1 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:07,440 Good morning, Calvary Chapel. Hey, man, what a blessed time it 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:13,040 is to be here and have church community and church family. 3 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:15,840 It's always wonderful to see everybody. 4 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:18,080 We want to thank everybody that's coming here for the first 5 00:00:18,080 --> 00:00:19,560 time. We want to just say thank you 6 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,280 for choosing to worship with us this morning. 7 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:25,600 And we thank those of you who have been coming. 8 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:29,520 We always, we always appreciate having you come back. 9 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:33,200 The Lord is faithful and we thank you for your, your 10 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,000 goodness, his goodness toward us. 11 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:38,800 Just two reminders I want to give you. 12 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:41,120 First of all, we do have those Connect cars. 13 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:42,400 I thought there was one out front. 14 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:44,000 I don't have one in my pocket either. 15 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,240 But those connect cars, they look like little business cards. 16 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:51,200 If you don't have them, please grab some before you leave and 17 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:55,960 use those cars to invite people to come and worship with us to 18 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:58,440 experience the Calvary Chapel family. 19 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:02,240 And of course, the other thing is, you know, just like the 20 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:06,640 women's retreat, we encouraged women to sign up for those 21 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:10,240 retreats. It's a very good way to get to 22 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:13,920 know the women here at Calvary Chapel Church and no more and 23 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:17,360 more of a personal basis and of course, to go through the word 24 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:19,680 together. And also men, I want to 25 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:21,520 encourage you to sign up as well. 26 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:26,800 If finances is a problem for that men's retreat, please just 27 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:29,840 let us know. We don't want cost to be a 28 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:31,840 reason why you don't come to this retreat. 29 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:36,280 So please let us know if cost is a reason. 30 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:38,880 So we want to encourage you to to sign up. 31 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:46,160 OK, let's turn in our Bibles to the book of James. 32 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:53,320 We're still continuing through the the book of James and we are 33 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:58,400 now in the 2nd chapter and we're going to be looking at verses 34 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:05,800 20, I'm sorry, verses 14 to verses 20 to verse 26, Book of 35 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:11,400 James chapter 2, verses 14 through 26. 36 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:14,200 And while we're doing that, we do want to welcome those who 37 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:17,520 were listening on the radio and those who were listening by way 38 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:25,440 of Grace MF Grace FM online or those who are listening by way 39 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:29,120 of the YouTube or any other platform that you're using this 40 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:30,880 morning to listen to Calvary Chapel. 41 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:33,400 We thank you for joining us this morning. 42 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,920 And as always, I always want to send an extended welcome and 43 00:02:36,920 --> 00:02:39,760 thank you to those of you who are listening behind prison 44 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:42,120 walls. We thank you for being able to 45 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:46,000 just TuneIn with us and we pray that you'll be blessed. 46 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:48,640 Why don't we pray and then let's go. 47 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:50,320 Just go into the word, Amen. Is that OK? 48 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:57,320 Father, we do thank you for this blessed day that you have given 49 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:01,800 unto us, Lord, We thank you, Lord, that it's another day that 50 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:06,040 we have the opportunity to sit under Your word, another day 51 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:09,800 that we have an opportunity to commune with you and to 52 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,920 fellowship with You and to worship you. 53 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:19,000 We thank You, Lord, that we have this time that we can actually 54 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:25,320 hear from You what a privilege it is to be able to hear from 55 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:31,720 the Creator of both heaven and earth, the One who created all 56 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:34,920 things. As believers, we have the 57 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:41,440 opportunity to actually hear from Your Word, Lord, this word 58 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:44,840 of love and truth that You give to us. 59 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:50,040 And not only that, Lord, but You give us your Holy Spirit to help 60 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:54,480 us to understand it. Now, Lord, I'm asking you to 61 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:58,080 please speak through me this morning. 62 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:07,200 Let it not be my ideas, my opinions, my thoughts, but let 63 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:11,760 it be Your truth. I pray for Your anointing to 64 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:15,520 just be upon me and everyone that's here Lord, that You would 65 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:18,800 cause us to be able to see and understand Your truth. 66 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:23,160 Lord, it's the ministry of the Holy Spirit that does that in 67 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:28,200 US. Father, if You don't do this, we 68 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:30,920 won't get anything out of this time. 69 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:38,440 So stand in my body Lord, and think with my mind and speak 70 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:43,920 with my lips of clay. Cause us to leave here today, 71 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:48,040 Lord, knowing something more about you, something that will 72 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:52,240 have impact on the way that we live the rest of our lives. 73 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:57,960 May we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior 74 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:00,920 today. And if there's someone here, 75 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:04,360 Lord, that doesn't know you, I pray that today would be the 76 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:09,840 last day that they would not have eternal salvation, but they 77 00:05:09,840 --> 00:05:14,480 would put their faith in Jesus Christ, the author and the 78 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:20,680 finisher of our faith. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 79 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:29,520 So we're in this book of James. And we did warn last week that 80 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:34,120 this book should come with a a warning about the things that 81 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:39,040 you hear. James is a loving, righteous 82 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:42,160 man. But the one thing that you will 83 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:45,200 get when you read the book of James is that you will get 84 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:51,800 practical teaching. You will get a direct word. 85 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,360 He loves you, but he's not going to sugarcoat anything. 