Week 5 Day 1

The Daily Take 10

The Epistle of James

Week 5 Day 1

Introduction…in the early church the teachers were of critical importance, highly honored and essential to the discipling of the many new believers that came to Christ. As in nature, caring for the new borns makes the difference between life and death. In Christ, that meant the role of the teacher was to take a new believer from the point of salvation and the milk of the Word to the ultimate goal of establishing them in the faith until they became mature and could teach others. Those with the gift of teaching had a supernatural ability to explain clearly and apply effectively the truth of the Word of God.

Read James 3:1 “Not many of you should become teachers (reprovers of others), my brethren, for you know that we teachers will be judged by a higher standard and with greater severity (than other people). Thus we assume the greater accountability and the more condemnation.” The Amplified Bible
Bible Study

• The Bible speaks of Newborn’s in Christ as needing to grow, by being taught and applying the Word. We need a teacher of the Word. Often times it is the Pastor.
  • An unteachable or haughty spirit will keep you from coming to Christ, but God reveals His purposes to the humble, to the ‘hungry babes in Christ’. See Matthew 11:25
  • “Like newborn babies you should crave, thirst for, and earnestly desire the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may be nurtured and grow unto completion, since you have already tasted the goodness and kindness of the Lord.” I Peter 2:2 Amplified
• Understand that it is the will of God for each of us to grow, become established and mature in the Word and in the knowledge of God.
  • Hebrews 5:12-14 describes the God intended pathway to maturity
  • “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s Word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
  • Spiritual discernment, recognizing good from evil, and choosing the good is a sign of spiritual maturity.
• God’s will for us and our goal should be to grow, “study to show ourselves approved unto God” (see 2 Timothy 2:15), so that we are self sustaining, true disciples of Jesus Christ, who like Christ, minister/serve/help others.
• Galatians 6:1-6 gives us God’s picture of a mature believer. “Brethren, if any person is overtaken in a fault, you who are spiritual (mature), restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work…for each one should carry his own load. Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with him who teaches.”
• There is accountability that comes with knowing and with teaching the Word of God. “To whom much is given, much is required.” Luke 12:48
  • We should live up to the light we receive. As we receive the light/understanding of God’s Word, we should live in, or apply the light given to us.
  • We should share/teach what we know with humbleness, not to lord it over another.
  • We should do what we say.

Application

• Beware of false teachers and false teaching:
  • Hypocritical teaching. Those that do not do what they say.
  • Pandering teaching. Those that teach only what people want to hear.
  • Heretical teaching. Those who do not teach the full counsel of the Word of God, by comparing Scripture with Scripture, rightly understanding and teaching the Word of Truth

Any comments or questions?

Tags: Take 10

Week 5 Day 2

The Daily Take 10

The Epistle of James

Week 5 Day 2

Introduction…Relationships are a top priority of life. So much of our relationship with God, our wife, family, and others depends upon our communication . The words we choose to say and the conversations we have are the crucial elements in building, keeping and improving our relationships. Knowing what to say and how to say it is such a valuable skill. Controlling what you say is key?

Read James 3:2-4 “For we all often stumble and fall and offend in many things. And if anyone does not offend in speech, never says the wrong things, that person is a fully developed character and perfect, able to control his whole body and curb his entire nature. If we set bits in the horses’ mouths to make them obey us, we can turn their whole bodies about. Likewise look at ships, though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, they are steered by a very small rudder, wherever the impulse of the helmsman determines.” The Amplified Bible

Bible Study

• Regardless of what language we speak, there is power in the tongue, what we say. The fact is we all offend in what and how we say things. So this Scripture should be getting the attention of all of us.
• Words may seem insignificant, but they are absolutely crucial and should be chosen carefully.
• Understand that the words and communication we use, comes from within us, from our hearts. What we think on and is resident in our heart comes out in what we say and how we say it.
• The Bible explains this truth so well in Luke 6:45 “A good person, out of the good stored up treasure in his heart, brings forth good. And an evil person out of what is in their heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
• If your heart, your inner person is in peace and you have the love of God in you, your words can heal and help, but if not you can damage people and relationships and sin against God’s standard.
  • “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger…a gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” Proverbs 15:1-4
  • Jesus said, “On the day of judgment we will have to give account for every idle word spoken, for by your words you will be justified and by our words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:36-37

Application

Do you have control of your words? Could you improve in your communication skills?

