Further Study: Ellen G. White, The Test of Discipleship, p. 59-63, in Steps to Christ.
The law is God’s great moral looking glass. Man is to compare his words, his spirit, his actions with the Word of God.-Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 935.
“Instead of releasing man from obedience, it is faith, and faith only, that makes us partakers of the grace of Christ, which enables us to render obedience.
As Jesus was in human nature, […]
Friday’s section of this week’s Sabbath School lesson asks,
“What do you say to those who claim that because of the grace of Christ, they are free from the law? What do they often really mean by that, and how would you answer them?”
I have heard Christians tell me not to worry about keeping the law because we are no longer under the law. We are under grace. Funny thing is, they only tell me that when it comes to Sabbath keeping. […]
What does it mean to keep oneself unspotted from the world? (James 1:27, NKJV). How could that even be possible? See also 1 John 2:15-16; 2 Pet. 1:4.
Some people seem to think that if only they could move far enough away from the world, they could avoid most of its temptations. Though there’s some truth to that, and we should try to avoid temptation as much as possible (especially those temptations we find hardest to resist), our problems and […]
[Thought Questions for Being and Doing October 21, 2014]
Image © Standard Publishing from GoodSalt.com
1. It’s not enough to be able to see and hear. Do you think it would be harder to follow Jesus if you were deaf? or blind? Didn’t have much intellectual understanding? Does a thorough knowledge of God and His plan of salvation earn you a place in His eternal kingdom? What did the apostle James say that Christians need to do to give them a firm and lasting relationship with God?
2. Your enemy. How […]
Read James 1:26-27 and compare it to Matthew 25:35, Matt. 25:36, Matt.25:40 and Romans 12:9-18. In light of these passages, how would you define true Christianity?
Image © Rolf Jansson from GoodSalt.com
If Jesus, James, and Paul emphasize anything, it is the importance of being a useful Christian. By lovingthe least of these (Matt. 25:40), by taking the time to visit those most easily overlooked, by showing hospitality-in all these practical ways and more-we reveal Jesus’ love and become the […]
Key Thought: When we are saved by grace, we will be doers of God’s Word, because we have placed our faith in Him. He leads us to become new in the Spirit.
[Lesson Plan for Being and Doing October 20, 2014]
1. Have a volunteer read James 1:22-24.
a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
b. What is the difference between believing the Word and doing it? Are we partial doers of […]
Read James 1:25. What does he say about the role of the law?
Image © Krieg Barrie from GoodSalt.com
James echoes the Psalms in calling God’s law perfect (Ps. 19:7) and a way of freedom (Ps. 119:45). But notice that the law in James cannot save us and certainly cannot cleanse us. It shows us God’s ideal, but it cannot make us follow that ideal any more than seeing a world-class athlete perform amazing feats could enable us to do […]
Read James 1:22 again. The Greek says to be doers of the Word. How might the message have been different had James simply said, Do the word?
Image © Darrel Tank from GoodSalt.com
James combines being and doing. He does not separate them, nor does he make one more important than the other. They are like two sides of the same coin, inseparable. We are to be doers. Furthermore, the tense of the Greek word for be here refers to […]
Someone once said this about his enemy: I see him every day-when I’m shaving. This is exactly what James wants us to recognize: our greatest enemy is ourselves. Salvation begins by seeing who we really are, not who we imagine ourselves to be.
Image © Rolf Jansson from GoodSalt.com
Read James 1:23-24. Who is described here, and what is the basic problem?
While there is nothing wrong with looking our best, many people spend a great deal of time and money […]
Read for This Week’s Study: James 1:23-24; Matt. 19:16-22; Luke 6:27-38; Rom. 8:2-4; Rom. 12:9-18; 2 Pet. 1:4.
Memory Text: But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves (James 1:22).
Jean Francois Gravelet, better known as The Great Blondin, became famous for walking across Niagara Falls on a tightrope. In September of 1860, the Prince of Wales had witnessed Blondin’s crossing of the falls with an assistant on his back. After the walk, Blondin […]