86 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,120 And as we go through these scriptures, you will hear that 87 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:03,280 and see that and sense that. Now in chapter 1, back in 88 00:06:03,280 --> 00:06:07,120 chapter 1, he talked about the fact that you will have to not 89 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:11,640 only be a, a hearer of the Word, but to be a doer of the Word of 90 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:14,440 God. He admonishes us on that. 91 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:17,720 And then he tells us in in the beginning of chapter 2, he says, 92 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:21,120 listen, don't take the Lord Jesus Christ, the faith of the 93 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:23,960 Lord Jesus Christ. Let us not take that with 94 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:27,160 partiality. If we are followers of the Lord 95 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:30,440 Jesus Christ, we don't show favoritism, we don't show 96 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:34,360 partiality toward anybody. We don't show it from the rich 97 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:36,640 or to the poor. We don't show it for black or 98 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:39,360 for white. We don't show it for anybody. 99 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:45,000 We are all one in Christ Jesus and then now he and he tells us 100 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:49,600 at the end of of that section that in verse chapter 2 verse 101 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:54,720 12, he says so speak and so do as those who will be judged by 102 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:57,640 the law of liberty. That means the law of love. 103 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:03,240 Then he says for this judgment for judgment is without mercy to 104 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:07,440 those who have shown no mercy. So James is demolishing us to 105 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:12,480 not only do the Word of God, and not only and not only do we do 106 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:17,320 it without showing partiality, but also that we do it through 107 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:18,960 the law of liberty, which is love. 108 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:23,200 To love the Lord thy God with all our hearts and all our minds 109 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:26,360 and all our strength, and to love our neighbors as the same. 110 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:31,800 And then Jesus Christ tells us that this is how all people, all 111 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:36,520 men will know that you are my disciples if you have loved one 112 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:40,160 for another. So it's not the religious things 113 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:44,240 that we do, but it's the love which is motivated by the Holy 114 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:46,240 Spirit. And we're going to talk a little 115 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:51,200 bit more about that in a minute. So then when he says to us that 116 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:56,800 judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy, 117 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:02,320 mercy triumphs over judgment. And that's at the end of that 118 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:06,760 section of, of of Scripture that back in verse 13. 119 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:13,440 But now we go to verse 14 and he now talks to us directly about 120 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:19,800 the kind of faith that is a saving faith versus what he 121 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:25,480 calls a dead faith. This is a very direct passage 122 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:28,000 here. And so when we listen to this, I 123 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:30,520 want us to listen to this not in a condemning way. 124 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:33,360 You know, don't think that anything that we're saying here 125 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:37,440 is to condemn. But James is saying these things 126 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:40,120 out of love. He doesn't want us to be 127 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:43,520 deceived. And there are many, there are 128 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:47,320 many people who are deceived in terms of their faith. 129 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:50,240 They they know the many people who who believe that they are 130 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:55,600 saved and are not. And James is saying that this is 131 00:08:55,600 --> 00:09:00,800 how we can know whether your faith is a saving faith or if 132 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:06,600 you just say that you believe. So let's just jump into in verse 133 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:10,880 14, James says, what does it profit, my brethren? 134 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:17,960 If someone says he has faith but does not have works, can faith 135 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:21,200 save him? Whoa. 136 00:09:21,560 --> 00:09:25,440 He starts off right out of the gate, hitting us right between 137 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:30,920 the eyes and saying, OK, we need to look at what kind of faith do 138 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:34,720 we have? As I'm studying through this and 139 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:40,160 he's I'm examining me just as we should be examining our self as 140 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:43,520 we go through this. What kind of faith do we have? 141 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:47,280 James says, if you know, what does it profit? 142 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:52,240 In other words, he's saying to us, what good does it do? 143 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:58,280 What good is it if you say you have faith but you do not have 144 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:02,240 works? Now here we can look at this and 145 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:06,760 say, well, there's a lot of men who used to have a problem with 146 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:08,560 this Scripture. I mean, Martin Luther had a 147 00:10:08,560 --> 00:10:12,800 problem with this because in Martin Luther's eyes, and it was 148 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:15,800 definitely out of his misunderstanding of where James 149 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:18,200 was going. And then later they aligned. 150 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:21,560 But initially, Martin Luther felt that this shouldn't even be 151 00:10:21,560 --> 00:10:27,960 in the Bible because it's not by works that we are saved, but 152 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:30,280 it's by faith we are saved. And he is right. 153 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:33,080 The Bible definitely tells us that we're we're saved by grace 154 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:36,080 through faith, and that not of our own. 155 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:39,600 It is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should 156 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:44,040 boast. But but what James is saying is, 157 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:47,280 but that faith should have works. 158 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:54,840 That faith should have works. So he says here can faith save 159 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:56,880 him? And what he is saying is, can 160 00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:00,680 that faith save him? What faith, The faith that he 161 00:11:00,680 --> 00:11:05,200 just talked about, the faith that does not have works, Is 162 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:10,160 that a saving faith? Is that a faith that we should 163 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:13,680 have in Jesus Christ that we say we have this faith, but we 164 00:11:13,680 --> 00:11:15,920 really don't? There's nothing in our lives 165 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:20,160 that indicate that we really do believe, that there's no 166 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:25,800 evidence of faith anywhere in our lives that we could still 167 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:30,360 walk in disobedience or walk in in our own flesh and do what we 168 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:33,040 want to do, but yet say that we have faith. 169 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:35,880 Oh, James is hitting us all right between the eyes and 170 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:42,040 saying, let's examine our faith. Let's examine our faith. 