Solomon Andria: Risk

Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. James 2:21-26

“At this point, James gives two examples drawn from God’s word: Abraham and Rahab, both of whom became ancestors of our Lord Jesus. Our ancestor Abraham was such an example of faith in action that he is called the father of believers (Galatians 3:7-9). His faith expressed itself in his willingness to sacrifice his only son to God (Genesis 22:1-19). This sacrifice is the action by which Abraham demonstrated his faith. He was not justified by this action, but by the faith that produced it.

Rahab in the second example is the very opposite of Abraham. He is the father of believers, whereas she was only a prostitute. But they shared the same faith, the faith that expresses itself in action. By faith, Rahab risked her life to save the lives of the Israelite spies (Joshua 2:1-21). The author concludes this part of his letter with a metaphor: σs the body without the spirit is deσd, so faith without deeds is dead. This metaphor underscores the importance of putting God’s word into practice if we are even to be able to speak about faith.”

Solomon Andria (Madagascar) in “James” in Africa Bible Commentary, Tokunboh Adeyemo, General Editor (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006).

I often teach my students that if we don’t risk everything for the Kingdom, we don’t gain anything and we miss the Kingdom. Abraham risked Isaac. Rehab risked her life. The faith that takes no risks is dead. The faith that motivated their actions saved them. Faith that motivates no actions or takes such risks is dead.

Think of it this way. God wants your hands free to grasp the Kingdom. He wants you to let go of whatever is most precious to you, whatever you think you need. That’s why He calls the rich man to let go of riches. Money won’t get you into the Kingdom. But if you let it go in giving, you enter like anyone else and get your riches there.

This passage has everything to do with generosity. God wants to give you something better than your most precious possessions. He wants to give you the Kingdom. The question is this: Do you trust him enough to let go? Give generously. Let me speak like James and say your eternal salvation depends on it.

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? James 2:18-20

“To drive this point home, James stops using the plural pronoun and changes to the singular, as if he were talking to only one person. This type of change is not unusual in the Old Testament, especially in Psalms and Proverbs. As we have said, James’ letter could well be a book of wisdom. The author contrasts faith characterized by nice words with the faith that produces works that can be observed. He emphasizes that such works are the result of faith. Faith that is not demonstrated by works is dead in that it is simply a nominal belief, like that of the demons, who also believe in God but do not obey him. The author has good reason to say that the person who advocates such dead faith is a poor man! He is worth very little in spiritual terms.”

Solomon Andria (Madagascar) in “James” in Africa Bible Commentary, Tokunboh Adeyemo, General Editor (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006).

Do you exhibit nominal belief?

It’s a strong statement as James equates such people with demons who believe in God but do not obey Him. Think about it. James, the half-brother of Jesus, groups nominal believers with demons. I often say, please, don’t count yourself as a follower of Jesus if you choose a path of foolishness.

What is nominal belief, anyway?

It would be a person who says, I follow Jesus (words) and then does not do what He says (works). The reason such people get numbered among the demons is clear: such faith cannot save them. Notice that teaching people about radical obedience and generosity is really saving them for eternity.

Obedience is not incidental but integral to saving faith.

The work in Cameroon has far exceeded expectations. Today we fly to Ethiopia then drop down to Uganda for another week of program work. Thanks for your prayers

Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:15-17

“The preaching style of this letter appears here more clearly than elsewhere. James addresses his readers as if they were standing before him and sets out to question and persuade them. He uses a concrete example to make his point: What should one do when faced with a brother or sister in need, lacking even the most basic necessities such as clothing and food? There were certainly many poor people in the churches to which James was writing. Fine sounding words would not feed them, nor would good wishes. Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is deσd. In other words, it needs no enemy to make it disappear.”

Solomon Andria (Madagascar) in “James” in Africa Bible Commentary, Tokunboh Adeyemo, General Editor (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006).

What good is it?

That’s a great question. James hold us a mirror to help us as readers see our actions for what they are. Only hearers can answer. But they need to be asked this question to be moved to change. This text shows the power of a question for influencing human actions.

What good is it?

Suppose you keep living, giving, serving, and loving on the same trajectory. Our African brother, Solomon Andria expounds on this with an African question. Will your influence require any enemy to disappear?

Think about it. Will your life cause the evil one to want your example to stop blessing others or will he celebrate because you look no different from the world around you?

What good is it?

Today marks our final day in Cameroon. The main training event will serve not only workers from across Francophone Africa but upwards of 100 invited guests from the Cameroon Christian community.

Pray for us. The enemy wants us to disappear. Hardships, lost luggage, sickness, and other have beset us this week, but we continue to overcome by the grace of God.

And pray for my friend, Chi-Chung Keung. He retires from paid work today. I leave him with today’s question as he contemplates what I believe will be his best years of service yet ahead of him.

