Pressure Points - October 12
Blog
Faith Without Works: Understanding What It Really Means
The book of James contains one of the most misunderstood passages in the New Testament: "faith without works is dead." This statement has confused many believers who wonder if it contradicts the clear biblical teaching that we're saved by faith alone. Let's explore what James really means and how this applies to our daily Christian walk.
Who Was James Writing To?
James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote this letter to Jewish believers who had been scattered throughout the Roman Empire due to persecution. These weren't unbelievers - James calls them "brethren" fifteen times throughout his short letter. They were facing trials and tribulations, kicked out of their communities, and struggling financially because unbelieving Jews wouldn't even do business with them.
Understanding this context is crucial because James isn't questioning their salvation. He's addressing believers who, in the midst of their hardships, were falling back into old selfish patterns instead of living out their faith in community.
Does This Contradict Salvation by Faith Alone?
Absolutely not. Scripture never contradicts itself. We know from clear passages like Ephesians 2:8-9 that we're saved "by grace through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift from God, not as a result of works." This truth remains unchanged.
The key is understanding that the word "saved" in the New Testament refers to eternal salvation only one-third of the time. The other two-thirds, it simply means deliverance from current circumstances. James is asking: can faith alone deliver you from your present trials without putting that faith into action? The answer is no.
What Does "Dead Faith" Really Mean?
When James says faith without works is "dead," he also uses the word "useless." Think of a dead car battery - it's still a battery, but it's useless until someone with a working battery comes to jump-start it. Similarly, faith that isn't lived out is useless for representing Christ and helping fellow believers in need.
James gives a practical example: if a fellow believer lacks food and clothing, and you simply say "be warm and filled" without actually helping meet their needs, what good is that? This isn't about earning salvation - it's about living out the faith you already possess.
Are You Embracing and Extending God's Grace?
The first sign of mature faith is sharing the grace you've received. When you've been graciously provided for, are you helping provide for others in their time of need? James challenges believers who were being "super spiritual" - offering prayers instead of practical help when someone needed food or clothing.
Proverbs 3:27-28 reinforces this principle: "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, 'Go and come back, and tomorrow I'll give it,' when you have it with you."
Are You Exercising Your Faith?
James addresses an imaginary objector who might say, "You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith without works, and I'll show you my faith by my works." He responds by pointing out that even demons believe in God and shudder, but their belief doesn't result in righteous living.
The point isn't that works save us, but that genuine faith naturally expresses itself through actions. As Jesus said in Matthew 5, believers are "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world." But salt that loses its flavor becomes useless, and light that's hidden serves no purpose.
Can You Be Called a Friend of God?
Not all believers are called friends of God. Jesus told his disciples, "You are my friends if you do what I have commanded you." This isn't about salvation - it's about discipleship and spiritual maturity.
James gives two examples of people who became known as friends of God:
Abraham's Example
Abraham was declared righteous by faith in Genesis 15 when he believed God's promise about having a son. But he became known as "the friend of God" in Genesis 22 when he was willing to sacrifice Isaac, demonstrating his mature faith through obedient action.
Rahab's Example
Rahab the harlot believed in the God of Israel, but she demonstrated that faith by hiding the Jewish spies and helping them escape. Her faith in action not only saved her life but placed her in the lineage of Jesus Christ.
Living Out Faith in Difficult Circumstances
One of the most challenging ways to demonstrate mature faith is by loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us. This supernatural response often has the greatest impact on unbelievers who witness it.
When believers choose to forgive those who have wronged them, extend grace to difficult people, and maintain their Christian witness under pressure, they become known as friends of God. This kind of faith in action creates ripple effects that can impact entire communities and even reach around the world.
Life Application
This week, challenge yourself to move beyond "dead" or useless faith to living, active faith. Look for practical ways to demonstrate God's grace to others, especially those who are struggling or in need. Instead of just offering prayers (though prayer is important), ask yourself: "What tangible help can I provide?"
Consider these questions as you reflect on your spiritual maturity:
The book of James contains one of the most misunderstood passages in the New Testament: "faith without works is dead." This statement has confused many believers who wonder if it contradicts the clear biblical teaching that we're saved by faith alone. Let's explore what James really means and how this applies to our daily Christian walk.
Who Was James Writing To?
James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote this letter to Jewish believers who had been scattered throughout the Roman Empire due to persecution. These weren't unbelievers - James calls them "brethren" fifteen times throughout his short letter. They were facing trials and tribulations, kicked out of their communities, and struggling financially because unbelieving Jews wouldn't even do business with them.
Understanding this context is crucial because James isn't questioning their salvation. He's addressing believers who, in the midst of their hardships, were falling back into old selfish patterns instead of living out their faith in community.
Does This Contradict Salvation by Faith Alone?
Absolutely not. Scripture never contradicts itself. We know from clear passages like Ephesians 2:8-9 that we're saved "by grace through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift from God, not as a result of works." This truth remains unchanged.
The key is understanding that the word "saved" in the New Testament refers to eternal salvation only one-third of the time. The other two-thirds, it simply means deliverance from current circumstances. James is asking: can faith alone deliver you from your present trials without putting that faith into action? The answer is no.
What Does "Dead Faith" Really Mean?
When James says faith without works is "dead," he also uses the word "useless." Think of a dead car battery - it's still a battery, but it's useless until someone with a working battery comes to jump-start it. Similarly, faith that isn't lived out is useless for representing Christ and helping fellow believers in need.
James gives a practical example: if a fellow believer lacks food and clothing, and you simply say "be warm and filled" without actually helping meet their needs, what good is that? This isn't about earning salvation - it's about living out the faith you already possess.
Are You Embracing and Extending God's Grace?
The first sign of mature faith is sharing the grace you've received. When you've been graciously provided for, are you helping provide for others in their time of need? James challenges believers who were being "super spiritual" - offering prayers instead of practical help when someone needed food or clothing.
Proverbs 3:27-28 reinforces this principle: "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, 'Go and come back, and tomorrow I'll give it,' when you have it with you."
Are You Exercising Your Faith?
James addresses an imaginary objector who might say, "You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith without works, and I'll show you my faith by my works." He responds by pointing out that even demons believe in God and shudder, but their belief doesn't result in righteous living.
The point isn't that works save us, but that genuine faith naturally expresses itself through actions. As Jesus said in Matthew 5, believers are "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world." But salt that loses its flavor becomes useless, and light that's hidden serves no purpose.
Can You Be Called a Friend of God?
Not all believers are called friends of God. Jesus told his disciples, "You are my friends if you do what I have commanded you." This isn't about salvation - it's about discipleship and spiritual maturity.
James gives two examples of people who became known as friends of God:
Abraham's Example
Abraham was declared righteous by faith in Genesis 15 when he believed God's promise about having a son. But he became known as "the friend of God" in Genesis 22 when he was willing to sacrifice Isaac, demonstrating his mature faith through obedient action.
Rahab's Example
Rahab the harlot believed in the God of Israel, but she demonstrated that faith by hiding the Jewish spies and helping them escape. Her faith in action not only saved her life but placed her in the lineage of Jesus Christ.
Living Out Faith in Difficult Circumstances
One of the most challenging ways to demonstrate mature faith is by loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us. This supernatural response often has the greatest impact on unbelievers who witness it.
When believers choose to forgive those who have wronged them, extend grace to difficult people, and maintain their Christian witness under pressure, they become known as friends of God. This kind of faith in action creates ripple effects that can impact entire communities and even reach around the world.
Life Application
This week, challenge yourself to move beyond "dead" or useless faith to living, active faith. Look for practical ways to demonstrate God's grace to others, especially those who are struggling or in need. Instead of just offering prayers (though prayer is important), ask yourself: "What tangible help can I provide?"
Consider these questions as you reflect on your spiritual maturity:
- When someone shares a need with me, do I offer practical help or just spiritual platitudes?
- Am I known more for what I believe or for how I live out those beliefs?
- In times of conflict or persecution, do I respond with grace and forgiveness or retreat into selfishness?
- Would others describe me as a "friend of God" based on how I live out my faith daily?
Devo 1 – The Gift That Changes Everything
Devotional
DevotionalHave you ever received a gift so incredible that it changed your entire perspective on life? That's exactly what happens when we place our faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is not something we earn through good deeds or religious activities - it's a free gift from God that we receive simply by believing. Many people struggle with this concept because it seems too simple. We're conditioned to think we must work for everything valuable in life. But God's grace operates differently. When we trust in Christ, we receive the promise of eternal life immediately and completely. No amount of good works before or after can add to what Christ has already accomplished for us. This truth should bring incredible peace to our hearts. We don't have to wonder if we've done enough or worry that our failures disqualify us from God's love. Our salvation rests entirely on Christ's finished work, not our performance. Yet this gift comes with a beautiful invitation - to live differently because of what we've received. When we truly understand the magnitude of God's grace toward us, it naturally flows out in how we treat others. We don't serve to earn salvation; we serve because we've already been saved. Think of it like receiving an unexpected inheritance from a loving relative. You didn't work for it, but receiving it changes how you view your future and how you want to honor that person's memory. Similarly, God's gift of salvation transforms us from the inside out, creating a desire to live in ways that reflect His character.
Bible Verse
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9
Reflection Question
How does understanding salvation as a free gift rather than something earned change the way you approach your relationship with God and others?
