You Cannot Have Faith Without Being Faithful

You Cannot Have Faith Without Being Faithful

Faith…many claim to have it.

As a pastor, I have done many funerals where I was told the

person who died as a young person invited Jesus into their heart.

 But there was no evidence in their life.

In the hospital, people would tell me I may not

look like a religious person, but I believe in God.

Most of us have heard someone say you don’t have to go

to church to be a Christian, you can worship Him anywhere.

It is true many come to church for selfish gain,

I have seen the poor come only to get a hand out

and the rich to help them with their professional image.

There are those who think faith is mechanical

like saying three Hail Mary’s or taking communion.   
 

When James wrote his letter to the believers,

he wanted to make this very clear…

  “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

James takes faith beyond the historical fact

that Jesus is God and rose from the dead.

“You believe that there is one God. Good!

Even the demons believe that — and shudder.”

James even lays question as to what

type or amount of faith saves…

“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to

have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?”

James gives us two examples of saving faith…

Abraham’s faith and action worked together.

 

“His faith was made complete by what he did…"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.”

Rahab acted in faith risking her life to help God’s spies.

Interesting, both Abraham and Rahab are considered

righteous not by faith alone but by what they did.

The question is this…

How faithful has your faith made you?

Is your faith alive or dead or just lukewarm?

Scripture Reading

James 2:14-26 NIV

14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 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? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

18 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. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder.

20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?  21 Was not our ancestor 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 justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.