Consider this story:

There was a young boy who  had a bad temper. One day his father gave him a bag of nails and told the boy, every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back fence. The very first day found the boy loosing his temper a few times and hammering nails as a result. Over the next few weeks there were 37 nails driven into the fence, but the boy was controlling his temper better especially as he thought about the many times he had to go out back and drive more nails. Finally the day came when it seemed the boy had learned his lesson. No more nails were being driven into the fence. Now the father suggested that the boy pull out 1 nail each day that he was able to control his temper. The days passed and eventually all the nails were gone. At this point the father took his son to look at the fence and said, “You have done well, but look at all the holes that damaged the fence. Please remember my son that when you say things to a person in anger, they too damage and leave a scar.”

Any comments or questions?

Tags: Take 10

Week 5 Day 3

The Daily Take 10

The Epistle of James

Week 5 Day 3

Introduction…There is great power in this little member of our body, the tongue. Power to do such good and yet, so much damage. Who can tame it? How?

Read James 3: 5-8 “So the tongue is a small part of the body and yet it boasts of great things. Behold how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity. The tongue is set among our members as that which delies the entire body and sets on fire the course of our life and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds…has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue, it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.”

Bible Study

• A fire describes the danger of our tongue, when it is out of control and certain destruction of our words.

o      It is wide ranging meaning, like fire, the destruction of our words spreads from me to you and the negative affects move to others as well.

o      It is uncontrollable, like fire, because once the wrong thing is said, who can take it back or reverse the negative impact.

o      Proverbs 18:19 says, “A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city…”

• What we say matters to God, who hears all and will hold us accountable. For example in Scripture…

o      Miriam grumbled/complained against God’s anointed leader, Moses, and it was negatively impacting God’s good plan for the Israelites. God struck her temporarily with leprosy. Numbers 12:1-10

o      When God instructed Moses to send spies into the Promised Land/Israel, 10 came back negatively and fearfully saying it will be impossible to enter this land, even though God said He would give it to them. Only 2 came back and with faith spoke well of the land filled with plenty. God judged the 10 nay sayers and all those who believed the bad report by not letting them enter Israel. Numbers 13:30-33

• Realize God’s warning about the misuse of words and the importance He places on our communication.

o      Realize our words are like weapons when misused. They injure, do damage and can kill. “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21

o      Realize wrong words are sinful…lying, blasphemy, criticizing, murmuring and judging others. Ephesians 4:31 says, “let all bitterness, wrath, anger…and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice.”

o      Realize God hears and cares about our communication

o      Realize we can ask God and others for forgiveness, repent and begin to live speaking the truth in love. See Ephesians 4:25-32

• Realize God’s best for yourself, others and all affected by your words:

o      Realize how much He loves you. 1 John 4:16 “We know how much God loves us and we have put our trust in His love.”

o      Realize we do not need to fear with God on our side. Psalms 27:1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?”

o      Realize God has made promises to you. Matthew 21:22 “And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and truly believing, you will receive.”

o      Realize God is with you so have faith in Him. Matthew 17:20 “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain be moved…and nothing will be impossible for you.”

o      Realize you are God’s love extended to others. John 13:34 “So now I am giving you a new commandment. Love each other just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”

Application

• Realizing all God has for us, we must guard our heart and mouth from thinking and speaking evil.
• A great prayer related to this topic that has helped me is found in Psalms 19:14. It says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, oh Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”

Any comments or questions?

Tags: Take 10

Week 5 Day 4

The Daily Take 10

The Epistle of James

Week 5 Day 4

Introduction…sometimes the split personalities of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde come out of us via our words. Amazingly enough we can bless God with our tongue and later cut down and curse people, the very creation He loves. How can this be? How can I be consistent with my words?

Read James 3: 9-12 “With it (our tongue/words) we bless the Lord and Father and with it we curse the men who have been made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth there emerge blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers. Surely the  one stream from the same cleft in the rock does not gush forth fresh and salt water? Surely brothers, a fig tree cannot produce olives, nor a vine figs, nor can salt water produce fresh water?

