Stop deceiving yourself
Lessons from James
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Lessons from James the Just
A few years ago, I wrote a short piece on my favourite verse from Epistle of James here. My point there was there is no greater modern scam than the belief that philosophy (love/friend of wisdom) is merely armchair speculation and language analysis. Instead, philosophy has always and will always be about attaining union with the One.
James the Just, also known as Jesus's step-brother from Joseph’s previous marriage, writes one of my favourite epistles in the New Testament. Soon after writing his epistle, the Scribes and Pharisees threw James off the temple and clubbed him to death.
Interesting fact: Martin Luther, the German priest and the reformer, absolutely hated the Epistle of James. Luther wrote this about James:
"Some day I will use James to fire my stove.”
Today we look at lessons from James.
You desire and do not have, so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and wage war.
The path is made by walking on it. Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who observes his natural face in a mirror, for he observes himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But he who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer that forgets but a doer that acts, he shall be blessed in his doing.
Align your desires with what is good, then act. Whoever knows what is right to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Our greatest enemy is our uncontrolled passions. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death.
Wisdom without action is dead. What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
Humility is the key to growth. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rank growth of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
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Till next week,
Peace!
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