Book Review: The James Code by O.S. Hawkins

The book of James is the most practical book of the entire Bible. It simply puts faith into action. Martin Luther confessed that James should not be in the Bible because he thought James 2:14-26 taught works brings faith. Thankfully, he did change his mind about the book years later.

James has also been called the Proverbs of the New Testament. Proverbs dealt in wisdom in practical living in the Old Testament as does James in the New Testament. Is there a code to be cracked in James? If you look at the title of O.S. Hawkins' book, The James Code, one would assume there would be one.

This book is a devotional book where it takes 52 short chapters with verses from James and applies them to our daily Christian living. Hawkins does take time to help the reader know what the passage is saying, not in theological depth, but very simple. However, this devotional had a lot of moralism with it. Yes, Christians are suppose to live moral lives but in response to what God has done through the finished work of Christ.

I must admit, the book lost me after I read the first few chapters which dealt with James 1:2-4, which says,

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (ESV).

Instead of talking about trials, Hawkins dealt with how Christians need to deal with stress, which that is not what this verse means. Yes, trials brings stress, but that give no author any license to take a passage like this and make it sound like what you would hear in a seeker-sensitive service.

If there was a code to be cracked in James, I think Hawkins did not do the job well. In fact, when I saw the title, I thought of the old Bible Code myth that prophecy scholars came up with. All in all, The James Code is one devotional I would stay away from.

Thanks Booklook Bloggers for letting me review this book.