The Foolishness of Man's Thinking James 2:20-26

The Foolishness of Man's Thinking
James 2:20-26  

“You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?  Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  And the scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend.  You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.  In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?  As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”

Here we find two examples from James to prove his point that faith by itself, if not accompanied by wordks, is dead (vs. 13).  He starts with “You foolish man, do you want evidence…?”   Most dictionaries describe the word foolish as a person who is lacking common sense and judgment..  In the context of James we can take the definition further by saying this is a man who thinks his own interpretation of faith is better than God’s.  He is foolish enough to think he can redefine how faith should work.

How about You?  Have you ever been “foolish” with God’s word?  You may be thinking you would never do what James is describing here but think a little more...a little longer, a little deeper, on the subject.  There are Christians who spend a lot of time gossiping and complaining without the slightest remorse.  Without looking up Scripture would you agree God does not want us to gossip?  Would you agree God considers gossip and complaining a sin?  So if we justify the sins of gossip and complaining and never repent from them, if we never feel a sense of guilt or conviction over such sins...then we have become foolish.  We are guilty of redefining, rewriting, God’s laws to suit our own lifestyle. 

Proverbs 20:19 says, “A gossip betrays confidence…” and Ephesians 4:29 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”  Philippians 2:14 reminds us to “do everything without complaining or arguing.”  Even here in the book of James we are told about the dangers of the tongue.  “...the tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole person and sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself (the tongue) set on fire by hell.” James 3:6.

When we take the truth of God’s word and modify it...justifying our sinful actions, we become foolish.  Think about it.  Only a fool would put their own human thinking above God so next time you are looking in the mirror...take a close look and ask yourself the hard questions.  Have I become foolish in my thinking?  Have I become foolish in my approach to God’s perfect and holy Word?  Maybe it is time for some confession and repentance.