DOING Christianity

The book of James is practical Christianity written to followers of Jesus.  It is for the Church, for us.  James' challenge to us is summed up in 1:22 - "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says."  In its pithy style, The Message version words it this way, "Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear!"
James is a call to action.  It's about applying the word of God in ways that reveal God's word and what we believe in ways that produce visible results.
That makes sense, doesn't it? James 2:1 says, "don't show favoritism."  We can comply with that.  "Humble yourselves before the Lord" (4:10); that takes some work but we can do that.  "Let your 'Yes' be yes and your 'No' be no" (5:12).  In other words, don't try to back up your words with "swear to God" or other words we use to try to convince people that what we say is true.  Most of us could adjust to doing that.
But what happens when you get to the part that says that if a fellow believer is sick, call the leaders to gather around, pray and anoint the person with oil in the name of the Lord AND THE PRAYER OF FAITH WILL MAKE THE PERSON WELL; THE LORD WILL RAISE HIM UP. (James 5:14, 15)?  Are you going to just listen to what the word says or do it?
God wants us to believe His word, obey it and leave the results to Him.
We need to take Him at his word when He says, "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective "(James 5:16).  That is applied Christianity; that is faith in action!