE TEXT • For further application of James 1:19-21, ask: If you were acting out being angry, what would you do with your hands? (Most likely, everyone will clench their fists.) If I wanted to give you something right now, what would you have to do with your hands? (Unclench them.) According to verse 21, what are we to receive with humility? What must we do first? • To supplement discussion of James 1:22-25, bring two or three different mirrors. If you can find an old, cloudy mirror, or a cracked mirror, or a mirror that deliberately distorts images, compare these to poor sources of wisdom as contrasted to God’s perfect Word. • To add to your study of verse 27, enlist someone in your church who helps in a homebound ministry that assists widows to give a testimony to your group.

SUMMARIZE AND CHALLENGE (IN MY CONTEXT) Lead the group into a time of quiet reflection. Guide them to answer the second question set on page 90 of the PSG: Ask God to reveal to you areas in your life where you are merely a hearer. As He reveals those areas, commit to act on what He reveals. Record actions you believe He is directing you to take and one step you will take toward completing those actions.

SUGGESTED MUSIC IDEA During the Challenge section, play a recording of the Keith Green classic “Asleep in the Light,” or lead the group in singing or reading the words to the hymn, “Rescue the Perishing,” written by Fanny Jane Crosby.