A Test of Faith, p.1

Where grubby Bibles list go back to James would be looking at the New Testament book of James for a long time now and Sunday night and I can't stop looking at it all right so were going keep looking ahead, I will song a little chorus said to make me more like Christ. What's Christlike people talk about our love for the way Jesus loves the house he love I want to care what Jesus cares how does he care or have compassion the way Jesus has professional housing. Have compassion. Be careful, be careful that you let your natural conclusions about what Jesus's lot be the definition for what Jesus and frontline of all through the New Testament Gospels, as we look at the life and ministry of Jesus.

He continues to do shocking unexpected thing. He said he's just not your pet Jesus.

He's not up to being subjective to our feelings and our viewpoints off Hobbit people throughout my life and ministry who have these deep sentimental feelings about Jesus because they created this human nut sense of how Jesus is. How is competitor hi loves when really he's not that way at all sometime. He contradicts us, but when you think on it. Aren't you glad you got.

He's not just a little better form of you not just allow little more perfect image.

Our version of you know he's he's radically unique and that's why I pitch out to you very often the concept of God's holiness that Tom this mysterious also meant aspect of our God. He's holy, which includes that in every way. He made us like him. He's yet infinitely superior to us and that he has all these other attributes that are radically different from us just can't put them on your thumb you can put them on your microscope. You can't seem to telescope these beyond and the only way you can begin the lesson to me begin grasp who Christ really is is if he enables you by his spirit through the gospel to begin to see him truly Jesus said to Nicodemus, unless you're born from above. You cannot see the kingdom of God. Now we come to James chapter 2 and remind yourself that James is a local church pastor. He he's getting down to brass tacks, he's functioning where the rubber meets the road. Beat, he watched he wants his church to live out right and he's dealing with some compromisers in the church by fact, he makes it very clear he's dealing with some people who got in on the wrong raw of baby the day of Pentecost and exciting things are happening and joined up with the church but they're not really of the church and he's dealt a bunch of things you is Artie dealt with the fact that the other some of you seem to be so prone to show partiality to the rich man the medic comes in's got a lot of wealth.

You just gonna fawn all over him, but you cannot ignore the poor man when he comes in. His point was that's not Christianity that's not true faith living itself out in in in in the intercourse of human relationships within the church and now he's going to talk about what the saving faith really look like not only looked at this before, but to me it's one of the most powerful, insightful things I've ever seen. When the light finally went off and I grasp what the Scriptures say. And here's the thing. It's not that it's hard to see what it's saying, it's just that we typically come from way over here. From this perspective our subjective perspective instead of where the text really is and will look at it this reason, to get a look at it just a moment I'll not keep you long to not and I know you had a long day and you've had your meeting and you get a small group started and I don't want you to grow weary in well doing, James chapter 2 verse 14 what use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works can that faith save him.

If a brother or sister is without clothing and the need baby food and what you says to them go in peace, be warmed and be filled in yet you do not give them what is necessary for the body, what use is that even so faith, it has no works, is dead, being of itself, or by itself, but someone may well say what you have faith and I have works.

Show me your faith without the works and I'll show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one.

You do well. The demons also believe in shutter but are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless.

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected, are brought to its in the Scripture was fulfilled which says and Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness that he was called the friend of God. You see that man is justified by works and not by faith alone in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way for just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Now I remember so distinctly is a very sincere varies that yes new believer and even many years later through the ministry. How I was in a confusion of fog about what does this text mean and primarily the part about it that you can have faith but is not real saving faith and do you have the works that shows that you do have true saving faith and I but quite honestly, I was grieved over and I was troubled over analyzing data and analyzing all life is like well what kind of works are these do I perform enough of these works do I do enough of the right works to whom am I supposed to perform these works in my mind would go well amount to help that dear widow lady down the street is that a good work that shows him say do I feed the homeless man that's living on the side of the road. Donate more money to a charity that helps orphans do I give more money to starving children in Africa donate to call my mom more and look after her. Moran maybe be better to my wife and my kids this would just go on and on in my mind and course you know the answer. You know the answer for you.you on so many those point you say yeah probably could've done better.

I probably could've done more, and so I found myself in this cyclical stage like a dog chasing my tail almost about is this Emma doing enough for all my works right enough. Are they true enough that I really can be assured that I am saving faith asked actually be honest.I felt like a failure.

