James Week 6 - Walk It Out

"Let's pack our lunches and go to the park to eat." I said as we got ready to go to meet our friend. At the last minute our friend called us to cancel but there was no need for us to cancel. We left with an extra lunch in tow. As we journeyed on our way we noticed a dirty man with a sign. As we got closer it read will work for food. We walked to the other side of the street to gracefully avoid him and kept our extra lunch for ourselves, after all he was probably a lazy bum.

What do you think when you read that story? Does it upset you? If you have been with us so far you will know this is crazy right? First we are being judgmental which we learned last week was not right. This is a human being who has a story. Who is a creation of God. But this next section that goes til the end of Chapter two talks of faith and works. If we have extra to give someone and with hold it that is sin. So let's dig in and read the Scripture for ourselves. Read James 2:14-26.



Focusing on verses 14-20
As my story above states, that is how James opens except his is better because it is the inspired word of God. It is ridiculous to say you are a believer but not live like it. We are to display the glory of God to the world. When we come to Christ, if we are truly believers, if we have real faith, then the Holy Spirit lives in us and starts to change us and starts to make us more and more into the image of Christ. When this happens we want to do things because we are compelled by love for God. We know He deeply loves us and we want to express this back to Him. We do this by our deeds.

We must be careful here though because there are many moral people who do good deeds because they think they will earn them right standing before God. They do them for the wrong reasons. That is not true faith. This is not what is being talked about here. This is something I see often in the south. Many people go to church because it is what you do but that does not make you a Christian. You may even go on mission trips, serve on committees, teach Bible studies, keep the nursery but that does not make you a Christian.

Faith in Christ alone is what makes you a Christian and because of that because God called you to Himself you respond. That is where true works come from. You are compelled to work because of love for Him. You are secure in your standing because you are His child nothing is to be earned because all has already been done by Him.

Then we go on to look at two examples of people who lived this kind of faith out in verses 21-26.

Read Genesis 22:1-18. It is the entire story of what James 2:21-24 is referencing.

I love the references in it that are pointing toward to Christ to come. Immediately Abraham got up and obeyed this strange request. He believed and trusted God. Just as Christ had to carry the cross up to His place of sacrifice, Isaac had the wood for the sacrifice placed on him. The request, his father was to sacrifice his one and only beloved son. Then God provided the sacrifice of the lamb stuck in the thickets for the sacrifice instead of Isaac. The Perfect Lamb of God would become our final sacrifice. And through Abraham (Isaac) all the nations on earth will be blessed because it is his seed that will bring Jesus. In Christ all families on earth will be blessed. Christ is our salvation.

True faith is acted out. God told Abraham to do something and he acted. When we know the right thing to do and do not do it it is sin. We must learn to walk out our faith. Because of our great love for God we should desire to do what He wants us to do.

Read Rahab's account in Joshua 2 that is referenced in James 2:25-26.

Rahab's fear of God was bigger than her fear of her king or country. She opened her heart to God and acted in faith to help these men of God. This changed her life. She is credited several times in Scripture for her faith because of this. She acted. Faith worked out.