171 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:48,760 Can that faith save you? It's basically what he is saying 172 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:51,640 here. So then he goes on to to verse 173 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:57,440 15 and he gives an example. He says if a brother or sister 174 00:11:57,440 --> 00:12:00,880 is naked and destitute of daily food. 175 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:04,800 Notice he didn't say if a brother or sister can't afford 176 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:07,760 to make the payment on his Lexus or if a brother or sister just 177 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:10,440 bought a new Cadillac and they're down, they're behind in 178 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:13,200 their payments or brother or sister have a oceanfront 179 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:15,560 apartment and they can't make that mortgage. 180 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:19,440 He ain't saying that. He ain't saying that. 181 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:26,360 He said if a brother or sister is destitute, they're naked and 182 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:29,400 destitute. They don't have the basic things 183 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:34,360 of life. Jesus talks about the basic 184 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:37,120 things of life. He said, listen, you know, don't 185 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:39,240 even worry about what you should put on or what you should eat or 186 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:42,640 what you should drink. And he uses and and and, and 187 00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:45,200 part of that's because he uses the body to help with that. 188 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:50,240 If someone doesn't have it, he uses the body to help with that 189 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:55,520 when the world just happened. OK, so he, he, he says here that 190 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:59,120 if you don't have the basic things in life, if you don't 191 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:03,200 have the food and, and someone doesn't have clothing, you know, 192 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:06,200 Jesus himself said in Matthew, he says, don't worry about those 193 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:08,360 things. And then in first Timothy, Paul 194 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:13,160 says having food and clothing, what these we should be content. 195 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:21,560 But then I also love what Paul says over and I'm I'm sorry, 196 00:13:21,560 --> 00:13:29,560 what first John says in 3/17. He says, but whoever has the 197 00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:34,560 world's goods, and this is him lining up with James in terms of 198 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:39,680 saying to just say that we are that we believe and not have 199 00:13:39,680 --> 00:13:45,720 works is useless. But John says this, but whoever 200 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:50,080 has this world's goods and sees his brother in need and shuts up 201 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:54,240 his heart from him. That means you see a brother 202 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:59,760 have need and you just cut your heart off from that person or 203 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:01,800 that sister. You just cut your heart off from 204 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:03,840 them. You just allow yourself to be 205 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:07,760 cold and callous when you see that they have need and even 206 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:12,480 says here you see that they have need and shuts up your heart 207 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:19,000 from him. How does that love abide? 208 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:22,160 I mean, how does that how does the love of God abide in him? 209 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:28,880 If you have the resources and you have the the ability to help 210 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:33,120 this person and you see they have need, but you close your 211 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:38,560 heart off from that person. John says how, how can the love 212 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:42,760 of God abide in you? How is the Holy Spirit active in 213 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:43,960 you? The Holy Spirit, which is the 214 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:49,520 spirit of truth and it's and it's love, love is shed abroad 215 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:51,200 in our hearts about the Holy Spirit. 216 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:56,560 How can that happen? And I cut my heart off from you 217 00:14:56,680 --> 00:15:02,480 who need clothes and food. He said that should not be. 218 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:05,920 And this is part of what James is saying back here in verse 15. 219 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:10,440 He says if a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily 220 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:15,960 food, and one of you says depart in peace, be warmed and filled, 221 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:20,680 but do not give him the things which are needed for the body. 222 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:27,080 What does it profit? What does that profit? 223 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:31,120 So when he says depart in peace, that was actually a very common 224 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:35,520 Jewish a blessing at one time. It just simply means, you know, 225 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:39,280 depart in peace. That means be well, be parted, 226 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:41,520 you know, depart and be well, be good. 227 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:49,000 But is it more Christ like to sound pious and holy or to obey 228 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:51,840 and do acts of compassion and love? 229 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:57,840 You see, we are never more like Jesus Christ then when we show 230 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:00,680 His love and compassion and His mercy. 231 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:06,280 That was the ministry that He had walking the earth. 232 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:10,920 He constantly showed compassion. He would see a need in the 233 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:12,840 Bible. How many times did we read in 234 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:14,600 the Word that He would see a need? 235 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:17,480 Or He would see people and He would see them suffering or see 236 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:21,960 them struggling and the Word was saying and He had compassion on 237 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:27,880 them and He met the need. We're never more like Jesus than 238 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:31,520 when we have compassion and we show compassion and love. 239 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:35,240 Depart in peace. But that sounds really pious on 240 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:41,880 it sounds really godly, you know, depart in peace, be warm 241 00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:46,360 and be fed. You know, I mean, it sounds 242 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:49,000 really holy. We look just by doing all that, 243 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:53,880 but that does nothing for the need of the person who doesn't 244 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:58,320 have food or doesn't have clothing. 245 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:07,599 So he says, what does it profit? What does it profit? 246 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:12,119 Verse 17 says thus also faith by itself. 247 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:15,200 If it does not have works, it's dead. 248 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:18,880 So he's already identified the first type of faith. 