James Chapter 2 & 3

Notes On Chapter 2

Faith = Trust
Trust in who the Father says you are - revealed through the mirror Jesus.

When you discriminate, you not only mistrust those your discriminating against but you're mistrusting what the Father says about you.

Trusting in the Real You is the True measure of Wealth
Our hearts should be that everyone find that real measure of wealth

VS 9) Sin (harmartia) anything that robs you or anyone else of their true identity (What the Father says about them)

VS 10-11) The old way [ the law] isn't going to fix this - We need the Law of Freedom/Law of Grace - We have to let GRACE set the pace for life not the law
Judgement was the old way of doing things - But mercy is Christ's Way
Mercy > Judgement

VS 14-18) Faith in Action is LOVE (AGAPE)
To not love reveals a dead FAITH
We do not trust the Father but judgement - We trust judgement over what the Father says about us and others - We are not walking in our true Identity

Without Action we will never see who we really are!
All talk and no action is demonic - All bark and No bite

​Abraham - Friendship w/ Father is the fruit of our Right standing  we received through the Christ - This changed our Lifestyle - We started living like we are loved = We trusted the image we saw reflected back to us- The Real Father & The Real Us!!!

[ The story of Abraham and Isaac is not one of God asking someone to sacrifice his son but an illustrated story to show that The FATHER AND SON were in this together reconciling the WORLD - The Father did not despise the Son and leave Him - The Trinity was at the Cross!]

VS 25) The actions of Caleb and Joshua opened Rahab's eyes - She acted on the message they shared and her whole household experienced salvation.
       Rahab's picture of the Father was that of the 36 gods the canaanites served. All of them demanded some sort of sacrifice from their subjects - Either blood or body. She was probably a prostitute in one of the courts of these gods.

        Caleb [means Faithful devotion, wholehearted, bold and brave] and Joshua [means Yahweh is Salvation - Father Saves He Doesn't Destroy] show up and show Rahab what God is actually like - This picture Radically Changes Her Life.

NOTES ON CHAPTER 3

You don't know it all so stop arguing - Stop trying to 'mansplain' or talk down to folks
​   Stick to the things that encourage you and others in your true identity

Your tongue can be a DUMPSTER FIRE (hell = Gehenna - The trash pile outside Jerusalem that was constantly burning)

When we insult others we are insulting the Image of God that they are created in.

You can't produce Bitter and Fresh water - It has to be one or the other

Humility shows the quality of your conversations - it sets you apart from all the noise. It shows that you have wisdom and skilled understanding.

Your hidden agenda (one who wants to dominate someone else's identity) delivers you over to demons or daimon (greek) - Not speaking of "demons" but one who is like a gambler - that might win sometimes at a casino but eventually they will lose everything - Self Destruct.

What we should aim for in our interactions:

1. move in innocence - no preconceived ideas - unassuming
2. Love Peace - not arguments
   
3. Always be polite
   
4. Always move conversation toward the Good
   
5. Filled with compassion and understanding

We want to talk with pure goodness with out discrimination