James 2:6, 18; James 3:15-16 - Prayer Tents

A Warning against Prejudice

2My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?G3450G80G2192G3361G4102G2257G2962G2424G5547G1391G1722G4382 2For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes.G1063G1437G1525G1519G5216G4864G435G5554G1722G2986G2066G1161G1525G2532G4434G1722G4508G2066 3If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, "You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor"—well,G2532G1914G1909G5409G2986G2066G2532G2036G846G2521G4771G5602G2573G2532G2036G4434G2476G4771G1563G2228G2521G5602G5259G3450G5286 4doesn't this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?G1252G3756G2532G1252G1722G1438G2532G1096G2923G4190G1261 5Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn't God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren't they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?G191G3450G27G80G1586G3756G2316G1586G4434G5127G2889G4145G1722G4102G2532G2818G932G3739G1861G25G846 6But you dishonor the poor! Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?G1161G5210G818G4434G2616G3756G4145G2616G5216G2532G846G1670G5209G1519G2922 7Aren't they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?G987G3756G846G987G2570G3686G1909G5209G1941 8Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: "Love your neighbor as yourself."G1487G3305G5055G937G3551G2596G1124G25G4675G4139G5613G4572G4160G2573 9But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.G1161G1487G4380G2038G266G1651G5259G3551G5613G3848 10For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws.G1063G3748G5083G3650G3551G1161G4417G1722G1520G1096G1777G3956 11For the same God who said, "You must not commit adultery," also said, "You must not murder." So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.G1063G2036G3431G3361G3431G2036G2532G5407G3361G5407G1161G1487G3431G3756G3431G1161G5407G1096G3848G3551 12So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free.G3779G2980G2532G3779G4160G5613G3195G2919G1223G3551G1657 13There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.G1063G2920G448G4160G3361G1656G2532G1656G2620G2920

Faith without Good Deeds Is Dead

14What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?G5101G3786G3450G80G1437G5100G3004G2192G4102G1161G2192G3361G2041G1410G3361G4102G4982G846 15Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing,G1437G1161G80G2228G79G5225G1131G2532G3007G5600G2184G5160 16and you say, "Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well"—but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?G1161G5100G1537G5216G2036G846G5217G1722G1515G2328G2532G5526G1161G1325G846G3361G2006G4983G5101G3786 17So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.G2532G3779G4102G3362G2192G3362G2041G2076G3498G2596G1438 18Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." But I say, "How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds."G235G5100G2046G4771G2192G4102G2504G2192G2041G1166G3427G4675G4102G1537G4675G2041G2504G1166G4671G3450G4102G1537G3450G2041 19You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.G4771G4100G3754G2076G1520G2316G4160G2573G1140G2532G4100G2532G5425 20How foolish! Can't you see that faith without good deeds is useless?G1161G2309G1097G5599G2756G444G3754G4102G5565G2041G2076G3498 21Don't you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?G1344G3756G11G2257G3962G1344G1537G2041G399G2464G846G5207G1909G2379 22You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.G991G3754G4102G4903G846G2041G2532G1537G2041G5048G4102G5048 23And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith." He was even called the friend of God.G2532G1124G4137G3004G1161G11G4100G2316G2532G3049G846G1519G1343G2532G2564G5384G2316 24So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.G3708G5106G3754G1537G2041G444G1344G2532G3756G1537G4102G3440 25Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road.G3668G1161G2532G1344G3756G4460G4204G1344G1537G2041G5264G32G2532G1544G2087G3598 26Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.G1063G5618G4983G5565G4151G2076G3498G3779G4102G5565G2041G2076G3498G2532

Controlling the Tongue

3Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.G3450G80G1096G3361G4183G1320G1492G3754G2983G3187G2917 2Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.G1063G4183G4417G537G1536G4417G3756G1722G3056G3778G5046G435G1415G2532G5468G3650G4983 3We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth.G2400G906G5469G1519G2462G4750G4314G846G3982G2254G2532G3329G846G3650G4983 4And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong.G2400G2532G4143G5607G5082G2532G1643G5259G4642G417G3329G5259G1646G4079G3699G302G2116G3730G1014 5In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.G2532G3779G1100G2076G3398G3196G2532G3166G2400G2245G5208G3641G4442G381 6And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.G2532G1100G4442G2889G93G3779G2525G1100G1722G2257G3196G4695G3650G4983G2532G5394G5164G1078G2532G5394G5259G1067 7People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish,G1063G3956G5449G2342G5037G2532G4071G5037G2062G2532G1724G1150G2532G1150G5449G442 8but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.G1161G1100G1410G3762G444G1150G183G2556G3324G2287G2447 9Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.G1722G846G2127G2316G2532G3962G2532G1722G846G2672G444G3588G1096G2596G3669G2316 10And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!G1537G846G4750G1831G2129G2532G2671G3450G80G5023G5534G3756G3779G1096 11Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water?G3385G4077G1032G1537G846G3692G1099G2532G4089 12Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can't draw fresh water from a salty spring.G3361G1410G4808G3450G80G4160G1636G2228G288G4810G3779G3762G4077G4160G252G5204G2532G1099

True Wisdom Comes from God

13If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.G5101G4680G2532G1990G1722G5213G1166G1537G2570G391G846G2041G1722G4240G4678 14But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boasting and lying.G1161G1487G2192G4089G2205G2532G2052G1722G5216G2588G2620G3361G2532G5574G2596G225 15For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.G3778G4678G2076G2718G3756G509G235G1919G5591G1141 16For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.G1063G3699G2205G2532G2052G1563G181G2532G3956G5337G4229 17But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.G1161G4678G509G2076G4412G3303G53G1899G1516G1933G2138G3324G1656G2532G18G2590G87G2532G505 18And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.G1161G2590G1343G4687G1722G1515G4160G1515