Goodmorning and welcome in everyone. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
Imagine your dad giving you a promise that if you graduated from high school and got your diploma he would buy you a new car. A promise had been given to you, but in order to obtain that promise, there was something required on your part, you needed to graduate. If you never went to classes, skipped school or even dropped out, you would come short of the promise that he gave you. There are things that you are required to do in order to obtain that new car. You need to pass your courses so you can receive that diploma.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
We are given great and precious promises in the scriptures about being able to obtain eternal life, but in order to obtain the promise, there are things that we need to do while we are here upon the Earth. We need to submit and come into compliance with the will of God. We need to prove our own selves by converting and being transformed by the application of scriptural truth. Just like in school, it means growing in spiritual education day by day, and applying what we learn in our daily lives. Without application and the desire to please God, genuine faith is non-existent.
Hebrews 4:1-2 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
If your dad promised to pick you up at 8 am Saturday morning to take you on a fishing trip for the weekend, there are certain things that you would need to do to obtain that promise. You would need to get up, pack your things, and be ready and waiting for him when he arrives. If you slept in, stayed over at your friend’s house, or went to cut lawns for some extra money, you would miss the trip. The Christian life is about preparing yourself for eternal life. It means getting ready now, and doing the things that are required of us, so that we can make it there.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Faith is believing something so much that it causes you to act on that belief. If I believe that it’s going to rain overnight, I will go up and close the windows on my truck. My faith led to an action. That is what true faith is. Noah believed in God so much that he spent a lot of his life building an ark to save His family from the flood. His faith led to action. Moses believed in God so much that he turned away from all the riches that Egypt could offer him in order to follow the purpose that God was calling him to. Genuine faith will lead someone to do God’s will, obeying His purpose and calling from the heart. Anything else is a dead faith.
Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
We have God’s forgiveness in the church, but it must be mingled with faith in order to inherit eternal life. Some people profess; ” by grace alone,”….. but to obtain the life that’s coming, it requires more than that.
James 2:18-26 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
How can you prove to anybody that you are a mechanic, if you never even bother to fix a car? How can you show others that you’re a good pianist if you never have a concert? How can you claim to be a follower of Jesus, but you have no desire in your heart to do the things Jesus teaches? What’s the old saying, it’s easier to talk the talk, then to walk the walk. We show our faith to others by our works and obedience to God’s will. Without these things, you are just deceiving your own hearts.
James 1:21-25 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
The Lord Jesus was filled up with so many good works that all the books ever written could never contain all the wonderful things that he did. Many people find it a lot easier to say they’re a Christian, rather than live the Christian Life. James tells the church that they believe in one God, but the devils do too. God gives us the gift of his forgiveness and mercy, but he does it for a specific reason, so that we can become new creatures, converting from sinful deeds of the flesh, to good works in the Spirit. Genuine faith will result in obedience to the will of God and His calling for you.
(Continued)……But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Christianity is more than a profession of faith, it is a faith of action. Christianity is not a do nothing faith, but a do something faith. You don’t want to be one of those who comes short of the finish line. Just like in high school, it’s going to require some effort on your part if you truly want to graduate someday, and finally obtain….
…..The Diploma
Let’s think about these things for right now, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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