Post by Les Brewer on Nov 19, 2011 16:14:42 GMT
Introduction:
A. Have you ever asked the question, “What does it take to please God?”
- There are some people who think that the way you please God is through religious ritual.
- You do certain kinds of rituals and then God is pleased and you're in the in-crowd.
- But that's not true.
- There are others who think that the way you please God is through rules and regulations – and that if you just do certain things, then God will say, "You're okay."
- But that doesn't please God either.
- Some people think that if my bad works are real low and my good works are real high, and we kind of balance them out, well, maybe God will grade on a curve and as long as I do more good than bad, I'm okay – That's not true either.
- The Bible says that there's only one way that you can please God.
- (Hebrews 11:6) And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
- The only way you can please God is by faith.
B. Now, the problem with that is that a lot of people think they have faith, but they don't.
- So what I want to do is, is to give us a little pop quiz before the big final. - And you can examine yourself and ask yourself, "How can I tell if I've got real faith? - How do I know I've got the kind of faith that pleases God?
- How do I know I have the kind of faith that gives me access into heaven?"
- As a forum lead, I am concerned that you don’t get to the final quiz and have the wrong answer.
- Fortunately, in the book of James, chapter 2, James tells us four things that faith is not – and then he tells us what it is.
WHAT IS REAL FAITH?
1. Real faith is not just something you SAY
- (James 2:14) What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
- You might circle that word, "claim" in your mind.
- He's not saying here that the guy actually has faith, he says he just claims it.
- In other words, he talks a good line – He knows all the right phrases – He's got the jargon down pat – He knows the language of Christianese.
- He claims faith, but that doesn't mean he's necessarily possesses it.
- George Gallup says that there are 50 million people in America who say, "I am a Christian."
- But not all of those 50 million can back it up with a Christian lifestyle.
- And just because a person claims it, doesn't mean they have it.
- The point I want to make here is that real faith is more than just talk.
- Not everybody who has a Christian bumper sticker or Fish symbol on their car is a Christian – Have you figured that one out?
- I mean, you don't have to get more than a couple rude hand gestures from the driver before you begin to figure, “Hey, maybe that guy’s not a believer.”
- “He must have borrowed the car – Or he bought it second-hand and couldn't scrape it off.
- Not everybody who claims to be a believer really is – Faith is more than just something you say.
2. Real faith is not just something you FEEL
- A lot of people confuse emotions and feelings with faith.
- They come to a church service and they are emotionally moved, they're inspired, and they're stimulated.
- They get a quiver in their liver and, you know, "Oh, man! I'm moved!"
- And they go out after the service and maybe they've even cried or felt God's presence, and that’s great.
- But just because you've felt God's presence doesn't mean you have real faith.
- There's a big difference between faith and feeling.
- (James 2:15-16) Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 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?
- He's saying here that faith is not just mere sentimentality.
- You go out on the street and you see some homeless person who's destitute.
- They're poor, they're hungry, they're cold, they need clothing and shelter.
- And you walk up to them and say, "Cheer up," or "Don't worry, be happy!"
- That's not faith.
- (1 John 3:17) If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
- Faith is practical – It gets involved in people's hurts.
- And when you see a need, you do something about it.
- You don't just spout off and say, "I'll pray for you." – You do something about it.
- You see, if you're a Christian, you're a part of the family of God.
- And when you became a believer, you became a part of this family.
- And as a result, you have some family responsibilities.
- What are those family responsibilities?
- You care about it when other Christians are hurt, or in pain, or grief, or sorrow.
- You say, "Well, I can't meet everybody's needs!" – You're right – You can't.
- But you can meet some – and it may not make a difference to everybody, but it makes a difference to those people.
3. Real faith is not just something you THINK
- You know, some people think of faith as a philosophical quest.
- It's something they want to discuss and debate and argue about.
- And when they think about faith, it's their mental stimulation, it's a concept to be debated, it's an idea to be discussed, it's a principle to be bandied about.