Bible Study

• It is unnatural for water, or fruit to come from anything else but its source. Figs/Fig Tree, Olives/Olive Tree and fresh water from a fresh water spring. So good and Godly words of blessing and encouragement should come from a disciple of Jesus Christ, from a true born again believer.
• It is tragic and unnatural when and if we bless and curse from the same tongue
• What must be do if this is happening in our life? Consider the source!
• Understand the dynamics at play in this situation of blessing and cursing:
  • The source of blessing and cursing is different even though it comes from the same person.
  • Within each of us there is a battle between good and evil, the Spirit and the flesh. These forces are diametrically opposed to each other.
  • Our fight is not physical, or against people or circumstances, our battle in life is spiritual. See Ephesians 6:12 “for we wrestle not against flesh and blood (people), but against principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness…”
• The Spirit of God in us as believers is the source from where comes the blessings to God and words that edify, or strengthen others. This describes the new man in us at work that is led by His Spirit.
• If not Spirit led, the source from where anger, jealousy and cursing comes is from the flesh, the carnal, worldly person that is not yet totally turned over to God, nor given over to His control. This is the old man, not yet regenerated by God and not Spirit led.  See Ephesians 4: 22-23.
• What is the answer? How do I sustain speaking words that heal, help and encourage? How do I bless God and bless people His precious creation?
• Keep turning over all areas of your life to God. Be filled with the goodness and truth of God. Be filled with His Spirit by meditating on His Word. Speak to yourself in psalms, hymns and spiritual sayings. See Ephesians 5: 18-21
• Jesus declared that when we are filled with the Holy Spirit within “from out of our innermost being would flow rivers of living water”…that is His goodness, peace, joy, love. John 7: 37-39

Application

• Let’s desire to learn with His help to control your tongue. Ask God to guard your words.
• Let’s desire to be filled with His Spirit.
• We must choose to put on the new man by the renewing of our mind. See Ephesians 4:24

Any comments or questions?

Tags: Take 10

Week 5 Day 5

The Daily Take 10

The Epistle of James

Week 5 Day 5

Introduction…everything hinges on leadership. We are all leaders since people are watching us and we are all responsible as leaders, at the very least for our own lives. Our own life, marriage, family, church, business, sports teams, government, education…every sphere we can name…all need leadership and the right kind of leadership! The Servant Leadership modeled by Jesus Christ, for over 2000 years, continues to positively influence our world. Since we are His disciples and leaders in our own right, Jesus said to us, “He who is greatest among you will be your servant. Whoever exalts himself, will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:11-12

Read James 3:13-14 “Who is there among you who is wise and intelligent? Then let this person by his noble living show forth his good works with the humility of true wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and contention in your hearts, do not pride yourself on it and thus be in defiance of and false to the truth.”

Bible Study

• Once again, James follows Jesus’ teaching and indicates that the inner man, the character of the person is key. We have to first get it right on the inside. Do an assessment of your leadership:
  • The heart…what is your motivation as a leader?
  • The head…what are your beliefs as a leader?
  • The hands…what are you doing and saying? Do they align?
  • The habits…what is developing in you? Is it good and of God?
• When we get it right on the inside of ourselves, the source, what flows out from us, what we say and do, our words and actions are right and consistent.
• Jesus said, “you will know a tree by its fruit.” You will know a person by the fruit displayed in his/her life. What fruit do you and others see from your life?
• A life led by the Spirit of God yields certain fruit. See Galatians 5:22-25. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control.
• A life that is not led by God’s Spirit, but led by the flesh displays the works or fruit of the flesh. See Galatians 5:19-21. The works of the flesh are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousy, wrath, factions, seditions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, reveling.
• Jealousy and fighting your way up the ladder of success may seem the right motivator to get ahead, but it is being led of the flesh.  Proverbs 14:12 says, “there is a way that seems right to a person (without God’s leading/principles), but the end thereof is death and destruction.” Destruction to yourself, your leadership and others.
• A life or leadership that is not Spirit led is envious, angered, fearful and prideful. It is not sustainable. It will not stand or last…it will fall under the storms of life.
• The truly wise and intelligent are not full of pride. The Scriptures declare that, “pride goes before destruction.” Proverbs 16:18

Application

• Where do you lead? Family? Church? Business? Community?
• How do you lead?
• What is the impact of your leadership?

