Growth in self-knowledge: The Letter of James, New Testament

Sermon 2^nd September 2012

This month of September in church we will be looking closely at the Letter of James. This letter takes us into the heart of the faith versus works debate. It was a hotly contested letter, especially in the Reformation period; Luther wanted it removed from the Canon as he thought it undermined his belief in justification by faith alone.

How can the Letter be of use to us today?

The Letter of James helps us to see clearly the importance of that inter-relationship between faith and action. For the writer, no-one can be religious; can be a person of faith, unless they show that by what they do. It goes right to the heart of how we understand ethics as Christians. What sort of people should we be if we declare faith in the Bible, in the Son of God; what sort of things should we do? Well, for the writer it is clear, we should be humble, generous, kind and gentle, compassionate, carers for those who are vulnerable. We should not be proud, lovers of money or wealth, quick to anger or jealousy and so on.

James uses a metaphor to describe people who only say they believe but do not change how they act. Using the image of a person looking in the mirror, he says that such a person forgets quickly what they have seen. It is a vivid and memorable image that can help us grow in self-knowledge. If you imagine yourself looking in a mirror, what do you see? Do you see the image of someone who matches up with what they say they believe? Christian discipleship is about growth in self-knowledge, about seeing ourselves as God sees us. This is challenging, as whilst God loves us and cares for us more than we can know, he also sees us as we really are. And so, it is our challenge as Christian disciples to keep looking at ourselves, to keep examining ourselves and being truthful about what we see.

In a gentle and loving way God always calls us to truth, to the truth about ourselves more than anything. So, this week, have a read through the Letter of James and reflect upon the relationship in your life between faith and works; or on what you believe about the world and how you act. Do your actions reveal the person that you think you are, or not? If not, pray to God to help you see how you might change to be ‘a doer or the word’, and not merely a hearer.

Celebrate what you do! This month as we reflect upon the Letter of James it is important to celebrate the things that we do do that reflect our faith in God. Think about all the things that you do because of your faith. Perhaps they have become so second nature you don’t realise that you do them because of your faith. Celebrate the impact God has on your life and share it with others.

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