249 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:23,880 He says it's a dead faith. And a dead faith is that faith 250 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:29,560 that does not have works. It's dead. 251 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:34,840 It does not have life. It can't give life. 252 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:41,320 It can't help with life. If it's a dead faith, it's just 253 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:44,360 something I'm saying, but there's no life to it. 254 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:50,080 And then he gives. He goes on to verse 18 and he 255 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:53,280 talks about it almost like he's this, he's this person who's 256 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:58,600 being challenged by someone who wants to put their value on just 257 00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:00,600 the faith. And they're, and, and basically 258 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:02,920 they're trying to say that all you're doing is putting your 259 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:06,560 value on your works, which he is not. 260 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:11,480 But he's, but it says here in verse 18, but someone will say 261 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:16,640 you have faith and I have works. Show me your faith without your 262 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:19,840 works. And I will show you my faith by 263 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:22,080 my works. But the way that this is 264 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:30,040 actually read is this way. How can you show me your faith 265 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:34,160 if you don't have works? That's your only ways to be 266 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:38,600 read. How can you show me your faith 267 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:42,760 if it does? If you don't have works, how can 268 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:46,240 you communicate to the world that you believe if there's 269 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:52,040 nothing in your life that's an obedience to Jesus Christ? 270 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:59,040 It's an obedience to His Word. No evidence at all that you are 271 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:05,480 truly following the one and only Jesus Christ, his word. 272 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:09,040 How can you do that? How how does that happen? 273 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:12,960 But how can you show me your faith if you don't have works? 274 00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:15,520 That's basically what James is asking. 275 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:18,920 And then he says, I will show you my faith because I will 276 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:22,840 demonstrate my faith by my works. 277 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:28,440 Shouldn't our faith be substance and evidence of our of our 278 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:31,040 lives? We know that when you look in 279 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:36,360 the book of Hebrews Chapter 11 verse one, it says now faith is 280 00:19:36,360 --> 00:19:40,720 the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not 281 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:44,440 seen. That's just taken for granted 282 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:47,120 that your faith is a faith that has action. 283 00:19:48,120 --> 00:19:54,480 So basically your faith that you have is the substance of you 284 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:59,120 believing in something that you can't see, but it's evidence to 285 00:19:59,120 --> 00:20:03,320 the one who doesn't believe. How do you know that there's a 286 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:07,520 faith that there's a God? I'm evidence because I believe 287 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:12,800 and he's working through me. He's working through you. 288 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:19,440 You demonstrate the power of God, You know, So we, we are, we 289 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:23,840 are substance and evidence. And James said we need to have 290 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:27,280 evidence. Of our faith show me your faith 291 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:30,080 buy your works and I'll show you my faith without your works and 292 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:32,080 I'll show you my faith buy my works. 293 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:37,160 So then in verse 19 he gets a little bit more intense. 294 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:44,040 He says you believe that there is one God you do well but even 295 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:51,040 demons believe and tremble. Wait a minute, James, are you 296 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:57,280 saying that I that if I have a saying faith and no evidence to 297 00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:01,840 my faith, that my faith is no different than the demons? 298 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:09,080 Yes, that's what he is saying. That's what he is saying. 299 00:21:10,120 --> 00:21:12,000 Why can he? How can he say that? 300 00:21:12,120 --> 00:21:17,840 Because demons believe as simple as that demons believe, they 301 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:20,080 know that there is a God. There's no demons that are 302 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:25,520 atheists. They know there's a God, all of 303 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:27,920 them. They know there's a God. 304 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:31,520 Let's look at a couple examples of when they actually called him 305 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:34,320 out and said that he was God. They knew that he was God. 306 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:39,880 And Mark chapter one, verse 23, when when when Jesus went into 307 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:43,640 the synagogue and he was teaching and preaching the word 308 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:45,440 of God, speaking about the Kingdom. 309 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:48,440 And it was a man there who had an unclean spirit. 310 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:55,560 The Bible says, and the man said, I know who you are, holy 311 00:21:55,560 --> 00:22:00,560 one of God. He understood that a lot of the 312 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:06,080 Pharisees didn't even get that the spiritual elite, they didn't 313 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:09,720 even understand it. And then again in Luke Luke 8 314 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:15,600 verse 28, when he landed on the in the country of the Gadarenes, 315 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:19,320 the Bible says that there was a man that was possessed with many 316 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:22,560 demons who came in and and fell at his feet. 317 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:28,400 And when Jesus called him out, he spoke and he said, what have 318 00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:34,120 I to do with you, Jesus, son of the Most High God? 319 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:40,040 So demons believe they know that there is a God, but the problem 320 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:45,320 is, is that they don't submit. They don't fear him, they don't 321 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:49,080 submit to him, They don't they're not obedient to him. 322 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:53,520 They don't have evidence of their faith. 323 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:59,560 And James is saying, people who say they have faith and no 324 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:02,280 evidence is no different than the demons faith. 325 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:06,680 It's no, it's no different than the demons faith. 326 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:10,800 Even demons have faith that there is a God and they even 327 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:13,960 know the Son of God. But there's no love, no 328 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:18,200 submission, no trust, no or obedience, only hatred, 329 00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:23,520 rebellion and disobedience. You know what? 330 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:27,440 Sometimes that's me too. That's us sometimes, isn't it? 331 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:31,360 Sometimes we can be disobedient. Sometimes we can be hatred, 332 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:37,080 hate, hateful. Sometimes we don't submit to 333 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:40,040 what the word of God says. That could be me too. 334 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:42,800 So what's the difference? The difference is it's not our 335 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:46,640 lifestyle. The difference is it's not the 336 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:50,560 way we are categorized. We sin. 337 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:57,040 We fall short of God's glory and sometimes in doing that we are 338 00:23:57,040 --> 00:24:01,160 disobedient. We don't submit and sometimes we 339 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:03,760 can be rebellious against the Word. 340 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:09,720 That's just truth because there is no no one who's perfect. 