As he asks it of himself and as you ask it of yourself, I pray much good comes of your response and that God sustains you through the attacks of the enemy which seek to make you disappear.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? James 2:14

“In considering whether James is indeed teaching salvation by works, we need to remember when this letter was written. It was probably written towards the end of the first century, by which time Paul’s teaching on justification by faith would have been widely known, since Paul’s letters had been written decades earlier. However, some Christians in the generation following Paul were misinterpreting the doctrine of justification by faith and even twisting it by claiming that works were no longer important. So James is not opposing Paul. In fact, he places more stress on authentic faith than he is sometimes given credit for. He insists faith is empty and inauthentic if it does not involve putting the word into practice.”

Solomon Andria (Madagascar) in “James” in Africa Bible Commentary, Tokunboh Adeyemo, General Editor (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006).

This post seems fitting as Romeo Nkongnou from Cameroon, Emmna Pervaiz from Pakistan, and I train workers from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, The Republic of Congo, Togo, and Uganda through Stations of Generosity today.

Imagine people from very difficult conditions realizing that they can share generously despite having limited means, which demonstrates their faith is not empty or inauthentic. Imagine the witness giving is in hard places. Pray for us. One of our team members has gotten sick. Thankfully she tested negative for Malaria, but it creates more work on others.

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. James 2:8-10

“The solution to discrimination in the Christian community is to practice the royal law, the one that says love your neighbor σs yourself. This law is royal because it is one of the two greatest commandments (Matt 22:39) and also because it was given by Jesus Himself.

James’ emphasis emerges again: he does not tell his readers to ‘obey’ the law but to keep it, or in other words, to put it into practice. If they keep this law, Christians will not discriminate. If they do discriminate, they are disobeying the law. Christians of Jewish origin were eager to keep the law, but had failed to recognize that discrimination is as serious a sin as adultery or murder and that by breaking this one law they were guilty of breaking the whole law.

James encourages the believers to be careful in their relationships because one day they will have to give God an account of what they have done, and will be judged not according to the law of Moses, but by the law that gives freedom. He warns them that God will judge those who discriminate. Someone who shows favoritism insults the dignity of others and judges them. That person will in turn be judged by God.”

Solomon Andria (Madagascar) in “James” in Africa Bible Commentary, Tokunboh Adeyemo, General Editor (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006).

Solomon Andria helps us with our understanding of this Scripture. The operative word here is keep.

Too many people think that what matters is their beliefs. Nothing could be further from the heart of God. Even the demons believe. He cares about our behavior as judgment links not to our believes but our behavior.

Do I have your attention? Good! James tells us what mattes is keeping the royal law (instructions of Jesus).

In plain terms, the head of the early church in Jerusalem, James, felt like the most important thing was to obey the words of Jesus. They called it the royal law. So imagine the judgment for not caring about it!

Trainings going well in Cameroon. Thanks for your prayers.

Our Stewardship and Standards event will be televised today. Big deal. Pray it goes well. Pray God is glorified. Pray it inspires workers to put their houses in order with standards for sustainability.

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? James 2:1-7

“James presents a hypothetical situation in which a rich and a poor man come into a meeting. There would be nothing unusual about this, for there were certainly rich believers. If the attitude of the leaders was to favour the rich to the detriment of the poor, they were guilty of discrimination, which James condemns as offensive. The sin is in the fact that these leaders, whom the author calls my dear brothers, have set themselves up as judges by elevating the rich and insulting the dignity of the poor. God is on the side of the poor, not because they are poor but because they are responsive to him and are near the Kingdom.

If they are rich in faith, they inherit the Kingdom. God rejects the rich, not because of their riches but because they commit violent acts: they are exploiting you … dragging you into court, … slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong. The ‘name’ to which James is referring is the name of Jesus Christ. The rich assume that their wealth entitles them to do what they like and that they are not subject to the same rules as others.

Christian communities in Africa are not immune to this sometimes unconscious discrimination in favour of the rich since the power of money is strong when many are poor. The rich are easily noticed and gain the respect of leaders. Then the poor find themselves shoved to one side because, as the proverb says, ‘thin cows are not licked by their friends’. They are ignored because they are ‘thin’ and cannot make a financial contribution to the community.”

Solomon Andria (Madagascar) in “James” in Africa Bible Commentary, Tokunboh Adeyemo, General Editor (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006).

So far so good in Africa. Thanks for your prayers for me and the African staff and regional workers that I am mentoring this week. Let me tell you about one of them.

Romeo Nkongnou lives here in Cameroon. He’s an enthusiastic emerging Christian worker. He took GTP courses, started moderating them for others, and then agreed to serve as Global Trainer and French Programs Manager for GTP.