Quote
We are not saved by any kind of good works, either before trusting Christ or after trusting Christ. We're saved simply by faith.
Prayer
Father, thank You for the incredible gift of salvation through faith in Jesus. Help me to rest in the security of Your grace and let that assurance overflow into how I love and serve others. Amen.
DevotionalHave you ever received a gift so incredible that it changed your entire perspective on life? That's exactly what happens when we place our faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is not something we earn through good deeds or religious activities - it's a free gift from God that we receive simply by believing. Many people struggle with this concept because it seems too simple. We're conditioned to think we must work for everything valuable in life. But God's grace operates differently. When we trust in Christ, we receive the promise of eternal life immediately and completely. No amount of good works before or after can add to what Christ has already accomplished for us. This truth should bring incredible peace to our hearts. We don't have to wonder if we've done enough or worry that our failures disqualify us from God's love. Our salvation rests entirely on Christ's finished work, not our performance. Yet this gift comes with a beautiful invitation - to live differently because of what we've received. When we truly understand the magnitude of God's grace toward us, it naturally flows out in how we treat others. We don't serve to earn salvation; we serve because we've already been saved. Think of it like receiving an unexpected inheritance from a loving relative. You didn't work for it, but receiving it changes how you view your future and how you want to honor that person's memory. Similarly, God's gift of salvation transforms us from the inside out, creating a desire to live in ways that reflect His character.
Bible Verse
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9
Reflection Question
How does understanding salvation as a free gift rather than something earned change the way you approach your relationship with God and others?
Quote
We are not saved by any kind of good works, either before trusting Christ or after trusting Christ. We're saved simply by faith.
Prayer
Father, thank You for the incredible gift of salvation through faith in Jesus. Help me to rest in the security of Your grace and let that assurance overflow into how I love and serve others. Amen.
Devo 2 – Growing Up In The Faith
Devotional
Remember when you were a child and thought you knew everything? As we mature, we realize how much we still need to learn and grow. The same principle applies to our spiritual lives. God doesn't want us to remain spiritual infants forever - He desires that we grow up in our faith. Just as a parent celebrates when their child takes first steps but expects them to eventually run and jump, God celebrates our initial faith but calls us to spiritual maturity. This growth isn't about earning salvation - that's already secure. Instead, it's about becoming the person God created us to be. Spiritual maturity means moving beyond just knowing Bible verses to actually living them out. It's the difference between a child who can recite table manners and an adult who naturally practices them because they've become second nature. When we mature in faith, godly responses become more natural, even in difficult circumstances. This growth process requires intentionality. We need to feed on God's Word regularly, just like our bodies need consistent nutrition. We need to practice what we learn, even when it's uncomfortable or challenging. And we need community with other believers who can encourage us and hold us accountable. The beautiful thing about spiritual growth is that it benefits not only us but everyone around us. Mature believers become sources of strength and wisdom for others who are struggling. They become the 'active batteries' that can help jump-start those whose faith has grown cold or weak.
Bible Verse
"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation." - 1 Peter 2:2
Reflection Question
What specific areas of your spiritual life feel 'immature' right now, and what practical steps can you take to grow in those areas?
Quote
When he's 15, I don't want any part of changing that diaper. Same goes for you and me. In our spiritual lives, God's desire is that we would actually grow up in our faith.
Prayer
Lord, I don't want to remain a spiritual infant. Help me to crave Your Word and grow in wisdom and maturity. Show me areas where I need to develop and give me the discipline to pursue growth. Amen.
Remember when you were a child and thought you knew everything? As we mature, we realize how much we still need to learn and grow. The same principle applies to our spiritual lives. God doesn't want us to remain spiritual infants forever - He desires that we grow up in our faith. Just as a parent celebrates when their child takes first steps but expects them to eventually run and jump, God celebrates our initial faith but calls us to spiritual maturity. This growth isn't about earning salvation - that's already secure. Instead, it's about becoming the person God created us to be. Spiritual maturity means moving beyond just knowing Bible verses to actually living them out. It's the difference between a child who can recite table manners and an adult who naturally practices them because they've become second nature. When we mature in faith, godly responses become more natural, even in difficult circumstances. This growth process requires intentionality. We need to feed on God's Word regularly, just like our bodies need consistent nutrition. We need to practice what we learn, even when it's uncomfortable or challenging. And we need community with other believers who can encourage us and hold us accountable. The beautiful thing about spiritual growth is that it benefits not only us but everyone around us. Mature believers become sources of strength and wisdom for others who are struggling. They become the 'active batteries' that can help jump-start those whose faith has grown cold or weak.
Bible Verse
"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation." - 1 Peter 2:2
Reflection Question
What specific areas of your spiritual life feel 'immature' right now, and what practical steps can you take to grow in those areas?
Quote
When he's 15, I don't want any part of changing that diaper. Same goes for you and me. In our spiritual lives, God's desire is that we would actually grow up in our faith.
Prayer
Lord, I don't want to remain a spiritual infant. Help me to crave Your Word and grow in wisdom and maturity. Show me areas where I need to develop and give me the discipline to pursue growth. Amen.
Devo 3 – Faith That Works
Devotional
Imagine trying to drive a car with a dead battery. The car looks fine from the outside - it has all the right parts, the right color, even the right smell. But without a functioning battery, it won't take you anywhere. This perfectly illustrates the difference between dead faith and living faith. Living faith naturally expresses itself through action. When we truly believe something, it changes how we behave. If you believe a bridge is unsafe, you won't drive across it. If you believe someone loves you, you respond differently to them. Similarly, if we truly believe God loves us and has saved us, that belief will show up in how we live. This doesn't mean we're trying to earn salvation through good works. Rather, good works are the natural fruit of genuine faith. They're evidence that our faith is alive and active, not dead and useless. When we see someone in need and respond with practical help rather than just empty words, we demonstrate that our faith has power. The key is understanding that faith alone saves us for eternity, but faith that remains alone - never expressing itself in love and service - cannot deliver us from the trials and challenges of daily life. We need faith that works, faith that gets its hands dirty, faith that shows up when life gets difficult. This kind of active faith creates a ripple effect. When others see believers living out their faith practically and sacrificially, it draws attention to the God we serve. Our actions become a
testimony more powerful than our words.
Bible Verse
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." - James 1:22
Reflection Question
Can you think of a recent situation where you had the opportunity to put your faith into action but chose to offer only words instead of practical help?
Quote
Faith will save us for eternity. But faith alone in this life will not mitigate the circumstances, the trials, the tribulations that we and our neighbors run into unless we choose to live out our Christian ideal in the here and now.
Prayer
God, I don't want my faith to be like a dead battery - present but powerless. Help me to live out what I believe in practical, tangible ways that demonstrate Your love to others. Amen.
Imagine trying to drive a car with a dead battery. The car looks fine from the outside - it has all the right parts, the right color, even the right smell. But without a functioning battery, it won't take you anywhere. This perfectly illustrates the difference between dead faith and living faith. Living faith naturally expresses itself through action. When we truly believe something, it changes how we behave. If you believe a bridge is unsafe, you won't drive across it. If you believe someone loves you, you respond differently to them. Similarly, if we truly believe God loves us and has saved us, that belief will show up in how we live. This doesn't mean we're trying to earn salvation through good works. Rather, good works are the natural fruit of genuine faith. They're evidence that our faith is alive and active, not dead and useless. When we see someone in need and respond with practical help rather than just empty words, we demonstrate that our faith has power. The key is understanding that faith alone saves us for eternity, but faith that remains alone - never expressing itself in love and service - cannot deliver us from the trials and challenges of daily life. We need faith that works, faith that gets its hands dirty, faith that shows up when life gets difficult. This kind of active faith creates a ripple effect. When others see believers living out their faith practically and sacrificially, it draws attention to the God we serve. Our actions become a
testimony more powerful than our words.
Bible Verse
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." - James 1:22
Reflection Question
Can you think of a recent situation where you had the opportunity to put your faith into action but chose to offer only words instead of practical help?
Quote
Faith will save us for eternity. But faith alone in this life will not mitigate the circumstances, the trials, the tribulations that we and our neighbors run into unless we choose to live out our Christian ideal in the here and now.
Prayer
God, I don't want my faith to be like a dead battery - present but powerless. Help me to live out what I believe in practical, tangible ways that demonstrate Your love to others. Amen.
Devo 4 – Becoming God's Friend
Devotional
What does it mean to be someone's friend? True friendship goes beyond just knowing about someone - it involves loyalty, trust, and action. When a friend needs help, you don't just send good thoughts; you show up. This same principle applies to our relationship with God. Abraham is called 'the friend of God' not simply because he believed, but because he put his faith into action. When God asked him to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham didn't just say he trusted God - he demonstrated it through obedience. His faith became visible through his actions, and this is what distinguished him as God's friend. Jesus told His disciples, 'You are my friends if you do what I command you.' This isn't about earning friendship through performance, but about the natural response of someone who truly knows and loves Jesus. When we understand His heart and character, obeying His commands becomes an expression of our friendship, not a burden. Being known as God's friend means our faith has moved from private belief to public demonstration. Others can see that we belong to God not just by what we say, but by how we live. This is especially powerful when we face difficulties - maintaining our faith and showing grace under pressure reveals the depth of our relationship with God. The beautiful truth is that God wants this kind of friendship with each of us. He's not looking for perfect people, but for people who will trust Him enough to live out their faith, even when it's costly or difficult.
