THE DEVELOPMENT OF GENUINE FAITH+ James 2:1-13
GRE3ETINGS IN THE WONDERFUL NAME OF JESUS:
I could not help but follow up in the last message I did concerning our faith. It is the development of our faith in Christ that is at the very center of the problems we face in our churches today. When we begin our journey with Christ there are many people today who feel it is an academic journey where all we need to do is learn the language, traditions, and the catchphrases used to fit into the social structure around them, but that is far from the truth. In fact, in many ways, it becomes very deceitful for both those within the church as well as the new Christian growth prospect.
In James 2:1-13 the word speaks of 3 principals which are an essential part of the development of our faith.
1. Commitment is an essential part of our faith; we cannot be a genuine Christian by simply affirming the right doctrine or agreeing with biblical facts (2:19) you must commit your heart and your mind to Christ.
2. Right actions are a natural by-product of true faith. A genuine Christian will have a changed life ( 2:18).
3. Faith without any good deeds does not do anybody any good- it is absolutely.useless. ( 2:14-17)
This is the teachings which are consistent with those of Jesus and of Paul throughout his letters to churches through the New Testament. The things that we do and say after coming to Christ is a direct reflection of the light that God has placed within us. That change cannot be faked for very long, although we may see a lot of people trying.
The second part of my comments on faith deals with our intent of heart to serve others because in many cases we have not yet gotten the fact that in order for us to grow in Christ we must become servants of our brothers and sisters. One of the best experiences I have had in this is to become a greeter at the door of the church on a Sunday morning. There is a popular show out on TV called " THE HAVES, AND THE HAVE NOTS" which focusses on those two areas of life. One of the things that pull Christians back into this world is the needs they have to sustain life through the money they make and the things they have around them many people are judged in this world by what they think they possess. Why is wrong to judge someone by their wealth or status? Being wealthy may give an indication of intelligence, wise decisions, or hard work. On the other hand, it may only be that the person was born into that wealth, or it can even be a sign of greed, dishonesty, and selfishness. By honoring someone because of their appearance we are making that mean more than we honor character. Poverty makes us uncomfortable, we don't want to feel responsible for anyone who has less than we do. Most people want to be rich too, and they tend to use the relationship with someone wealthy to get rich as well. When we begin to judge people by status we soon will find ourselves pulled toward trying to get the rich to join our church or support our cause, and that neither views the rich or the poor through the eyes of God. To God money is only paper or brightly colored stones and elements of earth, nothing more.
While we may find ourselves in a great deal of confusion about our relationship with this world the one thing that we need to remember more than anything else is that we are all made to be loved by God. That purpose and directive is what God thinks about 24/7. His relationship with each of us is what His goal is at all times, and His heart and intent never changes.
Ask yourself today just where you find your faith? We know what Jesus taught, and we really already know where we are on the inside in comparison to those teachings. Do you need a change? May you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UN WORTHY SERVANT
I could not help but follow up in the last message I did concerning our faith. It is the development of our faith in Christ that is at the very center of the problems we face in our churches today. When we begin our journey with Christ there are many people today who feel it is an academic journey where all we need to do is learn the language, traditions, and the catchphrases used to fit into the social structure around them, but that is far from the truth. In fact, in many ways, it becomes very deceitful for both those within the church as well as the new Christian growth prospect.
In James 2:1-13 the word speaks of 3 principals which are an essential part of the development of our faith.
1. Commitment is an essential part of our faith; we cannot be a genuine Christian by simply affirming the right doctrine or agreeing with biblical facts (2:19) you must commit your heart and your mind to Christ.
2. Right actions are a natural by-product of true faith. A genuine Christian will have a changed life ( 2:18).
3. Faith without any good deeds does not do anybody any good- it is absolutely.useless. ( 2:14-17)
This is the teachings which are consistent with those of Jesus and of Paul throughout his letters to churches through the New Testament. The things that we do and say after coming to Christ is a direct reflection of the light that God has placed within us. That change cannot be faked for very long, although we may see a lot of people trying.
The second part of my comments on faith deals with our intent of heart to serve others because in many cases we have not yet gotten the fact that in order for us to grow in Christ we must become servants of our brothers and sisters. One of the best experiences I have had in this is to become a greeter at the door of the church on a Sunday morning. There is a popular show out on TV called " THE HAVES, AND THE HAVE NOTS" which focusses on those two areas of life. One of the things that pull Christians back into this world is the needs they have to sustain life through the money they make and the things they have around them many people are judged in this world by what they think they possess. Why is wrong to judge someone by their wealth or status? Being wealthy may give an indication of intelligence, wise decisions, or hard work. On the other hand, it may only be that the person was born into that wealth, or it can even be a sign of greed, dishonesty, and selfishness. By honoring someone because of their appearance we are making that mean more than we honor character. Poverty makes us uncomfortable, we don't want to feel responsible for anyone who has less than we do. Most people want to be rich too, and they tend to use the relationship with someone wealthy to get rich as well. When we begin to judge people by status we soon will find ourselves pulled toward trying to get the rich to join our church or support our cause, and that neither views the rich or the poor through the eyes of God. To God money is only paper or brightly colored stones and elements of earth, nothing more.
While we may find ourselves in a great deal of confusion about our relationship with this world the one thing that we need to remember more than anything else is that we are all made to be loved by God. That purpose and directive is what God thinks about 24/7. His relationship with each of us is what His goal is at all times, and His heart and intent never changes.Ask yourself today just where you find your faith? We know what Jesus taught, and we really already know where we are on the inside in comparison to those teachings. Do you need a change? May you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UN WORTHY SERVANT
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