The Book of James: 4:11-12 (NLT)
Welcome back to our daily study in the book of James! I hope you have been enjoying this and feel free to invite friends and family who might find this helpful as well this year with the invite link here: Invitation Link
Need to catch up? We got you covered, simply go to the link below which will take you to our blog where all past bible studies will be. With that said let’s get started on day 23!
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The Book of James (NLT): This book offers practical guidance on living a godly life, including instruction on how to handle temptation and overcome adversity. It is the 51st of the Bible book located in the New Testament containing 5 chapters and a total of 108 verses.
Author: James, the half-brother of Jesus
Theme: Practical guidance for living a faithful Christian life, with a focus on the importance of good deeds and living a life of faith. In addition to the themes of good deeds and living a life of faith, the Book of James also addresses issues such as temptation, humility, and the dangers of wealth and pride.
Timeline: The Book of James is believed to have been written in the mid-to-late first century AD
Structure: The Book of James is a letter, consisting of five chapters. It is written in a concise, straightforward style and is full of practical wisdom and guidance.
Recipients: The letter is addressed to "the twelve tribes scattered among the nations" (James 1:1), which likely refers to Jewish Christians living in the diaspora (outside of Palestine).
Importance: The Book of James is considered one of the most practical books in the New Testament and is often referred to as the "Proverbs of the New Testament." It offers valuable insights and guidance for Christians of all ages on how to live a faithful and obedient life.
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Scripture Insights:
What does James mean by “speak evil against each other?” When we look up the Greek word “evil” used in this context we find that it means “to slander” which means speaking falsely and maliciously against someone to hurt their reputation. It’s very easy to look on the outside of a person and make a judgment or criticize them based on our initial encounters. How many of us have listened to gossip and then carry the same opinion as the person giving their viewpoint?
A lot of criticism and judgment against others may not be based on fact or truth. It can be based on perceptions and our own feelings of envy and jealousy. We are to apply the law of love and liberty. Does that mean that if someone is committing a sin and we know it that we are to keep our mouths shut? No, we are to use wisdom but not to accuse falsely. If someone is harming another or a trusted Christian is abusing someone we have to do the right thing and stop it and protect the other person. There have been many cases of abuse in churches and religion and those must be stopped because they are not based on the law of love. Those deeds are evil.
We are not to criticize and make personal judgments about others based on our carnal emotions or on what we see on the outside. You have heard the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Sometimes we criticize and judge others to make us feel good about ourselves and we feel that we are better than others. Our job is to love our neighbor as ourselves and not be quick to speak evil of them.
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Today's Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for this new week ahead. I confidently believe and expect a move of God in my life this week. A move for my career, a move for my health, a move for my family, You are moving Lord and I thank You. I stand in victory today right now and believe that what You have to come is already done in Jesus name Amen!
God Bless,
Dayne
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