Romeo gets it and wanted me to come train him to spread trainings 2×2 with country coordinators across the regions. Today we wrap up the first training, Journey of Empowerment (JOE).

JOE has four lessons: (1) You matter! (2) You are part of something bigger! (3) We choose God’s path together to make a difference. (4) We hold each other accountable to stay on track.

This is not insignificant in Africa filled with corruption and favoritism, where little gets done without bribes or knowing the right people, and where people get labeled as thin or fat cows. We teach people to train others in a new, biblical way to live.

But let’s face it. Africa and America (and everywhere else) have corruption and favoritism. I appreciated how Solomon spoke of “unconscious discrimination” today. We do it and do not even realize it.

This brings the 2×2 aspect of JOE into view. When we don’t realize we are part of the problem rather than part of the solution, we need others to help us get on track and stay on track. That’s what JOE does.

We have delivered JOE in English with French translation. Learn more about JOE here. Watch a video, download the brochure, and/or register for the next on demand cohort in January 2026.

And in case you missed it, consider joining me on a Journey through Advent. Click here to download my 30-day devotional, Waiting (start reading today on 1 December 2025).

And click here to register for zooms on 8, 15, and 22 December 2025 on which we will explore the topic of Waiting more deeply. You are welcome to attend, one, two, or all three zooms.

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:26-27

“Most of the Jews ‘scattered among the nations’ were religious, however, James condemns those who claim to be religious but do not concern themselves with putting their beliefs into practice. Without action, good doctrine is useless. Pure religion shows itself in behavior. He gives an example of the type of behavior he has in mind: looking after orphans and widows.

This example derives from the Old Testament, which commanded God’s people to care for those who had no one to support them financially. Orphans had no fathers, widows no husbands and foreigners no land to cultivate. James does not mention foreigners in this letter because the Christian Jews to whom this letter is addressed were all foreigners themselves.

But pure religion is not just a non-governmental organization, an NGO doing social work. The work done by believers is the product of their faith and the religion is characterized by the holy lives of its members. Briefly put, the Word must produce in us acts that prove our relationship to God and a way of life that glorifies Him.”

Solomon Andria (Madagascar) in “James” in Africa Bible Commentary, Tokunboh Adeyemo, General Editor (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006).

Today GTP welcomes 27 stewards from across Francophone Africa to Yaoundé, Cameroon. I shot the new header photo from my hotel room (pictured above). In total, 33 people convene from 17 countries get trained to multiply faithful stewards in their countries. Everything we do aims to connect beliefs and behavior.

The first training is called Journey of Empowerment (JOE). We start it this evening and it runs through tomorrow. We deliver it in English with French translation. Learn more about JOE here. Watch a video, download the brochure, and/or register for the on demand cohort.

I appreciate the African mindset that comes out today. Notice that Africans might expect NGOs to take responsibility for widows and orphans. But we think and act the same thing in America and around the world.

We think it is someone else’s job to care for orphans, widows, or other destitute folks. James pins the responsibility on all who wants to have pure and blameless religion. What about you? How might God want you to connect your beliefs and behavior.

One more thing today. Consider joining me on a Journey through Advent. Click here to download my 30-day devotional, Waiting (start reading today on 1 December 2025).

And click here to register for zooms on 8, 15, and 22 December 2025 on which we will explore the topic of Waiting more deeply. You are welcome to attend, one, two, or all three zooms.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. James 1:22-25

“If we only glance at the Scriptures in a superficial manner, we will not be able to see what God is showing us there or get a good enough grasp of what God is really saying to be able to put his will into practice.

The same truth applies when we walk out of a church service and say, ‘that was a good sermon.’ too often we forget the content of the sermon simply because we make no effort to think about it or understand it thoroughly. We need to make an effort to understand what the word is saying, and after having examined and understood what the word says, we must appropriate it and integrate it into our lives.

If we stop partway through the listening process, we will fail and will live disordered lives. However, if we follow all the steps and put the word that we hear into practice, we will be blessed. After all, God did not give his law to restrict people’s freedom or to estrange them but to regulate daily life and make it joyful.”

Solomon Andria (Madagascar) in “James” in Africa Bible Commentary, Tokunboh Adeyemo, General Editor (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006).

Don’t look at the Scriptures, especially those linked to stewardship and generosity in a superficial way.

You will not only miss the critical instructions God has for you. You will miss the joy and blessing that comes with obedience.

I am flying somewhere between Brussels, Belgium, and Yaoundé, Cameroon, when this posts.

While traveling I am reviewing my facilitator’s guides to prepare to facilitate Journey of Empowerment (which grows stewards that advance accountability) and Stations of Generosity (which spreads the message of biblical generosity). I am looking intently at all the Scriptures I will share.

