A lot of people talk about faith- but the TRUTH about faith is in Whom or what you put your faith. Don’t put your faith in karma. Don’t put your faith in hopes, dreams, and wishes. Don’t put your faith in fairy tales. Put your faith in your Creator knowing that you need Him above all else, but because of our unworthiness, we can only approach Him on His terms, and that is through the blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report. 3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of Elohim, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. … 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to YHWH must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (RNKJV) He rewards those who diligently seek Him with the promise of an eternal home in His kingdom. Carefully examine yourself- do you DILIGENTLY seek Him? James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of YHWH, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (RNKJV) Temptations try the faith. These trials of temptations are to prove that faith to be genuine and help us to grow into that patience that allows God’s will to have its perfect work in our lives, whereby we live by the good works which He hath before ordained (Ephesians 2: 10). James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (RNKJV) If you truly trust in the Lord, then you will trust His Word, and His Word will teach you about yourself, others, this world, and the world to come. Some may learn more, some may learn less, but we should strive to learn what we are to be doing for Him as we live the life He gave us. If we are not doing the Word, then do we truly have Him in our heart’s faith? We are not perfect, and we do not perfectly live that Word, but we should at least be “doers” in our best efforts. Being a sinner does not mean one is not saved, for we are all sinners (though in God’s eyes we may be seen as righteous through our Savior’s blood). But we need to carefully examine that our faith is true, lest we be deceiving our own selves. One may call himself a ‘doer of the Word’ by working for the church, but are we working based on that heart of love which the Holy Spirit has shared of God’s law within us; or do we work to be seen of others; or do we work because we think we are earning our salvation? Remember- our salvation is from our faith; the works are from God’s law of love planted in our hearts. We cannot earn our salvation by our works, but our works should be the fruit of our salvation. James 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. (RNKJV) James is often misunderstood here. He is trying to make a point. Faith leads to good works so that without works then one must question if the faith is really there. “Can faith save him?” is merely the suggestion that if there are no works, then where is the faith. If you have the faith, then you have God’s law of love planted in your heart. If you truly have that law of love in your heart, then that love would compel you to do the works if you see another in need. So if you do not show the works, then where is your love; and if you do not show your love, then where is your faith? To say that a man is justified by his works means that the works would show that his faith is real, so the faith saves, and the works indicate the justification. There is a problem here though in that ‘not all works prove one’s faith’. As has been pointed out, there are those who work to put on a show of good works, and those who work thinking that the works will save them. It is the works that come from a heart of love (which is God’s law) that prove the presence of the Spirit in one’s life and shows the justification of the faith that saves. James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of YHWH, and he shall lift you up. 11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? (RNKJV) Who are we to judge for we did not give the law, but we have all been shown guilty under the law? James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (RNKJV) A good closing thought in James 4: 17 above.
Posted on: Mon, 27 Jan 2014 04:21:09 +0000
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