For almost twenty years and I still feel the old clinging dirt of wanting to deal with God that I may contribute something, so that He will have to give me His grace in exchange for my holiness. And still I cannot get into my head that I should surrender myself completely to sheer grace.
Martin Luther

The General Epistle of James

The General Epistle of James

{1:1} James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to thetwelve tribes which are of the Dispersion, greeting. {1:2} Count it alljoy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations; {1:3} Knowingthat the proving of your faith worketh patience. {1:4} And let patiencehave [its] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking innothing. {1:5} But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God,who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be givenhim. {1:6} But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he thatdoubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.{1:7} For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of theLord; {1:8} a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways. {1:9} But letthe brother of low degree glory in his high estate: {1:10} and therich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass heshall pass away. {1:11} For the sun ariseth with the scorching wind,and withereth the grass: and the flower thereof falleth, and the graceof the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away inhis goings. {1:12} Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; forwhen he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which[the Lord] promised to them that love him. {1:13} Let no man say whenhe is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted withevil, and he himself tempteth no man: {1:14} but each man is tempted,when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. {1:15} Then thelust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it isfullgrown, bringeth forth death. {1:16} Be not deceived, my belovedbrethren. {1:17} Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation,neither shadow that is cast by turning. {1:18} Of his own will hebrought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind offirstfruits of his creatures. {1:19} Ye know [this], my belovedbrethren. But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow towrath: {1:20} for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness ofGod. {1:21} Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing ofwickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able tosave your souls. {1:22} But be ye doers of the word, and not hearersonly, deluding your own selves. {1:23} For if any one is a hearer ofthe word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his naturalface in a mirror: {1:24} for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, andstraightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. {1:25} But he thatlooketh into the perfect law, the [law] of liberty, and [so]continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh,this man shall be blessed in his doing. {1:26} If any man thinkethhimself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue but deceivethhis heart, this man’s religion is vain. {1:27} Pure religion andundefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherlessand widows in their affliction, [and] to keep oneself unspotted fromthe world.

{2:1} My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [theLord] of glory, with respect of persons. {2:2} For if there come intoyour synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there comein also a poor man in vile clothing; {2:3} and ye have regard to himthat weareth the fine clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place;and ye say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit under myfootstool; {2:4} Do ye not make distinctions among yourselves, andbecome judges with evil thoughts? {2:5} Hearken, my beloved brethren;did not God choose them that are poor as to the world [to be] rich infaith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that lovehim? {2:6} But ye have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppressyou, and themselves drag you before the judgment-seats? {2:7} Do notthey blaspheme the honorable name by which ye are called? {2:8} Howbeitif ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt lovethy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: {2:9} but if ye have respect ofpersons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.{2:10} For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one[point], he is become guilty of all. {2:11} For he that said, Do notcommit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou dost not commitadultery, but killest, thou art become a transgressor of the law.{2:12} So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law ofliberty. {2:13} For judgment [is] without mercy to him that hath showedno mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment. {2:14} What doth it profit,my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can thatfaith save him? {2:15} If a brother or sister be naked and in lack ofdaily food, {2:16} and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be yewarmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to thebody; what doth it profit? {2:17} Even so faith, if it have not works,is dead in itself. {2:18} Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and Ihave works: show me thy faith apart from [thy] works, and I by my workswill show thee [my] faith. {2:19} Thou believest that God is one; thoudoest well: the demons also believe, and shudder. {2:20} But wilt thouknow, O vain man, that faith apart from works is barren? {2:21} Was notAbraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac hisson upon the altar? {2:22} Thou seest that faith wrought with hisworks, and by works was faith made perfect; {2:23} and the scripturewas fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it wasreckoned unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend ofGod. {2:24} Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only byfaith. {2:25} And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlotjustified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent themout another way? {2:26} For as the body apart from the spirit is dead,even so faith apart from works is dead.