341 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:11,640 There was only one and that was Jesus. 342 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:15,040 The the rest of us need his grace. 343 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:22,840 But if our lifestyle has not changed once we profess Jesus 344 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:27,040 Christ and we're the same as we were before we profess Jesus 345 00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:31,960 Christ, that's a problem. That's just saying we have faith 346 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:37,760 with no evidence. Listen, there's no way that we 347 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:44,600 can have an encounter with Jesus and not have change and not be 348 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:45,600 changed. There's no way. 349 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:53,160 It's impossible. It's almost like if I ran into 350 00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:57,600 you today and I saw you for the first time and I said, Jan, how 351 00:24:57,640 --> 00:24:59,840 you doing? Jan says, Louis, how you doing? 352 00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:02,280 I said, you know what, Janet, this has been a really 353 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:05,480 interesting day. I was walking out of the church 354 00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:09,000 today and I was walking across W Pittsburgh St. 355 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:12,920 E Pittsburgh St. and a great big tractor trailer came down the 356 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:18,320 street and ran over me. And Janet's sitting there 357 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:21,200 looking at me like, OK, well, where's the evidence of that 358 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:27,240 encounter? I don't see no lacerations. 359 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:33,120 I don't see no broken bones. You're talking, you're not 360 00:25:33,120 --> 00:25:34,720 laying up in the hospital somewhere. 361 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:38,800 You can't have, I cannot have an encounter with a tractor trailer 362 00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:41,360 and there not be evidence. Would you agree with that, Jan? 363 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:45,880 Amen. So that is, I mean, listen, if I 364 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:49,120 said I ran into three pit bulls out there and I fought them all, 365 00:25:51,120 --> 00:25:55,520 and I told you that you want to be looking for bites, you're 366 00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:58,560 going to be looking for bones and everything, you're going to 367 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:00,320 be looking for all kind of stuff. 368 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:03,800 But you don't see any of that. You don't see no evidence that I 369 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:07,280 had that encounter, then chances are you probably would start 370 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:09,600 thinking, I'm not sure you did have that encounter. 371 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:16,840 Same way with us, if we say that we had an encounter with Jesus, 372 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:20,880 there's no way we're walking away from that without change. 373 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:25,960 There's no way. No way we can't. 374 00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:33,720 How can the spirit of the living God live in US and it not change 375 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:37,040 us? That would almost mean that we 376 00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:39,480 are serving a powerless God and we don't. 377 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:46,880 We serve a powerful God, a God who is all powerful. 378 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:54,760 I've done that before. I've had said a said faith 379 00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:58,120 before dead faith. I have, I had, you know, I had, 380 00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:00,600 I had said that I believed and I really didn't. 381 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:03,920 One time in my life, I got so tired. 382 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:05,800 I went to a church and I got so tired. 383 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:08,840 This guy bugging me about coming up and giving my life to Christ. 384 00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:11,880 I just came up and just said a prayer and walked away. 385 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:13,840 And there was nothing different about me. 386 00:27:14,120 --> 00:27:16,640 Nothing. Nothing. 387 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:23,040 I left her the same way I came, a Sinner looking for more sin. 388 00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:26,400 There was nothing that changed in me. 389 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:31,160 But when I finally had an encounter with Jesus, it was 390 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:34,320 different. It was different when I had a 391 00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:36,680 true encounter with Jesus. It was different. 392 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:42,000 And I'm sure all of you can say the same thing, that when you 393 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:46,080 truly had an encounter with Jesus, your life was different, 394 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:51,480 Not perfect, but different, different. 395 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:56,480 I couldn't sin and get away with it and have nothing in my heart. 396 00:27:56,520 --> 00:28:04,520 I was convicted. Whereas before I didn't care if 397 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:08,560 I was in a conversation with somebody and I offended them, I 398 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:11,760 walk away with that conversation now and I and I would be 399 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:14,040 convicted. The Holy Spirit would convict me 400 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:15,960 and tell me that you know you was wrong. 401 00:28:16,960 --> 00:28:19,680 You know you shouldn't have said that, and you shouldn't have 402 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:22,320 said it the way you said it. You know that you need to go and 403 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:25,720 make that right. The Holy Spirit will do that in 404 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:27,640 us. But there was a time of my life 405 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:29,960 when that didn't happen. If you got offended, you were 406 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:31,400 just offended. So what? 407 00:28:34,120 --> 00:28:37,880 So we cannot have an encounter with God and not change. 408 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:39,960 That's the point I'm trying to make here. 409 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,120 And this is exactly what James is saying. 410 00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:46,760 You believe that there is one God, you do well, but even the 411 00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:50,720 demons believe and tremble. But do you want to know, O 412 00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:54,600 foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 413 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:58,280 James is saying, I like the way he said it in the NIVI, like the 414 00:28:58,280 --> 00:29:01,840 way it reads in the NIV. And in the NIV he says, you 415 00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:06,840 foolish person, which basically means you empty hearted, empty 416 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:11,920 minded person. Do you want evidence that faith 417 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:15,480 without works is dead? And actually instead of the word 418 00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:20,600 dead, it uses the word useless? Do you want evidence of that? 419 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:24,880 And then as we drop down, he gives us evidence beginning with 420 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:28,280 Abraham, verse 21. He says, was not Abraham our 421 00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:34,080 father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the 422 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:37,360 altar? Do you see that Faith was 423 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:43,080 working together with his works and by works Faith was made 424 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:46,160 perfect. So what he's saying here, James 425 00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:50,920 is saying, I'm going to give you an example of one who he's 426 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:53,480 actually going to give us 2 examples. 