- And we don't make any decision on it, and we certainly don't make any commitment to it, we just discuss it.
- Now James imagines this kind of person in verse 18, this philosophical debater, he says, (James 2:18 ) 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.
- What's he talking about here?
- He says, "Well, here's this guy who says, "Hey! You're into faith. Hmmm. I'm into deeds. Different strokes for different folks. You're into that, I'm into this. Let's debate it. Let's talk about it. Let's discuss it.”
- And James is making a point here.
- He's saying faith is not something you debate – It's something you do.
- The key phrase in here, and I want you to circle this, is the phrase, "show me".
- "Show me your faith with o deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do."
- Faith is odorless, it's colorless, it's weightless – So how do you know when you've got it?
- How do you know if you've got the real kind of faith that pleases God?
- How do you know you've got the kind of faith that gets you into heaven?
- Well, the Bible says to look at your lifestyle, and real faith will show up in the way you are living your day to day life.
- Faith is like calories – You can't see them, but you can sure see the results.
- And when a person really has Christ in his or her life, you can see it.
- And if you can't see it, you have every reason to doubt, "Do I have the real, legitimate stuff?
- All around the world today, we have this gap between behavior and belief.
- And what we say we believe, we don't always back up with our lifestyles.
- You might say, "Hey, you know my husband is a Christian."
- I say, "Oh, really? Does he hang out with other Christians, you know, fellowship?" "No."
- "Does he have any desire to go to church? Do you ever see him read the Bible? Do you hear him pray on a regular basis? Does he tithe his income? Does he share his faith with anybody, ever tell anybody about Christ?" "No"
- "Then how do you know he’s a Christian?" – "Well, he thinks he is."
- But just because you think it, doesn't mean it's so.
- Faith is not something you think, or that you feel, or that you say.
- It's much more than that – If it’s real, it will show up in your life.
- If you were to walk out of your own church after a service and you were to stick your hand into a 220 voltage socket, you'd get connected to the power source, and you would know it – and your body would show it.
- Well, God is a far greater power source than that.
- And I don't think it is possible for God to come into your life with o changing you.
- And when people say, "Oh, I have Christ in my life. I believe in Christ."
- And you say, "Well, how are you different?"
- If they don't know any difference, you have every reason to doubt if they've got the real thing.
- I don't believe somebody as big as Jesus Christ can come into your life and not change you.
- Because when Jesus moves into the house, He starts rearranging the furniture.
- And all of a sudden, your values change.
- Things that used to be important to you are cheap thrills now–and you see through it
- And you've got a whole new set of values and all of a sudden, you're concerned about other people who are Christians and all of a sudden you're concerned about serving God, not just making money.
- And all of a sudden, you're concerned about things that are going to last for eternity -- not just what's going to happen tomorrow.
- Your whole life starts taking on new meaning and new purpose and new significance and new value.
- Real faith always produces a changed life.
4. Real faith is not just something you BELIEVE
- A lot of people have strong beliefs about Jesus Christ, strong beliefs about God, strong beliefs about the Bible.
- I mean, they went to catechism, they know the creed, they know the religion, they've got the doctrine down, "I believe in this and that and this and that . . ." and all those kind of things.
- Oh, they have great beliefs! – But that's not enough.
- And James points this out, he uses a little sarcasm here in v. 19, (James 2:19 ) You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder.
- He says, "Big deal! You're not doing anything different than Satan does."
- Satan believes in God, but you're not going to find him in heaven.
- Why? Because he hasn't made a commitment.
- You see, I believe in George Washington – But I'm not a Washingtonian.
- But I believe in Jesus Christ and I'm a Christian.
- Why? Because I have committed my life to Him. I have accepted Him as Lord.
- I’ve gone beyond a merely intellectual belief in His existence, to a belief that says “I trust You”, “I’m turning over my life to You.”
