Outline on the Epistle of James

Living Faith

I.          Living Faith: Surviving Under Pressure (1:1-18)

A.  Surviving Under the Pressure of Daily Trials (1:1-12)

1. Joy is commanded. (v.1)

2. Trials are diverse. (v.2)

3. Trials have a purpose. (vv.3-4)

4. Wisdom is needed and available. (vv.5-8)

5. Trials affect everyone regardless of status (vv.9-11)

6. Endurance produces the victor’s reward (v.12)

B.  Surviving Under the Pressure of Evil Temptations (1:13-18)

1. God is not the source of evil temptations. (v.13)

2. The process of temptation is explained. (vv.14-15)

3. God is the source of everything good. (vv.16-18)

II.        Living Faith: Overcoming Trials & Temptations (1:19-27)

A.  Overcoming God’s way, not man’s (vv. 19-20)

B.  Overcoming with God’s means (vv. 21-25)

1. Remove obstacles that hinder. (v. 21a)

2. Receive the means for victory. (v. 21b)

3. Use what is received. (vv. 22-25)

C.  Overcoming with convincing evidence (vv. 26-27)

1. Evidence includes control of one’s speech. (v. 26)

2. Evidence includes genuine compassion. (v. 27a)

3. Evidence includes a desire for purity. (v. 27b)

 III.       Living Faith: Loving Our Neighbor (2:1-13)

A.  Neighborly love avoids partiality. (vv. 1-9)

1. Partiality is forbidden for believers. (1)

2. Partiality is hypothetically illustrated. (2-4)

3. Partiality is inconsistent with life experiences. (5-7)

4. Partiality is inconsistent with the law of love. (8-9)

B.  Neighborly love fulfills God’s law. (vv. 10-13)

1. God’s law is all-encompassing. (10-11)

2. God’s law promotes love. (12-13)

IV.       Living Faith: Working It Out (2:14-26)

A.  Three Penetrating Questions (14-16)

1. What benefit is faith without works? (14a)

2. Can that kind of faith save? (14b)

3. What value are empty words? (15-16)

B.  A Practical Faith Principle (17)

C.  A Proposed Objection (18-19)

1. The objection is raised and answered. (18)

2. The objection is illustrated by a comparison. (19)

D.  Two Persuasive Demonstrations (20-25)

1. Abraham demonstrated working faith. (20-24)

2. Rahab demonstrated working faith. (25)

E.  A Positive Precept (26)

V.        Living Faith: Practicing Self-Control (3:1-18)

A.  Self-control is exhibited in speech. (1-12)

1. Careful speech is commanded. (1)

2. Speech reveals one’s level of self-control (2)

3. Notice the way control works in life. (3-5a)

4. Uncontrolled speech produces much damage. (5b-6)

5. Uncontrolled speech is inconsistent with nature. (7-12)

a. It can’t be tamed like animals. (7-8)

b. It mixes good and evil. (9-12)

B.  Self-control requires godly wisdom. (13-18)

1. Godly wisdom is revealed in conduct. (13)

2. Earthly wisdom produces evil conduct. (14-16)

3. Heavenly wisdom produces righteous conduct. (17-18)

VI.       Living Faith: Separating from Worldliness (4:1-5:6)

A.  Worldliness includes conflict and strife. (4:1-12)

1. The source and result of strife is revealed. (1-2)

2. The cause of strife is described. (3-5)

3. The remedy for strife is explained. (6-10)

4. Admonitions to avoid strife are offered. (11-12)

B.  Worldliness includes arrogant planning. (4:13-17)

1. Arrogant plans ignore key factors. (13-14)

2. Arrogant plans can be corrected. (15-17)

C.  Worldliness includes the love of luxury. (5:1-6)

1. Love of luxury produces disappointing results. (1-3)

2. Love of luxury causes injustice. (4-6)

VII.     Living Faith: Reaching the Final Goal (5:7-20)

A.  Patience is necessary to reach the goal. (7-12)

1. Patience is encouraged. (7-8)

2. Patience is practically applied. (9, 12)

3. Patience is illustrated. (10-11)

B.  Prayer is necessary to reach the goal. (13-18)

1. Prayer is appropriate for all circumstances. (13-15)

2. Prayer hindrances need to be removed. (16)

3. Effective prayer is illustrated in real life. (17-18)

C.  Even the wayward may reach the goal. (19-20)