James 2:14-26 Faith in Action

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=james%202:14-26;&version=65;

Reading from the Message:

This is an incredibly succinct passage. James articulates the fundamental of discipleship in a few verses in such a way that he traces the concept in its consistency throughout scripture, from Genesis to his own generation.

In verse 17 James is saying that faith without works (works represented by actions exhibiting trust) is literally ‘No Faith’! (discuss my Rolex ‘look alike’ watch. Looks like a Rolex, says it is a Rolex but doesn’t act like a Rolex. It is a fraud.) Of course I’m a Christian, I’m …..denomination. I was baptized, confirmed, christened, etc. etc.

Because of the confusion in today’s language I tend to use the word ‘trust’ rather than believe. It seems to me that belief is too closely related to concepts such as believing in Santa Claus, aliens from outer space or that the world is flat. Here in verse 17 James notes that Satan believes and trembles. Belief is not enough in itself. In the past, when interviewing candidates for ministry in C.H. I would ask them to define Christian. Many would speak of believing in God. If they did not go on to indicate how this faith had affected their lives I would ask “Doesn’t Satan believe in God?” He believes all right but he continues to go about his own business and interests in the face of God’s will and leading.

Then James takes us back to Abraham and confirms what Paul says of Abraham’s faith in Romans. As a young Christian I was taught that in the Old Testament people had to keep the law in order to know God’s salvation and that in the New Testament it was no longer the law that was supreme but rather the commitment of a person to accept God’s grace to obtain forgiveness and to be born again, this time into God’s family. The Old Testament had the law. The New Testament had faith.

However, that isn’t the case. Abraham was not counted righteous because he was a good man and did what God asked him to do. He was counted righteous, even then, because he put his faith or trust in God and then lived his life (quite imperfectly from time to time) but he trusted God and trusted himself to doing things God’s way. It wasn’t being good and then being made righteous but rather trusting God and being declared righteous that motivated Abraham to live for God to the best of his ability. Can’t you see someone in the Hebrew community saying I am a Jew a descendent of Abraham. Paul and now James says you are a descendent of this patriarch of faith only if you exhibit the same faith, trust that Abraham did. It isn’t the blood in your veins but you personal commitment to the leadership of Christ in your life.

It wasn’t just Abraham that failed many times. David, Solomon, and virtually every other person outside of Jesus failed to achieve righteousness in their lives. Remember that even Paul had to confess that he was a great sinner and that the good that he most wanted to do he often left undone and the things he knew were not godly he often did. But from beginning to the end men and women in scripture who found favour with God were men and women who trusted God and committed themselves to honour Him as they faced choices and actions in their lives. Like a bumper sticker I once read “Be patient with me, I’m not yet perfect.” But for those who have trusted God, that end is secure and we shall stand in heaven made new, without spot or blemish, glorified in an eternal home.

So works don’t save us from God’s wrath. All our righteousness is like filthy rages! But trust or faith in God saves us from God’s wrath and that trust is exhibited in how we live our lives as His friends. (using the term of endearment for Abraham in this passage.) Re-read passage in conclusion.

Noel