James: The Ethics of Grace

James was the half-brother of Jesus (by Joseph) and a key leader in the Jerusalem church. He is known for his famous statement, “Faith without works is dead.” A key concern for this apostle was the potential to misapply the gift of grace, or the assurance that Christians are forgiven, loved, and promised eternal life not on the basis of anything good that they do, but because Jesus lived, suffered, died and rose from the dead on their behalf.