Text: James 18:18-20
But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. EVen the demons believe - and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren?
But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one; you do well. EVen the demons believe - and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren?
Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his work, and faith was brought to completion by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. Likewise, was no Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.
Think faith-life. Ours is not an intellectual faith. Ours is not an emotional faith. We believe that Jesus brings life! Do not be afraid to call forth in your prayers...life. Each of us is empowered by the Holy Spirit to make the liberating Good News into the living word that becomes a witness to the world through our living. The expression of the that faith-life will be as diverse as there are people who are inspired to live within the domain of God's Reign. The particular expression is not at issue here. What is at issue is that we come away from the Word and the Faith we say we profess and we express it...in life. To simply say I have faith and it is a private affair that doesn't have an impact on the world is to be left with a shallow gift. The Good News is an invitation to open up the gift fully and see how it fits in, with, and under our lives. Does this mean we have to make a big "to do" list? Not at all. That's one of the problems we come to in a discussion of faith and works. Right away we can become sucked into the notion that "works" are being demanding as though we must be stacking them up like "acheivement medals." LIfe-faith acts. I earn nothing by living out my faith. Faith is for life. It is the gift I am offered by God...and it changes everything about my life.
Connection: Stay close to the Word of God. "Keep in mind that Jesus Christ has died for you, and is risen from the dead..." A simple Word for the beginning of each moment. We are given the day as a time to live freely as God's beloved. Imagine what this day would be like as we take on this faith-life as we move through the events that will make up our lives in the next hours.
O God of endless promise and love, bless our day with your never-failing grace so we may be so filled by your presence among us that your love will spill over from us - your vessels of love in this day. Amen.
Think faith-life. Ours is not an intellectual faith. Ours is not an emotional faith. We believe that Jesus brings life! Do not be afraid to call forth in your prayers...life. Each of us is empowered by the Holy Spirit to make the liberating Good News into the living word that becomes a witness to the world through our living. The expression of the that faith-life will be as diverse as there are people who are inspired to live within the domain of God's Reign. The particular expression is not at issue here. What is at issue is that we come away from the Word and the Faith we say we profess and we express it...in life. To simply say I have faith and it is a private affair that doesn't have an impact on the world is to be left with a shallow gift. The Good News is an invitation to open up the gift fully and see how it fits in, with, and under our lives. Does this mean we have to make a big "to do" list? Not at all. That's one of the problems we come to in a discussion of faith and works. Right away we can become sucked into the notion that "works" are being demanding as though we must be stacking them up like "acheivement medals." LIfe-faith acts. I earn nothing by living out my faith. Faith is for life. It is the gift I am offered by God...and it changes everything about my life.
Connection: Stay close to the Word of God. "Keep in mind that Jesus Christ has died for you, and is risen from the dead..." A simple Word for the beginning of each moment. We are given the day as a time to live freely as God's beloved. Imagine what this day would be like as we take on this faith-life as we move through the events that will make up our lives in the next hours.
O God of endless promise and love, bless our day with your never-failing grace so we may be so filled by your presence among us that your love will spill over from us - your vessels of love in this day. Amen.
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