Scripture:
James 2:14-26 NKJV
[14] What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? [15] If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, [16] and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? [17] Thus 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 without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. [19] You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! [20] But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? [21] Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? [22] Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? [23] And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. [24] You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. [25] Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? [26] For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Observation:
The letter that James wrote has always been my favorite. It’s a short power pack, ” This is Christian living,” type of letter. Just to be honest, as of the last few times I have had the opportunity to read it, chapter two is quickly becoming one of my favorite chapters. Part of that is because I see James really going to bat for the less fortunate. Something we all should be doing more of. Here in verses 14 through 26, his point shifts somewhat, to direct his readers to what true faith looks like, and although it may look like a contradiction to what Paul says about faith, it’s not. What James is saying about faith brings to focus what faith does. It produces a desire to do something about what is believed. I think to truly understand what’s being said we need to have the definition of what faith is, and we find that in Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 1, and 2 which says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.” What James is teaching his readers is that faith will produce something inside of you that can not sit still. Let’s look at an example right out of the book. Matthew chapter 14 and verses 28 through 33. A brief overview would see Jesus walking on water, Peter saying to HIM, ” if its you LORD tell me to come and I will.” The LORD then says to come, and Peter has to do something. Just saying he believed it put him in a spot where he had to take action. Not only was Jesus right that hearing his confession of faith, but every one of the disciples was in the boat watching all this go down. If Peter backed out now, it would be detrimental to what he had just said. Causing his word to have no effect. He had to put action to his words. Let’s look at Moses. Another man of faith. Exodus chapter 14 and verses 13 through 23. Moses believed in faith that the LORD GOD had sent him to deliver the Israelites from bondage. But they found themselves trapped. As Moses spoke to GOD he was given instructions that would require an act of faith. “Move forward and stretch out your hand over the sea.” That action set in motion GOD’S deliverance for HIS chosen people. What James is saying is that. Faith is completed by the action behind it. Peter believed that the water would hold him, Moses believed that the water would part, and both of them took action in what they believed and got the opportunity to see something absolutely amazing. One more example from this particular character. Abraham believed that GOD would provide a sacrifice. He believed it so much that he took the son that GOD had promised him to the top of the hill placed him on the altar and prepared to offer him as the sacrifice, but at just the right time GOD did provide a ram stuck in the thicket. Had Abraham not taken his son up there he would not have seen the substitution sacrifice. Now this runs into a deeper theological discussion about faith in Christ that allows the point to be made that James is teaching. Faith produces action. That action puts you in a position to see GOD do some amazing things.
Application:
A friend of mine told me years ago that if you were in a closet starving to death and you prayed for GOD to feed you. You would have to open the door for that to happen. HE is not going to squeeze a hot dog through the keyhole. Faith requires action to make it complete. The question becomes, do you really believe in GOD or is it just words? Are you going to get up and move, or are you going to sit there and watch someone else do it? I heard a pastor say, there is no story in the Bible about 11 men who stayed in the boat. Just one who got out. It’s nice to believe in Jesus, but I want my life to reflect the fact that I believe in HIM. Real faith is always accompanied by action. Peter’s faith was evident again in Acts chapter 3 and several times in that book to be honest. On his way to the temple, he saw a man who could not walk. Reaching to grab his hand and pulling him to his feet. The man’s legs were made well. An act of faith in what Jesus Christ told him. My question is what actions are you taking that are moving towards what GOD has told you is yours? Are you just sitting still? Faith is hard I get it. Because you have to believe in something you can’t physically see. You have to believe it so much that you are willing to look ridiculous reaching for something that’s not there. No one around Moses believed that deliverance was at hand. In fact, they were coming at him like his faith in what GOD said was a joke. Ridiculing him, and throwing remarks out there that if he listened to would have changed his willingness to stretch out his hand. The world is not going to see what GOD has told you. This morning my goal is to push past what you see into what HE said. Another one of my favorite verses in the bible is Mark chapter 16 and verses 14 through 18. If you truly believe you can GOD has said it, you will get up and do it. The action you take shows the faith you have. This leaves us with some questions. Is your faith on display? What are you doing that requires a supernatural move of GOD? Are you hearing HIM, and if so if the fear of failure stronger than your desire to act? My last question is this. How can I help grow your faith? Because it’s like a seed. If you never plant it, it will never grow. But the second you put action to it something happens that is beyond your ability. If you do what you can naturally GOD will meet you with HIS super and you will see something supernatural.
Prayer:
Father, we walk by faith and not by sight. But even in that verse action is implied. We want to be men and women of action. You have not made us to just sit in a building we call a church. You made us to be the church. You made us to “GO” which again is an action word. LORD help us to put feet to our faith. Help us to move forward so that we can see what you have said coming into view. You have given us several marching orders, and we say we believe your word. We want our lives to reflect that. We want to live a life of action that produces the results your word has told us. You said it and we believe it, so we want to move in such a manner that proves who you are in and through us. You are an awesome GOD. Your love for us is so amazing. We want to be right in the middle of what you are doing. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus we pray amen.