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 tell you a little story.
I was not always a great student in math, and nearly flunked out of high school algebra. But when I was in elementary school, there were certain things that I learned back then that remain fresh in my mind. For example, when I first learned how to do multiplication, something always stood out in my head. I can remember learning that ten times zero equals zero. In fact, no matter how big the first number might have been, when multiplied by zero, the result was zero.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
The Christian Life is very much like an equation. It takes two things to fully complete the will of God. Many people will quickly claim with their mouth that they believe in Jesus, but confession is only the half of it. They might claim it thousands of times, but if their life has no evidence of an inward change or repentance towards God, the product of their faith equals nothing. Without any works in their equation, it’s really not faith at all, it just amounts to a big zero.
James 2:14,17 ¹⁴ What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him. ¹⁷ Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
There is a heretical hypothesis that has been passed around for many years in modern day churches, that somehow you can just say the words… ” I believe “,.. and that is all that is required to enter into heaven. But words by themselves are not enough, unless there are actions applied. You might claim to love the Lord Jesus, but that by itself is not enough, unless through the actions of your obedient heart, you prove your love towards Him. There are so many Bible twisters in the world today who do not understand the concept of love. Love is far more than just words, it is results. Love is more than words, it is actions. Love is more than saying I believe, it is proving what you believe. One is required to believe with their ❤️, not just to say words by themselves. Genuine Faith from the heart will result in love and obedience towards God, and this is how you can discern the true followers of Christ, from the ones that have never really been born again.
John 14:21,23-24. ²¹ He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. ²³ Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. ²⁴ He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
The commandments of Christ are found throughout the teachings of the New Testament. To claim that you lovingly believe in Jesus, yet you will not submit to the teachings of scripture, isn’t faith at all. The scriptures have another name for that, unbelief. For twenty years I have called it lip service Christianity. It’s claiming to believe in something, yet you have no evidence to back up what you claim to believe. True love for God, will result in obeying the will of God.
John 21:15-17 ¹⁵ So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. ¹⁶ He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. ¹⁷ He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
I met someone years ago who told me that he had two license plates for his car. One of them said “by works,”and the other one said ” by grace.” But in today’s society, many people continue to twist the words of the Apostle Paul to their own condemnation. They confuse Judaism with Christianity. They confuse justification by the law, with justification through faith. Many people try to be justified by their own works, apart from faith in Christ. This is called self-justification because it’s not based on faith in Christ. They think that they.will enter heaven based upon their own righteousness and works, but they are sadly mistaken. This world has a sin issue, and unless each of us come to Christ Jesus and get forgiven for past mistakes, we cannot have the hope of someday entering heaven, no matter how many works that one might do. Each of us have come short of the glory of God, and we must repent of our wrongdoings, and submit to God’s purpose. Scripture is clear that without forgiveness through the blood of Christ, people will die in their sins.
But don’t ever confuse this with the life of a professing Christian. We are saved through faith in Christ Jesus, but after being buried with Him through the waters of baptism, our lives need to have evidence of works. Possessing this evidence is called faith righteousness, by which we are saved. The Apostle Paul possessed this type of righteousness, and God’s grace was manifesting itself through His faithful life. Faith- righteousness serves the will of God rather than your own. It is a righteousness that is obedient to the teachings of the New Testament. The proof that you are a mechanic is fixing somebody’s car. The proof that you are a cook is providing a wonderful meal for others to eat. Likewise, the proof that you are a Christian, is obedience and humble submission to the will of God. We show others our faith, through the evidence of our own faithfulness to Christ.
James 2:18-26. 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.
In modern society today, there are many people who quickly profess Christianity with their mouth, but are missing the other half of the Christian equation. I say this not to condemn, but to admonish you all, that when you become a believer in Jesus Christ, works need to be present in your life. Works of obedience, works of repentance, works of contrition, works of transformation, works of conversion, works of submission, works of mortification, and most of all….works of love. These are things that are required in the New testament. Without this evidence, faith is dead, and when all is said and done, and it comes time to add it all up, you will only find that this kind of faith is equivalent to….
….A Big Zero
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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