James: Being on God's Side

In his second inaugural address given shortly before he was assassinated, Abraham Lincoln spoke these powerful words, “Both (sides) read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other…The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes… With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” Lincoln found the perfect tension in those words as he attempted to push the nation toward restoration and away from retribution after the long Civil War. His words demonstrated a strong sense of courageous moral clarity without any arrogant moral superiority. And sadly, this balance is completely lacking in our culture today. Imagine how powerful it would be if this same balance of humility and strength could be achieved in our current political climate. Imagine how different our current culture debates might feel to us right now. 

Through today’s passage, James will also emphasize the importance of finding the difficult balance of humility and strength, a balance that Jesus modeled perfectly! As a result of our study, we’ll discover an important truth: You can be on the right side of an issue, but if your heart is filled with pride and self-righteousness, then you are on the wrong side of God! 

In His Service,

Pastor Steve