Title: Living Faith / James 2:14-17
Content Living Faith / James 2:14-17
living faith
James 2:14-17
How can we believe in Jesus well, and how can we believe in Jesus as a blessed faith? The Bible teaches us this way. 'Faith with works is a living faith, and faith without works is a dead faith.' In other words, faith in action is alive, and faith without action is dead.
Today's text teaches us an important principle of faith.
“My brethren, what profit is it if a person says he has faith and has no works? can faith save him?” (verse 14).
“Can his faith save him?” This seems like saying that faith without works is of no use.
There are two opposing principles of faith in the Bible. It is that we are saved by works and that we are saved by faith. The Apostle Paul said, "The righteous will live by faith" (Romans 1:17), speaking of the principle of faith that salvation comes only through faith.
That's right. We are not saved by our actions. Because we are fundamentally sinners. But James says, "What profit is it if you say you have faith and have no works? Can faith save you?" (verse 14). It is only through faith with works that we can be saved.
Beliefs and deeds have two sides, like the two sides of a coin and the bottom and back of the hand. So we say that we are saved by faith, but whether it is a living faith or a dead faith is expressed in action.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. who has received it” (Ephesians 2:8-10).
We Christians are saved by faith. But the reason we are saved is that we are saved to do good works. In conclusion, the Apostle Paul spoke three things about salvation. First, the basis of salvation is grace; second, we are saved entirely by the grace of God; and third, we are saved for good works.
faith in action
As we go through life, we must live a life that is beneficial to ourselves and beneficial to others. But if you say you have faith but do not do it, you are of no benefit to yourself and others are of no benefit. “So faith without works is dead in itself” (verse 17). It is a living faith that lives by doing things that are beneficial to oneself and to be beneficial to others.
A long time ago, I did a survey of non-believers to "how do you view people who believe in Jesus?" Most of the answers were, "Those who believe in Jesus do not agree with each other."
Someone said of Christians, "Faith is orthodox, but behavior is heresy."
A living faith is a faith in action. You have to show your faith by your actions. If we express our beliefs and actions as trees, we can say that the root of the tree is faith, and the fruit is actions. True faith is manifested in works. So Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruit. Do you pick grapes from thorns or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, and a bad tree bears bad fruit. A tree cannot bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:16-18).
Just as a tree can be known by its fruit, good deeds come from good faith. We need to reflect on what kind of fruit we are actually bearing.
“What good is faith to you without works?” Today's pragmatists value what is useful and act based on whether it is beneficial or not.
practice of love
“If a brother or sister is naked and has no daily bread, what profit does it have if any of you say to him, “Go in peace, keep warm, and be satisfied, and do not give him food for his body?” (verses 15-16).
Practicing love is a living faith. The practice of love is to love people. Those who love God love people. Those who benefit God benefit men.
“If someone has the goods of this world and sees his brother in need and blocks his heart to help, how can the love of God abide in him? :17-18). We must show love through sincere deeds.
A lawyer asked a question to test Jesus. “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the law, and how do you read it?” “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and also "You said you love me." "Your answer is correct; do this, and you will live."
But the lawyer asks another question in order to show himself as righteous. "Then who is my neighbor?" Then Jesus told this parable. "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and met a robber, and the robbers stripped him of his clothes, beat him, and left him completely dead. Just as a priest was going down that road, he saw him and passed by on the other side, and in the same way a Levite came there and saw him A certain Samaritan, while on his journey, came there and saw him, had compassion on him, went near him, poured oil and wine on his wounds, bound him up, put him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. "Take care, and if you have more money, I will repay you when I return." In your opinion, which of these three would be a neighbor to the man who was struck by a robber?" "The one who showed mercy." "Go and do likewise."
Here Jesus is talking about faith in action. Let's take a look at ourselves today. How are my actions changing because I believe in Jesus, and what changes have I made in Jesus? Some people believe in Jesus for decades, but their actions do not change at all. This is a dead faith. As a living fish moves against the waves, a living faith is a faith in action.
A disabled person came to church and received grace. Others worked hard in the church with a healthy body, but it was a pity that he was only going to church because he was handicapped. So I prayed to the Lord. “Lord, I am not able to serve because I am sick. Please have pity on me and allow me to serve you.” Then came the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. "What do you have?" "It's a healthy face." "Do it with it"
From then on, he sat in a wheelchair and greeted those who came to church with a smile and kindness. Many people were very moved to see his smiling face.
hope for praise
I had a spiritual retreat at a church. The church evangelist went from house to house and invited many people to the spiritual retreat. Among them, there was a girl who was born with a spinal disorder and was unable to move her body properly. I couldn't go outside because I was embarrassed because I was disabled, so I stayed at home, but at the invitation of the evangelist, I attended the spiritual retreat. The professor in charge of the seminar lecture that day said this. “Whoever goes out and sees the sky, the mountains, the earth, and the people passing by, think about how I can do good.”
We believe in Jesus and believe in Jesus, and if we are poor, we can do good things, according to what we learn, according to what we have learned, and if we are weak, we can do good things. There are many poor people living there. If we have divine pride and have hope, we can make our existence great. Greatness does not come from education. There are people who bully people even when they learn a lot. There are people who do bad things with good-looking faces. There are people who do bad things with a healthy body. Today the Lord speaks. 'Do good to your neighbor'
Salvation comes by faith. However, the final and final judgment is not by faith, but by action. Therefore, we must have good works to present before the Lord.
“If you love those who love you, what praise is it? Even sinners love those who love you. If you do good to those who do good, what praise is it?” (Luke 6:32-33)
Finally, at the judgment seat of God, we are rewarded for our praiseworthy actions. So when you return home, be a child of praise. Be a admired mother-in-law, a praised daughter-in-law, a praised employee.
“Therefore, judge nothing before the time, until the coming of the Lord, for he will bring to light the things hidden in darkness, and will reveal the will of the heart, and at that time each will receive praise from God” (1 Corinthians 4:5).
A living faith is a faith in action, and a faith in action is to do good to our neighbors out of love. When we stand before God, we must have hope to be praised.
“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead” (James 2:26).
Just as a body without a soul is a dead body, so faith without works is dead faith. Specific evidence of a living soul is an act of praise. When you come to the Lord with this, the Lord will welcome you with joy.