1 is going to be 427 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:55,360 Abraham. The other is going to be the 428 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:57,960 harlot Rahab. We'll get to her in a second. 429 00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:02,120 But Abraham said, but he gets to Abraham and he uses him as an 430 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:08,760 example of someone whose faith was justified by his works. 431 00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:12,480 How was that so? Well, we know that back in 432 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:18,480 Romans chapter 4, Paul referred to Abraham when he was talk 433 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:23,400 about justification by faith, meaning that you are justified, 434 00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:27,200 you are declared righteous by your faith. 435 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:32,600 And that was also he, he and he took that from Genesis chapter 436 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:38,560 15 where Abraham had an encounter with God and, and God 437 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:41,080 told Abraham and gave him all these promises. 438 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:45,080 He said, listen, this is back in Genesis chapter 15 round verse 439 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:45,800 6. You can read it. 440 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:52,720 He says, listen, you are going to have a child from your own 441 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:55,560 loins. And not only that, but you are 442 00:30:55,560 --> 00:31:00,760 going to have descendants that's going to number so large that 443 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:03,440 the stars, it'll be like the stars. 444 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:05,520 The number of stars, you won't even be able to count them. 445 00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:10,800 You're going to have that many. And the Bible says that Abraham 446 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:14,840 believed God and it was accounted to him for 447 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:19,160 righteousness. So he was justified by his 448 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:23,400 faith, meaning declared righteous by his faith. 449 00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:26,080 But that's not what James is saying here. 450 00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:32,520 James looked at chapter 22 in Genesis where it was the story 451 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:37,600 that came where he actually was told that he has to he has to 452 00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:43,320 sacrifice Isaac, his love, the only son that he had that came 453 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:46,000 from his loins. He had to sacrificing. 454 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:52,440 And the Bible says that he obeyed and he went to put Isaac 455 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:54,800 on the altar. He didn't sacrifice him. 456 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:58,600 God didn't allow that, but he put him on the altar. 457 00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:03,440 And when he put him on the altar, what he said back in 458 00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:10,320 chapter 15 was fulfilled. It was justified that he 459 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:20,360 believed God and he obeyed God in chapter 22, and this is what 460 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:27,200 James is saying. His faith was completed when he 461 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:29,040 obeyed God. He showed when he gave a 462 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:33,200 demonstration, he gave evidence that he believed. 463 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:37,000 That was in chapter Genesis, chapter 22. 464 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:42,200 What a blessing that is that our faith is fulfilled by our works. 465 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:48,280 He, James, never said that we obtain salvation by works. 466 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:54,000 He never once said that. But he does say that the 467 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:59,120 salvation that we have through faith should produce works in 468 00:32:59,120 --> 00:33:02,080 our life. That's what he is saying. 469 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:08,400 So he goes on here and he says down in in 23, he says, and the 470 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:12,400 Scripture was fulfilled, which says Abraham believed God and it 471 00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:15,400 was accounted to him for righteousness. 472 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:21,240 Yeah, faith is, you know, faith in Jesus Christ is, is 473 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:25,360 righteousness apart from the law, separate from the law. 474 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:29,040 And then it says, and he was called the friend of God. 475 00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:31,440 Now this is the verse that we're getting to now. 476 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:34,600 This is the verse that really caused the big stir, the biggest 477 00:33:34,600 --> 00:33:39,360 stir, he said. You see then verse 24, you see 478 00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:44,160 then that a man is justified by works and not by faith only. 479 00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:47,400 That was a very bold statement because everyone at that 480 00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:54,120 particular time understood that. Wait a minute, faith, you know, 481 00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:59,480 a man is justified by works and not faith alone. 482 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:04,440 And of course, Martin, you know, Martin Luther was thinking or 483 00:34:04,440 --> 00:34:11,679 wait a minute, I read Romans chapter 3, verse 20 and I'm 484 00:34:11,679 --> 00:34:15,800 going to read that for you. It says therefore by the deeds 485 00:34:15,800 --> 00:34:19,199 of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. 486 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:22,600 For by the law is the knowledge of sin. 487 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:25,040 And then I'm going to read verse 22 for you. 488 00:34:25,280 --> 00:34:29,199 Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to 489 00:34:29,199 --> 00:34:34,760 all and on all who believe. And then in verse 28, he says, 490 00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:39,560 therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart 491 00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:43,560 from the deeds of the law. And then Paul also double S down 492 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:48,679 on that back over here in Galatians chapter 2, verse 16, 493 00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:53,560 he says, knowing that a man is justified by the works of the 494 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:56,840 law. I'm sorry knowing that a man is 495 00:34:56,840 --> 00:35:01,160 not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus 496 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:04,560 Christ. Even we have believed in Christ 497 00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:09,880 Jesus that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by 498 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:15,280 the works of the law for by the works of the law, no flesh shall 499 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:17,240 be justified. So Martin Luther is saying, 500 00:35:17,240 --> 00:35:20,400 look, I read that. So when you try to tell me here 501 00:35:20,400 --> 00:35:24,920 that you see then that a man I'm back in James now chapter 2 502 00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:28,160 verse 24. So when you try to tell me that 503 00:35:28,160 --> 00:35:31,880 you see then that a man is justified by works and not by 504 00:35:31,880 --> 00:35:34,720 faith only I got a problem with that. 505 00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:38,360 But what Martin, what what Martin Luther didn't understand 506 00:35:38,520 --> 00:35:43,400 is that the word justified in this case does not mean declared 507 00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:46,800 righteous. That's not the way James is 508 00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:52,000 using it here. Here James is saying that you 509 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:56,600 are proven righteous. You are shown to be righteous, 510 00:35:58,160 --> 00:36:01,600 meaning justified. Your, your, your faith is 511 00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:03,920 justified. It is shown to be righteous. 