The New Testament epistle of James emphasizes practical piety and lived-out faith, offering dozens of easily understood commands for Christians. Its simple clarity, however, is a two-edged sword. In some circles, James is known but not studied, perhaps because the instructions for godly living demand too high a standard. James asks the uncomfortably acute question, Does your life match what you believe? (1:22-do what it says!). Even more dismaying, he also indicts a purely intellectual faith as something demonic (2:19). Studying James is an exercise in balance; one must attend diligently to the essentials of the Christian life while resisting the natural slide into legalism. Doriani provides just such a balanced approach, rightly insisting that amid the exhortations, James preaches a gospel of grace.
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Issue: "Using God" Nov./Dec. 2007 Vol. 16 No. 6 Page number(s): 43-44
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