- A lot of people are going to miss heaven by 18 inches, because they've got it up here, in their head, but they don't have it here, in their heart.
- They've got a head knowledge – but let’s see it in your life.
- “Well, I’m Baptist”, Good, glad to hear it! "Well, I'm Catholic." Fantastic! Great. "I’m Presbyterian," Fantastic! Fine. "I'm from the Independent Christian Church, Restoration Movement." Well, Good for you! "I'm Lutheran." Fine.
- Listen, that’s all fine and good, but there's no verse in the Bible that says, "Religion is the way to heaven." – Because it's not.
- Jesus didn't say, "I've come so that you might have religion." Or rules, or regulations, or rituals.
- He said, "I've come that you might have life." – It's a relationship.
- Real faith is not just something you believe.
5. Real faith is something you DO
- (James 2:20 NLT) Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?
- He's saying, how will you know that you've got real faith?
- You look at your lifestyle and see what kind of actions follow as a result of it.
- You say, "How do I visibly show that I have faith?"
- Well, the first thing you need to do is to be baptized if you haven’t yet.
- That's the very first command of Christ.
- In Baptism I am publicly identifying myself with Christ, and with His Body, the Church. It's like an advertisement.
- Because that's what baptism is – Baptism is an advertisement for Jesus Christ.
- Baptism is saying to the world, "I'm not ashamed to say I'm a Christian. I'm not ashamed to follow the first command of Christ, to identify myself as a believer."
- What else do you do? – You start following the other commands of Christ – Our faith is proven by the way we live.
- Now, please don't misunderstand me – This is too important to misunderstand.
- You ask, "Are you saying that I've got to work my way to heaven?" No.
- "Are you saying that I've got to do good works to be saved?" No. No. No.
- Good works are not the root of salvation, they are the fruit of salvation.
- They don't make you a Christian, they show that you are a Christian.
- They don't deliver salvation; they demonstrate salvation.
- You do good works not to get it but because you've already got it – It's proof.
- Only by trusting Christ can you be saved.
- But the proof that you have trusted Christ is shown in your lifestyle.
- And if there's no proof out there, you have every reason to doubt whether you've ever really tuned in.
- A good passage that shows both of these truths together is Ephesians 2:8-10.
- (Eph 2:8-10) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
TWO IMPORTANT FACTS:
1. The basis for my salvation is GOD’S GRACE
- I can't earn it – I never will – I don't deserve it.
- It's just a free gift that I accept, and I trust God to come through on His promise.
- I accept what Christ did for me.
- The basis of my salvation is God's grace.
2. The proof of my salvation is MY MINISTRY
- You say, "Do I have a ministry?" Yes, you do if you're a believer.
- What is ministry? Ministry is just a £or $10 word that means serving God by serving other people.
- The Bible says that you have a ministry if you're a Christian.
- That you are called to serve – You are saved to serve – It’s part of the deal.
Conclusion:
- What am I saying? Let me just summarize all of this.
- I'm saying that if your faith doesn't work, if there's no evidence of it, then it's not real faith.
- And you need to settle that issue.
- Some of you need, today, to say, "I want to settle the issue today. I want to start, not just to believe in Christ, but I want to follow Him." That's real faith.
- Now, let me ask you, what are you going to do as a result of this message?
- Specifically, as you finish reading here, what are you going to do about it?
- You could say, "Oh, I heard it. And I thought about it. And I felt it. And I believed it.” But that's not enough.
- What are you going to do about what you've read today?
- You need to ask God, "What's the next step in my life?
- Some of you need to be baptized.
- You believe that Jesus is who He claimed to be, and you need to identify with Him in this way as you begin your journey.
- Others need to discover your ministry.
- If I were to ask you today, “What is your ministry at your own church?” would you have an answer?
- Many of you would be able to answer without any hesitation.
- But if you’re struggling for an answer, today is the day to get involved.
If you have never made the commitment to Jesus before, then why not do it today; click on this link to read more on becoming a Christian.