Bible Verse
"And the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' and he was called God's friend." - James 2:23 (Note: This verse isn't in the provided list, so I'll use Isaiah 41:8 instead) "But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend." - Isaiah 41:8
Reflection Question
What would it look like for you to move from being just a believer to being known as God's friend in your daily life and relationships?
Quote
From that time on, Abraham has been known as a friend of God. How, by putting his faith tangibly to work in this life, he's now known as the friend of God.
Prayer
Father, I want to be known as Your friend. Help me to not just believe in You, but to live out that faith in ways that demonstrate our relationship to others. Make my life a testimony of Your faithfulness. Amen.
What does it mean to be someone's friend? True friendship goes beyond just knowing about someone - it involves loyalty, trust, and action. When a friend needs help, you don't just send good thoughts; you show up. This same principle applies to our relationship with God. Abraham is called 'the friend of God' not simply because he believed, but because he put his faith into action. When God asked him to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham didn't just say he trusted God - he demonstrated it through obedience. His faith became visible through his actions, and this is what distinguished him as God's friend. Jesus told His disciples, 'You are my friends if you do what I command you.' This isn't about earning friendship through performance, but about the natural response of someone who truly knows and loves Jesus. When we understand His heart and character, obeying His commands becomes an expression of our friendship, not a burden. Being known as God's friend means our faith has moved from private belief to public demonstration. Others can see that we belong to God not just by what we say, but by how we live. This is especially powerful when we face difficulties - maintaining our faith and showing grace under pressure reveals the depth of our relationship with God. The beautiful truth is that God wants this kind of friendship with each of us. He's not looking for perfect people, but for people who will trust Him enough to live out their faith, even when it's costly or difficult.
Bible Verse
"And the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' and he was called God's friend." - James 2:23 (Note: This verse isn't in the provided list, so I'll use Isaiah 41:8 instead) "But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend." - Isaiah 41:8
Reflection Question
What would it look like for you to move from being just a believer to being known as God's friend in your daily life and relationships?
Quote
From that time on, Abraham has been known as a friend of God. How, by putting his faith tangibly to work in this life, he's now known as the friend of God.
Prayer
Father, I want to be known as Your friend. Help me to not just believe in You, but to live out that faith in ways that demonstrate our relationship to others. Make my life a testimony of Your faithfulness. Amen.
Devo 5 – The Ripple Effect Of Real Faith
Devotional
Have you ever thrown a stone into a calm lake and watched the ripples spread outward? One small action creates waves that reach far beyond the initial impact. This is exactly what happens when we choose to live out our faith authentically, especially during difficult times. When we respond to persecution with prayer instead of revenge, when we show mercy to those who hurt us, when we maintain our Christian witness under pressure - these actions create ripples that extend far beyond what we can see. Others notice when believers weather storms with grace and continue to serve others even in their own pain. One of the most challenging yet powerful ways to demonstrate living faith is loving our enemies. It's natural to love those who love us back, but when we pray for those who persecute us and show kindness to those who oppose us, we reveal something supernatural at work in our lives. This kind of response can only be explained by God's presence and power. The ripple effect of authentic faith doesn't just impact individuals - it can transform entire communities. When believers consistently demonstrate grace, generosity, and love, even in hardship, it creates a testimony that draws others to want what we have. Our lived-out faith becomes an invitation for others to experience God's love. Remember, you may never know the full impact of your faithful living. That person watching how you handle your trials, that neighbor observing your response to difficult people, that coworker seeing your integrity under pressure - your living faith might be exactly what they need to see to believe that God is real and His love is available to them too.
Bible Verse
"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." - Matthew 5:44
Reflection Question
Who in your life represents your greatest challenge to love and pray for, and how might God use your faithful response to them to create positive ripples in your community?
Quote
Can you see that ripple effect? When we choose to actually live out this faith that is ours, we become known as friends of God.
Prayer
Lord, help me to see beyond my immediate circumstances to the ripple effects of my faith. Give me strength to love my enemies, show grace under pressure, and live in a way that draws others to You. Amen.
Have you ever thrown a stone into a calm lake and watched the ripples spread outward? One small action creates waves that reach far beyond the initial impact. This is exactly what happens when we choose to live out our faith authentically, especially during difficult times. When we respond to persecution with prayer instead of revenge, when we show mercy to those who hurt us, when we maintain our Christian witness under pressure - these actions create ripples that extend far beyond what we can see. Others notice when believers weather storms with grace and continue to serve others even in their own pain. One of the most challenging yet powerful ways to demonstrate living faith is loving our enemies. It's natural to love those who love us back, but when we pray for those who persecute us and show kindness to those who oppose us, we reveal something supernatural at work in our lives. This kind of response can only be explained by God's presence and power. The ripple effect of authentic faith doesn't just impact individuals - it can transform entire communities. When believers consistently demonstrate grace, generosity, and love, even in hardship, it creates a testimony that draws others to want what we have. Our lived-out faith becomes an invitation for others to experience God's love. Remember, you may never know the full impact of your faithful living. That person watching how you handle your trials, that neighbor observing your response to difficult people, that coworker seeing your integrity under pressure - your living faith might be exactly what they need to see to believe that God is real and His love is available to them too.
Bible Verse
"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." - Matthew 5:44
Reflection Question
Who in your life represents your greatest challenge to love and pray for, and how might God use your faithful response to them to create positive ripples in your community?
Quote
Can you see that ripple effect? When we choose to actually live out this faith that is ours, we become known as friends of God.
Prayer
Lord, help me to see beyond my immediate circumstances to the ripple effects of my faith. Give me strength to love my enemies, show grace under pressure, and live in a way that draws others to You. Amen.
Transcript
Setting Context: James and Trials
We are in the book of James and we've entitled this series pressure points. And the reason is because all of us experience pressure points at times in our lives in the midst of our faith. And James introduces this letter. This is the half brother of Jesus. And he introduces this letter this letter saying, "Count it all joy, my brethren, when you incur various trials." Now, it's important that we understand who's writing this letter and who he's writing to and what are the
circumstances because we're in one of those passages that can easily be confusing.
If you've been here very long, you know that we understand that we're saved, destined for eternity with God through simple faith in the promise of Jesus Christ based upon what he has accomplished on our behalf. We are not saved by any kind of good works, either before trusting Christ or after trusting Christ. We're saved simply by faith. For by grace you've been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift from God, not as a result of works, that no man should boast. And yet, we're in a passage today in James that could confuse us. Because it says, "Faith without works is dead." Woohoo. What are we going to do with that? Well, we're going to find out that it says dead, it also rotates in another word, useless. It's dead or it's useless? Dead or useless to what is the question. It also asks the question, can faith save him?With the expected answer of no. saved from what is the question. Now, we're going to find out together the word
saved in the New Testament refers only one third of the time that it's used to refer to the idea of having been received that promise of eternal life. The other twothirds, it's simply about deliverance from current circumstances.
So if we don't understand the context of these verses, we'll think there's a contradiction. Now, as we do our Bible study methods, we know that the scripture never contradicts itself. All scripture is inspired by God. What does that mean? It is God breathed. These 40 different authors over 1,500 years on three different continents in three different languages all were carried along by the Holy Spirit to write the very words in their own personality, their own vocabulary that God wanted them to write. And God is faithful. He never denies himself. So it's never the scripture that contradicts itself but it does complement itself from time to time.
Clarity: Saved by Faith Alone
And so when we understand these principles that it doesn't contradict itself then we know that when we come to a confusing passage we go to the clearer passage to make sure we understand what the confusing passage might be saying. So here's what we know. The scripture is very clear that we're saved by faith alone concerning the salvation which
references being guaranteed eternity with God.
Second Timothy 1:9, God has saved us and called us with a
holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was granted us in Christ Jesus. Titus 3:5, God saved us not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness. Meaning, not only are we not saved by the works we did before trusting Christ, but we're not saved by the works we do after trusting Christ in righteousness, but according to his mercy, by the
washing of regeneration and the renewing of the spirit. And of course, our favorite verses, I'm assuming they're
yours, too.
Ephesians 2:8-9. For by grace you've been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift from God, not as a result of works, that no man should boast. We also know the scripture is very clear that you can know right now that you belong to God forever more, and he belongs to you through simple faith in Christ. In fact, Jesus himself says in John 5:24, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word, that is my message and believes him, heavenly father, who sent me has currently possesses, eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. It's a done deal. Now, the Apostle John, are we all suffering together? You with me? Thank you. I appreciate that. That really helped. The Apostle John is writing to believers who've gotten confused over this issue. And so, he wants to encourage them. And so the apostle John in 1 John 5 11 and following says this to believers and the testimony is this that God has given us eternal life and this life is in his son. He who has the son has the life. He who does not have the son of God does not have the life. These things I've written to you who believe in the name of the son of God in order that you may know that you have currently possess eternal life. So when we have this as a backdrop, these are very very clear in what they're teaching and we come to a confused place. We can say now wait a minute, we have to know that we're saved by faith alone in Christ alone. So whatever it's saying is not
contradicting that.
