Honoring God

God cares about the poor and the needy. In the Old Testament, He made provisions for those who were in need and looked out for them. He told His people to make sure that they took care of the poor. In the New Testament, the church looked out for one another so that there were no needy persons among them (Acts 4:34). God cares for the needy and so should we. This is what King Solomon wrote in Proverbs 14:31 (NIV):

Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,
but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

How do we honor God? We need to be kind to the needy. The book of James says that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). If we don’t accompany our faith with action, do we really have faith? If we don’t help those who are poor and needy, are we really honoring God? We can worship God on a weekend and we can give an offering to Him, but what about the other six days of the week? How are we honoring God with the blessings He’s provided? Maybe you could adopt a needy family this season to make their Christmas a bit brighter. Perhaps you could volunteer at a food pantry or homeless shelter to spread Christmas cheer. Do something kind for those in need and you will be honoring God.

Jesus Frees Us

The latest message from Griffith First Christian Church in Griffith, Indiana. This is the first message in our series, “Jesus Frees Us” based on Galatians 1:1-10.

Dead Faith

James, toward the end of chapter 2, gives two Old Testament examples of faith and deeds going together. First, he says that Abraham was declared right with God because he trusted God and put his faith into action when he was willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on the altar. James then writes:

You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. – James 2:24 (NIV)

Then, James gives the example of a prostitute named Rahab who hid some Hebrew spies in the Promised Land and was also considered righteous by God because of what she did. James then wrote:

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. – James 2:26 (NIV)

One would normally not compare one of the patriarchs of Judaism with a prostitute, but James does. Why? Because faith and deeds are two sides of the same coin. You can’t have one without the other. Don’t settle for a dead faith. Put your faith in God into action by caring for and loving people today.

The Evidence Of Faith

Good Wednesday morning to you! James, after saying that faith without action is dead, has an “argument” with someone who tries to say that faith and deeds do not go hand in hand. He writes:

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. – James 2:18-19 (NIV)

The evidence for true faith in Christ is in the deeds that we do in His name. Demons believe in Christ and tremble at the sound of His name. What separates someone from a demon? It is in the faith we have in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ. How do we show that we believe in Jesus? It is when we love people – all people – that we demonstrate our love for Him. There are a lot of “good” people in this world who do really nice things, but all of those nice things won’t get them into Heaven. You can do lots of nice things for people, but if you don’t have faith in Christ, you will perish. Jesus said that He is the way and the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him. True faith in Christ is what separates a follower of Jesus from someone who claims to be a “good” person. James said it best, faith without deeds is dead. Get out there and demonstrate your love for God today by loving someone in Jesus’ name.

A D.O.A. Kind Of Faith

Good Tuesday morning to you! James, in writing about faith and deeds, gives an example of a fellow Christ-follower who is in need. He says:

Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

We can talk a good game about loving God and loving people, but if our actions don’t match our words, do we really love them? We can say that we believe until we’re blue in the face, but if we don’t put hands and feet to our faith, do we really believe in the One who served and sacrificed for others? If we don’t do something about our brothers and sisters in need, our faith is dead on arrival. In the church, we must not neglect the poor and needy among us. There will be those who struggle and we need to help them. It’s the proof that our faith is more than just talk.

A Lifestyle Of Love And Obedience

We can make all kinds of claims as believers in Jesus. We can claim that we love God. We can claim that we are followers of Christ. We can claim that we know God. James asks us about the proof of our claims. He says:

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? – James 2:14 (NIV)

He asks two rhetorical questions in this verse. First, what good is it if we say we believe, but live like we don’t? The answer is that it doesn’t do anyone any good. Second, is this the kind of faith that saves a person? The answer is no. If there is no evidence of faith in our lives, do we really believe? Following Jesus is more than saying, “I believe.” Following Jesus is a lifestyle of love and obedience. We must do more than simply claim that we believe. We need to live out our faith each day. If we’re not obeying God’s Word by loving God and loving people, do we really believe?

A Funeral For Faith Without Works

The latest message from Griffith First Christian Church in Griffith, Indiana.  This message is based on James 2:14-26 and is about how faith without accompanying good works is dead.

