Verse 1,
my brothers, do not hold the belief of our Master Yahusha Messiah, the Master
of esteem, with partiality.
Partiality – bias,
prejudice, favouritism or unfairness. There is only one belief, meaning do not
have a different believe system between certain people. There is only one way
in believing in Messiah not different ways and this belief is expressed to
other people in the same way.
Verse 2 – 4,
for if there should come into your meeting a man with gold rings, in a splendid
robe, and there should also come in a poor one dressed in rags, and you pay
attention to the one wearing the splendid robe and say to him, “You sit here in
a good place,” and say to the poor one, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here by my
feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves, and become judges with wicked
thoughts?
Ya’aqob or Yaakov
(James) is straight forward! This happened in his time and still happens today.
Nothing is new under the sun! We all are guilty of doing this at one or more
times. It is not wrong to be with someone that shares the same belief or
culture as you do but what Ya’aqob is saying is not to give a rich or
well-dressed person that shares the same belief as you a better place to sit
then a poor or unwell-dressed person that shares the same belief, to sit at the
back of the room on the floor. Do not look at the outwardly side of a person
but treat everyone equally in belief. This verse is not about the unbeliever
vs. the believer or poor vs. the rich or ugly looking vs. the good looking. It
is about the poor believer vs. the rich believer or the ugly looking believer
vs. the good looking believer or the one believer that gives little vs. the one
believer that gives many. Not treating the one better than the other.
Verse 5,
listen, my beloved brothers: Has Elohim not chosen the poor of this world, rich
in belief and heirs of the reign which He promised to those who love Him?
Elohim choses those
who truly believe in Him! To Messiah it does not matter how that person looks
like, it is his/her heart that Messiah sees, not if he is rich or poor, neatly
dressed or in rags, pretty or ugly, fat or thin, educated or uneducated! If you
believe in Messiah and accepted Him, He has chosen you no matter whom or how
you are. Do not confuse this with living in sin, example, murdering,
homosexuality, lying, stealing, and adultery and so on! That is what rich in
belief means; doing what Messiah asks you to do, like not committing adultery
for example.
Verse 6-7,
but you have shown disrespect towards the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you
and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that good Name by which you
are called?
The believer who is
poor should be treated in the same way as the rich believer! Most of the rich
only wants status and most will stop at nothing achieving this. The rich wants
to be richer and they will drag anyone to the courts that come against them. Most
of the self-seeking ones do not need Yahusha Messiah and will disregard a
believer in Messiah and call him/her many ugly names.
Verse 8-9,
if you truly accomplish the sovereign law according to the Scripture, “You
shall love your neighbour as yourself,” you do well, but if you show
partiality, you commit sin, being found guilty by the Torah as transgressors.
If you truly love
Messiah, obey Him and keep His commands, you will treat all believers equally
and love them. But if you show unfairness to your fellow believer, you are
committing sin and are guilty of breaking the commandments.
Verse 10,
for whoever shall guard all the Torah, and yet stumble in one point, he is
guilty of all.
This verse warns us
once again to keep all Ten Words (commandments). If you struggle to do one
command, you are guilty of breaking all.
Verse 11,
for He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you
do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of Torah.
Messiah also said if
you look at a woman and lust after her, you have committed adultery in your
heart. Anyone that keeps the Torah but supports abortion or homosexuality is a
transgressor of the Torah.
Verse 12 – 13, so speak and so do as those who are to be judged by a Torah of
freedom. For the judgment is without compassion to the one who has shown no compassion.
And compassion boasts over judgment.
The Torah of freedom
is placed in your heart and you continue in it, not becoming a hearer that
forgets, but a doerer that remembers. Blessing is for you doing the Torah. The
one that does not show compassion to anyone during his/her life must not expect
compassion on judgement day. Show compassion rather than judging. Does not mean
you may not judge but remember to be compassion while helping someone in the
right direction.
Verse 14,
my brothers, what use is it for anyone to say he has belief but does not have works?
This belief is unable to save him.
Talk the talk or
worship by lips only, will not get anyone into Yahusha’s kingdom. Your belief
must come from the heart not only from talking. Do you love Elohim, if you do,
do what He asks you to do. You cannot only be a hearer and not do what you
hear! Deeds are the evidence of your faith as Yahuah's spirit is not barren and
if there is no deed to back up your faith, then you don't have any faith.
Verse 15 – 17, and if a brother or sister is naked and in need of daily food, but one
of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” but you do not
give them the bodily needs, what use is it? So also belief, if it does not have
works, is in itself dead.
Good example of
believe without works. If your brother needs food and you tell him you are
sorry to hear that he/she has no food and say to him/her that you will pray for
him to receive food but you do not give him/her something to eat, is the same
as belief without works.
Verse 18,
but someone might say, “You have belief, and I have works.” Show me your belief
without your works, and I shall show you my belief by my works.
What fruit do you
bear? Believe must bear fruit! Being a good person is not bearing fruit of
belief! Doing Father’s will, doing as Messiah does is bearing fruit of faith.
Verse 19,
you believe that Elohim is one. You do well. The demons also believe – and
shudder!
Can you see the
difference in belief! Demons believe too but do they show the works of belief?
No they do not!
Verse 20,
but do you wish to know, O foolish man, that the belief without the works is dead?
O you stupid fool, if
you do not have works of believe, you are dead. Many are taught only to say
they believe in Messiah and do nothing else. You can continue to live in sin
and still say you believe in Messiah and that is okay. Remember verse 19, the
demons also believe!
Verse 21 – 22, was not Abraham our father declared right by works when he offered
Yitssaq (Isaac) his son on the altar? Do you see that the belief was working with
his works, and by the works the belief was perfected?
Abraham was a good
example who believed Father Yahuah by doing what Father asked him to do with
regards to his son Isaac. Abraham was prepared to offer up his son because he trusted
Father and believed Him. And because Abraham believed and obeyed, he was
blessed. Abraham’s belief was perfect belief.
Verse 23,
and the Scripture was filled which says, “Abraham believed Elohim, and it was
reckoned to him for righteousness.” And he was called, “Elohim’s friend.”
Abraham was blessed
with many promises because he did what Yahuah asked him to do. Abraham had a
very close relationship with Elohim. Genesis 15:6, and he believed in Yahuah, and He reckoned it to
him for righteousness. This is how Abram’s (Abraham’s) walk with Elohim began,
followed by what we read in 17:1,
and it came to be
when Abram was ninety-nine years old, that Yahuah appeared to Abram and said to
him, “I am Âl Shaddai – walk before Me and be perfect (Messiah gives the same command in Matthew. 5:48). Then we
read in 26:5 how Yahuah
bears witness of Abraham; because Abraham obeyed My voice and guarded My
Charge: My commands, My laws, and My Torot (Torah).” Isaiah 41.8, “But you, Israel, are My
servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham My friend…
Verse 24,
you see, then, that a man is declared right by works, and not by belief alone.
Belief alone is not
good enough, need works of belief! People and Elohim need to see the fruits of
your believe not just lip talking. Actions speak louder than words!
Verse 25,
in the same way, was not Rahab the whore also declared right by works when she
received the messengers and sent them out another way?
Remember her in Joshua 2 (Yahusha) when she
put her life on the line to guard the Israelite spies that came to Jericho. She
did not only believe in Almighty, she took action to protect the people that
where from the Almighty.
Verse 26,
for as the body without the spirit is dead, so also the belief is dead without
the works.
You are dead when you
no longer have the spirit, so too are you dead when your belief is without
doing!
Praise Yah
