James 2:14-20 Do You Have Real Faith?

Sunday 10:30am Service

Dr. Greg Mathis

James 2:14-20 Do You Have Real Faith?

• A lot of people see Bible but they don't get it.  I think I'm a Christian shouldn't be in our vocabulary.

• James states that real faith changes people. Real faith produces real works.

The Message Paraphrase gives a great paraphrase…

14-17Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? 18 I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I'll handle the works department." Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove. 19-20 Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That's just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?

James 2:14-20

• Not saying, to be saved you have to do something.  Is saying, if you are saved you will do something.

• Jesus illustrates that the one who knows me obeys me.

• Head knowledge is not enough.  The world doesn't understand head knowledge.
• If there is fire in the fireplace there will be smoke in the chimney.
• James illustrates the need.  He gives a situation where the group knows about a need but does nothing.  How we react to a need says a lot about our faith.
• We will get more emotional over TV drama than real life situations.
• Through your giving NC Baptist provided 600,000 meals after hurricane IKE.
• Even the Devil and Demons have head knowledge but they don't live for Him.

The clear Word is, real faith works!

Comments

[Mike Conner]

Hey Mark, did Dr. Mathis understand that your were not texting this week? LOL that was priceless. (caught it on the video)

MC