WEEKLY SUNDAY
SCHOOL LESSON
An international
Sunday school lesson commentary
For
Sunday February 16, 2014
Over 56,000
readers worldwide
larrydalexander.blogspot.com
SHOW
YOUR FAITH BY YOUR WORKS
(GOD
leads us to act on faith)
(James
2:14-26)
Faith that doesn’t manifest itself
through good deeds is equivalent to “no faith at all”, and indeed, is dead and
worthless in the eyes of GOD (James 2:17). GOD gauges our faith directly by our
actions, and what we say means very little to GOD. Man continues to prove, over
time, that he seldom does what he says he will do. On the contrary, man always,
100% of the time, does that which is in his heart. And so “man’s heart” remains
the barometer by which GOD gauges the faith of HIS greatest creation, for HE
seldom takes into account what a man might say.
It is the duty of the
Christian to build his or her foundation on the Most High Faith. We have the
charge from CHRIST to demonstrate our love by readily and willingly accepting
others, and, by our volition to serve and aid our fellowman whenever, and
wherever, the need exists. True faith always manifests itself through good
deeds, and serves as evidence of who we really are on the inside.
This section of James’
letter to the Jewish Christians begins with two probing questions;
·
What’s
the use of saying you have faith, if you don’t prove it by your actions? (v.14)
·
What
good does it do to believe that there is only one GOD, if you don’t act
accordingly, by obeying only HIS commandment to show love to one another,
through our acts of good deeds towards one another? (Vs.19-20)
Both of these questions
help us to focus squarely on the relationship between “Faith and Works”. In his
first question James asks, “What good is it?”, or “Of what advantage can it be
if our faith in GOD doesn’t manifest itself in our good deeds? Here James wants
us to envision a man who says he is a Christian simply because he thinks he has
faith. However, this same man hasn’t exhibited any good, or GODly works as a
result of that said faith. The man, for instance, hasn’t endured any trials or
temptations, doesn’t have the right attitude towards wealth, doesn’t eagerly
receive GOD’s Word into his heart, and doesn’t care for orphans or widows. He
often shows favoritism toward certain people, and exhibits all of the “bad
fruit” that James had previously mentioned in this letter.
Intellectual acceptance
of GOD is not, in itself, a “Saving Faith”, because, even demons know that GOD
exists (v.19). A “Saving Faith” will always have a discernible positive impact
on a person’s attitude and behavior. Faith that does not produce “good fruit”
in our life, and, in the lives of others, is NOT a Saving Faith, and cannot
save anyone from the penalty that GOD imposes on our sin.
In verses 20-26, James
uses the examples of Abraham (Genesis 22:16-18) and Rahab (Joshua 2:1-7) to
help us distinguish between “Professed Faith” and “Saving Faith”. In Genesis
22, Abraham, who was declared “righteous” by GOD, had to show his faith through
his actions by offering up his own son as a living sacrifice to GOD, simply
because GOD asked him too, and without understanding why.
In Joshua 2, Rahab, a
Gentile woman, acted on her faith in GOD by risking her life, and the lives of
her family to protect the men of GOD who had come to spy out her homeland. And
so here, it becomes increasingly clear that, we are made right with GOD by our
righteous deeds, and not just, by faith alone (James 2:21-25). And just as the
body is dead without a spirit, so also, faith is dead without good deeds
(v.26).
“Saving Faith” is a
faith that is manifested through good works before and under GOD, even while
under pressure and duress from our emotions. Any so-called faith that is not
accompanied by good works is not a faith that can save a person from eternal
damnation. People like Abraham and Rahab show a dynamic obedience to GOD under
pressure and duress that can only be considered as “Saving Faith”.
A Sunday school lesson
by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER-
Official Website
No comments:
Post a Comment