Thanks for your prayers for safe travel and my facilitation this week in Cameroon with French translation.

And consider how you will apply what you hear in church today or this weekend when you hear a sermon. Don’t just be a hearer of the work. Do what it says and urge others to join you. Life, joy, and blessing are at stake!

As today marks the first Sunday of Advent, consider joining me on a Journey through Advent. Click here to download my devotional, Waiting (start reading on 1 December 2025).

And click here to register for zooms on 8, 15, and 22 December 2025 on which we will explore the topic of Waiting more deeply. You are welcome to attend, one, two, or all three zooms.

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:8-13

“Favoritism easily becomes corruption. A favor may be given in exchange for a bribe of money or some other commodity. In this case, favoritism is not just a speck in someone’s eye, but a plank (see Matt 7:3-5). There are also more subtle forms Of favoritism. For example, the line between favoritism and honor is not always clear. We owe honor and respect to those whose positions merit it (Rom. 13:7). Thus it is right for us in Africa to show respect for the elderly (1 Tim. 5:1-2). There is no favoritism when people are given what they are entitled to.

But it can be difficult to tell where this justified respect moves over into favoritism. It is all too easy to show favoritism under the pretense that one is merely honoring someone. In the African context, respect for the elderly and for authority may easily lead to this type of favoritism, and the person receiving the favors may enjoy them and see nothing wrong with accepting them.

However, those who are in positions of honor and authority need to be aware of the danger that the treatment they are receiving is actually unmerited favoritism. The fight against favoritism is a major challenge for Christians who are in positions where it is always present. They should make a special effort to live as Christians, in a way that is different from those around them, because they are called to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13-16). But what can be done if the salt has lost its saltiness?”

Soro Soungalo (Côte d’Ivoire) in “Favoritism” in Africa Bible Commentary, Tokunboh Adeyemo, General Editor (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006).

I really appreciated this lesson in advance of my trip to Africa. I depart later this morning.

As I am coming from abroad, my African brothers and sisters may desire to honor me. Often they will say to me that they want to give me a gift. To address this, I say to them, don’t spend any of God’s money on anything for me.

Instead I ask for a license plate from a junked car to add to my prayer wall at home (pictured above).

In this photo you see plates from Africa, Asia, and Oceania. I have two more walls of plates too. One has all the plates of the USA and the other features Europe, Eurasia, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Why give this example? In positions of leadership we can take advantage of that position.

Let’s not do that by taking proactive steps to encourage resource to go to “mission and memories” rather than “perks and privileges.”

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? James 2:1-7

“We all regularly encounter favoritism. Sometimes we suffer because of it; sometimes we benefit from it. But it is only when we are the victims that we condemn it. It is easy to benefit from favoritism without even being aware of it. Favoritism manifests itself in various ways. For example someone may be given something they do not deserve simply because they are relatives of or come from the same village or the same ethnic group as the giver. Such nepotism is frequent in Africa. Unfortunately, it is also evident in the church, where people are sometimes given positions because they are recommended by an authority figure, a political official or even the leader of a denomination.

Favoritism is also happens when people cheat and receive something at someone else’s expense. For example, some patients get priority care in public hospitals because they are related to or know the doctor, while others who were there earlier must wait. This is favoritism because it is discrimination. The treatment that is being given to them is being withheld from those who are not associated with a prominent person, or who are simply poor. But everyone should be treated equally. James denounces discriminatiOn and reminds us that God makes no distinction between people but treats us all in the same way.”

Soro Soungalo (Côte d’Ivoire) in “Favoritism” in Africa Bible Commentary, Tokunboh Adeyemo, General Editor (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006).

Happy Black Friday. We love to get poinsettias at Home Depot for $1 and give them to friends throughout the month to bring beauty and joy to their lives. It’s a deal anyone can get. We also do some Christmas shopping. We like the good deals we can get which help us make our budget go further.

But if we got a deal that others cannot access, we participate in favoritism. A good rule of thumb for everyday practice is to give and receive gifts with others but not give or receive anything if it will others feel slighted, taken advantage of, or overlooked.

I am packing for Africa today. At GTP we aim to serve underserved countries and regions. We will convene workers from across Francophone in Cameroon and from across English, Portuguese, and Spanish speaking Africa in Uganda. The goal is to train them to replicate trainings in their countries across the region.

I encourage you to include Africa in your giving this Christmas by making a gift to GTP today. Click here to give and you will help fuel this important work of training stewards to help churches and ministries strengthen accountability and grow generosity in remote and forgotten places.

Don’t just give to the things you care about this year-end. That’s favoritism. Give to the things God cares about too. Add some underserved stewards to your giving radar.