One time debating with myself about. Cannot have a dog and feed that dog and I could use that money to help somebody's hungry. This is just an endless morbid introspection of EMI working enough in my faithful enough in my serving enough do I have saving faith and then the light went all because it's so radically obvious in the tenant's butts on it.

This is one of those texts that Tom, the liberal and the secularist loves to get on the to point out their social programs and their promotion of communism and socialism about caring for all mankind, etc. such ensure every Christian should care for all mankind. But the real key to the works that show whether or not you know Christ is revealed in verse 15. If you miss verse 15 fill the whole rest of this thing away. It makes no sense. You'll never come the conclusion you never see where James is coming from. If you miss verse 15 if a brother or sister is without clothing and in need baby food and one says to him will go in peace and be warm to be filled and that you do not give them what is necessary for the body, what use is that even so faith without works is dead, being by upset a brother or sister.

This is talking about the work of loving caring for and meeting the needs of brothers and sisters in Christ that it was this written to is written to local churches so overwhelmingly so this is talking about those brothers and sisters in Christ in your local church to have enough understand the context. This is the church made up of Hebrew believers who are being viciously deeply persecuted by their hurting literally scores of Christians needed a coat for their back literally scores of Christian needed a meal to eat but needed a place to stay. Peace. This point is you know if you're a believer or not. When the church is going through that when your brothers and sisters are suffering that way you can assert gimmick give a blind eye and a deaf ear to their need you now have the kind of faith that makes a man a Christian, you're missing true saving faith it's evidenced by the fact that you don't have the work of caring for your local church family and how powerful it was because it was so distinctively clear when I became a Christian. There was birth in me, this stirring of being drawn to other Christians in my church rejoicing in fellow shipping with them.

Hearing the word preached with them and wanting to perform some kind of service under them will will that that aspect of your heart. Sometimes the Puritans called it a germ lease you have the germ of that love for other believers.

If your trickery. I want to call it a C is gotta be careful were at different stages of our growth in our development. But that is the clear issue here, and not to notice it's balanced out throughout Scripture. For example, are art. The truth of it is is continued throughout Scripture.

Galatians 610. The Bible tells us to do good to all man as you have opportunity arose, as you have opportunity as a Christian, you're trying to get from them but especially the household of the faith, especially you have a love and a service in the ministry and work you will perform for your brothers and sisters in your church. Galatians 1335. All me will know you are my disciples, if you have love one another not love for mankind in general we have that that's not what the text is saying its thing is a special love for other believers. First John 314 we know we passed out of death into life, because we love people know because we love the brethren.

It's very specific very specific Challenge you right now. Do you have that in your heart that says you know I'm drawn to those folks that love Christ, I specially want to be around them.

I love the worshiping with them and if one of them is hurting and like in this context of this local church, especially if they're hurting because they're Christians enough in a culture that some begun to persecute you. If you claim to follow Christ honest, specially want to be there for you.

I don't care what it cost me. I don't care if I may go through suffering and persecution for being associated with you your my brothers and sisters in Christ. We love our Savior were together for eternity and I wanted to help take care of you in your time. He said that's the work. Work that comes out of that, change heart is the evidence that you have true saving faith.

When you are truly converted. I like to sit this what you join a local church. You've taken a wife is taken obligation. You taken a duty a man takes a wife and he may do good for a lot of people. He may care and be a generous man in community make sure he takes care of his wife. The Bible would tell you that's not where you start you've missed everything all your the good works don't matter if you neglect your wife when your spirit to shaking your wife is your local church is always pointing out here.

If that's not real and you if a brother or sister is without these things and you turn them away.

Here's Paul hears James statement can that faith save whatever faith you claim you have. If that's the way it works itself out. If you have a love and devotion to brothers and sister in Christ, chiefly above all others.

And actually the sometimes people a hard time with this legislative understand what the word of God teaches and let the spirit give them understanding and that is you actually love your brothers and sisters in Christ more than your blood relatives.

If they don't know Christ then mean you don't love your blood relatives. This means there's an abiding continual devotion to Christian brothers and sisters that last for time and eternity.

Matthew 25 turnover Matthew 25 and this is another text on it just aggravates can I just be honest the stew out of me.

