The relevance of the letter of James for modern Christians

The very practical approach of James provides an important Christian emphasis for any time. The emphasis comes from Jesus himself, in teaching such as that recorded in the parable of the two men who built houses, one on rock and one on sand (Matthew 7 :24-27), and in the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25 :31-46). 'Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to his word; instead, put it into practice' (James 1:22).

In a society experiencing rapid change, the Christian faith has to be seen as offering a total way of life, not just a system of intellectual belief.

James' teaching about enduring trials and difficulties is needed by many who feel disturbed by the change around them, 'like a wave in the sea that is driven and blown about by the wind' (l :6). In Jesus Christ they can find their security and confidence.

The teaching about the need to control speech and to realize what evil can result from an uncontrolled tongue is not only relevant for the individual but important for society as a whole in this age of quick communications and media such as radio, the press and television. A warlike threat from the leader of one nation can cause anger in another, with resulting hostility between them in a very short time. In the nuclear age, with proliferation of nuclear armaments in many nations, hostile speech between leaders can be a very serious threat to international peace. As never before, this is an age when great publicity on a worldwide scale is given to what is said by leading people, for good and evil.

James' warning against the snare of riches can be applied not only t individuals in society but to nations. The gulf between rich and poor nations is a burning issue of our times. If the rich nations are not prepared to share the world's resources more fairly with the poor, disaster will result for both, according to a number of very serious forecasts about the final years of this century. The world-wide Church has a responsibility to demand international justice and wise use of the world's resources.

The idea of the Christian who must live in the world but not be conformed to what is evil in it still holds. Christians have to live out their faith, day by day, in whatever situations they find themselves. They have to put the principles of their faith into practice, guided by the needs around them.

Finally, James' teaching about healing through the prayer of faith is taken seriously today by many Christians. Many churches have a ministry of healing.