Good morning 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 ask you a little question.
What’s it mean when you see the words, I believe? If one of your own children ran in the house and told you that it was raining outside would you believe them enough to go outside and pull the clothes down from off of the line? If your son told you that there were a couple of deer that were eating your fresh vegetables in the garden, would you believe him enough to go and shoo them away? If somebody told you that you needed to turn from your sins in order to get to heaven, would you believe them enough to repent?
This reminds me of a Christian Life
Many people claim to believe in Jesus, but to make that claim is to believe in the things that He taught. Genuine faith is going to result in action. True belief will result in repentance, conversion, transformation, sanctification and perfection of the spirit. If these things never truly happen, then faith is void. It’s claiming to believe in something, but it doesn’t produce any results.
1 Corinthians 15:1-2 ¹ Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; ² By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
When something is vain it is ineffectual and purposeless. Scripture clearly teaches us that we are justified by faith, but faith that doesn’t result in obedience and submission to the will of God, isn’t really faith at all. It’s only claiming that you will be in heaven, but you do not want to do anything required on your part to obtain that eternal kingdom. It’s claiming to believe with your mouth, but lacking genuine conversion in the heart.
James 2:14-26 ¹⁴ What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? ¹⁷ Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. ¹⁸ 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.
¹⁹ Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. ²⁰ But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? ²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? ²² Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? ²³ 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. ²⁴ Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. ²⁵ Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? ²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Sincere belief in Jesus will cause you to become a doer of His Word, rather than just a hearer. If there is no action applied, if there’s no obedience, then faith is non-existent.
James 1:21-25 ²¹ Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. ²² But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. ²³ 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: ²⁴ For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
²⁵ 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.
To become a doer of the word means to become transformed from a sinner into a saint. This happens to faithful submission to the teachings of scripture and obedience to the will of God. To believe something in vain means that it never really produces results that lead to a life-altering change. Paul certainly didn’t receive God’s grace in vain. When he got forgiven for his sins, his life took a completely different direction, one of service and submission to God’s purpose.
1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
When somebody truly believes in Christ they will wholeheartedly accept the teachings and guidance of God’s Holy Word, which will result in becoming transformed from sinners into saints.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”
If it really is faith, then there will be outward evidence of one’s beliefs. Faith is more than words, it is something that you can see in action. Let’s take a look at a few examples in Hebrews chapter 11.
Hebrews 11
- ⁴ By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
- ⁷ By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. ⁸ By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
- ¹¹ Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
- ¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, ¹⁸ Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: ¹⁹ Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
When Moses believed in God, it resulted in him turning away from everything that Egypt had to offer him, in order to serve and follow the Lord.
- ²⁷ By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. ²⁸ Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. ²⁹ By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. ³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
To say, I believe in Jesus, is only words, until you put your faith into action. The evidence of faith is seen through our service and obedience to His will. God has already shown us His great love, and if we want to be in heaven, we need to prove our love for Him. This is done by walking in humble submission to His purpose. This is the high calling of God in Christ Jesus for all those who say…..
……I Believe
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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