Audience and Persecution Background
Now what James is saying, he's talking to those believing Jews who have been scattered throughout the Roman Empire because of Steven's martyrdom. And now the religious rulers, unbelieving Jewish religious rulers are persecuting the believing Jews. And so they're scattered throughout the
Roman Empire. And James is writing to them in the midst of their trials and their tribulations. Listen, make sure you represent Christ well where you are. Let him carry you through these trials and tribulations. Count it all joy, my brethren, when this happens. So, we know that he's writing to believers. Well, how do we know he's writing to believers? Because he says this in verse 18 of chapter 1. In the exercise of his will, he brought us believing Jews forth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of first fruits among his creatures. So, he makes it clear. I'm talking not just to Jews, but to those who've placed their faith, their trust in Christ. And then he calls them brethren. He calls them in this short letter, brethren. 15 times he says, consider it all joy, my brethren. in verse two of chapter 1 verse 16 my beloved brethren verse 19 my beloved brethren in chapter 2 he says my brethren in f in the first verse in in the fifth verse he says my beloved brethren my beloved brethren my brethren my brethren my brethren my brethren my brethren my brethren my brethren it
can't be clearer he's writing to believing Jews who are under the persecution of the religious rulers of the day. And God's
desire is that you and I would understand this context. If we can understand the context, then we can understand what is happening as we study this passage. So, as we study this
passage, we're going to find that he's encouraging these Jewish believers who are in hard times. They've been kicked out of their communities and uh unbelieving Jews won't even do business with them. So, they're hurting. They're short on groceries. And he's going to use an example of someone who's short on groceries and how we should respond in Christ when we come across a fellow believer who's short on groceries. And he's going to say, "Listen, the only way to mitigate the trial you're in is to stick together and actually live out this faith that is yours."
Dead or Useless Faith Explained
So his desire is that we would understand. He's going to talk about a dead faith. I want you to imagine for a moment that you go out to your car and your battery is dead. It's still a battery. It's just dead. And what do you need? You need someone with an active battery to come hook up to your dead battery and encourage you into being awake again.
And this is what James is doing. He's going to those who in the midst of their trials and tribulations are falling back on their old ways of thinking, their old self selfish ways of
acting. And he's saying, "No, no, no. Engage your faith in this and live it out in this life and see if it won't be a blessing to you and to those around you. In fact, if you will live out this faith, not only is heaven already yours, but you will be known on this earth right now as a friend of God. God's desire is that you would understand this passage and where we're going, even though there's some difficult statements in it. So, what
he's basically saying is be sure to mature. Are you growing up in your faith? Are you still a baby in your faith? Are you actually living it out? That's the question. Now, as you know, I just got back from holding a little baby named Nino, little Tony,
and he's as cute as he can be. And you know what? It was actually fun to change his little diaper. But when he's 15, I don't want any part of changing that diaper. Same goes for you and me in our spiritual lives. God's desire is that we would actually grow up in our faith, that we would put it to use in the here and now. Even though we're already guaranteed heaven through the work that Jesus has done, we have an opportunity to be used of him to be a blessing to those around us. And that is what this passage is all about. I've entitled this message, Be sure to mature. Be sure to grow up in your faith. In fact, in 1 Peter 2:2, we're told this. New young believers are told this. Like newborn babes, long for the
pure milk of the word so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation. He's talking to those who are already saved. You're already saved. Make sure you grow up in your faith.
Paul puts it this way in Ephesians 4:15. speak truth in love.
That's how we're going to grow up in all aspects into him who is the head, even Christ. James just a few verses earlier in chapter 1 verse 22 said this, "Demonstrate yourselves as doers of the word, not merely hearers who delude
themselves." Listen, you're not going to make it through the trials and tribulations of this life if you go back to your old
ways of thinking. But if you'll not only know the word,
but live the word and the strength that God provides, oh, all of your trials and tribulations will be well mitigated in this life.
So, we're going to ask ourselves three questions. We want to know, are we maturing? Are we growing up in our faith? Here's the first question. Are you embracing God's grace? Now, how do you know if you're embracing God's grace
when you're sharing it? You've been graciously provided for. Are you helping to provide for others when they have their needs? Here's what it says. What use is it, my brethren, if
Practical Need: Food, Clothing, Action
Now, how do you know if you're embracing God's grace
when you're sharing it? You've been graciously provided for. Are you helping to provide for others when they have their needs? Here's what it says. What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but has no works? What use is it what? In this life, in the midst of your trials, can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warned, be filled, and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, What use is that?" Even so, faith, if it has no works, is dead, or if you will, useless. What use is it? being by itself. Now, this isn't this is actually an illustration right out of what they're living. They are hurting financially because of the trials and tribulations they're in. And there are fellow believers who are missing out on groceries. And they're coming to him and said, "I have a need." And they're being, "Oh, super spirit say, well, let me just pray for you. Be warm. Be filled." Or maybe they give them a little sermon. when what they really need is a sandwich.
God's desire is that we would understand his every intent is that we should be mature in our faith.
That we aren't those who are super spiritual and uh we'll just pray for you and we're that's good enough. Pray. You
bet. But hey, when we have an opportunity to meet a need, let's go ahead and meet a need. Here's what Proverbs says. I'm sure you've heard before that James is the proverbs of the New Testament. He was so inundated and the word was so
inculcated into his life that James constantly references or directly quotes Proverbs. Here he's clearly referencing it in Proverbs 3:27 and 28. Here's what it says. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, "Go and come back and tomorrow I'll give it when you have it with you."
This is the whole idea. Listen, somebody comes to you. They're in a need and oh, I'll just pray for you. Oh, you need food. You need clothing. Well, let me just pray for you now. Okay. Be warm. Be filled. No, we're not representing Christ well when we're playing the super spiritual game.
Here's that verse. Verse 14. What use is it,
my brethren? If someone says he has faith but has no works,
the text says, probably yours, can that faith save him? But I want to tell you that's not the best translation. The better translation would be can faith save him with the implied answer according to the grammar no faith cannot save him. And so we have to deal with well what are we going to do with that? Well here's what one Greek scholar tells us. It is well known that the Greek language like Spanish and French often employed the definite article with abstract nouns like faith and hope where English cannot do so. In such cases, we leave the Greek article untranslated. This is how the definite article is handled with faith. Everywhere else in this very passage is handled that way without saying that faith in verse 17,
18, 20, 22, and 26. But only here does it say that faith and that lends confusion. It should simply say can faith save him. It's not talking about a quality of faith. It's talking about faith itself.
Faith will save us for eternity. But faith alone in this life will not
mitigate the circumstances, the trials, the tribulations that we and our neighbors run into unless we choose to live out our Christian ideal in the here and now. And when a friend has a need, we help with that need. And when we have
a need, they help us with our need. This is the point he's trying to make.
These Jewish believers are under trial and tribulation. And rather than sticking with their faith and letting the Holy Spirit help them to band together and to take care of each other, they're going back to their old selfish ways of living. And he's saying, "You don't want to do that. What you want to do is represent Christ well, right where you are."
St. Augustine put it this way. Preach the gospel at all times.
If necessary, use words.
We want to live out our faith that people would recognize us as those who are operating in supernatural strength
in the midst of our trials and our tribulations. And we're expressing love and care even when we ourselves are in
need. We often quote, as I have already at least twice this morning, Ephesians 2:8-9. But what about Ephesians 10?
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Are you embracing God's grace? Are you extending that grace to others?
God's desire is that you and I would extend that same grace that we've received to others. It's been uh a number of decades this took place in my life. And if you've been here very long, perhaps you might even remember this story. But when all of my children were still small and under my household, we were going to a family reunion and we had this old van that was just in terrible shape, burning oral like crazy. And we were going to drive nine hours to this family reunion.
And friends of ours from this very church heard about what we were doing and they came to us. They had a brand
new Toyota van and they said, "We want you to trade vans with us for the week of your reunion." And I said, "Well, I'll do that on one condition, that you promise not to park my van in your driveway. I don't want that oil stain to remind you of me for the rest of your life." And so we borrowed that van and we drove to reunion and one of my bride's cousins, her
husband came up and he said, "Hey, new van. Things are going great for you, huh?" And I said, "Well, they are, but
that's not our van. That's a friend's van." To which he said, "Some friend." as he watched my five rug rats come climbing out of that brand new van.
Listen, when we live in such a way, even in the midst of our shortcomings, our needs, our trials, and our tribulations,
and in community, we actually share each other with each other and meet each other's needs when necessary.
Others notice, others see. We now reflect Christ in a way that honors him.
Here's what Proverbs 22:5 says, "Thorns and snares in the way of the perverse. He who guards himself will be far from them. A man who wonders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead. God's desires that you and I would experience the abundant life in the here and now.
Jesus said, "I came they might have life and have it to the full." And how do we have it to the full? In the community of
sharing and giving and watching over each other. God's desire is that we would represent him well together. Are you embracing God's grace? Are you extending grace to others? Are you exercising your faith? Are you exercising your faith?
Greek Diatribe and the ObjectorHere we have one of the most difficult sections, verses 18- 20. Here's what it says. But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith without the works and I will show you my faith by my works." You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Now in order for us to understand this section we need to understand the Greek. When someone is doing a teaching there is a practice within the Greek language of debate where you would describe for yourself a imaginary uh detractor and you're going to bring up their detraction and then you're going to answer their detraction to your argument. And here what uh what is happening with James he's introducing it but but someone may well say that is literally a formula from the Greek diet tribe. That means I'm going to introduce uh some kind of detraction that you might be thinking your mind even as you're reading my letter to you.
