Encountering The New Testament Analysis

The book of James was written, "sometime between the late AD 30s and the early AD 60s” (Elwell and Yarbrough, 337). The main purpose of James is to bring to light our practice of our works. In Encountering the New Testament it says that, "James sees the goal of Christian life reached in putting God's Word into practice” (Elwell and Yarbrough, 338). Later in the book of James is says that, "faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). Jesus isn't a religion, he is person to have a relationship with. Because of His great love and our love for him, we will obey His commandments. By obeying His commandments we begin to serve out of the overflow of His love for us. When we have a relationship with Jesus we become servants who go out and expand His kingdom and in James, he really presses the point of our works. James and many other New Testament writers "point to Christ as the means to salvation and the people of God as his primary redemptive agents in the world” (340).
When we are working and serving the Lord, the devil is going to try and attack more than ever because we are expanding the kingdom. But James encourages us to consider it pure joy because not only are we growing, but it reminds us that we are serving someone so great and our works won't be in vain because of