Scripture:
James 2:14-22 ESV
[14] What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? [15] If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, [16] and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? [17] So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. [18] But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. [19] You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! [20] Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? [21] Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? [22] You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;
Observation:
After yesterday’s SOAP, I couldn’t help but look at James this morning. It just seemed fitting, and anyone who has been reading these SOAPS for any length of time knows how I feel about the book of James. He tends to make things pretty simple to understand. I don’t know about you but I need that. We start in chapter 2 verse 14 with a presentation of what faith really looks like. James argues that faith that does nothing is no faith at all, and real faith will do something. The question at the end of verse 14 is the beginning of his whole presentation of what faith really is… action. If you say you have faith but your actions do not line up with what you say, you believe is that really faith? Or is it that a form of lip service? Verses 15-16 are examples of that action. Seeing someone in need and doing nothing about it shows no real faith at all. The Bible says to love your neighbor as you love yourself. Seeing someone who is hungry and cold and hoping that they will be warm and fed doesn’t meet their needs. It’s honestly turning a blind eye to it. So what James is telling us is that faith without works is lip service. It means nothing and does nothing. Faith is shown by your willingness to take action. Verses 18-19 should be real eye-openers for us 19 more specifically. James tells us that even the demons believe and shudder. They believe, but they take no action to change. They know the truth but do nothing about it. The example he gives us in Abraham is how Abraham reacted because of his faith. God spoke to him, and he did something about what he had heard he acted on it. He believed it with all his heart, so he put all his time, effort, and energy into it. His faith translated into action.
Application:
I guess the question this morning is what you are doing with what GOD has spoken to you specifically. Are you taking action? The Bible says it’s impossible to please GOD without faith. So, looking at what James has taught us…what that really means is it’s impossible to please GOD without taking action on what HE has spoken to you. I remember when I was looking for a truck to buy. I bought one that the transmission had going out on…. it was a Chevy, of course. So I took it back and started looking for a truck. Someone had loaned me one because I was working for them and needed to continue to move forward. I was driving by this car lot and saw the perfect truck for what I do. It was a Ford, of course. It had a camper shell on it for all my tools and a perfect spot for a company logo. So I stopped and asked the guy about it. But at the same time, GOD spoke to me about that specific truck. It was a discipleship program for men who struggled with addiction. He showed me 4 trucks just like the one I was looking at… the same label on the side and each having 3 men in them one who knew the LORD well pouring into the other 2 teaching them about how to live for the LORD. When I asked how much the guy wanted, he told me 10k, and there was no way I could afford that I would have to make payment. So I went to the bank and they said no way. Not with my credit. They did, however, tell me that I could finance a hot dog, but I would have to have half down… lol, I’m just playing. Anyway, I had $2000, but I knew this was the truck that would start something good for the kingdom, and I wanted to be used by GOD. So, I continued to press forward about how to get this truck. I offered the guy payment, and he wouldn’t take them. So I spoke to a guy I know, and he made a phone call or 2 and called me back telling me to come get the checks to buy the truck. It seems someone decided to pay the rest of the 10k and not ask for anything in return. I was overwhelmed with emotions. That truck is now the spearhead for a company called Christ Like Carpentry. There are currently 7 men working for that company, and all of them have had some kind of past that includes drug addiction and trauma. We are still looking for more trucks, but GOD is building a discipleship company for men who struggle with life-controlling issues. Faith is action. I could say so much more about this. But I believe that exactly what GOD showed me will happen, and I am going to press on with that plan until it does.
Prayer:
Father, we sit here saying we believe. But what we may be lacking is the action to show that belief. Help us to get up and move show us the next right step and give us the courage to take that step whether or not we see something for our foot to land on. Because we know that you will provide a solid rock for our feet. We pray today that our faith will translate into action. Help us take action based on what you have spoken to us. Let our faith be more than words. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus I pray amen