Living Faith
Today I had two connections that were most encouraging. This morning I met with Greg Muehlberger, of the Norther Colorado Christian Business Coalition. I am looking forward to learning more about his work and connecting with the activities of this group. Then I had chance meeting with Ron Christian a retired Free Methodist minister. We had a great chat while I was waiting to get a tire repaired. I am looking forward to following up with my new friends.
This afternoon was a visit to Woodward Governor. This is a flagship company in Fort Collins with a history dating back to 1958. They have has just built a new world headquarters in our city.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…. “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. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” James 2:18,19 ESV
James begins this discourse with one of his more “controversial” questions. “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” (James 2:14 ESV) I don’t believe that James is referring to salvation by works, but by a faith that compels us to action. We see this when he points out that even, “demons believe–and shudder!”
James is pointing out that it is not what you believe, but how do you respond to what you believe? One may believe “in God.” They may even recognize that Jesus is the forgiver of our sins. But faith must be personalized, it must be actualized. For salvation, my faith in Christ as Savior, moves me to ask for forgiveness and to confess my sin know, “if we confess our sin, He is faith and just to forgive and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
For many “faith” is an act of the mind and not the heart. Paul points out, “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (Romans 10:10 NIV)
I recall someone observing that many who do not profess Christ, demonstrate more righteous actions than many who do. While that may be true, those “works” don’t result in salvation. They may make someone a “good person” but not a follower of Christ.
I believe James is simply calling for consistency. What we believe, the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts by faith, should be manifested in our our actions….on how we live our lives.
So James points as an example our response to the poor. Do we just “wish them well?” or do we help meet their needs in practical ways?
“If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 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?” (James 2:15,16 ESV)
James then uses Abraham and Rahab as examples to illustrate what he is trying to communicate. Both of these took actions that demonstrated their faith in God. The result was Isaac being saved and Rahab and her family being saved.
The story is told of the great tightrope artist who asked the adoring crowd if they believed he could give a man a ride in a wheelbarrow across the Niagara River. With an uproar they shouted, “We believe! We believe! He then asked who would be the first to get into the wheelbarrow and all of a sudden the crowd was quiet!
The bottom line is that we should all demonstrate a living faith. Because actions based on faith reveal the life the Lord has given to us and is evidence of God’s reality to others. “Works” may be what people see, but faith is the life force behind how we live our lives.
“For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” (James 2:26 ESV)
Prayer for today…. Lord, help us today to put our faith into action. Let us be reminded that how we live our life is not based on personality or family “DNA” but because of the life and love of God who is in us, whose actions were seen when He sent His Son to die for us, to give us life.