Listen up, little ones
Listen for the word God.
Reading
James 1:1–11—An Overview of James
Keys for kids
- The book of James has many commands.
- The book also has gospel.
- God gives us grace to obey his commands.
Questions
- Why should we obey God’s laws?
- How do we obey God’s laws?
- How should we respond when we disobey?
Notes
Today’s notes are from a commentary on James by Daniel Doriani
With 59 commands in 108 verses, the epistle of James has an obvious zeal for law. In his imperatives, James directly communicates the royal law, the law of King Jesus (2:8). …
This call to obey or to face judgment is all the more stringent since James insists that everyone fails to do what the law requires. James says we must control the tongue (1:26), yet he says no man can tame the tongue (3:8). He says we must avoid the pollution of the world (1:27), yet he says our envy and our quarrels prove we are worldly (4:1–4).
These paradoxes lead to the gospel of James. He says that all are liable to judgment, but “mercy triumphs over judgment” (2:13), for “the Lord is full of compassion and mercy” (5:11). If we see our sins and confess them, we will be healed (5:16). Further, whoever sees the sins of another and “turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (5:20). … the climax of James occurs in 4:6. James completes his indictment of human sin in 4:5, then says: “But [God] gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ ” The double mention of God’s grace at the rhetorical climax of the book shows that the gospel of James is the message of God’s grace for sinners.
Swedish Method questions
Praise
Psalm 111d, 34a
Prayer
- Thank God for his grace and ask him for wisdom.
- Pray for a specific application from yesterday's sermons.
- Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.