James 2:14

James 2:14 says, What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?  James asked if it would profit a man to say he had faith but didn't do any work to bring about God's purpose for him.  He was not saying that we must work for our salvation, but if we profess to be saved by faith in Jesus Christ, then our faith will lead us to do the work that God has called us to do.  Works are evidence of our faith in Jesus Christ, but they are not a requirement for salvation.  

Verse fifteen adds, If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,  James then gives the example of a fellow Christian being naked and in need of food.  We here in America aren't often that bad off, especially for being naked, but our fellow Christians in other parts of the world may often be.  

Verse sixteen continues, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?  James then asked if  another Christian told them to depart in peace and be warmed and filled without offering them any real help, what would it profit either of them.  Anytime we see someone in need but only offer kind words without really doing anything to help them if we are able to do so, what does it profit them or us.  Empty words will not help them physically nor us spiritually.  

Verse seventeen concludes, Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. James then said that faith without works is dead.  Faith in Jesus Christ brings us salvation. Once we have salvation through faith, God will have a purpose for us and we should do our best to fulfill it.  We are not saved to just sit back and do nothing for God, but as Paul said of certain people, we are to be fellow laborers in Christ.  

James 2:10

James 2:10 says, For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.  Still speaking of loving your neighbor as yourself, James said if they kept the whole law except for loving their neighbor as themselves, they were guilty of disobeying all the law.  Jesus Himself said that after loving God with all of our heart and soul that loving our neighbor was like it.  We cannot love God and hate our neighbor, and our neighbor doesn’t mean just those who live close to us, but everyone we encounter.  

Verse eleven adds, For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.  James then gave the example of God’s law saying that you should not kill and also saying that you should not commit adultery, and that if we did not commit adultery but killed someone, we were equally guilty.  If we don’t do either these but don’t love our neighbor, we are still equally guilty of sin.  

Verse twelve continues, So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.  James said that people should do what they said they would do so that they should be judged under the law of liberty.  The law of liberty is faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord to bring us salvation, and once we accept His gift of salvation, we need to live as He calls us to do,  

Verse thirteen continues, For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.  James said that they would have judgment without mercy if they showed no mercy and rejoiced in the judgment of others.  This still applies today.  If we judge people as unworthy of God’s love and forgiveness and delight in their suffering, we will one day be judged by God for this.  

James 2:5

James 2:5 says, Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?  Continuing to speak about the rich and the poor, James asked if God had not chosen the poor of the world who were rich in faith over the rich who were poor in faith.  This still teaches that God judges us by our faith in Jesus Christ, but that those who are rich in faith will always be judged as better than those who are poor in faith.  I don’t believe that he was saying that the poor are more valuable to God because they are poor, but that they are more valuable because of their faith in Him. 

Verse six adds, But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?  James said that Christians had thought that if their fellow Christians were poor, they had been despised.  Some Christians tend to be this way today, looking down on those that they do not see as their equals materially, but this should never be the case.  

Verse seven continues, Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?  James said that when people did this that they blasphemed the name of Jesus Christ, by whom they were called to salvation.  We as followers of Christ should never be guilty of this.  

Verse eight states, If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:  James then stated that if people obeyed God’s royal law, which he said was to love your neighbor as yourself, that they did well.  This was not the law of man, and he did not say if you obeyed the Ten Commandments as being God’s royal law.  He cited Jesus’s commandment that we love our neighbor as ourselves.  If we aren't doing this, then we will not doing well what God expects from us.   

Verse nine adds, But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.  James then stated that the opposite was true.  If people didn’t extend the love of God to everyone the same way, then they were guilty of being guilty of the law of transgressors.  As Christians we cannot look down on anyone as being unworthy of God’s love.    

James 2:1

James 2:1 says, My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.  James called on those who had put their faith in Jesus Christ, and were therefore brothers and sisters in Christ, to not treat people differently because of who they were in the world.  I believe this would apply both materially and ethnically.  God does not see one ethnic group as superior to others, and neither should we.  God also does not judge people based on their material wealth, and neither should we.  

Verse two adds, For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;  James then continued by speaking about a rich man coming into an assembly of Christians and a poor man coming into the same assembly.  I believe we can apply this to people of different ethnic groups as well.  

Verse three continues, And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:  James added what if they treated the two men differently, given the rich man a place of honor and relegating the poor man to the back.  This was treating them differently because of their worldly status.  We as Christian should never do this.  

Verse four concludes, Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?  James then asked if they did this, had they not become judges and partial to people because of their status and therefore guilty of evil thoughts.  Anytime we begin to judge others because of who they are in the world, we become guilty of evil thoughts, no matter what we base this judgement on.