To illustrate his point about the relationship between faith and works, James calls to mind two characters from the Old Testament: Abraham and Rahab.
Two tests of faith
The triumph of mercy
James is correcting the worldly thinking which is influencing his distant Christian friends. They are living in Jewish communities where too much respect is paid to the rich and the poor are too easily dismissed.
The missing cross
Although he doesn’t mention it directly, what happened on the cross to the Lord Jesus feeds into the ideas which James presents in his letter.
Witnessing
Becoming a Christian and joining a Church is a serious and life changing commitment, and should not be undertaken lightly.