512 00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:10,000 It's proven to be righteous. So the the faith that actually 513 00:36:10,240 --> 00:36:16,720 declared you righteous in the sight of God, that faith, OK, is 514 00:36:16,720 --> 00:36:25,200 justified by your works. It's proved to be righteous. 515 00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:31,480 What a blessing that is. It doesn't take away from our 516 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:36,000 faith to to do works of righteousness. 517 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:40,160 It justifies our faith. So those two are working 518 00:36:40,160 --> 00:36:43,040 together. I mean, people try to make it 519 00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:47,920 seem like they were like at odds with each other with swords, you 520 00:36:47,920 --> 00:36:49,560 know, like they were sword fighting. 521 00:36:49,560 --> 00:36:52,880 Now it's justification by faith. And, and, and then James said, 522 00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:55,120 no, it's justification by your works. 523 00:36:55,120 --> 00:36:59,120 That's not what was going on. They were actually fighting two 524 00:36:59,120 --> 00:37:02,680 different enemies. One was fighting this way. 525 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:06,080 Let's just say Paul was fighting this way and he was fighting 526 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:10,440 against those Judaizers who was trying to say that you need to 527 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:14,240 have the deeds of the law in order to be saved. 528 00:37:14,320 --> 00:37:17,360 So he's fighting with them. And you can't just do it by 529 00:37:17,360 --> 00:37:19,880 faith. And Paul saying, no, it's by 530 00:37:19,880 --> 00:37:23,240 faith that we are saved apart from the deeds of the law. 531 00:37:23,400 --> 00:37:26,800 And then this way, James is fighting with a whole different 532 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:29,280 group of people. And James is saying that, 533 00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:32,200 listen, you know, these people are saying, listen, you know, 534 00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:34,440 you, you know, it's, it's not just your deeds. 535 00:37:34,560 --> 00:37:37,760 You know, it's, it's once you get saved, you don't have to 536 00:37:37,760 --> 00:37:41,080 worry about doing no good deeds. You don't have to be obedient to 537 00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:42,960 the word of God. You're covered by grace. 538 00:37:43,080 --> 00:37:47,200 You can live any way you want to live because you have said that 539 00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:51,440 you have faith. So they were fighting two 540 00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:55,720 different enemies, but they run the same team. 541 00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:00,520 Let us not get caught up in that. 542 00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:08,640 Let's have a lot of Holy Spirit to work in our hearts and in our 543 00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:15,720 lives to produce good works, good works. 544 00:38:16,480 --> 00:38:24,200 You see the rest of Ephesians 28 and 9, which begins with we are 545 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:26,960 saved by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves, but 546 00:38:26,960 --> 00:38:30,560 it's a gift of God lest any man should boast. 547 00:38:30,920 --> 00:38:36,680 The rest of that in verse 10 says, for you are God's 548 00:38:36,760 --> 00:38:47,200 workmanship created unto Christ Jesus for good works which he 549 00:38:47,200 --> 00:38:55,760 prepared beforehand, that you walk in them, that you walk in 550 00:38:55,760 --> 00:39:00,760 them. That's the faith that we have in 551 00:39:00,760 --> 00:39:04,920 Christ Jesus. And then verse 25 says likewise 552 00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:07,080 praise and worship team, you can come forward. 553 00:39:08,640 --> 00:39:11,920 He says likewise, was not Rahab the harlot? 554 00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:16,520 And this is the second example. Was not Rahab the harlot also 555 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:21,600 justified by works when she received the messengers and sent 556 00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:25,520 them out another way? This is a very intriguing story. 557 00:39:26,440 --> 00:39:29,440 I love reading this story. Now first of all, we know that 558 00:39:29,440 --> 00:39:33,960 Abraham was considered the father of the Jews. 559 00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:41,280 Abraham was a righteous man and, and, and he was justified by his 560 00:39:41,320 --> 00:39:44,320 works. Rahab, on the other hand, was a 561 00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:50,160 harlot from a Pagan nation, but yet they both were considered to 562 00:39:50,160 --> 00:39:54,960 be justified by their faith. So if you look back into the 563 00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:58,080 story, if we were to look at this story and and just quickly 564 00:39:58,080 --> 00:40:02,720 summarize it, we know that Joshua was now taking the place 565 00:40:02,720 --> 00:40:04,240 who have now taken the place of Moses. 566 00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:07,320 And they were going through the Canaanite lands and they were 567 00:40:07,320 --> 00:40:10,560 getting, they were basically getting out the evil or the 568 00:40:10,560 --> 00:40:15,680 Pagan people who have filled up. The sins of of those nations, 569 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:19,000 they have filled up those sins and God was now purging them and 570 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:23,120 he was using the armies of Israel in order to do that. 571 00:40:23,800 --> 00:40:27,560 So they came to Jericho, this little town and, and, and, and 572 00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:29,320 they, and, and they were coming to spy it out. 573 00:40:29,600 --> 00:40:33,240 Joshua was sent 2 spies out to spy it out and they came to 574 00:40:33,240 --> 00:40:37,840 Rahab who was a harlot who had a house on the wall, which means 575 00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:40,320 that she must have been doing very well. 576 00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:43,480 And so so they had this house on the wall and that's where they 577 00:40:43,480 --> 00:40:47,360 came. And Rahab understood because she 578 00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:51,040 said, you know what? I heard about you and I heard 579 00:40:51,040 --> 00:40:55,320 about your God. I know what you did to the other 580 00:40:55,320 --> 00:40:58,280 people on the other side of Jordan and to their kings and 581 00:40:58,280 --> 00:41:03,320 how God gave you that land. I heard about that. 582 00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:07,360 I heard about how to the Lord split the Red Sea and let you 583 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:11,920 walk over on dry land. He said, and she also said, and 584 00:41:11,920 --> 00:41:16,520 I know that the Lord has delivered this land into your 585 00:41:16,520 --> 00:41:18,280 hands. I know it. 586 00:41:18,680 --> 00:41:22,960 But the only thing I'm asking she said, I know that your God 587 00:41:23,240 --> 00:41:28,680 is God when she said that we can read it right here back in 588 00:41:29,080 --> 00:41:37,360 Joshua chapter 2 right here in verse 11, she said and soon as 589 00:41:37,360 --> 00:41:39,920 we heard these things, our hearts melted. 590 00:41:40,160 --> 00:41:44,760 Neither did there remain any any more courage in anyone because 591 00:41:44,760 --> 00:41:50,840 of you for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on 592 00:41:50,840 --> 00:41:56,520 the earth beneath. So she declared her faith and 593 00:41:56,520 --> 00:42:01,120 her show of faith is when she hid those spies on the roof. 594 00:42:01,640 --> 00:42:05,280 She and she risked her life to do that because had they found 595 00:42:05,280 --> 00:42:07,480 out that those spies were there and she was helping them, she 596 00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:09,400 would have been dead and everybody in her family would 597 00:42:09,400 --> 00:42:12,760 have been dead. But instead she risked her life 598 00:42:12,800 --> 00:42:16,360 and hid those spies and had an agreement with them. 599 00:42:16,360 --> 00:42:20,680 Look, when you come back to take this land, please spare me and 600 00:42:20,680 --> 00:42:23,400 my family. And they said you and your 601 00:42:23,400 --> 00:42:28,040 family will be spared, but you have to put a red, a red 602 00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:32,760 scarlet, get a red scarlet, a ribbon and tie it on your door. 603 00:42:32,920 --> 00:42:36,120 And I promise you, anybody that's inside that house will 604 00:42:36,120 --> 00:42:39,040 not suffer. Not even one hair on their heads 605 00:42:40,120 --> 00:42:43,120 will be heard. And she did that and she 606 00:42:43,120 --> 00:42:45,760 received salvation. Now she is actually in the 607 00:42:45,760 --> 00:42:52,080 genealogy of Jesus because not only was she faithful 608 00:42:53,000 --> 00:42:56,400 pronouncing her faith, but she demonstrated her faith by 609 00:42:56,400 --> 00:43:02,080 risking her life for the righteous Lord have mercy. 