Religion & Spirituality
James 2:14-26 “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created (1:18).” “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So, you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (Mt. 23:25-28).” I. True, living faith must work. “If you love me, you will obey my commandments (Jn. 14:15).” “You believe that there is one God. That’s fine! The demons also believe that, and they tremble with fear (2:19).” “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’(Rm 1:16).” II. True, living faith must work in a specific direction. “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone (2:24).” “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law (Rm 3:28).” “…of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved (Eph. 2:4-5).” “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9).” “Compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.” “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that (2:15-16)?” III. True, living faith accompanied by faith motivated acts is simply biblical.