Title [If You Believe, Do It]
2014. 6. 1 Sunday morning worship service
Bible: James 2:19-22
Title: If You Believe, Do It
James 2:19-22 ‘19. Do you believe that there is only one God? You are good at it. Even demons believe and tremble. 20. O foolish man, do you want to know that faith without works is futile? 21. What our father Abraham did when he sacrificed his son Isaac on the altar. 22. You see that faith worked together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect.' - Amen.
If the Romans Paul preached and the book of James do not seem to fit together, there is a problem with your faith. Can't the Bible be wrong though? Therefore, when reading Romans or James, we must have the same emotion. The emphasis in the text is <If you believe, do it>.
1. The difference between understanding and believing
It can be distinguished even within the church. Being able to understand Jesus and salvation through sermons and Bible education can be faith, or it can be knowledge that is accepted as a religious value rather than a believer.
The text, James 2:19, said, “Do you believe that there is one God? You are good. Even demons believe and tremble.” That means you may know, but you may not fear Him. Even though the Jews who had converted to Christianity knew that, their reverence and obedience of faith did not show in their works.
Demons know God. But man does not know God. So, humans are worse than ghosts. Would it have been said that he was like an irrational beast? (Jude 1:10)
Wasn't the Jews angry because they didn't know God? Jews who do not believe in Jesus still misunderstand Jesus. Because they know him like a prophet or a saint like the people of the world, they cannot believe him as the Son of God, the Savior.
Whether or not you see Jesus as a being is also a recognition directly related to salvation, John 17:3 “Eternal life is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
The deeper the philosophical thinking is, the deeper and wider the observational power becomes. However, the atonement or resurrection and eternal life are not scientific information, but are understood by believing.
2. Believing is marked by works
Believing is a religious spirit beyond ideological awareness. It is also said to be a state in which objects of worship, objects of trust and dependence on are established. Even when we trust a person, we trust their words and promises.
Otherwise, if you are half-confident (半信半疑), you are not completely trusting him, right?
The text of James 2:20 says, “Alas, you foolish man, do you want to know that faith without works is futile?
For example, 1) If we believe in the forgiveness of sins, we must have the joy of receiving atonement (Romans 8:2, Acts 2:46).
2) If you have received the Holy Spirit and are filled with it, then you must have the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
3) If you believe in the answer to prayer, you must receive it and enjoy it (Matthew 7:8). James 1:6-7 strongly rebukes us not to ask if we want to be dubious.
4) If you say you believe in the promise of the Word, you must believe in any situation and God's providence must be manifested in miracles, grace, or effect according to the promise. Isaiah 14:24 “The LORD Almighty has sworn, saying, ‘What I have envisioned will surely come to pass, and what I have planned it will surely come to pass’.
5) If you believe in God as the master of life, you must show an attitude enough to entrust your life. James cites Genesis 22 as an example of Abraham's immediate obedience to God's command to accept his 100-year-old son (Isaac) as a sacrifice. However, in reality, God knew Abraham's heart and did not accept it, but the original text ajnenevgka" means that he had already given in the AORIST tense.
When we say we believe, there are two concepts: 1) we understand or 2) we trust. But if you believe it, it must work. If it's loyalty, it's loyalty, if it's ability, it's power. What's the use if you keep arguing about what kind of God God is?
It is vain, meaning no value, if the numerous contents of the Bible are arranged and argued with a luxurious theory of value, and the mouth creates heaven and changes the world.
Isaiah 29:13 “…these people draw near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me…”
Sacrifice and worship without actions or miracles are not acceptable to God. If you believe, you must do it. If you truly believe in God's Word as a textbook for life, I believe you should obey and become believers who show God's work.