Any comments or questions?

Tags: Take 10

November 16, 2009 – Selah

In this, the busiest time of the year, we can often forget to slow down and stop to appreciate the beautiful things of life. This can happen by missing a sunset or the beauty of a fall day. This can happen through the business of the day that we miss to give our kids a hug or tell our spouse we love them. This can even happen in our walk with God.

Selah, is a Hebrew word used in the Bible – mostly in the book of Psalms (Ps. 84:4). Selah means, to stop and think – think about the words that were just said. Reflect, pause long enough to let them sink in. Not only is hitting the pause button of life good for your physical body this is such a healthy practice in our efforts of being a disciple. In addition to your health there are 3 other reasons we should Selah.

1. Selah to appreciate – in order to truly appreciate something you have to give time to it. Pausing long enough this holiday season is important to fully appreciate what it means to be Thankful and appreciate what it means that God sent His Son to this earth like we celebrate at Christmas. But stopping long enough to reflect on what God has done in our lives is often a practice overlooked in being a disciple. It can really build our faith if we would just stop long enough to really see what God had done in our lives (Ps. 34:8).

2. Selah to absorb – Jesus told a parable of the sower in Matthew 13 and in it He talked about soil to receive seed and likend that soil to our hearts receiving the good news of the gospel. In order to be good receptors we as the hearers sometimes need to stop long enough for the Word to go from our brains to our hearts – from our heads to our spirit (Ps. 77:6). There it takes root and can actually produce something in our life. Absorb the Word of God that it can shape and mold – change our lives, but that can only happen is we Selah to absorb.

3. Selah to prioritize – Many times in the craziness of life we can get off course in our thinking, our priorities and not even realize it. We tend to drift and many times it takes us stopping to evaluate our lives to actually see where we are at. To see the forrest through the trees.  To stop and listen and see if God has been trying to get our attention to give a course correction or direct us in a certain way.

Year end is a great time to hit the pause button of life.  Especially, to be aware of stopping in the craziness that comes with this time on the calendar.  Stop long enough to look back and appreciate what God has done in your life this year, stop to let it all sink in of where He may be trying to get your attention and pause to re-prioritize where some changes for the new year may need to made.  I believe that 2010 is going to be the most fruitful, most productive year of our lives as we all learn this practice of Selah!

Selah,

Jonathan

Tags: Jonathan Spuler

Week 4 Day 1

The Daily Take 10

The Epistle of James

Week 4 Day 1

Introduction…let’s remember that God works where there is an attitude, or spirit, of faith and expectancy. So let’s open ourselves to more of God in our lives and let Him work on us through His Word. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:9

Read James 2: 8-11 “If you perfectly keep the royal law, as the Scripture has it: ‘you must love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well. But if you treat people with respect of persons, such conduct is sin and you stand convicted by the law as transgressors. For, if a man keeps the whole law and yet fails to keep it in one point, he becomes guilty of transgressing the law as a whole. For he who said, ‘do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘do not kill.’ If you do not commit adultery but kill, you become a transgressor of the law.”

Bible Study

• The context here in this Scripture is following a principle taught to us from God’s Holy Word. “God is love” and does not show partially, play favorites or discriminate. Aren’t you glad of that?
• The word love is defined by a great chapter in the Bible. I Corinthians 13. A must read.
• Since we are followers, disciples of Jesus Christ, we too must follow that principle of love. I John 4: 7-11 says so plainly. “let’s love one another, for love is of God, and everyone that loves is born of God, and knows God. He that doesn’t love, doesn’t know God, for God is love. The love of God was shown to us, that God sent his Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be a covering for our sins. If God so loved us, we also should love each other.”
• Note there is a difference between ‘like’ and ‘love’. We are commanded to love our neighbor. We may not like what they do, say, or how they are. But love is wanting and doing the highest good for another.
• Love is a fruit of God’s Spirit. – to love like God loves.  The only way to love like God loves is through God – having His Spirit alive on the inside of us producing His fruit – love.
• The royal law mentioned by James refers to the supreme excellence of God’s ways, principles and His law.
• To break any part of God’s royal law is sin and makes the person a transgressor. According to the Bible the truth about sin is…
  • “Sin is transgression of God’s law.” I John 3:4
  • “All of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God” Romans 6:23
  • “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us…we make God a liar and his word is not in us.” I John 1:8,10
  • There are not degrees of sin.
  • We can’t do 10 right things to offset 1 wrong, or earn forgiveness.
  • However, “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9
  • When God forgives us our sin it is gone as far as the east is from the west and He remembers our sin against us no more (Ps. 103:12). It is gone…forever! Is that forgiveness? Is that love? YES!