Someone might well say you have faith and I have works. Show me your faith without your works and I'll show you my faith by my works. It's called a reduxio adsurum. That is, I'm going to show you how absurd your thought process is. So, what he's going to say is, listen, okay, you don't have works. I'll uh you show me your faith, I'll show you my faith without my works. Oh, by the way, we'll even go further. You believe that God is one. You do well because of your belief, but the demons also believe and shudder. You see, there's no connection between how you live, even though you believe this way. The demons believe, but they don't do well. They shudder. You believe, but you do well. There's no connection. And he's saying, "Now, wait a minute. You're right. There's no connection concerning the free gift of eternal life, but there is connection in living out this life in the here and the now." And so he follows up with the rejoiner. But are you willing to recognize you foolish fellow? Now that terminology you foolish fellow tells you just like but someone may well say that he's using the Greek diet tribe. So the answer he gives to this objector is this. But are you willing to recognize you foolish fellow that faith without works is useless? Useless for what? For eternal salvation. No, he's not talking about that. Useless to represent Christ in the here and now and mitigate the suffering of your fellow believer. It's useless. We need to put feet to our faith in order to represent Christ well. And that's the argument he's giving.
Remember, he's talking to those who are under trial and tribulation. And in their struggles, they're falling
back on their old selfish ways. And he's saying, "Don't do that. That doesn't represent Christ."
Salt, Light, and Public Witness
Well, now Jesus is preaching a sermon back in Matthew chapter 5. And he's talking to believers. And here's how we know he's talking to believers. Because he tells them, "You are the salt of the earth." Well, let me tell you, unbelievers not the salt of the earth. Only believers are the salt of the earth. So he's talking to believers and he says, "You are the salt of the earth." But if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. Now, what is salt all about? Well, salt is a preservatives, especially in the ancient world. It's also a savory flavor. In fact, it was so important in the ancient world that the Roman soldiers were often paid in salt. You've ever heard the term that gues that gal's not worth her salt? That's what the phrase comes from. And he's given an illustration that was true to the day. Someone gets paid in salt. They don't spend it all in one place. They let it get exposure to the atmosphere and before you know it, it loses its salty. It's still salt, but it's no longer savory and it's no longer a preservative. You It loses its preservative properties. That's real. You could do that today. Do a little science experiment. Figure it out. But it's still salt. And what would happen when this took place is they would literally just spread the salt on the road like it was sand and it would be trampled underfoot by men. What is he saying? Christian believer, you have been gifted eternal life through simple faith in Christ. If you don't represent him well in this life, especially in the midst of your trials and tribulations, nobody's going to pay attention to you. What kind of example are you setting? You're setting yourself aside. You no longer have a good effect in society or for those who may still need to come to know Christ. In fact, he goes on as the very passage Jesus does. He says, "You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven." Don't practice a useless faith.
Practice the faith where by the power of the Holy Spirit, by the strength that God provides, you weather the storm well
and give others an example of how they can also.
You give them the helping hand that they need and in your day of need, see if that helping hand doesn't come back to you. God's desire is that we would live in a community that expresses the grace of God toward one another. Be sure to mature. Let's not stay baby Christians. Are you embracing God's grace? Are you exercising your faith? Are you a
friend of God? And this is a great question.
Did you know that not all believers are friends of God? Did you know that Jesus is uh teaching and now he's come to the point where he's washing the disciples feet and he comes to Peter maybe starts to wash Peter's feet and Peter said, "No Lord, no way are you going to wash my feet." To which Jesus
says, "If I don't wash your feet, you have no part in this ministry." To which Peter says, 'Well, give me a full bath. And she says, "Oh, no, no. You are already clean because of the word I've spoken to you. Those who are clean need
only to wash their feet from time to time. You are clean.
All but one of you, the son of perdition.
Now, what has he just told Peter? I'm talking to 12 people. I'm telling 11 of you, you're saved. You belong to me forever more because you've believed the word I've spoken to you. But one of you has never ever believed. Now, Judas, of course, is the one he's referencing. And now, Judas leaves the room. And after he leaves the room, Jesus keeps on teaching. And here's what he says. You are my friend, believers. If
you do what I have commanded you, you're already clean. You're mine forever more through simple faith in me. But now I've given you instructions. And if you will live out those instructions, you'll be known as my friend. In fact, we talk about the fact that salvation and discipleship are two different things. We're dealing with the issue of discipleship here. That's what he's doing. In fact, what did Jesus say at the great
commission? All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples. Go to all nations and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you
always, even to the end of the age. A disciple is one who actually learns and lives out what he or she has learned from the word of God. We're saved by grace through faith alone in Christ alone.But here and now, our faith is useful when we put it to use.So here's the illustration in verse 21 and following. Are you a friend of God?
Friend of God: Abraham's Test
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? This happened by the way in Genesis chapter 22. You see that faith was working with his works and as a result of works, faith was perfected. It could also be translated matured and the scripture was fulfilled which says Abraham believed God and it was
reckoned to him as righteousness. By the way, that happened in Genesis chapter 15. and he was called the friend of God.
Now we find Abraham called the friend of God in Isaiah 4:18. The Lord himself says,"Abraham, my friend in 2 Chronicles
27, Jehoshaphat is praying for the deliverance of the nation of Israel and he says Abraham on the basis of Abraham your friend." What's the point? The point is that in chapter 15 of
Genesis, Abraham is asking that God would make
one of his servants his heir since he is now an aged old man and as bride is an aged old woman and they don't have any children. And the Lord says, "Oh no, oh no. From your very loins will come a child for you and Sarah." And that is going to be the blessed one through whom which I will fulfill my promises to you. This is all in Genesis 15. To which the scripture says, "And Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." That is when his
salvation, eternal salvation took place at that moment when he trusted God at his word. Now we come to chapter 22 of Genesis and God brings a test to Abraham. He says,"Abraham, I want you to take your son, the miracle son Isaac, and I want you to offer him up to me." And Abraham being faithful, struggles with this whole thought process and says, "Okay, I'm going to do this."
Now in the letter to the Hebrews, the writer says this that while Abraham was going through this struggle, what is he what is the Lord asking me? It's very clear. He spoken to me face to face and he's told me to go offer up Isaac. Well, this
is the son of promise. This is the miracle child. This is the one he promised that the fulfillment that there would be children from me, grandchildren and great grandchildren as many as the stars in the sky and the sands on the on the seashore. How is this going to work if I sacrifice him up? How's God going to do that? To which Abraham grows in his faith and he realizes that must mean that God will raise Isaac
from the dead. That's what the writer of Hebrews says
he learned. So now Abraham goes up and he's about to sacrifice Isaac and the Lord speaks to him. Stop. Don't harm the lad. Now I know. Now your faith has matured and I will immensely bless you. Look, there's a ram in the thicket. And now God is known as the God my provider because he provided the sacrifice which is a type of Christ who
would come and be the s perfect sacrifice for you and for me. From that time on, Abraham has been known as a friend of God. How? By putting his faith tangibly to work in this life, he's now known as the friend of God. It says here in verse 24, you see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. This word alone monown is actually more of most often translated only. Which means the better translation would be this of verse 24. You see that a man is justified by works and not only justified by faith, justified by faith only before God. Justified also by works before man. Let. your light shine before men that they might see your good works and glorify
your father who is in heaven. Are you a friend of God? He gives a second illustration
Rahab's Courage and Sign of Trust
In these following verses concerning Rahab. It says, "In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way by another way. For just as the body without the
spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead, or if you will, useless. Now, what's the story of Rahab? Well, we see this in the book of Joshua. Joshua is now going to be used of God to lead the people of Israel to actually conquer the land that was gifted to them by God. And the first place they go is to this immense walled city, Jericho. And they're going to march around this walled city of Jericho seven times. in seven days and they're going to blow trumpets and the walls are going to come down and that's going to begin the siege and the conquering of the land. But first, Joshua sends spies into the land and they run across Rahab while they're in Jericho.
And Rahab says, "Our people have been trembling knowing that the Lord is God. She has faith in the Lord. And so then she hides them when soldiers come to find these spies and she hides them on her roof. And then when the soldiers
come to say, "Where are the spies?" She says they left out, they went that way, lying to them in the direction they
went. Now when the Jewish spies come up out of the hay, they say, "Listen, this place is under a band by the Lord for the centuries of child sacrifice they have done. This whole place is going to be wiped out. It's completely demonically engulfed. But you are believer. And I tell you what we're going to do. You tie a scarlet thread around your window. And when we come in, anybody who's in this room with that scarlet thread, they will be saved. What is he saying? Listen, this is how you're going to show others and we'll know who you are. And so she does and in so doing is known as a friend of God and ends up being in the actual lineage of Jesus. Are we saved for eternity by faith plus works? My friends, Ephesians 2:8,9 and a hundred other verses are clear. We're not. We are saved by faith alone in Christ alone. But in this life, how are we saved? Delivered from our difficult circumstances. By living in community and loving one another, even as Christ has loved you.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples. We are justified before God by simple faith. We're justified before
men by exercising that faith and they seeing God do his thing through you and through me. And then we are known as friends of God.