Being A True Believer

1 John 5:1-5 (NIV)

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

 

Faith is essential to being a follower of Jesus.  That faith has to be more than saying, “I believe.”  It is about living out your faith on a daily basis.  One can believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God without that belief transforming their life.  This is not true faith.  Notice what John says about our faith.  To be born of God means that we love the Father and His children.  How do we know that we love God’s children?  We love God and obey Him.  Loving God means obeying His commands, which are not burdensome.  What are God’s commands?  To love God and to love people.

James said that faith without works is dead (James 2:17).  If we only say “I believe” and never live like a believer, we are no different than demons.  What did the demons say to Jesus before He cast them out of a man and into some pigs?  “What do you want with us, Son of God?” (Matthew 8:29, NIV).  The demons believe in Jesus as the Son of God.  Saying, “I believe” is not enough!  Our faith must transform our lives and cause us to become more like Jesus.  That means loving God and loving people.  Faith and obedience go hand in hand.  True faith is not just saying, “I believe.”  True faith is living out what you believe each and every day.

PRAYER: Help me, O God, to be a true believer today.  To do more than just give Jesus lip service.  To love You and Your children in the things I think, say and do.  Help me to be like Jesus to those I meet today.  In His name, amen.

Living Like Jesus

1 John 2:3-6 (NIV)

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

One of the themes you will find throughout Scripture is that faith and works go hand in hand.  What we believe must influence how we live.  To disobey God is to deny one’s faith.  Our beliefs must impact our lives.  James says that faith without works is dead.  Jesus said that if we love Him, we will obey His commands.  John says that to claim a relationship with God that is not authenticated by the way we live is to be a liar.  The Bible asks the question of us  – where is the proof of your faith?  Where is the evidence?  Where is the spiritual fruit?

On the other hand, if we obey the Word of God, we demonstrate our love for Him.  If we are going to claim the name of Jesus and say that we are Christians, we are to live like Him.  He is our model and our example.  Jesus showed us how to live a life of perfect love.  The evidence that we have been saved by God’s grace through faith in Christ is that we will look more like Jesus.  We cannot earn our salvation.  We cannot buy it.  We cannot be good enough for it.  We must take it on faith that we have been saved by this free gift of love expressed on the cross.  How do we respond to the gift?  By living for Jesus each and every day.  When we fail to measure up and we confess that we have sinned, God is faithful to forgive and He removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west.  Let us make it our goal today to live a life of love as Jesus did as we are transformed by His wonderful grace.

PRAYER: Father, thank You for forgiving my many sins.  I have failed to live up to Your standards and I need Your grace.  Help me to live a life of love like Jesus today so that others may see You living in me.  Amen.

Is God Calling You His Friend?

James 2:20-24 (NIV)

You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

Are you God’s friend?  How do you become a friend of God?  Abraham was called God’s friend because he believed God.  He did not merely believe in God.  He believed God.  His faith was expressed in action.  He did more than just give lip service to his faith.  He lived it out by obeying God.  Therefore, God credited it to Abraham as righteousness and called him His friend.  Abraham’s faith was proved by his deeds.  His faith was tested and Abraham came through.

According to one commentator, D. L. Moody often said, “Every Bible should be bound in shoe leather.”  It means that we need to be putting feet to our faith.  We need to be proving our faith by our actions.  Remember that James said that faith without deeds is a dead faith.  Faith only has a pulse when it is put into action.  Faith is more about how we live than what we say.  Many people claim to have faith in God, but they don’t live like it.  We all have moments when our actions betray our words.  Let us put feet to our faith and fit our feet with shoes that take our faith to the world.  We need to serve those who are not being served.  We need to be peacemakers where there is so little peace.  We need to obey God even when no one else is obeying God.  Saying, “I believe” is no good unless we live out those words each day.  

 

PRAYER: Lord God, I believe in You and in Your Son, Jesus Christ.  I want to do more than just say it, though.  I want to live it out.  Give me opportunities today to demonstrate my faith and to put it into action.  Help me to see Your hand behind these opportunities.  Help me to obey.  I want to be considered Your friend as Abraham was Your friend.  Amen.