{3:1} Be not many [of you] teachers, my brethren, knowing that weshall receive heavier judgment. {3:2} For in many things we allstumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, ableto bridle the whole body also. {3:3} Now if we put the horses’ bridlesinto their mouths that they may obey us, we turn about their whole bodyalso. {3:4} Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and aredriven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder,whither the impulse of the steersman willeth. {3:5} So the tongue alsois a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood iskindled by how small a fire! {3:6} And the tongue is a fire: the worldof iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the wholebody, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire byhell. {3:7} For every kind of beasts and birds, of creeping things andthings in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind. {3:8} Butthe tongue can no man tame; [it is] a restless evil, [it is] full ofdeadly poison. {3:9} Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; andtherewith curse we men, who are made after the likeness of God: {3:10}out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren,these things ought not so to be. {3:11} Doth the fountain send forthfrom the same opening sweet [water] and bitter? {3:12} Can a fig tree,my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs? Neither [can] salt wateryield sweet. {3:13} Who is wise and understanding among you? let himshow by his good life his works in meekness of wisdom. {3:14} But if yehave bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie notagainst the truth. {3:15} This wisdom is not [a wisdom] that comethdown from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. {3:16} For wherejealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed.{3:17} But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable,gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, withoutvariance, without hypocrisy. {3:18} And the fruit of righteousness issown in peace for them that make peace.

{4:1} Whence [come] wars and whence [come] fightings among you?[come they] not hence, [even] of your pleasures that war in yourmembers? {4:2} Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannotobtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not. {4:3} Yeask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend [it] inyour pleasures. {4:4} Ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friendshipof the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friendof the world maketh himself an enemy of God. {4:5} Or think ye that thescripture speaketh in vain? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell inus long unto envying? {4:6} But he giveth more grace. Wherefore [thescripture] saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to thehumble. {4:7} Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, andhe will flee from you. {4:8} Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh toyou. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, yedoubleminded. {4:9} Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let yourlaughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. {4:10}Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you.{4:11} Speak not one against another, brethren. He that speakethagainst a brother, or judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law,and judgeth the law: but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doerof the law, but a judge. {4:12} One [only] is the lawgiver and judge,[even] he who is able to save and to destroy: but who art thou thatjudgest thy neighbor? {4:13} Come now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrowwe will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and getgain: {4:14} whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What isyour life? For ye are a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, andthen vanisheth away. {4:15} For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will,we shall both live, and do this or that. {4:16} But now ye glory inyour vauntings: all such glorying is evil. {4:17} To him therefore thatknoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

{5:1} Come now, ye rich, weep and howl for your miseries that arecoming upon you. {5:2} Your riches are corrupted, and your garments aremoth-eaten. {5:3} Your gold and your silver are rusted; and their rustshall be for a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire.Ye have laid up your treasure in the last days. {5:4} Behold, the hireof the laborers who mowed your fields, which is of you kept back byfraud, crieth out: and the cries of them that reaped have entered intothe ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. {5:5} Ye have lived delicately on theearth, and taken your pleasure; ye have nourished your hearts in a dayof slaughter. {5:6} Ye have condemned, ye have killed the righteous[one]; he doth not resist you. {5:7} Be patient therefore, brethren,until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for theprecious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receivethe early and latter rain. {5:8} Be ye also patient; establish yourhearts: for the coming of the Lord is at hand. {5:9} Murmur not,brethren, one against another, that ye be not judged: behold, the judgestandeth before the doors. {5:10} Take, brethren, for an example ofsuffering and of patience, the prophets who spake in the name of theLord. {5:11} Behold, we call them blessed that endured: ye have heardof the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, how that theLord is full of pity, and merciful. {5:12} But above all things, mybrethren, swear not, neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor byany other oath: but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay; that yefall not under judgment. {5:13} Is any among you suffering? Let himpray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise. {5:14} Is any among yousick? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray overhim, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: {5:15} and theprayer of faith shall save him that is sick, and the Lord shall raisehim up; and if he have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him. {5:16}Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another,that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availethmuch in its working. {5:17} Elijah was a man of like passions with us,and he prayed fervently that it might not rain; and it rained not onthe earth for three years and six months. {5:18} And he prayed again;and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. {5:19}My brethren, if any among you err from the truth, and one convert him;{5:20} let him know, that he who converteth a sinner from the error ofhis way shall save a soul from death, and shall cover a multitude ofsins.

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