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(Nun story — “Now that’s what I call faith!”)
So far, James has taught us that “A Faith That Works” is a Faith that —
— allows itself to be built through enduring trials
— seeks God’s provision and grace in prayer… daily!
— understands that our “riches” are not in this world
— turns to God for everything
— does not discriminate, but loves unconditionally
You see… A Faith that Works —
— changes lives!
Today… James shifts his attention to this question: “What is saving faith?”
Let me ask you: What does your faith cause you to do?
I think this is the biggest struggle for Christians in America.
We tend to think that faith is a personal thing… that it is something reserved only for our private lives, and that it has nothing to do with the rest of our lives…
We tend to think that it is all about our beliefs ABOUT God, and nothing else…
BUT, that couldn’t be further from the truth!
FAITH — true Faith — is about how we live our lives… It’s about how we do things, and what we do… True Faith — Saving Faith — A Faith that Works — is a Faith that produces ACTION!
A Faith That Works… A Faith That Saves… is a Faith that PRODUCES action!
There is a tightrope walker named Blondin, from the late 1800’s, his story gives us an amazing illustration of Faith in Action.
— Blondin lived from 1827-1897, and first appeared in England.
— He owed his celebrity and fortune to his idea of crossing Niagara Falls on a tightrope.
— He made history on June 30, 1859, when he walked above Niagara Falls on an 1,100 foot long, 3 inch wide rope, and carrying a 40 lbs balancing pole…
— In total, the crossing took 20 minutes…
— During that summer, Blondin made 9 crossings of Niagara Falls, including one on August 19th, where he carried his manager, Harry Colcord, on his back…
— 6 times during the crossing, Harry had to climb off his back so that he could rest and gather his strength…
— One of the most told stories of Blondin is of a time when he crossed pushing an empty wheelbarrow… When he made it across, he asked the audience if they thought he could do it with someone sitting in it.
— the response was a resounding “Yes!”
— Pointing to one of the men in the audience who seemed the most enthusiastic, Blondin said, “Okay, since you claim you believe I can do it, why don’t you get in the wheelbarrow?”
Needless to say, that man made a quick exit!
There is a great difference between the faith we say we have, and the faith we really have.
James says “It is not about our “TALK”… it’s about our “WALK”.
What is Faith?
Hebrews 11:6 (NRSV)
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Ephesians 2:8 (NRSV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—
2 Corinthians 5:7 (NRSV)
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
So, What is Faith?
— Many say: “Believing in things unseen.”
(Ok, let’s consider that.)
— James says, “Can Faith save anyone?”
(2:14)
James 2:14 (NRSV)
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works?
Can faith save you?
This could be better stated as: “Can BELIEF save anyone?”
— There is a difference between “Faith” and “Belief”…
— We can “believe” in something without it ever changing our lives!
Look at verse 14 again…
Notice that James DID NOT say that the person in question has faith, but just that the person CLAIMS to have faith.
— This is a person who says: “I believe.”
— This is a person who “talks” about having faith, but what they really have is “basic Belief” at best…
This is a person who knows all the right things to say to make you think — or even convince themselves — that they have faith, but their actions speak otherwise…
You see… Belief says the right things, BUT has no follow-through!
— Belief knows the truth… BUT… the “WALK” doesn’t measure up to the “TALK”!
There are a lot of people in our country who fall into this category… They claim that they have FAITH, if asked, they will claim to be devout Christians…, but they have no deeds that reveal it.
In 1991, James Patterson and Peter Kim took a survey of America, they published their findings in a book titled: “The Day America Told the Truth.”
What they found in dealing with American religious beliefs is that 90% of the people, when questioned about God, said they truly believed in God.
Of those who claimed to believe in God, 50% had not been to church in at least 3 months, and 30% had not been to a service in the past year!
George Barna claims that “4 out of 5 Americans claim to be Christians, yet what they say they believe has very little to do with how they live their lives.”
— Barna
Think about it:
How can 4 out of 5 of people be Christians, yet we struggle everyday with drugs, adultery, pornography, and crime?!
The truth is: The stated faith of the majority of Americans is not positively impacting their lives!
— Sure… many blame “organized religion”, BUT… could it be something else?
— Could it be that we have not really understood what faith really is?
— Could it be that we have not really learned what it means to “LIVE as Christians”?!?
Jesus warned us:
Not everyone with a Christian bumper sticker… or one of those “fish” symbols on their car… has “saving faith”.
— What they really have is “belief”…
Belief — “an acceptance that a statement is true, or that something exists.”
— Belief doesn’t have to change our lives!
Belief is purely INTELLECTUAL…
— Belief is only in the mind.
— Belief does not submit to Christ as Lord.
— Belief is empty words that do not lead to works — to action.
Can this kind of Faith save?
NO!!!!
3 times, James says, “faith without works is dead.”
(James 2:17.
20.
26)
Let me tell you: “Knowing about Christ does not mean that you KNOW Christ!”
(I’m the perfect example of that…)
Do you BELIEVE in God?
Good!
So do demons!
— Demons believe in God.
— Demons even believe Jesus IS God.
— Demons also believe in the existence of a place of condemnation, which Jesus CAN send them to…
— They believe that Jesus is the Judge!
Let me tell you: “Simple ‘Belief’ plays on your mind (rational thought) and your emotions (feelings).”
Christianity in our time is really into emotions… emotions should be a part of our religious experience, BUT… understand this… Saving Faith is not about emotions!
— We can be emotionally moved in worship… or in our interactions with others… and still never act concretely or positively on our emotions…
— We can go to church and get “goose bumps”… but NEVER make a difference because it does not result in action!
Can that kind of faith save?
NO!!!!
James tells us that the demons “believe and tremble”… but their faith — demonic faith — still does not move them to action!
We can KNOW Christ with our mind and be emotionally moved, but still not be a Christ FOLLOWER!
True saving FAITH involves something more… something that can be seen and recognized… A CHANGED LIFE!!!
Being a Jesus follower — a Christian — involves TRUSTING IN and LIVING FOR Christ!
Who here likes PEANUTS?
You know Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the whole gang…
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