James, although a small book, is completely packed with practical teachings and wonderful ideas for Christians old and new. Space really doesn't permit all the insights and applications in this book, but here are just a few that I found.
James 1:3-4 "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience, but let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." Well, I'm sure we have all heard this verse several times, and the best way to explain it is: it's part of our human nature to want things. We are very demanding in our natural state, and this lack of patience is due to, well, wanting something (whatever that something may be)! So when James says, we can be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." that gets my attention. Isn't that what we're all after, to not want for anything, and this is what patience can do when it is allowed to work perfectly in our lives.
The next one goes in juxtaposition with the last one, but it could possibly be better described as our faith in a nutshell. James 4:7-8 says, "Submit yourselves unto God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your ands ye sinners and purify your hearts, ye double-minded." It's hard to break that down any further except to say, it must be done in that order. Think about it. You can't resist the devil unless you submit to God. God can't get close to us if we keep running away, and if we want to make our hearts clean before God, we have to start with our hands.
Major Topics:
I. True religion
II. Faith in Action
III Wisdom, Practicle
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