Good morning and welcome in everybody. 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.
When my children were very young, they were involved in a special project in my home. Occasionally I will dig out all of the ingredients that I needed, mix them together with a little bit of water, and began rolling out pasta dough on the kitchen table. Back then, we would use a pizza cutter and cut all of our noodles by hand. One time at a dollar store, we found an electric pasta machine, a fun little gadget that the kids really enjoyed. After putting the ingredients into the machine, I would add the water and we would all watch as the machine would stir everything up. A few minutes later it would begin pushing the dough through a special attachment, and before you knew it, you had spaghetti noodles! The kid’s job was to catch the noodles, cut them to the right length, and then hang them up to dry on some lines that I had hung in the living room. But if you wanted really good spaghetti noodles, the ingredients needed to be mixed with the right amount of water.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Water is a regular staple in each of our lives, and if we didn’t have it, we wouldn’t survive very long. If any of us want to get through the desert of this world, our canteens must be filled up with faith, which is the most important thing for our eternal survival. Water is an ingredient that is used in most of the foods that we prepare, and without it, the meal isn’t going to come out the way that it should. The same is true of the Christian Life, because without faith, you will never become the person that God wants you to be.
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.
Many people can be filled with a lot of head knowledge from the teachings of Holy Scripture, but knowledge by itself cannot save us; unless it is combined with faith. When someone has faith, it will be manifested through their loving obedience and submission to the teachings of Christ.
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.
As I’ve always taught, faith is going to produce results. If I believe it’s going to rain, I will go out to the clothesline and bring in the laundry. My belief resulted in an action. Each of us has knowledge that if we leave clothes out in the rain, they are going to get wet, but faith is acting on that knowledge the next time that you see a thundercloud approaching. Faith is going to produce actions that are prompted by your belief in future events. That’s why the Apostle taught that faith without works, is dead.
James 2:14-26 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 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? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 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. 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.
Abraham had faith, which resulted in the action of taking his son to the altar. Faith will produce results that others will see.
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.
Hebrews 11:7 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.
Hebrews 11:24-27 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Many people might claim that they have the knowledge of God from the Holy Scriptures, but our salvation can only be achieved through the application of what we have learned.
James 1:22-25 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.
To become what God wants us to be, the wisdom of scripture must be combined with faith, just like mixing the water in with the ingredients, and turning on…..
……….The Pasta Machine
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 all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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