Day 323
https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/dramatized/niv/Jas.2
James 2
Favoritism Forbidden
2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a] you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”[b] also said, “You shall not murder.”[c] If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Faith and Deeds
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[d]? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[e] and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Favoritism Forbidden
2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a] you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”[b] also said, “You shall not murder.”[c] If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Faith and Deeds
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[d]? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[e] and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Supplied Life Devotional by Bill Freeman
November 20th
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6
To love Jesus does not mean that you are without problems or without the feeling of your weaknesses. Many times your love for the Lord is manifested at your lowest moments, when you are the most discouraged with yourself. I once said to a servant of the Lord, "Romans 8:28 says that all things work together for good to those who love God, but what if we do not love Him?" He said, "The fact that you say you do not love Him indicates that you love Him all the more." In other words, we are disgusted with ourself. We are disgusted with our way of life. We realize that within ourself we do not have love for the Lord. The very fact that we are aware of a lack of love for the Lord and wish we had more love for Him, that is desire for God. That is called "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness," because they will be filled.
We often have deep desires for God when we are feeling weak and full of self. Even when we have failed, the Lord is there and we can say, "Right now, Lord, my mind is being badgered by some thoughts. Lord, my emotions are flat." Despite your mind and despite your emotions, you have a deeper part-- your spirit where Jesus lives 24 hours a day. So you can say from within, "I still love You, Jesus. I still love You, Lord." This helps us to see that Christ is in us as everything, despite what we are passing through
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6
To love Jesus does not mean that you are without problems or without the feeling of your weaknesses. Many times your love for the Lord is manifested at your lowest moments, when you are the most discouraged with yourself. I once said to a servant of the Lord, "Romans 8:28 says that all things work together for good to those who love God, but what if we do not love Him?" He said, "The fact that you say you do not love Him indicates that you love Him all the more." In other words, we are disgusted with ourself. We are disgusted with our way of life. We realize that within ourself we do not have love for the Lord. The very fact that we are aware of a lack of love for the Lord and wish we had more love for Him, that is desire for God. That is called "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness," because they will be filled.
We often have deep desires for God when we are feeling weak and full of self. Even when we have failed, the Lord is there and we can say, "Right now, Lord, my mind is being badgered by some thoughts. Lord, my emotions are flat." Despite your mind and despite your emotions, you have a deeper part-- your spirit where Jesus lives 24 hours a day. So you can say from within, "I still love You, Jesus. I still love You, Lord." This helps us to see that Christ is in us as everything, despite what we are passing through
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