JAMES 2: 14-17 14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. We cannot know whether the incident James mentions really happened. It sounds so outrageous to say, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” and then not do anything for the poor unfortunate to whom those words may have been uttered. But then Christians often fall into the habit of saying well-meaning religious phrases without really thinking about it. How often has the phrase “Ill pray for you” been said without the actual prayer having been repeated? Pious words are appropriate if they are backed up by pious deeds. If they arent, they are fraud. It is interesting to note that the words, “Go, I wish you well” were the benediction pronounced by the early church deacons at the close of communion. Perhaps James is warning that just as it is easy to give a benediction ritualistically, so is it easy to dismiss a problem with a blessing while not really dealing with it. Clothing and feeding the needy--- if they are the main evidence that you are a Christian, would you be convicted on the evidence? Many Blessings!!
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 01:36:43 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015