The True Fast: A Study on the Book of James and Related Teachings

The Bible study contained in this book is about the true religion we are called to and the true fast which defines it. God is calling us to serve and without our service, it seems our faith is dead. James understood this and with his letter, he wanted to let the church know it was time to get back to work at breaking the chains of injustice, setting captives free clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, and loving our neighbors in every wholesome way we possibly could.

The scribes and pharisees had multiple encounters with Jesus often times seeking him out to create friction. Jesus made firm statements criticizing their hypocrisy. Living for the extreme rules they imposed such as dividing individual grains of spices into tithes and creating additional rules for the sabbath made these moments of giving praise to God burdensome. Jesus compared the practices of these religious leaders to a bowl unwashed on the inside but clean on the outside. For all of their laws, there was very little loosening of chains, caring for widows, forgiving of enemies, providing for the poor, or bringing lost souls home to God.

Christ's humility led to himself being a sacrifice for others and this is a lesson to be imparted onto each of us. Serving sacrificially is what we do as followers of Christ and giving of ourselves is part of the new person Christ has made of us. We live to do God's will, knowing the sacrifice which led us to who we are truly meant to be. In the sacrifices and sufferings, we find our freedom in Christ through our faith and share the cross of Jesus. It is in his cross that we truly overcome sin and death