Faith & Love: A One Year Bible Reading Plan - Part 4Sample

James initially did not believe in Jesus. Only after Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to James, he started talking about how Christians should act and live towards each other. Reading the book of James, one sometimes feels that James is shouting and condemning us the whole time. This is not the case. But it is more a case of urgency. James is helping us understand that our actions are directly linked to our revelation of who Jesus is. James 4 starts with slander and gossiping among Christians. James is trying to point out that this is like a cancer and may prove to be fatal if not treated urgently. What James is implying is that if you do these things, you are going against the most important law and commandment, which is: "love your neighbour as yourself." Verse 12 says that only God Himself is able to pass judgement the way we sometimes do when speaking evil of one another. In this whole chapter, James is really trying to teach us humility and respect for each other. My prayer is that we see the relevance of James’ message, even today.