I HAVE A FRIEND WHO…“Is Afraid to Share their Faith”
James 2:14-26
Differences between Paul and James
Paul James
Fighting legalism Fighting laxity
“Works is ”
law/regulation fruit and conduct
How to “know” How to “show’
“You are a Christian”
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith…For we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph. 2:8, 10)
Five Principles of Real faith
- Real Faith is not just something you say.
“What good is it my brother, if a man claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such a faith save him?” (14)
- Real faith is not just something you feel.
“Suppose a brother or sister (in the church) 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?” (15-16)
“In the same way, faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead.” (17)
- Real Faith is not just something you think.
“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.” (18)
- Real faith is not just something you believe.
A New Testament definition of believe:
“To trust in; To cling to; To rely on;
To commit yourself completely to.”
Real faith is something you do.
Abraham: Genesis 22:22-23
“and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God…” (21-23)
Rahab: Joshua 2
“In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
And the body without the Spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead faith!” (25-26)
IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT YOU SAY…
IT MATTERS WHAT YOU DO!
2 Corinthians 13:5
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Check yourself out and see if you are rally acting like a believer or not.”
Then you will NOT be afraid to share your faith!