610 00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:05,880 So you know. And so in doing that she 611 00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:10,200 received salvation. She received that salvation. 612 00:43:11,160 --> 00:43:14,560 So then in verse 26 it says for as the body without the Spirit 613 00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:18,160 is dead, so faith without works is dead. 614 00:43:18,200 --> 00:43:23,800 Also, James is saying here that you're just like the body. 615 00:43:25,360 --> 00:43:28,640 The body is nothing without the spirit. 616 00:43:28,920 --> 00:43:32,400 It's the spirit that brings life to the body. 617 00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:35,720 It's the way that they communicate to the world is 618 00:43:35,720 --> 00:43:40,520 through the spirit. In the same way, if you just 619 00:43:40,520 --> 00:43:47,680 have faith and no works, then you just have dead faith because 620 00:43:47,760 --> 00:43:52,240 your works give life to your faith. 621 00:43:53,120 --> 00:43:58,760 It's the works that communicate to a dying world who Jesus is. 622 00:43:59,480 --> 00:44:02,880 It's your works. When they see you walking in 623 00:44:02,880 --> 00:44:08,280 obedience to a God that they can't see, it gives testimony 624 00:44:08,280 --> 00:44:13,160 and brings glory to God. What an awesome thing. 625 00:44:14,240 --> 00:44:18,760 What an awesome thing. Let us be a church that will 626 00:44:18,760 --> 00:44:24,280 allow the Holy Spirit to work in US in such a way that we will be 627 00:44:24,280 --> 00:44:31,040 that light and salt to a dying world and that we will 628 00:44:31,040 --> 00:44:37,520 demonstrate true saving faith through good works. 629 00:44:37,520 --> 00:44:52,110 Let's prepare for thank you, brother here. 630 00:44:52,710 --> 00:44:55,270 Nope, there's none there. Thank you, brother. 631 00:44:57,560 --> 00:45:02,640 Let's prepare for communion. And I want us to keep in mind 632 00:45:02,640 --> 00:45:14,920 here as we do this that we serve Christ Jesus who actually came 633 00:45:15,520 --> 00:45:22,480 into this world and he demonstrated good works the 634 00:45:22,480 --> 00:45:24,600 entire time that he walked this earth. 635 00:45:25,520 --> 00:45:30,200 He demonstrated, He actually demonstrated the word of God 636 00:45:30,360 --> 00:45:34,400 before the people. He walked that out. 637 00:45:34,880 --> 00:45:40,040 He showed them how merciful God is, how patient God is, how 638 00:45:40,040 --> 00:45:45,040 gracious our God is. He showed them how forgiving he 639 00:45:45,040 --> 00:45:48,640 is and that he forgives transgressions, He forgives 640 00:45:48,640 --> 00:45:52,640 iniquity, He forgives sins. Jesus demonstrated that. 641 00:45:54,080 --> 00:45:57,960 He demonstrated the power of God and everything that God and 642 00:45:57,960 --> 00:46:01,120 everything that God was. He, he, he said, the Bible says 643 00:46:01,120 --> 00:46:04,800 that he embodied, you know, the whole, the whole, the fullness 644 00:46:04,800 --> 00:46:08,480 of the Godhead was in Jesus Christ. 645 00:46:09,320 --> 00:46:12,600 That means all power, all forgiveness, all patience, all, 646 00:46:12,600 --> 00:46:16,280 everything that God was, it was embodied in Jesus Christ. 647 00:46:16,400 --> 00:46:23,000 And he walked this earth and demonstrated that before man for 648 00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:27,880 3 1/2 years. And yes, he was even obedient. 649 00:46:27,880 --> 00:46:31,480 He even demonstrated obedience, the same obedience that we 650 00:46:31,480 --> 00:46:35,160 should demonstrate we can do it through the power of the Holy 651 00:46:35,160 --> 00:46:36,560 Spirit. Because he says, I'm going to go 652 00:46:36,560 --> 00:46:38,680 back to the Father, but I'm going to send you a helper. 653 00:46:39,920 --> 00:46:42,960 So we have a helper living on the inside of us to help us to 654 00:46:42,960 --> 00:46:48,840 obey the word of God. When we think about what kept 655 00:46:48,960 --> 00:46:54,560 Jesus on that cross, when he gave himself, he gave his body 656 00:46:55,160 --> 00:46:59,440 to be broken. He gave his blood to be shed for 657 00:46:59,520 --> 00:47:03,320 our sins. But when he did that and he hung 658 00:47:03,320 --> 00:47:06,680 on that cross, it wasn't nails that kept him on the cross. 659 00:47:06,680 --> 00:47:10,600 Don't think that it wasn't the nails that kept Him on the 660 00:47:10,600 --> 00:47:12,640 cross. He could have called 12 legions 661 00:47:12,640 --> 00:47:15,240 of angels and they would have. They would have came and 662 00:47:15,240 --> 00:47:17,800 destroyed everybody and brought Him down off that cross. 663 00:47:18,000 --> 00:47:19,840 That's not what kept Him on that cross. 664 00:47:19,920 --> 00:47:27,560 What kept Jesus on the cross was our sin and His love for us. 665 00:47:29,280 --> 00:47:30,920 That's what kept Him on the cross. 666 00:47:32,560 --> 00:47:36,160 What keeps you in the furnace sometimes, going through 667 00:47:36,160 --> 00:47:41,240 suffering for your kids and not turning your back on them. 668 00:47:41,360 --> 00:47:46,040 What keeps you from doing that? Your love for your kids. 669 00:47:47,040 --> 00:47:49,560 And that's exactly what kept Jesus on the cross. 670 00:47:50,960 --> 00:47:57,120 There's love for us, love that we don't even deserve, love that 671 00:47:57,120 --> 00:48:07,160 we could never earn. So, Father, we pray today your 672 00:48:07,160 --> 00:48:09,920 Holy Spirit will work in each and every one of us in a 673 00:48:09,920 --> 00:48:15,360 powerful way that we would not only profess that we believe, 674 00:48:16,120 --> 00:48:24,040 but we would actually, oh God, walk in the faith, walk in 675 00:48:24,040 --> 00:48:32,560 obedience, walk showing evidence of our belief in you, our trust 676 00:48:32,760 --> 00:48:38,760 in You, relying upon you, endeavoring to do what you tell 677 00:48:38,760 --> 00:48:41,600 us to do. Lord, adhering to your word. 678 00:48:43,000 --> 00:48:48,160 We thank you, Lord, for the sacrifice that you are to us, 679 00:48:48,160 --> 00:48:50,200 that you were to us on that cross, Lord. 680 00:48:50,320 --> 00:48:57,120 And we thank you even for your resurrected ministry as you 681 00:48:57,120 --> 00:49:01,600 mediate for us. Lord, You were the propitiation 682 00:49:01,600 --> 00:49:04,920 for our sins. You took the place of what 683 00:49:04,920 --> 00:49:07,080 should have was what was meant for us. 684 00:49:08,800 --> 00:49:12,600 And as you advocate for us, Lord, in the heavenlies, we 685 00:49:12,600 --> 00:49:21,280 thank you, thank you Jesus. So, Lord, help us to be mindful, 686 00:49:23,000 --> 00:49:27,280 to submit to your Holy Spirit, Lord, that we will walk worthy 687 00:49:27,280 --> 00:49:31,960 of your calling, worthy of the ministry that you've called us 688 00:49:31,960 --> 00:49:37,800 to, that we would obey you, Lord, that we would show that 689 00:49:37,800 --> 00:49:40,880 there's a difference between the world and the church. 690 00:49:44,320 --> 00:49:47,240 So on a night in which Jesus was betrayed, he took the bread. 691 00:49:49,760 --> 00:49:51,600 And after he gave thanks, he broke it. 692 00:49:52,080 --> 00:49:55,120 And he said, take, eat. This is my body which is broken 693 00:49:55,120 --> 00:49:58,120 for you. Eat this in remembrance of me. 694 00:50:04,320 --> 00:50:08,880 In the same manner also he took the cup, and after supper he 695 00:50:08,880 --> 00:50:12,920 said, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which was 696 00:50:12,920 --> 00:50:25,270 shed for the sins of many. The sins of many, even the sins 697 00:50:25,270 --> 00:50:28,390 of those who are still today have not come into the 698 00:50:28,390 --> 00:50:30,150 sheepfold. It was even shed for them. 699 00:50:33,800 --> 00:50:38,320 He said drink this and as often as you drink it, drinking in 700 00:50:38,320 --> 00:50:45,240 remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this 701 00:50:45,240 --> 00:50:49,000 bread and drink this cup, you do show Lord's death till He come. 702 00:50:49,080 --> 00:50:52,160 Amen. The altar is open. 703 00:50:52,160 --> 00:50:56,440 If you would like to come up and just call on the Holy Spirit and 704 00:50:56,440 --> 00:51:02,360 ask for God to fill you with His Holy Spirit, that you would have 705 00:51:02,360 --> 00:51:06,480 the power, that we would all have the power to walk in the 706 00:51:06,480 --> 00:51:11,680 fullness of obedience and in the fullness of the Word of God to 707 00:51:11,720 --> 00:51:16,280 be evidence before this dying world. 708 00:51:18,760 --> 00:51:22,880 We need it now more than ever. We need it now more than ever. 709 00:51:23,400 --> 00:51:29,360 Things are stirring and we need God's power to help us to be 710 00:51:29,360 --> 00:51:35,080 steadfast, unmovable, and always abounding in the work of the 711 00:51:35,080 --> 00:51:40,280 Lord, because we know that the work of the Lord is not in vain. 712 00:51:42,120 --> 00:51:46,840 So the author is open. If you want salvation, feel free 713 00:51:46,840 --> 00:51:52,360 to come and give your heart. Give your life to Jesus Christ 714 00:51:52,360 --> 00:51:54,240 today. No need to leave here not 715 00:51:54,240 --> 00:51:57,840 knowing your eternity. You can know your eternity 716 00:51:57,840 --> 00:52:00,360 today. I pray you will. 717 00:52:00,880 --> 00:52:02,840 In Jesus name I pray. Amen.