Going Deeper – James 4:11-5:6

Title and Text: “Humble Faith” – James 4:11-5:6

Connect:

• Discuss the following statement: “Humility claimed is pride renamed.”  Are humility and pride mutually exclusive? How can we cultivate humility without becoming prideful?

Cultivate:

• Like Jesus in Matt. 7:1-3, James instructs Christians not to “speak evil against one another,” (4:11) which is a form of judgment.  What are some ways we might be prone to speak against others in the church?  (E.g., gossip, slander, to name a couple).
• The royal law (Jas. 2:8) is reflected in Jesus’ own life and in his summation of the Old Testament in the great commandment (Luke 10:27).  How does critical or harsh speech undermine this new commandment?
• The “Protestant work ethic” is part of our national identity; we encourage people to become self-reliant, hard-working, ladder-climbing, over-achievers.  James observes that we can easily become arrogant in the way we assess our abilities and what they can bring us.  How can we balance a proper work-ethic and diligent planning with total dependency on God?  To what degree can we live “self-sufficiently” and still humbly trust the Lord?
• James addresses the danger of materialism in 5:1-6.  Why is it impossible to live humbly before God and others when material possessions and financial concerns rule our lives?  How can we guard against the influence of our materialistic culture?
• Which of the attendant problems of greed and materialism is most troubling for you: a possessive spirit (vv 2-3), taking advantage of others (v 4), or self-indulgence (v 5)?  Have you confused wants and needs?

Commission:

• James identifies three threats to humility: criticism (4:11-12), arrogance (4:13-17), and materialism (5:1-6).  Which is the biggest threat to the growth of humility in your heart?  Consider the example of Jesus: how do his life and teaching point you in the direction of humble faith, away from the area of struggle you identified?

Advertisement