A. Have you ever asked the question, “What does it take to please God?”
- There are some people who think that the way you please God is through religious ritual.
- You do certain kinds of rituals and then God is pleased and you're in the in-crowd.
- But that's not true.
- There are others who think that the way you please God is through rules and regulations – and that if you just do certain things, then God will say, "You're okay."
- But that doesn't please God either.
- Some people think that if my bad works are real low and my good works are real high, and we kind of balance them out, well, maybe God will grade on a curve and as long as I do more good than bad, I'm okay – That's not true either.
- The Bible says that there's only one way that you can please God.
- (Hebrews 11:6) And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
- The only way you can please God is by faith.
B. Now, the problem with that is that a lot of people think they have faith, but they don't.
- So what I want to do is, is to give us a little pop quiz before the big final. - And you can examine yourself and ask yourself, "How can I tell if I've got real faith? - How do I know I've got the kind of faith that pleases God?
- How do I know I have the kind of faith that gives me access into heaven?"
- As a forum lead, I am concerned that you don’t get to the final quiz and have the wrong answer.
- Fortunately, in the book of James, chapter 2, James tells us four things that faith is not – and then he tells us what it is.
WHAT IS REAL FAITH?
1. Real faith is not just something you SAY
- (James 2:14) What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
- You might circle that word, "claim" in your mind.
- He's not saying here that the guy actually has faith, he says he just claims it.
- In other words, he talks a good line – He knows all the right phrases – He's got the jargon down pat – He knows the language of Christianese.
- He claims faith, but that doesn't mean he's necessarily possesses it.
- George Gallup says that there are 50 million people in America who say, "I am a Christian."
- But not all of those 50 million can back it up with a Christian lifestyle.
- And just because a person claims it, doesn't mean they have it.
- The point I want to make here is that real faith is more than just talk.
- Not everybody who has a Christian bumper sticker or Fish symbol on their car is a Christian – Have you figured that one out?
- I mean, you don't have to get more than a couple rude hand gestures from the driver before you begin to figure, “Hey, maybe that guy’s not a believer.”
- “He must have borrowed the car – Or he bought it second-hand and couldn't scrape it off.
- Not everybody who claims to be a believer really is – Faith is more than just something you say.
2. Real faith is not just something you FEEL
- A lot of people confuse emotions and feelings with faith.
- They come to a church service and they are emotionally moved, they're inspired, and they're stimulated.
- They get a quiver in their liver and, you know, "Oh, man! I'm moved!"
- And they go out after the service and maybe they've even cried or felt God's presence, and that’s great.
- But just because you've felt God's presence doesn't mean you have real faith.
- There's a big difference between faith and feeling.
- (James 2:15-16) Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 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?
- He's saying here that faith is not just mere sentimentality.
- You go out on the street and you see some homeless person who's destitute.
- They're poor, they're hungry, they're cold, they need clothing and shelter.
- And you walk up to them and say, "Cheer up," or "Don't worry, be happy!"
- That's not faith.
- (1 John 3:17) If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
- Faith is practical – It gets involved in people's hurts.
- And when you see a need, you do something about it.
- You don't just spout off and say, "I'll pray for you." – You do something about it.
- You see, if you're a Christian, you're a part of the family of God.
- And when you became a believer, you became a part of this family.
- And as a result, you have some family responsibilities.
- What are those family responsibilities?
- You care about it when other Christians are hurt, or in pain, or grief, or sorrow.
- You say, "Well, I can't meet everybody's needs!" – You're right – You can't.
- But you can meet some – and it may not make a difference to everybody, but it makes a difference to those people.
3. Real faith is not just something you THINK
- You know, some people think of faith as a philosophical quest.
- It's something they want to discuss and debate and argue about.
- And when they think about faith, it's their mental stimulation, it's a concept to be debated, it's an idea to be discussed, it's a principle to be bandied about.
