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| JAMES LESSON #40 Read Galatians 5:13-14 Have you ever met a pastor or lay person who did not have love? Someone who was organized, disciplined �into� Christianity- but totally lacking love. Ever met one who didn�t have a hunger for the Word of God? A hunger to grow? If there is no love � faith is not real. The smile, the concern, and the caring will not be there. James talks about a faith that changes your HEART � and produces good works. The �works� come as a response of the heart � not a response to duty or requirement. Turn to James 2:14-26. Mark the word �use� - In verse 18 mark the word SHOW � �Say and show� should always be a check for one another. The word �use� is used more in this passage than anywhere else in the book of James � why? Because it is a summarization- showing us the reality of true faith. Look at chapter 1:26. When he�s talking about �religion� what�s he talking about? He�s talking about true Christianity. Today we use the word �religion� separate from faith � but James is not using it separately. Here he is pointing out �worthless� religion. In James 2:14 He says if you don�t have works � what is your faith? Useless. Look at verse 20: �Faith without works is useless.� Why? Because it�s not real. You can �say you believe � but if the �joint effort� is not in position, you, in your own strength can not produce �works� that bear fruit � works that build, strengthen, change, re-direct and challenge other lives. �Faith� without works is our attempt to manage our own lives � something a lot of us do with astounding regularity. The illusion of �control� is truly pathetic. Deciding what I need most out of life, carefully calculating my next move, and generally allowing myself to run where ever and however puffs up my sense of self-importance and reduces God to the role of spectator on the sidelines. As Manning suggests, It�s only the wisdom and perspective received from time in silent prayer each day that prevents me from running for CEO of the universe! In terms of �faith� � one of THE toughest tasks is that of giving up control and allowing the Spirit of God to lead our lives. �Faith� that evolves around self-management is not faith at all. It leads to �presumption� � taking God for granted � assigning God the task of doing �for us� what �we� should be doing for ourselves. The most common area of presumption? Assuming that God will directly and secretly intervene as fairy God mother and make everything �ok.� We presume that as soon as we cry out �Lord Lord� � He�ll step in with great outcomes, provide the food, pay the bills and restore the marriage. Wrong. Remember- this side of the grave Jesus is left totally invalidated by God the Father. God did NOT intervene � nor did twelve legions of angels. �Trust� in God does not presume that God will intervene. Sadly, trust often begins on the far side of despair. When we�ve run out of answers- can�t figure things out, are tired- can�t find anyone that has a clue, when we can�t find reassurance or clarity, when we stop trying to �manipulate� God � THEN � �real faith� kicks in with response to God�s demand. God�s demand? The same demand that He gave when the disciples came to him wondering how in the world they were going to feed the 5000 out in the middle of no where with only five fishes and two loaves of bread. Our �faithless� statement when we face the impossible is: �but this is all we have?� God�s response is that of the �joint effort offer� � Well � give it to Me � I�ll bless it � and give it back to you � USE WHAT IS IN YOUR HANDS - what�s that? Authority and Power- Use it. Are perplexed response is? Deep sigh� Abba- into Your hands I commend my spirit �and then we step out into the unknown empowered in HIS strength to accomplish what only HE could accomplish in and through us�.Faith without works is �useless� � Look at James 2:21. The phrase �justified by works� would make Martin Luther, flip out. Luther was a theologian who spent a lifetime trying to �work out� his salvation through good works as a Catholic monk. He said that James did not belong in the Word of God because Romans says �you�re justified by faith� � hmm � Is James saying you are �justified by works?� Are these two books in conflict with one another? James shows how a �saved man� lives. Read James 2:21-23 � mark the word �SEE� and �SHOW�- Here it says that the scripture was fulfilled. The scripture that said �Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness was fulfilled in the fact that we saw the reality of Abraham�s faith when he believed God and in faith he offered Isaac on the altar- Isaac, who was the �son of promise�- Abraham knew that if God put Isaac to death, He would have to raise him from the dead. Why? Because Abraham knew that what God �said� He would do, He would do � and ABRAHAM ACTED ON THAT. He didn�t analyze it. He didn�t avoid it. He ACTED on it. That is a big deal. James 2:24 He does not say that man is justified by works and not by faith alone. Can�t faith bring us to Jesus Christ? Yup � and you will see why in a few minutes. James 2:25-26 He�s showing that TRUE FAITH HAS WORKS. In James 2:14-26 James is showing that true faith isn�t just a trip to the altar, a few words and off you go. It�s not what you SAY you believe � it�s not something you�ve memorized and recite in a ceremony- True faith is justified, proven, by works. IT SHOWS ITSELF. Another word for �justified� is �DEFENDED.� True faith is DEFENDED by works. It�s pretty important to be sure that what you �believe in� is true. I want to look at �HOW� true faith is �justified� � defended by works. Turn to Jeremiah 31:31-34 When a person comes to know Jesus Christ they move from living under the �law� to living in �grace.� Was the �law� ever meant to �save� a man? No No No- It was never intended to save a man. The law was given to show a man HOW righteousness behaves. The law shows a man how he is supposed to live. The law was never ever meant to SAVE us because the LAW CAN NOT CHANGE US. The law �reveals� what I am. It reveals the sin that is in me- but it can not do anything to change that sin. God brings us to Himself through Jesus Christ. Through grace He gives us everything that Jesus Christ has and everything Jesus Christ is � and says, �USE IT.� Not only do we not �realize� what we have in our hands, but we don�t know what to do with it once we do. THAT, is pathetic! GRACE: unmerited favor (Acrostic: God�s Riches At Christ�s Expense) The �law� came through Moses. �Grace� came through Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:8-9) In Jeremiah, he�s showing them their failure to keep the law. In Jeremiah 31:31 he begins talking about a �new� covenant � one of �Grace.� Look at verse 33 �I put My law where?� WITHIN THEM- Where�s the �law?� Outside of them on tables of stone. This passage is quoted by the author of Hebrews both in Hebrews chapter 8 and again in chapter 10 showing that now Christ has come and died on the cross, we are now under the �new� covenant which grants us forgiveness of sin. It takes the �law� which was �external� and makes it �internal.� Read Jeremiah 32:38-40 If I really fear God (respect Him- �trust� Him) I will obey Him. �True� faith puts the fear of God inside you so that you �respect Him� and �trust Him� � with everything. One of the �blocks� to walking in �true faith� is �dishonesty� with Jesus. According to Manning, sometimes we harbor an unexpressed suspicion that He really can�t handle all that goes on in our heads and hearts. We doubt that He can accept our hateful thoughts, sexual fantasies, and buried resentments. We only take the �good enough stuff� to God � He really wouldn�t want to have anything to do with the �in trouble� part of who I am- the secrets- the dark memories- the arrogance and self-sufficiency. THE DEEP RESISTANCE TO MAKING OURSELVES SO VULNERABLE, SO TOTALLY UNPROTECTED IS OUR WAY OF SAYING, �Jesus- I trust You, but there are limits.� By refusing to share our fantasies, worries, and joys, WE LIMIT GOD�S LORDSHIP over our lives and make very clear that there are parts of us that we do not wish to submit to �divine conversation.� The �joint effort� confines us to �us� � and sets God in a postion of �spectator.� It seems that the Master had something more in mind when He said: �Trust in Me� � John 14:1b More tomorrow! Loving You, Robin �copyright 2001 Jim and Robin Hibschman |
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