Love Enemies: Forgiveness That Ripples
Matthew 5:43 and 44 says this. Jesus is teaching. He says, "You have heard it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. You know, when it comes to living out our faith, some of the hardest things to do is to love our enemies. But it's one of the grandest ways when we pray for those who are persecuting us that others can see that we are truly a friend of God. These past number of weeks, there's been a theme that God has repeated in my hearing. Now, last week, I was there for the birth of our fourth grandchild, my youngest daughter's first, and it just so happened to coincide with um a reunion of my high school class. I won't tell you which reunion it is, and you can stop guessing now.
But at that reunion, I saw a whole lot of people I did not recognize. Something horrible was going on out there.
But there was a friend of mine who was unable to make it and he really wanted to make it because something incredible
happened in his life. And he asked that the president of our class would read his story out because he really wanted
his classmates to know. His name is Don. When Don was in his teen years, when we were in high school together, he and his brother were racing their car illegally and the police put up a roadblock and they ran through the roadblock and the police shot into the car and his brother was killed. And Don had never been the same since. Over the years, Don has become a believer. And his pastor was with him. They were
on a short-term mission trip, and they were just having a visit. And he said, "Have you ever forgiven the police officer who killed your brother?" He said, "I don't think I ever have."
He said, "Well, you ought to pray about that." So he did and he decided to go track down this officer. And he did. He sat across the officer and he said, "I need to ask your forgiveness for hating you, and I need to tell you that I forgive you."
Can you imagine what that meeting was like? Can you imagine what the effect was on my fellow classmates? Many of which are not believers, some of which you are.
Now, many of you, I'm sure you're well aware, it's been all over the news, when Erica Kirk publicly, international TV
forgave her husband's assassin. Can you imagine the effect that that had across the globe? I don't know if you know this or not, but Tim Allen, standup comedian and actor,
he actually posted publicly that that act of forgiveness caused him to come to realization he needed to forgive the drunk driver who had killed his father when Tim was 11 years of age. Can you see that ripple effect? When we choose to actually live out this faith that is ours, we become known as friends of God.
Persevering Under Unjust Pressure
In the many decades that I have been in pastoral ministries, I've had many a time that a member of this church has
wanted to meet with me and come into my office and explained how they were being put upon and persecuted by a terrible boss, Atilla the Hun, and should they run? And I would pray with them and say, you know, it you may ought to leave, but don't assume you should leave. I want you to imagine what's going to happen. This person who is persecuting you and you believe is from your faith
and I'm going to believe that that's true. What's going to happen to them eventually? Eventually, they're going to have a tragedy. And let me tell you who they're going to come to. They're going to come to you. I cannot tell you the number of times that that scenario has come true. I don't know who's persecuting you. I don't know where your prickly pear is. But let me tell you, if you will live out your faith in spite of the persecution, if you'll choose to be merciful and
gracious and pray for the one who's on top of all the troubles that you're finding, God will use that and he will strengthen your faith and you will be known as a friend of God. Will you stand and pray with me.
We are in the book of James and we've entitled this series pressure points. And the reason is because all of us experience pressure points at times in our lives in the midst of our faith. And James introduces this letter. This is the half brother of Jesus. And he introduces this letter this letter saying, "Count it all joy, my brethren, when you incur various trials." Now, it's important that we understand who's writing this letter and who he's writing to and what are the
circumstances because we're in one of those passages that can easily be confusing.
If you've been here very long, you know that we understand that we're saved, destined for eternity with God through simple faith in the promise of Jesus Christ based upon what he has accomplished on our behalf. We are not saved by any kind of good works, either before trusting Christ or after trusting Christ. We're saved simply by faith. For by grace you've been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift from God, not as a result of works, that no man should boast. And yet, we're in a passage today in James that could confuse us. Because it says, "Faith without works is dead." Woohoo. What are we going to do with that? Well, we're going to find out that it says dead, it also rotates in another word, useless. It's dead or it's useless? Dead or useless to what is the question. It also asks the question, can faith save him?With the expected answer of no. saved from what is the question. Now, we're going to find out together the word
saved in the New Testament refers only one third of the time that it's used to refer to the idea of having been received that promise of eternal life. The other twothirds, it's simply about deliverance from current circumstances.
So if we don't understand the context of these verses, we'll think there's a contradiction. Now, as we do our Bible study methods, we know that the scripture never contradicts itself. All scripture is inspired by God. What does that mean? It is God breathed. These 40 different authors over 1,500 years on three different continents in three different languages all were carried along by the Holy Spirit to write the very words in their own personality, their own vocabulary that God wanted them to write. And God is faithful. He never denies himself. So it's never the scripture that contradicts itself but it does complement itself from time to time.
Clarity: Saved by Faith Alone
And so when we understand these principles that it doesn't contradict itself then we know that when we come to a confusing passage we go to the clearer passage to make sure we understand what the confusing passage might be saying. So here's what we know. The scripture is very clear that we're saved by faith alone concerning the salvation which
references being guaranteed eternity with God.
Second Timothy 1:9, God has saved us and called us with a
holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was granted us in Christ Jesus. Titus 3:5, God saved us not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness. Meaning, not only are we not saved by the works we did before trusting Christ, but we're not saved by the works we do after trusting Christ in righteousness, but according to his mercy, by the
washing of regeneration and the renewing of the spirit. And of course, our favorite verses, I'm assuming they're
yours, too.
Ephesians 2:8-9. For by grace you've been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift from God, not as a result of works, that no man should boast. We also know the scripture is very clear that you can know right now that you belong to God forever more, and he belongs to you through simple faith in Christ. In fact, Jesus himself says in John 5:24, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word, that is my message and believes him, heavenly father, who sent me has currently possesses, eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. It's a done deal. Now, the Apostle John, are we all suffering together? You with me? Thank you. I appreciate that. That really helped. The Apostle John is writing to believers who've gotten confused over this issue. And so, he wants to encourage them. And so the apostle John in 1 John 5 11 and following says this to believers and the testimony is this that God has given us eternal life and this life is in his son. He who has the son has the life. He who does not have the son of God does not have the life. These things I've written to you who believe in the name of the son of God in order that you may know that you have currently possess eternal life. So when we have this as a backdrop, these are very very clear in what they're teaching and we come to a confused place. We can say now wait a minute, we have to know that we're saved by faith alone in Christ alone. So whatever it's saying is not
contradicting that.
Audience and Persecution Background
Now what James is saying, he's talking to those believing Jews who have been scattered throughout the Roman Empire because of Steven's martyrdom. And now the religious rulers, unbelieving Jewish religious rulers are persecuting the believing Jews. And so they're scattered throughout the
Roman Empire. And James is writing to them in the midst of their trials and their tribulations. Listen, make sure you represent Christ well where you are. Let him carry you through these trials and tribulations. Count it all joy, my brethren, when this happens. So, we know that he's writing to believers. Well, how do we know he's writing to believers? Because he says this in verse 18 of chapter 1. In the exercise of his will, he brought us believing Jews forth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of first fruits among his creatures. So, he makes it clear. I'm talking not just to Jews, but to those who've placed their faith, their trust in Christ. And then he calls them brethren. He calls them in this short letter, brethren. 15 times he says, consider it all joy, my brethren. in verse two of chapter 1 verse 16 my beloved brethren verse 19 my beloved brethren in chapter 2 he says my brethren in f in the first verse in in the fifth verse he says my beloved brethren my beloved brethren my brethren my brethren my brethren my brethren my brethren my brethren my brethren it
can't be clearer he's writing to believing Jews who are under the persecution of the religious rulers of the day. And God's
desire is that you and I would understand this context. If we can understand the context, then we can understand what is happening as we study this passage. So, as we study this
passage, we're going to find that he's encouraging these Jewish believers who are in hard times. They've been kicked out of their communities and uh unbelieving Jews won't even do business with them. So, they're hurting. They're short on groceries. And he's going to use an example of someone who's short on groceries and how we should respond in Christ when we come across a fellow believer who's short on groceries. And he's going to say, "Listen, the only way to mitigate the trial you're in is to stick together and actually live out this faith that is yours."
Dead or Useless Faith Explained
So his desire is that we would understand. He's going to talk about a dead faith. I want you to imagine for a moment that you go out to your car and your battery is dead. It's still a battery. It's just dead. And what do you need? You need someone with an active battery to come hook up to your dead battery and encourage you into being awake again.
And this is what James is doing. He's going to those who in the midst of their trials and tribulations are falling back on their old ways of thinking, their old self selfish ways of
acting. And he's saying, "No, no, no. Engage your faith in this and live it out in this life and see if it won't be a blessing to you and to those around you. In fact, if you will live out this faith, not only is heaven already yours, but you will be known on this earth right now as a friend of God. God's desire is that you would understand this passage and where we're going, even though there's some difficult statements in it. So, what
he's basically saying is be sure to mature. Are you growing up in your faith? Are you still a baby in your faith? Are you actually living it out? That's the question. Now, as you know, I just got back from holding a little baby named Nino, little Tony,
and he's as cute as he can be. And you know what? It was actually fun to change his little diaper. But when he's 15, I don't want any part of changing that diaper. Same goes for you and me in our spiritual lives. God's desire is that we would actually grow up in our faith, that we would put it to use in the here and now. Even though we're already guaranteed heaven through the work that Jesus has done, we have an opportunity to be used of him to be a blessing to those around us. And that is what this passage is all about. I've entitled this message, Be sure to mature. Be sure to grow up in your faith. In fact, in 1 Peter 2:2, we're told this. New young believers are told this. Like newborn babes, long for the
pure milk of the word so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation. He's talking to those who are already saved. You're already saved. Make sure you grow up in your faith.
