The Testing of Your Faith

James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.

Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials,

And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

Now the brother or sister of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position;

For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so also the rich person, in the midst of his pursuits, will die out.

No one is to say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.

Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters.

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

In the exercise of His will He gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.

You know this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Now everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;

Therefore, ridding yourselves of all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

The Sin of Partiality

My brothers and sisters, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.

and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the bright clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,”

Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters: did God not choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the Law as violators.

For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all.

For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do murder, you have become a violator of the Law.

So speak, and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom.

For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith and Works

What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?

If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,