Seven Deadly Sins

Faith is dead without good works.   James 2:26

James, the brother of our Lord Jesus Christ, wrote as a pastor who was deeply concerned about people who were confident of their spiritual health yet had shown little evidence of spiritual life. He deals with one of the most common misunderstandings of the Christian faith—that spiritual health is nothing more than a set of beliefs.

Some people believe in God, heaven, and even Jesus’ death and resurrection, but apart from these beliefs, there’s nothing that shows the image of God is being restored in them. James saw some of these “believers” as he traveled around the churches, and he noted seven disturbing patterns of behavior:

1. Some people gave preference to the rich. They sought out friendships with those who could benefit them, showing little interest in others (see James 2:1-13).
2. Other people couldn’t control their tongues. He’d heard some cursing, and the way they spoke to other people was disturbing (see James 3:1-12).
3. Too many people wanted their own way, and they ended up butting heads as they pursued their own agendas (see James 4:1-3).
4. Some folks were arrogant. There was little evidence of the repentant spirit that comes to Christ with nothing to offer and everything to receive (see James 4:6-10).
5. Some “believers” spoke unkindly about their brothers and sisters in Christ. They seemed to enjoy talking about the deficiencies of the others (see James 4:11-12).
6. Some visionaries were so confident about their plans for the future that they showed little evidence of a daily dependence on God (see James 4:13-16).
7. A few people failed to make good on the debts they owed, withholding wages from their employees (see James 5:4).

Beliefs that do not change your life, making you merely a religious version of what you were before, are useless to you and dangerous to everyone else. There is no saving power in a faith that does not lead to a changed life.

For further reading, see James 4