Paul puts it this way in Ephesians 4:15. speak truth in love.
That's how we're going to grow up in all aspects into him who is the head, even Christ. James just a few verses earlier in chapter 1 verse 22 said this, "Demonstrate yourselves as doers of the word, not merely hearers who delude
themselves." Listen, you're not going to make it through the trials and tribulations of this life if you go back to your old
ways of thinking. But if you'll not only know the word,
but live the word and the strength that God provides, oh, all of your trials and tribulations will be well mitigated in this life.
So, we're going to ask ourselves three questions. We want to know, are we maturing? Are we growing up in our faith? Here's the first question. Are you embracing God's grace? Now, how do you know if you're embracing God's grace
when you're sharing it? You've been graciously provided for. Are you helping to provide for others when they have their needs? Here's what it says. What use is it, my brethren, if
Practical Need: Food, Clothing, Action
Now, how do you know if you're embracing God's grace
when you're sharing it? You've been graciously provided for. Are you helping to provide for others when they have their needs? Here's what it says. What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but has no works? What use is it what? In this life, in the midst of your trials, can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warned, be filled, and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, What use is that?" Even so, faith, if it has no works, is dead, or if you will, useless. What use is it? being by itself. Now, this isn't this is actually an illustration right out of what they're living. They are hurting financially because of the trials and tribulations they're in. And there are fellow believers who are missing out on groceries. And they're coming to him and said, "I have a need." And they're being, "Oh, super spirit say, well, let me just pray for you. Be warm. Be filled." Or maybe they give them a little sermon. when what they really need is a sandwich.
God's desire is that we would understand his every intent is that we should be mature in our faith.
That we aren't those who are super spiritual and uh we'll just pray for you and we're that's good enough. Pray. You
bet. But hey, when we have an opportunity to meet a need, let's go ahead and meet a need. Here's what Proverbs says. I'm sure you've heard before that James is the proverbs of the New Testament. He was so inundated and the word was so
inculcated into his life that James constantly references or directly quotes Proverbs. Here he's clearly referencing it in Proverbs 3:27 and 28. Here's what it says. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, "Go and come back and tomorrow I'll give it when you have it with you."
This is the whole idea. Listen, somebody comes to you. They're in a need and oh, I'll just pray for you. Oh, you need food. You need clothing. Well, let me just pray for you now. Okay. Be warm. Be filled. No, we're not representing Christ well when we're playing the super spiritual game.
Here's that verse. Verse 14. What use is it,
my brethren? If someone says he has faith but has no works,
the text says, probably yours, can that faith save him? But I want to tell you that's not the best translation. The better translation would be can faith save him with the implied answer according to the grammar no faith cannot save him. And so we have to deal with well what are we going to do with that? Well here's what one Greek scholar tells us. It is well known that the Greek language like Spanish and French often employed the definite article with abstract nouns like faith and hope where English cannot do so. In such cases, we leave the Greek article untranslated. This is how the definite article is handled with faith. Everywhere else in this very passage is handled that way without saying that faith in verse 17,
18, 20, 22, and 26. But only here does it say that faith and that lends confusion. It should simply say can faith save him. It's not talking about a quality of faith. It's talking about faith itself.
Faith will save us for eternity. But faith alone in this life will not
mitigate the circumstances, the trials, the tribulations that we and our neighbors run into unless we choose to live out our Christian ideal in the here and now. And when a friend has a need, we help with that need. And when we have
a need, they help us with our need. This is the point he's trying to make.
These Jewish believers are under trial and tribulation. And rather than sticking with their faith and letting the Holy Spirit help them to band together and to take care of each other, they're going back to their old selfish ways of living. And he's saying, "You don't want to do that. What you want to do is represent Christ well, right where you are."
St. Augustine put it this way. Preach the gospel at all times.
If necessary, use words.
We want to live out our faith that people would recognize us as those who are operating in supernatural strength
in the midst of our trials and our tribulations. And we're expressing love and care even when we ourselves are in
need. We often quote, as I have already at least twice this morning, Ephesians 2:8-9. But what about Ephesians 10?
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Are you embracing God's grace? Are you extending that grace to others?
God's desire is that you and I would extend that same grace that we've received to others. It's been uh a number of decades this took place in my life. And if you've been here very long, perhaps you might even remember this story. But when all of my children were still small and under my household, we were going to a family reunion and we had this old van that was just in terrible shape, burning oral like crazy. And we were going to drive nine hours to this family reunion.
And friends of ours from this very church heard about what we were doing and they came to us. They had a brand
new Toyota van and they said, "We want you to trade vans with us for the week of your reunion." And I said, "Well, I'll do that on one condition, that you promise not to park my van in your driveway. I don't want that oil stain to remind you of me for the rest of your life." And so we borrowed that van and we drove to reunion and one of my bride's cousins, her
husband came up and he said, "Hey, new van. Things are going great for you, huh?" And I said, "Well, they are, but
that's not our van. That's a friend's van." To which he said, "Some friend." as he watched my five rug rats come climbing out of that brand new van.
Listen, when we live in such a way, even in the midst of our shortcomings, our needs, our trials, and our tribulations,
and in community, we actually share each other with each other and meet each other's needs when necessary.
Others notice, others see. We now reflect Christ in a way that honors him.
Here's what Proverbs 22:5 says, "Thorns and snares in the way of the perverse. He who guards himself will be far from them. A man who wonders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead. God's desires that you and I would experience the abundant life in the here and now.
Jesus said, "I came they might have life and have it to the full." And how do we have it to the full? In the community of
sharing and giving and watching over each other. God's desire is that we would represent him well together. Are you embracing God's grace? Are you extending grace to others? Are you exercising your faith? Are you exercising your faith?
Greek Diatribe and the ObjectorHere we have one of the most difficult sections, verses 18- 20. Here's what it says. But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith without the works and I will show you my faith by my works." You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Now in order for us to understand this section we need to understand the Greek. When someone is doing a teaching there is a practice within the Greek language of debate where you would describe for yourself a imaginary uh detractor and you're going to bring up their detraction and then you're going to answer their detraction to your argument. And here what uh what is happening with James he's introducing it but but someone may well say that is literally a formula from the Greek diet tribe. That means I'm going to introduce uh some kind of detraction that you might be thinking your mind even as you're reading my letter to you.
Someone might well say you have faith and I have works. Show me your faith without your works and I'll show you my faith by my works. It's called a reduxio adsurum. That is, I'm going to show you how absurd your thought process is. So, what he's going to say is, listen, okay, you don't have works. I'll uh you show me your faith, I'll show you my faith without my works. Oh, by the way, we'll even go further. You believe that God is one. You do well because of your belief, but the demons also believe and shudder. You see, there's no connection between how you live, even though you believe this way. The demons believe, but they don't do well. They shudder. You believe, but you do well. There's no connection. And he's saying, "Now, wait a minute. You're right. There's no connection concerning the free gift of eternal life, but there is connection in living out this life in the here and the now." And so he follows up with the rejoiner. But are you willing to recognize you foolish fellow? Now that terminology you foolish fellow tells you just like but someone may well say that he's using the Greek diet tribe. So the answer he gives to this objector is this. But are you willing to recognize you foolish fellow that faith without works is useless? Useless for what? For eternal salvation. No, he's not talking about that. Useless to represent Christ in the here and now and mitigate the suffering of your fellow believer. It's useless. We need to put feet to our faith in order to represent Christ well. And that's the argument he's giving.
Remember, he's talking to those who are under trial and tribulation. And in their struggles, they're falling
back on their old selfish ways. And he's saying, "Don't do that. That doesn't represent Christ."
Salt, Light, and Public Witness
Well, now Jesus is preaching a sermon back in Matthew chapter 5. And he's talking to believers. And here's how we know he's talking to believers. Because he tells them, "You are the salt of the earth." Well, let me tell you, unbelievers not the salt of the earth. Only believers are the salt of the earth. So he's talking to believers and he says, "You are the salt of the earth." But if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. Now, what is salt all about? Well, salt is a preservatives, especially in the ancient world. It's also a savory flavor. In fact, it was so important in the ancient world that the Roman soldiers were often paid in salt. You've ever heard the term that gues that gal's not worth her salt? That's what the phrase comes from. And he's given an illustration that was true to the day. Someone gets paid in salt. They don't spend it all in one place. They let it get exposure to the atmosphere and before you know it, it loses its salty. It's still salt, but it's no longer savory and it's no longer a preservative. You It loses its preservative properties. That's real. You could do that today. Do a little science experiment. Figure it out. But it's still salt. And what would happen when this took place is they would literally just spread the salt on the road like it was sand and it would be trampled underfoot by men. What is he saying? Christian believer, you have been gifted eternal life through simple faith in Christ. If you don't represent him well in this life, especially in the midst of your trials and tribulations, nobody's going to pay attention to you. What kind of example are you setting? You're setting yourself aside. You no longer have a good effect in society or for those who may still need to come to know Christ. In fact, he goes on as the very passage Jesus does. He says, "You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven." Don't practice a useless faith.
