Why I Love James.

When people are asked who their favorite Biblical figure is, (besides Jesus, of course), I most often hear: “Paul” or “Peter”. I know that these two dudes were like, BIG honchos in their time. Peter was endowed with the oversight of Jews in the Christian Church. He was an authority. Paul was endowed with the oversight of the Gentiles in the Christian Church. He was an authority. I don’t begrudge either of these men their authority, (although reading Paul’s writings usually make my head spin most of the time). But when people ask me who my favorite New Testament figure is, know what I say?

James.

Yep. James. The brother of Jesus.

Maybe it’s because I’ve never been big on empty words. Although I use them quite often. Maybe it’s because I sometimes, in my cynical mind, worry about “windbagging”. You know, when people start to talk (or write) just to hear themselves talk or see themselves write. I’m not saying any of the authors of a divine Word are doing that, but James has a way of being like,

Here it is. Point blank. Bottom line. Do with it what you will.

He also has a way of encouraging action. Because to James, faith without action is like a body without a spirit. Basically, walking dead. It’s not okay to James to merely believe. He says even the demons believe and tremble. They know what’s up. They’re aware of the truth. Does that change what they do? Nope. Because shallow awareness does not lead to change, or, as some Christians like to call it, fruit-bearing.

I think that’s become an issue with me. And in today’s society. We confuse “belief” with “faith”. If you believe something, you obviously live your life by it, right?

WRONG.

Just because you believe something to be true doesn’t mean it has any impact on your moment-to-moment decisions and the way you live your life. I believe that Subway sandwiches are the best sandwiches in the history of creation. Does that have ANY impact on how I live my life on a daily basis? Nope. It’s just something I believe.

Now, if I took that belief and used it to fuel a personal ad campaign about the superiority of Subway sandwiches and stood on street corners for hours distributing pamphlets about Subway and spoke through a megaphone about Subway and it’s superior sandwich product, I would be DOING SOMETHING with that belief. It would have an impact on my day-to-day life.

Lame analogy? Maybe. But what do you believe? Like, really believe? Does it have any impact on your life?

If not, then, according to James, it’s really rather worthless.

Because the grace of God, the salvation of Christ… it is life-altering. It cannot merely sit still. Authentic divinity produces authentic, unwavering, unapologizing results. Notice, I didn’t say “immediate”, (something I’ve been struggling with lately), but I did imply “permanent”. Permanence. When a life is ruined by grace, it is never the same. It can’t be. It has encountered the divine and that encounter leads to action which produces fruit. Results of a life rooted in Christ.

I love James because he speaks of patient endurance. Divine control over the enemy of emotion. Who DOESN’T battle their emotions? Who DOESN’T, at least from time to time, want to explode like a shaken soda pop bottle? And, if you’re anything like me, you allow yourself to be shaken easily. Self-control is a spiritual fruit, a result of being rooted in Christ, and with self-control, you start to find that being shaken isn’t so easily done. (Side note: It drives people crazy when they can’t shake you. Try it.) When you no longer root your sense of value or worth or identity in the words, actions, and approvals of others, and when, instead, that identity and sense of worth is rooted in Christ, you become like a bottle of water. People can shake and shake and shake, but when they twist the top off, you will remain as you ever were. Non-reactive. Neutral.

I’m not saying there aren’t things in this world that shouldn’t cause action. I’m talking of REACTION. There is, I’m finding, a difference. Righteous anger leads to righteous action. It is given through knowing God’s heart and knowing what breaks his heart and what lends itself to his wrath. Reaction is often a knee-jerk thing of the flesh. Of humanity. It’s not about what has angered God or is an injustice to the Kingdom, it’s about what has angered YOU and offended YOU. The self. And self apart from God is nothing good.

What I love about James is that he speaks of action based on and rooted in an unshakable faith. Not reactive. Action-oriented. Deeds are not the life blood of faith, faith is the life blood of deeds. That’s why I love James.