Application

• Who is our neighbor?

Any questions or comments?

Tags: Take 10

Week 4 Day 2

The Daily Take 10

The Epistle of James

Week 4 Day 2

Introduction…It has been said that there are 2 immutable facts of life…death and taxes. Interesting enough God says there is something more powerful than both. It is love. That’s right, love will out power and outlast death. Let’s tap into this principle that like gravity, it is a law of God that works for us. Now it is up to us. What will we do?

Read James 2: 12-13 “So speak and so act as those who are going to be judged under the law of liberty. For he who acts without mercy will have judgment without mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

Bible Study

• What is the law of liberty? As followers of Christ, we live under the law of liberty. Meaning our lives are not governed by the external pressure of performing or doing to be saved or to be forgiven.
• We are set free! Think of it! Now live free. Free to do what is right, best and free to love and live a grateful life before God and others.
• Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth will make you free…Whom the Son sets free is free indeed.” See John 8: 30-36. Jesus forgives our sin and frees us from its bondage, penalty and frees us to live a life of love to God and others.
• Christianity is not a list of do’s and don’ts. It is the law of liberty. We are free to DO or serve God, out of our love for Him and what He has done for us.
• God has a banner over us, His children. What do you think it says? Love and it describes and celebrates our union with God through Jesus Christ.
• A Christian is loved by God and should be known as a Christian by our love for others. “They will know we are Christians by our love.”
• From love flows mercy and from mercy flows forgiveness.
• Jesus taught his disciples how and what to pray by giving them a model to follow. It is called the Lord’s Prayer. It was not intended to be memorized and repeated without thought or being personalized. One key element of daily prayer that Jesus taught was the importance of asking God for forgiveness while at the same time forgiving all others of all their offenses against you. See Matthew 6:12-15
• Jesus also taught via a story, called a parable, that gives us insight into God and our lives. There was a man who owed an enormous debt to the King. The King mercifully forgave the debt of the pleading man. This man went free and instead of being thankful and also forgiving, he then took someone who owed him money to court and demanded payment and penalty. When the gracious King heard what this man had done after being forgiven a debt he would never be able to pay…the King retracted his mercy and imprisoned the man. See Matthew 18:23-35
• Wow. We can see by that parable, God is serious about our need to forgive others…especially after He forgave us. How can we not forgive and keep on forgiving. Matthew 18:21-22.
• Jesus taught, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.”

Application

• How do people know you are a Christian? By your telling them or showing them?
• Remember that song by Hillsong “Mighty To Save” that we sing at Elevate. It goes like this, “Everyone needs compassion. A love that’s never failing. Let mercy fall on me.”
• We all need God’s compassion, love and mercy. He gives this freely to us…so let each one of us be compassionate, loving and merciful to those we meet and know.

Any questions or comments?

Tags: Take 10

Week 4 Day 3

The Daily Take 10

The Epistle of James

Week 4 Day 3

Introduction…The acid test, the bottom line, the proof positive, the real deal…all expressions of getting rid of the smoke and mirrors and proving out what is true. The true test of our faith in God is shown by how we live, not by wearing a cross, displaying a bumper sticker, or by words. “They will know you are Christians by your love.”

Read James 2: 14-17 “My brothers, what use is it if a person claims to have faith and has no deeds to show? Are you going to claim that his faith is able to save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear, and if they have not enough for their daily food, and if one of you says to them, ‘go in peace, be warmed and fed!’ and yet does not give them the essentials of bodily existence, what use is that? So, if faith to ohas no deeds to show, by itself it is dead.”

