James 2: 1-2 Summary

Previously [day-9] I wrote about how James dealt with the way we treat the poor in James 2:1-9. He used them as an illustration for how to make good decisions. In that section, James addressed how people in the church chose to treat the rich and the poor. The distinctions they made between them were based on arbitrary criteria that betrayed a serious lack of wisdom. The fact that Christians were judging others based upon their ability to earn income showed a perspective that gloried in the wrong things. They chose to rejoice in riches instead of godliness.
In James 5:1-6, James addressed the decisions rich people made when interacting with the poor. This further illustrates the principles of decision-making explored in the book's message. He …show more content…

Rebuke is essential. A good rebuke applies the revelation of sin. Once a person sees what sin is, a godly leader will show how that sin applies to life, because sometimes we do not see it. We easily see sin when other people engage in it, but we sometimes do not see it in our own behavior. We tend to judge ourselves based on our intentions, not our actions. A godly leader will apply the Word so that we clearly see our sin, if we are involved in …show more content…

That is the signal of manipulation. Sometimes people will not know HOW others can walk out if sin, so we should not judge too harshly. But leaders need to address this. They need to find the wisdom necessary to show the pathway of righteousness and call others to walk it. It is inadequate to expose sin but neglect to show them how to remove it.

The book of James masterfully exposes the root of sin and reveals the path out of it. And now he calls upon people to take that path. Notice how this is accomplished. He reminds them of the futility of their current lifestyle choices. Revealing the worthlessness of riches motivates them to glory in the right things. Instead of rejoicing in riches, he wants them to rejoice in righteousness.
What good is wealth in the end? When we face the end of life, we cannot take those things with us beyond the grave. Will riches purchase pardon from God when the people they cheated seek justice from