Today we begin a study in the epistle of James. James and Jude were half brothers of The Lord Jesus Christ. All three had the same mother, but the Father of Jesus was God. James did not come to saving faith in Jesus until after Jesus rose again from the dead. We know that Jesus appeared personally to James after He rose from the dead.

James reveals the practical aspect of the saving grace of God. It has been called by some the New Testament equivalent to the book of Proverbs from the Old Testament. There are early church records that tell us that James was called “Old Camel Knees” because of the amount of time that he spent on his knees praying. I wonder if James learned that from observing his half brother Jesus, who Himself was a man of prayer.

As we journey through this epistle, James is going to teach us about trials and temptations that every child of God will experience. He is going to teach about the beautiful equality that we have in Jesus Christ. It’s an equality that does not depend upon race or riches, an equality that is based upon our oneness with God through the precious blood of His Son Jesus Christ.

James will teach us about the good and bad that can stem from the human tongue. He will teach us the difference between human and heavenly wisdom. He will exhort us to live our lives with patience as we anticipate Jesus’ soon return. He will exhort us to pray rightly according to God’s will, and not after the flesh, or amiss. I cannot help but think of what was going through James’ mind when The Holy Ghost was inspiring him to write this book, and how he must have reflected back of the time when he and Jesus were little boys in Nazareth.

James identifies himself as a bond slave of Jesus Christ, which is simply beautiful! So from one bond slave of the Lord Jesus Christ to another, let us grow together in our faith in Jesus and in our church community as we determine to be doers, and not just hearers of The Word. SELAH