The hero liberal's liberal theologians, liberal politicians quote this verse to try to set up a foundation of caring for all we gotta be globalist. We gotta care for all the hurting people all over the world. What course we have concern for that and in our country has been one that has a phenomenal record of the it is spending billions of dollars to help other people in other countries. Of course, as we can. We would do that. But that kind of compassion and caring and love is not not what James to is saying that kind of compassion and caring and love for the world at large is not what Matthew 25 essay. Be consistent with the context of what the text to say.

Matthew 25 verse 31 will just blitz through here when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, and he sits on his glorious throne. All the nations we gather before him, he will separate them from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right. The goats on his left. Some folks who want to pin Jesus down to love the way they think real love and compassion all be leased understand that there are those that Jesus calls goats and those that Jesus calls sheep doesn't mean the Bible to teach Christ as a great love for all mankind. He does, but there is a special love for his sheep and we have his spirit. That's why we have a special appreciate the we do love all man.

Verse 33. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left, then the King will say to those on his right.

Come, you are blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation what others you will get to go to a kingdom that was prepared for you and I like to suggest that's personally specifically prepared for you from the foundation of the world you're upset about that while not because you did something and procured God's favor, but God had something prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Verse 35. He said you had these works in your life that made it clear that you are one of those who was truly mine. Verse 35 I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, you get me something to drink out of a stranger you invited me in. Again, the context is persecution and of the persecution here, these followers of Jesus Christ suffering any sister these folks. You were always there to care for my for those brothers and sisters who were suffering for 36 naked and you called me I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me than the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you are thirsty and give you something great. When did we see you a stranger invited you and make it enclosed you when we see you sick or in prison, and come to you the chemo psychedelic. Truly I say to you, to the extent you did it to one of these brothers of mine, not mankind is not what the text to say other true believers.

Other members of the true church of Jesus Christ.

Others who are of the elect others who are inheriting the kingdom given to them pledged into the foundation of the world for us today.

Others who are in the church with us to the extent that you show this special love, concern, care, compassion in ministry to other Christian, even the least of them, even those that didn't seem to be all that important to God's work. He said if you did it to those true Christians you did it to me.

That's how you know you're one of the true sheet that will goats now. He got he goes on talks about people who did all these things in the Lord's name and did all these things in the Lord's name exist apart from me. I never knew you. You can be the most charismatic and dynamic Bible teacher.

You can even perform signs and wonders and miracles and not process true saving faith that should've been manifested in a deep and genuine love for other Christians, especially those in your local church. Having time to beat up somebody with the assurance of salvation and ask them those questions. Do you sense a love for Christians in your heart you are you drawn to the as for how many years and I'm pledging guilt. Guilt and is having years of somebody ask about on troubled about the salvation we went through all kinds of sequences of events and did you pray this prayer did you mean this when he came to the island and all these different things instead of asking do you see this evidence do you see a love for Christians in your heart. Do you want to see God's church prosper using God's people do well maybe it's not the same every day, but that is they are. If you belong to God selling James to in Matthew 25 we see this, but the one who possesses true saving faith and love is drawn toward, he rejoices in and contributes to the work of the local assembly of God's people just very very clear now, let's amplify this out for just a few more minutes go back to James chapter 2 James chapter 2.

Again, this local church pastor who's dealing with a lot of suffering in the church due to cultural persecutions and some believers were not caring for other believers who really had desperate need. Now again folks when the Bible talks about caring for brothers hurting notice he didn't have food and actually the word. The phrase hears daily food is not like I don't have enough food for next week is like I'll have enough food today. This is not the concept of poverty that we see from our liberal politicians today that basically safe. You have three flatscreen TVs your your deprived, that's not what the Bible to fund this property are lacking are being discriminated against in some way, they don't have the basic things they needed in that context, he begins to talk about what here's what true faith is a list remind ourselves how foundational the doctrine of faith is. The Bible says in Ephesians 2 were saved by faith second previous five. We walk by faith. Hebrews 11 we please God by faith. Romans 14. Whatever we do, that is not by faith is sin. Someone said that faith is not believing in spite of the evidence it's obeying.

