I. INTRODUCTION

A. James, the brother of Jesus, is the writer of this book. Despite being the brother of Jesus, he was not a believer during most of the earthly ministry of Jesus (John 7:5). But by the time of this writing, James has become a very respected leader of the Jerusalem church, as we have seen in earlier studies.

B. This book is thought to have been written very early, probably around A.D. 45. It perhaps is the first book of the New Testament to have been written.

C. The book of James is the closest we come in the New Testament to a book of wisdom, similar to the Wisdom Literature of Ancient Israel. The book is very practical in its teaching and contains almost nothing that we generally would call “theology” or “doctrine.”

D. This suggests that James may have believed that the future of the church depended most on the behavior of its members: how they treat one another, how they manage anger, how they deal with prejudice, how they put away envy and selfish ambitions. 

E. Nothing will destroy a church like members who misbehave, especially toward each other. Though the disagreements often are stated in doctrinal terms, the church is usually divided more by the real issues of the heart. Someone isn’t trusting, someone is not being given the benefit of the doubt, someone is imposing their will on others, someone is not honestly and lovingly communicating with others. So, James gets to the real issues of conflict in churches by dealing with behaviors. His advice is so common sensical that it requires little controversy – just read it, memorize it, and do it.

II. ANGER (James 1:19)

A. “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” (James 1:19). 

B. True or False? Anger serves no useful purpose.

C. How can you tell when a person is angry? It is important to think about this because if we can not recognize anger when we feel it, we cannot do much to handle it.

1. Verbally abusive
2. Violent
3. Temper tantrum
4. Sarcasm or ridicule
5. The silent treatment
6. Disrespectful
7. Body language – grimaces, rolled eyes, frowns, exasperation, edge to the voice

D. How do we slow down our anger?

1. Find realistic expectations of what is possible in community.

a. Disapproval, criticism and disagreement are a fact of life.

b. Any positive active person will find that his or her actions and comments will often meet with disapproval 50% of the time.

2. Postpone the anger response – “be slow” to anger. In other words, anger is a choice.

3.Get rid of inner moral dissonance. (v. 21). “Therefore” – inner conflicts and moral dissonance lead to anger. “Humbly accept the word of truth” – discipline yourself with the actual gospel of grace.

III. JUDGING (James 2:12-13)

A.What does this say to you?

B.Judgement without mercy will be shown to those who have shown no mercy.

IV. RELIGION THAT ENSLAVES (James 2:1-11, 12)

In the context of James 2:1-11, what does James mean in v.12 by a “law that gives freedom.” In this case, liberation from economic prejudices and materialism.

God’s will as revealed in law and Scripture is to be understood in ways that liberate people. If your gospel does not free people but enslaves people, then you may have the wrong gospel. If your understanding of Scripture binds people according to the labels or limitations you put on them rather than freeing them for all God intends them to be, you may have the wrong interpretation of Scripture.

V. THE WISDOM THAT COMES FROM ABOVE (James 3:13-18)

Wisdom that Is Earthly (v. 15) Wisdom that is From Heaven (v. 17)
Bitterness (James 3:14) Humbly accepting the word (James 1:21)
Envy (James 3:14) Submissive
Selfish ambition (James 3:14) Purity – free of dishonest motive
Favoritism and class discrimination (James 2:1-11) Considerate; impartial
Fights and quarrels (James 4:1) Peace-loving
Slandering and judging one another (James 4:11-12) Merciful

V.PEACEMAKING AND THE WISDOM OF GOD

A.“Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” (James 3:18). In contrast, anger does not bring about anything God desires (James 1:20).

B. Romans 14:17

Peace always has been the agenda of Jesus and those who follow him. There is one consistent New Testament message, from the announcement of Christ’s birth to James: Christianity when practiced in its purity is a religion of peace. It is the work of God in those who live the wisdom of kingdom ideals. If it is bringing about another response in the lives of those who claim to follow Christ, it may not be Christ that they are following. James would say their faith is still earthly because in the end it isn’t about Jesus but about themselves. Idolatry then becomes our greatest barrier to freedom and peace – who you are trying to please matters more than who agrees with you -- getting that right is the first step to being right with others.

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