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. 94 Explore the Bible | Leader Guide © 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources EXPLORE THE TEXT 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.