Authentic Faith - Part 2
Thank you to those from home and abroad for the very encouraging response to my short message last month “Authentic Christian Faith”. As I have opportunity, I will continue to send out messages for encouragement and to draw you in to study further the life of authentic faith. Most important is that we walk by the faith that the Holy Spirit draws us into.
AUTHENTIC CHRISTIAN FAITH (Part 2)
James 2:17-18
“Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is “dead” (Greek: “Nekro” means a corpse).
But someone will say “you have faith, but I have works.”
Show me your faith without works
And I will show you my faith by my works.”
THE JOY OF LIVING BY FAITH
We should never understand faith as being something we turn on and off.
We’re often encouraged to speak faith or confess faith. This can be genuinely fine and powerful, but faith is not just a tool for a certain task. Faith is what we live by. Faith is evidenced by fruit. Just as sure as “Faith without works is a “dead corpse”, is the fact that faith is EVIDENCED by living “works”. Spiritual fruitfulness. Spiritual and eternal harvest.
THE FAITH OF THOSE WHO HAVE DIED TO SELF
Galatians 2:20
“The life I now live, I LIVE BY the Faith of the Son of God”. “I am Crucified with Christ”. “It is NO LONGER I who live, but Christ lives in me.” Paul made the equation simple for us. Because my old life is “crucified with Christ”, my new life is in Him in His resurrection. My Faith is alive because my life is in Him.
James said that “faith” can be as dead as a corpse.
Paul said it is the SELF LIFE (life of the flesh) that should be what is dead; that our faith might be ALIVE in CHRIST. So often our faith is “dead” (a corpse) because it is not manifesting any life in “works”!
Imagine the tragedy of this… Our “flesh life” alive and well, but our faith life as dead as a corpse! Unfortunately it happens.
The Works of FAITH are those works which are MADE ALIVE THROUGH DEATH AND RESURRECTION WITH CHRIST. Authentic Christian Faith is living at THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CROSS; the crucified life and the resurrected life in Christ. (Gal 5:24-25). This is the difference between “dead works” and “works of faith’. We have this privilege of “putting to death the deeds of the flesh” (Romans 8:13).
So, AUTHENTIC FAITH cannot be generated by us. It is not of us. It is all of Him.
If I am met with a great need, or a great challenge, I can allow my mind and my emotions to take over, OR I can respond with faith. When I do respond with faith, I bring life to the table!
Notice this: Heb. 11:3 “By faith we understand that the worlds were formed by the word of God, so that the THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN were NOT MADE of things which are VISIBLE”.
This wisdom comes from the dimension of the Spirit. God made everything from the invisible. A word is not visible. The Spiritual Dimension of God is not visible. God made everything from a SOURCE that is not visible (His Kingdom and His Will), through a MEANS which is not visible (His Word) so that we could comprehend by faith that EVERYTHING in the WORLD DIMENSION did not find its source or its being from any other than GOD. From the invisible. Yet now truly visible, declaring the glory of God.
So, faith also “makes visible”.
E.g. Heb. 11:13 (talking of Abel and Enoch and Noah and Abraham and Sarah): “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having SEEN them afar off, were ASSURED by them, EMBRACING them and CONFESSED that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth”. Talk about the faith of God!! These people had no scriptures to stand on. No Cross to run to. No Apostles to guide them. No baptism in the Holy Spirit to overwhelm them with power. They had FAITH. The faith that comprehends that the realms of God were available to those who “through faith and patience inherit the promises”.
So James says, “Show me your faith without your works and I will show you my faith by my works”.
There is a great need for VISIBLE EVIDENCE of the glories that God has for this world, from the unseen dimension that ONLY FAITH can manifest. The faith that UNDERSTANDS that EVERY VISIBLE THING had its source in God.
So we pray in faith. We give in faith. We outreach in faith. We believe in faith, that God will still work signs and wonders and miracles. We meet the needs of the poor in faith. We will evidence our faith by making visible to the world, the love of God.
FAITH is AUTHENTICATED by those in whom and through whom Christ lives.
Steve
Authentic Faith
James 2:14-18
“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but doesn’t have works?
Can faith (alone) save him?
If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food
and one of you says to them “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled” but you do not
give them the things which are needed for the body, what does that profit?
In the same way also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
But someone will say “You have faith, and I have works”.
Show me your faith without works, and I WILL SHOW YOU MY FAITH BY MY WORKS”.
THE PROBLEM OF “DEAD FAITH”
Can faith be dead? Can spiritual truths become “dead”? Yes. 2 Cor 3:6 says that “The letter KILLS, but the Spirit gives LIFE”.
Even the most glorious truths from the Word of God can become religious and legalistic.
Faith also, without the Spirit and without genuine expression can become lifeless and nothing more than a religious bondage.
I’ve met people who will argue over doctrine, but have never met the need of others! Never told another soul about Jesus! Never taken a basket of food to a desperately needy neighbour. I consider this to be “Dead Faith” (faith without works is dead). Not that we sit in judgement of one another. But James had definitely got sick and tired of the self- righteous attitude of his day.
Living Faith is pro-active. A manifestation of the love of God in us. “Faith working by love.” Galatians 5:6.
So we give evidence that we stand in faith BY LOVE AT WORK THROUGH US. This privilege is so easily missed in this present age where faith becomes the method to get what we want!
We are often taught to express “faith” to become wealthy or privileged above others.
Faith is God’s way of using us to BLESS. To resource us with enough of God’s supply to express His great love.
Do you have that kind of faith?
Authentic faith expresses Christ. He is the foundation stone of faith and the pattern of the “new man” that we all should become in Him.
As we express authentic faith, it is as though Christ is being expressed through us, to the world. (1John 4:17) (2Cor5:17-21). God working through us.
So why not live the best faith? The authentic faith. That faith which lives to express the love of God to all.
As for me, I will show you my faith by my works.
This is a foundation stone. This is authentic faith.
Your friend and brother,
Steve