Bible Study

• Can faith be seen, quantified or proven?
• Can love be seen, quantified or proven?
• The Scripture tells us that our forgiveness, salvation and new life in Christ all starts with the seed of faith.
• Faith in Action! We are saved by our faith, but our faith must be expressed by saying it, declaring it.
• See Romans 10: 9-10 says, “If we believe confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and have faith/believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, we shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
• One day the disciples were in a boat and they saw Jesus coming to them walking on the water. Peter asked if he could do the same…he had faith, but the proof positive was he had to get out of the boat. Faith requires action.
• What starts with belief in our heart, then is declared by our words and is proven by our actions.
• Faith in action is acting in Love!
• According to the Word of God here in James and in many other correlating Scriptures, you know a tree by its fruit and you can tell a person has faith by what they say and do.
• Love in Action! It starts with loving God and since we are God’s hands extended into this world, it is all about loving others. Jesus commanded that we love one another. John 15:17
• The word love in Scripture is sometimes translated as charity, that is giving. Giving of what? Our time, talent, money…whatever we have been given we can in turn give to meet a need.

Application

• A good question is…if we were brought to court to determine if we are a Christian…would there be enough evidence to convict us?
• There are now laws against praying in public schools or reading the Bible publicly, but there is no law against doing good, caring, helping others.
• Did I mention, “they will know we are Christians by our love!”

Any comments or questions?

Tags: Take 10

Week 4 Day 4

The Daily Take 10

The Epistle of James

Week 4 Day 4

Introduction…It is an eventual fact that we will all give account of our lives before God. It is true that we cannot fool God. He sees all and knows all. He looks upon the heart and knows us best. Another fact from Scripture is “out of the abundance of what is in our heart, we speak,” (Matt. 12:34) and “by our words we are justified or condemned” (Matt. 12:37). So who we are comes out and testifies the truth about us. It’s like squeezing a lemon…you get lemon juice…no surprise. What’s in us and what comes out when we are squeezed is a good question.

Read James 2: 18-19 “But someone many will say, ‘have you faith?’. My answer is, “I have deeds. Show me you faith apart from your deeds, and I will show you my faith by means of my deeds.” You say that you believe that there is one God. Excellent! The demons also believe the same thing, and shudder in terror.”

Bible Study

• There is no contradiction between what James says here and the Scripture found in Romans 3:28 that says, “for we hold that a person is justified (declared righteous by God) by faith apart from works of the law.”
• “A person is not justified (declared righteous by God) by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ.” See Galatians 2:16
• The fact is that we are saved by faith due to God’s grace or the unmerited favor that He gives and the mercy He shows us.
• Understand that faith and belief are not merely mental assent. Meaning I can say, “I believe the chair is green.” That is mental assent.
• Over 95% of Americans believe in God, but for some that is merely a mental assent question to them meaning they think there is a God. However if they truly believe in God, as the Bible defines believe, it would be evidenced by their lives…what is said and done.
• The word ‘believe’ and ‘faith’ in Scripture denotes commitment to and trust in, not a mental agreement, but a serious, put it all on the line decision.
• That is why James gives the example of the ‘no big deal’ of saying you believe in God…so does Satan and his demons…and there is a resultant fear of Him.
• If you say you believe in God…there is going to be evidence of that fact in your life by what you say and do. Not by what you say only. Words and actions will be congruent.
• James is merely saying that what emerges naturally from your saving faith is the good deeds that testify of that faith. Because of my belief (commitment and trust) in God, I do deeds, my life of love is an expression of my faith.

Application

• A man was tight roping across Niagara Falls with many spectators intensely watching. After a trip across the Falls he stated for his next act, he would cross with a wheel barrel. He asked who believed he could do this? There was thunderous applause and shouts of ‘yes!’. Surprisingly however, he could not get anyone of those applauding and shouting ‘yes’ to get into the wheel barrel and cross with him. That is not true belief!
• Our saving faith and belief in God is evidenced by our works that all are rooted in God’s amazing love for us, our love in return for Him and our knowledge and gratitude that inspires our love for others.

Any comments or questions?

Tags: Take 10