In spite of the consequences here. That's not believing in spite of the evidence is actually obeying in spite of the consequences and that really is true here because to align yourself with the suffering Christ suffering Christians and helping them put you in jeopardy of receiving the same persecution I got them in their predicament, but my faith tells me about love these folks and I want to let these folks and I want care for them.

So we find that even in the early church, even in a persecuted early church, even in the suffering.

Early church there were false professors and will always be that way wherever you find the true you will find the counterfeit was been frustrating to me as a pastor through the years, is the notion was there live on the notion it's just the way we generally did things and that this life was that we know there's lots of people in our churches and they don't know the Lord. But that's just the way it is. Well, I just was severe different that a civil life that just the way it is.

I know the never be a time we could say hundreds of our churches pure and righteous and right. But we don't have the majority of the people are in our cognitions. Our membership rose who don't know Christ. I me when somebody obviously openly lives in a way that shows they don't know Christ as a way to lovingly but truthfully deal with those things.

The Bible lays those things out and you followed me through these years and decades now God let us do that to where I believe I can confidently say the large majority of our membership are regenerate folks know the Lord have true saving faith knocked. I call this the primary qualifier. What qualifies if you have true saving Faye look at verse 14.

Again, he says what use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but has no words can that faith save him. I think that's the proper way to translate that not the faith but that faith can a faith like that.

We ate saving faith James to say. John Calvin said faith alone saves with the faith that saves is never alone faith alone saves with the faith that saves is never alone. Jesus said you know a tree by its fruit. Faith has no accompanying works once a context works if loving and caring for fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. That's not that accompanying work, it's not true saving faith it but it's nothing but a mere intellectual acknowledgment of Christ in us. Sin that Christ is who he says he was. It's not a heart change the heart that possesses Christ. I believe there probably some here tonight your fine person culturally speaking, but you haven't had the heart change in the heart possession of true saving thing. James, in essence, is comparing true saving faith to the fruitless income.

The intellectual acknowledgment of Christ that some in his congregation at least were gathering with his congregation were calling faith. True faith is inseparably accompanied by good works, good works defined biblically as being works of caring for my brothers and sisters in my local church now one. Be careful here.

I don't want you to misunderstand that certainly when I got saved when you really are. Get say that there is there's a sweetness that comes but there's a change that comes in your there's a benevolence there's a kindness sin and Christian men and Christian people should do all of those around them have a kindness in the goodness and the sweetness in a caring so don't don't don't think that I'm saying that there's you don't change the way you approach the world that's true, but is it not also true that store sock. I could literally save millions of people around the world do not know Christ at all and live passionately devoted sacrificial, caring, loving, serving lifestyles for something, do they not I can take you to Indiana never get over the first time with the Internet been into your the one time at least it's it's it's a fascinating place and their people there that that that find the calls they come up with some philosophy of life and they devote themselves to incredible sacrifice. I remember the guy that we ran upon when we were in India and his devotion to his God's was that he would not walk the rest of his life he would so sacrifice himself to honor his gods and so he rolled everywhere he went for his entire life is promising some a motive, a they don't cut their fingernails for their God. I once so please cut them for me to make the eye. What I'm saying is there's just unbelievable sacrificial devotion to causes all over the world Kickin I don't of this. This may crank your tractor makes me mad almost 1 when I read something in a magazine or see something on television these people go to these phenomenal extremes to save a fish that swim up on the I don't get that caught the Eskimos and take care that fish don't clean it cut it up, get the mate in the blubber and do it all they do with it.

I don't know I just this, but they give their own lives for these things. The plastic straw for no I'm not for plastic straws polluting the ocean this light. We just had the selective compassion and I know something you love your dogs and I would want to get be careful here.

I understand.

I love my don't have a dog anymore. He's his stomach twisted. He died but some decide what happened on the head facing away and I love that dog. But folks there steel dogs in effect a renewable natural resource you just go get you another dog they don't have a soul you know what I'm saying is, the people of the world have deep love, compassion, self-sacrificing service for all kinds of stuff.

What makes us unusual. There's one group that above all others. We have a love and a passion to care and love and that's God's people in James's fact is the evidence you know what you listen to the world's pundits out there.

I know so you all these people in all these caring thanks for all these causes them while they must be the godless people in the most wonderful people, not according to Scripture, do they love Christ church true church, not to the given sales for causes, we might do some of that annexing all of that's evil, but certainly you can see how we've become a post-Christian nation, and that we wore compassion. We have a warped sense I should save compassion in our culture today, so it's not just being compassionate living.

