Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1897-05-27
The SUNDAY SCHOOL.
International Lesson for May 80. 1897
-Christian Faith Leads 10 Good
Horks-James 2sI4-23


eorks-James 2iI4-@3.
ARRANGED from Peloubet's Notes.l
GOLDEN TEXT will show thee my
faith BY my Works.-Jas. 2:18
THE SECTIOE.-The first two chapters
- St James should be read. together with
the passages referred 10 under Light rom
Other Scriptures.
TINE Of writing unknown, but either
between A Z. IS and a.. or IS and So.
PLACE.-It was written at Jerusalem,
where James lived and was at the head Of
the church
LESSON NOTES
The EPistle of James. The Author,
James the Brother of Our Lord. Hewas
not James the brother of John. and
son of Zebedee, who was aartyred 4. d.
Al, nor James the son of Alpheus, called
James the Less, or Junior. Whether
he was the son of Mary and the real
half brother of Jesus, or only seeming
half brother, the son of Joseph and not
of Mary, or cousin, adopted into the
family. is a matter of much dispute
He was not believer in Jesus during
his ministry John 1880, but probably
his half-persuaded wayering faith was
fixed by the crucifixion and resmrrec-
ton of Christ. for we find him imme-
diately after numbered with the dis
ciples (Acts 1913. He became presi-
dent of the church at Jerusalem (Acts
1917, 1913; 21:1s), and was a person of
great influence and distinction in the
church. He was called James the just.
was ascetie in his habit, a strong OBJ
server of the law, both moral and cere-
monial; Indifferent TO the luxuries and
comforts of life, honoring the poor more
than the rich, visiting the fatherless
and the widow, accompanying the
elders of the church when they anoint-
ed the sick with oil in the hope of their
recovery. slow to judge. calming by his
sanity meekness the angry passions of
contending parties, adopting the policy
of nonresistance in times of persecu-
ton.
Its Theme is The Perfect Man, in the
perfection of the Christian life. the
doer of the perfect law.
To Whom Written. This isone of the
Catholic (UniversaD or General Epis-
ties. written to no particular church,
but TO the Jewish Christians every
where.
I. Faith Without Works Is Dead
VS.. 14-17. IA. What doth it profit %
What is the use, what does it amount to.
especially for salvation. and as a proof
of being Christian? Though man
say he hath faith" Say is en-
phatic. The man has something which
he thinks is faith, it looks like faith.
as Il statue. or picture, or a dead body
looks like man. 1t is a kind Of faith
". 19). And have not works." The
works which belong to faith, which are
the natural expression of faith in Jesus;
the fruits of the Spirit. Can faith"
II. V, that faith" that kind of faith,
save him." Is. "If a brother" ETC.:
There was actual feeling for the hungry
and naked brother disciple, a real wish
that their wants might be supplied, but
it was weak, superficial emotion that
expressed itself only in good wishes,
and did nothing for them. There was
no real love, no true generosity. What
good did such feelings do? In like man
ner. faith that is superficial, that is
mere belief of a creed or theory. so that
lit hath not works." the fruits that
ought to come from faith. lis dead. be-
ing alone" Or. ", is dead itself.
II. Faith Proved by Its Works.-Vs.
1920. IS. Yea, a man may say" Any
man Of common sense and piety. "Shew
re thy faith without" apart from,
thy works." As one would attempt
10 prove that he has the power of
speech without speaking. "And l will
Shew thee my faith by my works."
BY the fruits which are the natural
outcome Of the faith
10 Thou believest that there is one
Gods" Very well, that is good: but of
what kind is your faith? 'sThe DEVILS"
Demons. as the Greek and as the word
should be translated The term for
The devil is always a different word
Also believer" They. too. know that
there is a God. but it produces no good
works in them. 1t makes them "trem-
BILE" shudder with fear, without MAX
ing them any better.
20. But such faith is of no use. Faith
without works is dead" The r. V,
using a better text, says it is barren,
die, useless.
H. The Harmonious Action of Faith
ard Wcrks.-ys. 21-23. 2l "Was Not
Abraham iustified?" Made
righteous. accounted righteous, and
treated as righteous. Was he not re-
ceived into the family Of God as friend
aud disciple. by works ?" That is be-
rause he did that which faith required
of him, in being willing, if God re-
quired il, to offer up his son Isaac, even
though he could not understand how
the promises could be fulfilled if he did
%. How faith wrought with his
works." as their source. by works
was faith made perfect" Here the
terse is changed to that which denotes
completion in single act.
90. The Scripture was fulfilled"
(Gen. 1861 Imputed for
righteousness" Reckoned. counted 70
him. Faith was counted to Abraham
for Righteousness before the faith was
tested, because it was that kind of
faith which would Dr,Odi1rNa rigb+ao,,s-