- And we don't make any decision on it, and we certainly don't make any commitment to it, we just discuss it.
- Now James imagines this kind of person in verse 18, this philosophical debater, he says, (James 2:18 ) 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.
- What's he talking about here?
- He says, "Well, here's this guy who says, "Hey! You're into faith. Hmmm. I'm into deeds. Different strokes for different folks. You're into that, I'm into this. Let's debate it. Let's talk about it. Let's discuss it.”
- And James is making a point here.
- He's saying faith is not something you debate – It's something you do.
- The key phrase in here, and I want you to circle this, is the phrase, "show me".
- "Show me your faith with o deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do."
- Faith is odorless, it's colorless, it's weightless – So how do you know when you've got it?
- How do you know if you've got the real kind of faith that pleases God?
- How do you know you've got the kind of faith that gets you into heaven?
- Well, the Bible says to look at your lifestyle, and real faith will show up in the way you are living your day to day life.
- Faith is like calories – You can't see them, but you can sure see the results.
- And when a person really has Christ in his or her life, you can see it.
- And if you can't see it, you have every reason to doubt, "Do I have the real, legitimate stuff?
- All around the world today, we have this gap between behavior and belief.
- And what we say we believe, we don't always back up with our lifestyles.
- You might say, "Hey, you know my husband is a Christian."
- I say, "Oh, really? Does he hang out with other Christians, you know, fellowship?" "No."
- "Does he have any desire to go to church? Do you ever see him read the Bible? Do you hear him pray on a regular basis? Does he tithe his income? Does he share his faith with anybody, ever tell anybody about Christ?" "No"
- "Then how do you know he’s a Christian?" – "Well, he thinks he is."
- But just because you think it, doesn't mean it's so.
- Faith is not something you think, or that you feel, or that you say.
- It's much more than that – If it’s real, it will show up in your life.
- If you were to walk out of your own church after a service and you were to stick your hand into a 220 voltage socket, you'd get connected to the power source, and you would know it – and your body would show it.
- Well, God is a far greater power source than that.
- And I don't think it is possible for God to come into your life with o changing you.
- And when people say, "Oh, I have Christ in my life. I believe in Christ."
- And you say, "Well, how are you different?"
- If they don't know any difference, you have every reason to doubt if they've got the real thing.
- I don't believe somebody as big as Jesus Christ can come into your life and not change you.
- Because when Jesus moves into the house, He starts rearranging the furniture.
- And all of a sudden, your values change.
- Things that used to be important to you are cheap thrills now–and you see through it
- And you've got a whole new set of values and all of a sudden, you're concerned about other people who are Christians and all of a sudden you're concerned about serving God, not just making money.
- And all of a sudden, you're concerned about things that are going to last for eternity -- not just what's going to happen tomorrow.
- Your whole life starts taking on new meaning and new purpose and new significance and new value.
- Real faith always produces a changed life.
4. Real faith is not just something you BELIEVE
- A lot of people have strong beliefs about Jesus Christ, strong beliefs about God, strong beliefs about the Bible.
- I mean, they went to catechism, they know the creed, they know the religion, they've got the doctrine down, "I believe in this and that and this and that . . ." and all those kind of things.
- Oh, they have great beliefs! – But that's not enough.
- And James points this out, he uses a little sarcasm here in v. 19, (James 2:19 ) You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder.
- He says, "Big deal! You're not doing anything different than Satan does."
- Satan believes in God, but you're not going to find him in heaven.
- Why? Because he hasn't made a commitment.
- You see, I believe in George Washington – But I'm not a Washingtonian.
- But I believe in Jesus Christ and I'm a Christian.
- Why? Because I have committed my life to Him. I have accepted Him as Lord.
- I’ve gone beyond a merely intellectual belief in His existence, to a belief that says “I trust You”, “I’m turning over my life to You.”
- A lot of people are going to miss heaven by 18 inches, because they've got it up here, in their head, but they don't have it here, in their heart.