Practice the faith where by the power of the Holy Spirit, by the strength that God provides, you weather the storm well
and give others an example of how they can also.
You give them the helping hand that they need and in your day of need, see if that helping hand doesn't come back to you. God's desire is that we would live in a community that expresses the grace of God toward one another. Be sure to mature. Let's not stay baby Christians. Are you embracing God's grace? Are you exercising your faith? Are you a
friend of God? And this is a great question.
Did you know that not all believers are friends of God? Did you know that Jesus is uh teaching and now he's come to the point where he's washing the disciples feet and he comes to Peter maybe starts to wash Peter's feet and Peter said, "No Lord, no way are you going to wash my feet." To which Jesus
says, "If I don't wash your feet, you have no part in this ministry." To which Peter says, 'Well, give me a full bath. And she says, "Oh, no, no. You are already clean because of the word I've spoken to you. Those who are clean need
only to wash their feet from time to time. You are clean.
All but one of you, the son of perdition.
Now, what has he just told Peter? I'm talking to 12 people. I'm telling 11 of you, you're saved. You belong to me forever more because you've believed the word I've spoken to you. But one of you has never ever believed. Now, Judas, of course, is the one he's referencing. And now, Judas leaves the room. And after he leaves the room, Jesus keeps on teaching. And here's what he says. You are my friend, believers. If
you do what I have commanded you, you're already clean. You're mine forever more through simple faith in me. But now I've given you instructions. And if you will live out those instructions, you'll be known as my friend. In fact, we talk about the fact that salvation and discipleship are two different things. We're dealing with the issue of discipleship here. That's what he's doing. In fact, what did Jesus say at the great
commission? All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples. Go to all nations and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you
always, even to the end of the age. A disciple is one who actually learns and lives out what he or she has learned from the word of God. We're saved by grace through faith alone in Christ alone.But here and now, our faith is useful when we put it to use.So here's the illustration in verse 21 and following. Are you a friend of God?
Friend of God: Abraham's Test
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? This happened by the way in Genesis chapter 22. You see that faith was working with his works and as a result of works, faith was perfected. It could also be translated matured and the scripture was fulfilled which says Abraham believed God and it was
reckoned to him as righteousness. By the way, that happened in Genesis chapter 15. and he was called the friend of God.
Now we find Abraham called the friend of God in Isaiah 4:18. The Lord himself says,"Abraham, my friend in 2 Chronicles
27, Jehoshaphat is praying for the deliverance of the nation of Israel and he says Abraham on the basis of Abraham your friend." What's the point? The point is that in chapter 15 of
Genesis, Abraham is asking that God would make
one of his servants his heir since he is now an aged old man and as bride is an aged old woman and they don't have any children. And the Lord says, "Oh no, oh no. From your very loins will come a child for you and Sarah." And that is going to be the blessed one through whom which I will fulfill my promises to you. This is all in Genesis 15. To which the scripture says, "And Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." That is when his
salvation, eternal salvation took place at that moment when he trusted God at his word. Now we come to chapter 22 of Genesis and God brings a test to Abraham. He says,"Abraham, I want you to take your son, the miracle son Isaac, and I want you to offer him up to me." And Abraham being faithful, struggles with this whole thought process and says, "Okay, I'm going to do this."
Now in the letter to the Hebrews, the writer says this that while Abraham was going through this struggle, what is he what is the Lord asking me? It's very clear. He spoken to me face to face and he's told me to go offer up Isaac. Well, this
is the son of promise. This is the miracle child. This is the one he promised that the fulfillment that there would be children from me, grandchildren and great grandchildren as many as the stars in the sky and the sands on the on the seashore. How is this going to work if I sacrifice him up? How's God going to do that? To which Abraham grows in his faith and he realizes that must mean that God will raise Isaac
from the dead. That's what the writer of Hebrews says
he learned. So now Abraham goes up and he's about to sacrifice Isaac and the Lord speaks to him. Stop. Don't harm the lad. Now I know. Now your faith has matured and I will immensely bless you. Look, there's a ram in the thicket. And now God is known as the God my provider because he provided the sacrifice which is a type of Christ who
would come and be the s perfect sacrifice for you and for me. From that time on, Abraham has been known as a friend of God. How? By putting his faith tangibly to work in this life, he's now known as the friend of God. It says here in verse 24, you see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. This word alone monown is actually more of most often translated only. Which means the better translation would be this of verse 24. You see that a man is justified by works and not only justified by faith, justified by faith only before God. Justified also by works before man. Let. your light shine before men that they might see your good works and glorify
your father who is in heaven. Are you a friend of God? He gives a second illustration
Rahab's Courage and Sign of Trust
In these following verses concerning Rahab. It says, "In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way by another way. For just as the body without the
spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead, or if you will, useless. Now, what's the story of Rahab? Well, we see this in the book of Joshua. Joshua is now going to be used of God to lead the people of Israel to actually conquer the land that was gifted to them by God. And the first place they go is to this immense walled city, Jericho. And they're going to march around this walled city of Jericho seven times. in seven days and they're going to blow trumpets and the walls are going to come down and that's going to begin the siege and the conquering of the land. But first, Joshua sends spies into the land and they run across Rahab while they're in Jericho.
And Rahab says, "Our people have been trembling knowing that the Lord is God. She has faith in the Lord. And so then she hides them when soldiers come to find these spies and she hides them on her roof. And then when the soldiers
come to say, "Where are the spies?" She says they left out, they went that way, lying to them in the direction they
went. Now when the Jewish spies come up out of the hay, they say, "Listen, this place is under a band by the Lord for the centuries of child sacrifice they have done. This whole place is going to be wiped out. It's completely demonically engulfed. But you are believer. And I tell you what we're going to do. You tie a scarlet thread around your window. And when we come in, anybody who's in this room with that scarlet thread, they will be saved. What is he saying? Listen, this is how you're going to show others and we'll know who you are. And so she does and in so doing is known as a friend of God and ends up being in the actual lineage of Jesus. Are we saved for eternity by faith plus works? My friends, Ephesians 2:8,9 and a hundred other verses are clear. We're not. We are saved by faith alone in Christ alone. But in this life, how are we saved? Delivered from our difficult circumstances. By living in community and loving one another, even as Christ has loved you.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples. We are justified before God by simple faith. We're justified before
men by exercising that faith and they seeing God do his thing through you and through me. And then we are known as friends of God.
Love Enemies: Forgiveness That Ripples
Matthew 5:43 and 44 says this. Jesus is teaching. He says, "You have heard it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. You know, when it comes to living out our faith, some of the hardest things to do is to love our enemies. But it's one of the grandest ways when we pray for those who are persecuting us that others can see that we are truly a friend of God. These past number of weeks, there's been a theme that God has repeated in my hearing. Now, last week, I was there for the birth of our fourth grandchild, my youngest daughter's first, and it just so happened to coincide with um a reunion of my high school class. I won't tell you which reunion it is, and you can stop guessing now.
But at that reunion, I saw a whole lot of people I did not recognize. Something horrible was going on out there.
But there was a friend of mine who was unable to make it and he really wanted to make it because something incredible
happened in his life. And he asked that the president of our class would read his story out because he really wanted
his classmates to know. His name is Don. When Don was in his teen years, when we were in high school together, he and his brother were racing their car illegally and the police put up a roadblock and they ran through the roadblock and the police shot into the car and his brother was killed. And Don had never been the same since. Over the years, Don has become a believer. And his pastor was with him. They were
on a short-term mission trip, and they were just having a visit. And he said, "Have you ever forgiven the police officer who killed your brother?" He said, "I don't think I ever have."
He said, "Well, you ought to pray about that." So he did and he decided to go track down this officer. And he did. He sat across the officer and he said, "I need to ask your forgiveness for hating you, and I need to tell you that I forgive you."
Can you imagine what that meeting was like? Can you imagine what the effect was on my fellow classmates? Many of which are not believers, some of which you are.
Now, many of you, I'm sure you're well aware, it's been all over the news, when Erica Kirk publicly, international TV
forgave her husband's assassin. Can you imagine the effect that that had across the globe? I don't know if you know this or not, but Tim Allen, standup comedian and actor,
he actually posted publicly that that act of forgiveness caused him to come to realization he needed to forgive the drunk driver who had killed his father when Tim was 11 years of age. Can you see that ripple effect? When we choose to actually live out this faith that is ours, we become known as friends of God.
Persevering Under Unjust Pressure
In the many decades that I have been in pastoral ministries, I've had many a time that a member of this church has
wanted to meet with me and come into my office and explained how they were being put upon and persecuted by a terrible boss, Atilla the Hun, and should they run? And I would pray with them and say, you know, it you may ought to leave, but don't assume you should leave. I want you to imagine what's going to happen. This person who is persecuting you and you believe is from your faith
and I'm going to believe that that's true. What's going to happen to them eventually? Eventually, they're going to have a tragedy. And let me tell you who they're going to come to. They're going to come to you. I cannot tell you the number of times that that scenario has come true. I don't know who's persecuting you. I don't know where your prickly pear is. But let me tell you, if you will live out your faith in spite of the persecution, if you'll choose to be merciful and
gracious and pray for the one who's on top of all the troubles that you're finding, God will use that and he will strengthen your faith and you will be known as a friend of God. Will you stand and pray with me.