reflection on James

  I've read two chapters of the book of James. If to summarize the overall theme, it would be PRACTICE AND DO!!!!! James encourages the believers to mature, by being doers of God's word, His commands.

"the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may become mature and complete..." (James 1:3-4).
     Perseverence here seems to me something that takes time and effort. The doing part of our faith requires perseverance.

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it- he will be blessed in what he does." (James 1:22-25)
      We decieve ourselves if only aquire the mental knowledge of God's word. The Word has power to change us, but unless we practice that truth, we will not be changed. Are we willing to be doers of God's words? There is an underlined notion that doing is not one day event, it is something that becomes habitual, becomes part of our lives on daily basis. I mean it is good to start with small, but  keep at it.

"faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:17) He says it later again, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead" (James 2:26)
Faith without dead is not just unattractive, it is not alive!

"Faith without deeds is useless" (James 2:20)
Not productive

"You see that his (Abraham) faith and his actions were working together and his faith was made complete by what he did." (James 2:22)
We become complete and mature by what we practice!!!!