- They've got a head knowledge – but let’s see it in your life.
- “Well, I’m Baptist”, Good, glad to hear it! "Well, I'm Catholic." Fantastic! Great. "I’m Presbyterian," Fantastic! Fine. "I'm from the Independent Christian Church, Restoration Movement." Well, Good for you! "I'm Lutheran." Fine.
- Listen, that’s all fine and good, but there's no verse in the Bible that says, "Religion is the way to heaven." – Because it's not.
- Jesus didn't say, "I've come so that you might have religion." Or rules, or regulations, or rituals.
- He said, "I've come that you might have life." – It's a relationship.
- Real faith is not just something you believe.
5. Real faith is something you DO
- (James 2:20 NLT) Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?
- He's saying, how will you know that you've got real faith?
- You look at your lifestyle and see what kind of actions follow as a result of it.
- You say, "How do I visibly show that I have faith?"
- Well, the first thing you need to do is to be baptized if you haven’t yet.
- That's the very first command of Christ.
- In Baptism I am publicly identifying myself with Christ, and with His Body, the Church. It's like an advertisement.
- Because that's what baptism is – Baptism is an advertisement for Jesus Christ.
- Baptism is saying to the world, "I'm not ashamed to say I'm a Christian. I'm not ashamed to follow the first command of Christ, to identify myself as a believer."
- What else do you do? – You start following the other commands of Christ – Our faith is proven by the way we live.
- Now, please don't misunderstand me – This is too important to misunderstand.
- You ask, "Are you saying that I've got to work my way to heaven?" No.
- "Are you saying that I've got to do good works to be saved?" No. No. No.
- Good works are not the root of salvation, they are the fruit of salvation.
- They don't make you a Christian, they show that you are a Christian.
- They don't deliver salvation; they demonstrate salvation.
- You do good works not to get it but because you've already got it – It's proof.
- Only by trusting Christ can you be saved.
- But the proof that you have trusted Christ is shown in your lifestyle.
- And if there's no proof out there, you have every reason to doubt whether you've ever really tuned in.
- A good passage that shows both of these truths together is Ephesians 2:8-10.
- (Eph 2:8-10) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
TWO IMPORTANT FACTS:
1. The basis for my salvation is GOD’S GRACE
- I can't earn it – I never will – I don't deserve it.
- It's just a free gift that I accept, and I trust God to come through on His promise.
- I accept what Christ did for me.
- The basis of my salvation is God's grace.
2. The proof of my salvation is MY MINISTRY
- You say, "Do I have a ministry?" Yes, you do if you're a believer.
- What is ministry? Ministry is just a £or $10 word that means serving God by serving other people.
- The Bible says that you have a ministry if you're a Christian.
- That you are called to serve – You are saved to serve – It’s part of the deal.
Conclusion:
- What am I saying? Let me just summarize all of this.
- I'm saying that if your faith doesn't work, if there's no evidence of it, then it's not real faith.
- And you need to settle that issue.
- Some of you need, today, to say, "I want to settle the issue today. I want to start, not just to believe in Christ, but I want to follow Him." That's real faith.
- Now, let me ask you, what are you going to do as a result of this message?
- Specifically, as you finish reading here, what are you going to do about it?
- You could say, "Oh, I heard it. And I thought about it. And I felt it. And I believed it.” But that's not enough.
- What are you going to do about what you've read today?
- You need to ask God, "What's the next step in my life?
- Some of you need to be baptized.
- You believe that Jesus is who He claimed to be, and you need to identify with Him in this way as you begin your journey.
- Others need to discover your ministry.
- If I were to ask you today, “What is your ministry at your own church?” would you have an answer?
- Many of you would be able to answer without any hesitation.
- But if you’re struggling for an answer, today is the day to get involved.
If you have never made the commitment to Jesus before, then why not do it today; click on this link to read more on becoming a Christian.
