Authority is always granted from the bottom up.

There may be rules, laws, ordinances or agreements.  But unless you choose to comply, there is no authority over you.  True, you may end up in prison, lose your job, have your spouse leave you or even end up dead.  But each individual chooses whether or not  to come under authority.

Every time I come up to a stop sign, I grant the state the authority to decide when I should stop.  But I can choose not to obey that authority.  There are consequences if I don't obey, but it is my choice.  I grant authority when I stop my car.

When we give our lives to Christ, we grant him authority over us.  It is our choice.  He cannot force us.  But once that authority is granted, there are consequences.  Good, if we follow him.  Bad if we don't.  Once we are his, we are his.  He will not let us go.  Much like a good father, he leads us into good choices and gives us a bad conscience when we do wrong--so we can repent and renew the fellowship with him.  You can't do anything to break the relationship.  You are bought with a price.  You are his.

James is a very authoritarian writer.  He spells out what we should be doing in short blunt statements.  He was the top elder or pastor of the Jerusalem church and as such, had the authority to speak.

He knew Jesus well.  He grew up with him in the same house, with the same mother.  Although James didn't become a Christian until after the resurrection, once he knew that Jesus was God, James was a faithful follower and granted Jesus--the Christ--full authority over his life.  Once James chose Christ, he was willing to die to spread the good news.   I am thankful for his writings.