Saturday January 18, 2003

~Knowing, Believing, Applying~

      What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
     But someone will say, “You have faith, I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder.
     You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Issac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 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. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

— James 2:14-24 —

     I was speaking with a close friend who I am glad to have as a sister in Christ. But recently, we were talking about salvation. How can you be sure that you are saved? Believe in Jesus. check. Believe that the only way to salvation is through Jesus. check. Believe He came and redeemed us through His death. check. Believe He rose again. check. Learn God’s Law and apply it in your life. eeeehhh…. Boy, I got the surprise of the month.

     Knowing is not enough. Even the demons know who Jesus is. Does that save demons from God’s wrath? Nope. You need a faith that responds with action. Faith without deeds is dead. It won’t get you there…. The Holy Spirit lives within us and directs us. Shine the light. Proclaim the Good News. If you believe in God & Jesus, your life should reflect this. Sin is our enemy. Our loving, just, and awesome God directs us how to live our lives and He would NEVER misdirect us. He would show us the BEST way to live. No Doubt. If you are floundering, pray for direction… pray for the Holy Spirit to come and dwell within you.