We have some of that for all mankind. Is that true compassion and love for God's church. James is the faith that saves you is always accompanied by these good works faith and works are one. Yet faith and works are separate. Just as light and heat are one yet light and heat are separate. We have lights in this room. And trust me so these of those old lights. They put a lot of heat. We just bought them for the lights but that he just comes along with it and us away faith and works. His face saves you and faith is the reality that causes you to have it standing up justification before a holy God, but that faith always has those accompanying work that goes along with it be saved, you need only faith but faith is always accompanied by works once again versus 15 and 16. He clarified specifically, to whom this kind of love and service is to be illustrated if your true Christian.

If a brother or sister verse 15 without clothing needed daily food and one of you says to them going peacefully warm to be filled yet you do not give them what is necessary for the body, what use is that even so faith without works is dead. So here we have a way a simple and easy opportunity to see to examine or to demonstrate the legitimacy of our faith. Have you an abiding drawing toward love for and desire to serve and care for other Christians.

Different than just other people in general are some people that just they just hatch into the world just sweet, caring, loving, and sometimes we call those people bullet must be they'll join the church. They must be wonderful Christians. I don't know if they are not like this may have that kind of natural disposition.

What you really know if they were honorary and hateful and selfish and then they get saved and then they begin to change in habit, sweet love for God's people. I just want to be honest with you.I like to do good things for people as I can in the world. I think all of us must do that but I want to take care of you far, far, far more than I want to do good for any other group. After your God's church nonsense because I'm your pastor, because I made up the same spiritual material made up of we have that oneness escalation said 16 reminds us as far as you have opportunity as you have the possibility do good to all men but especially to the household of the thing. So this person James is referring to here who hypothetically would see a brother and sister with a true dire significant need and would turn a deaf ear and a cold shoulder to them and not meet that need, when they could do it. He says this is not true faith. This is not the kind of faith save man has only just close with this general outline of faith that is not saving faith out of 11 of the things I called general are cultural faith, there are those who believe in God believe in Christ believe in Christianity in a general way. I think they make pretty good citizens because they hold the biblical morality more lesson they make pretty good neighbors cultural phenomena just in general Christian consensus kind of thing but it's merely intellectual, it's clear merely in their mind. There's never been a changed heart. There's no better a new passionate love for God's church, God's truth, knowledge of cultural our general faith. Another would be historical faith, and that will be the person who has studied and begins to understand the outward facts of the faith that mean the doctrines we hold to and they would never deny any of them, but they do not have saving faith its intellectual a dogmatic faith would be the third one.

That's the person who studied well and knows where the creeds and the doctrines he can even defend them intellectually, but his heart's never been J it does James nor Jesus in Matthew 25 talked about you. All men will know your modest cycle by your deep knowledge and wisdom concerning sound doctrine sound doctrines important. That's not how you know your say all men will know your motorcycles by the love you have one for another. If you see a brother or sister in need Jesus in Matthew 25 in that you did it to the least of these brethren of mine you love those kind of people. If I can go here without wading into deep your theology on the atonement really affects this because you go back to sync asking this question who does my Lord love supreme. He gave his life for the church. There is a special way. When Christ went to the cross that he paid the redemption price for his church and as he lay down his life for his church for his friends. His church, we should lay down our lives for our his friends. The church because he lives in us. But if you hold to this radical general atonement view that you will not all be open to any concept that Jesus died exactly the same way for all people of all time than two things there. Number one, you lose all the distinctiveness of this wonderful teaching that there's a special love for the church, by the way, let me tell you something what's gonna happen in eternity when only the church is there anybody else's inhale or not receiving the love of God that point are the there is a limit to the love of God on a number of levels of one of them is at the end times when only those who will bask in the love of God is his church which he loved before the foundation of the world which he came to die for, and therefore being changed by him and having him living in us. We have that special love for those he has a special love for though we would never deny the biblical teaching that he has a love for all mankind, but a unique love for his church. That's why the evidence of your true salvation is. Do you possess a unique love and the unique drawing toward unique desire to see your brothers and sisters, cared for, loved minister to the glory of God