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In The Days of the Judges

In The Days of the Judges

A Glimmer of Hope

A Glimmer of Hope

Bitter or a Believer?

Bitter or a Believer?

Great Faithfulness

Great Faithfulness

Bitter Emptiness

Bitter Emptiness

God Intended It For Good

God Intended It For Good

Getting Started...

Getting Started...

The True Vine

  • Jun 3, 2023

The True Vine

The Way

  • Jun 2, 2023

The Way

The Resurrection and the Life

  • Jun 1, 2023

The Resurrection and the Life

The Good Shepherd

  • May 31, 2023

The Good Shepherd

The Door

  • May 30, 2023

The Door

The Bread and the Light

  • May 29, 2023

The Bread and the Light

John Saw It All

  • May 27, 2023

John Saw It All

Worry About Yourself

  • May 26, 2023

Worry About Yourself

Count the Cost

  • May 25, 2023

Count the Cost

Do You Love God?

  • May 24, 2023

Do You Love God?

Jump All In

  • May 23, 2023

Jump All In

Gone Fishing Again

  • May 22, 2023

Gone Fishing Again

You May Have Life In His Name

  • May 20, 2023

You May Have Life In His Name

The Disciple Who Believed

  • May 19, 2023

The Disciple Who Believed

The Disciple Who Doubted

  • May 18, 2023

The Disciple Who Doubted

APRIL - JUNE 2023
January - March 2023
October - December 2022
July - September 2022
April - June 2022

The Return of Christ

  • Jun 30, 2022

The Return of Christ

Just Jesus

  • Jun 29, 2022

Just Jesus

Joy In Christ

  • Jun 28, 2022

Joy In Christ

Privileges and Practices for Christians

  • Jun 27, 2022

Privileges and Practices for Christians

Grace and Freedom

  • Jun 25, 2022

Grace and Freedom

So We Do Not Lose Heart

  • Jun 24, 2022

So We Do Not Lose Heart

Fatherly Discipline

  • Jun 23, 2022

Fatherly Discipline

The Righteous Shall Live By Faith

  • Jun 22, 2022

The Righteous Shall Live By Faith

Witnesses To the End of The Earth

  • Jun 21, 2022

Witnesses To the End of The Earth

God in The Flesh

  • Jun 20, 2022

God in The Flesh

The Great Physician

  • Jun 18, 2022

The Great Physician

Service and Sacrifice

  • Jun 17, 2022

Service and Sacrifice

The Long-Awaited King of the Jews

  • Jun 16, 2022

The Long-Awaited King of the Jews

Is It Even Worth It?

  • Jun 15, 2022

Is It Even Worth It?

A Future Perspective

  • Jun 14, 2022

A Future Perspective

Misplaced Priorities

  • Jun 13, 2022

Misplaced Priorities

Judgment and Joy

  • Jun 11, 2022

Judgment and Joy

The Righteous Will Live By Faith

  • Jun 10, 2022

The Righteous Will Live By Faith

Pride Goes Before Destruction

  • Jun 9, 2022

Pride Goes Before Destruction

Does God Care About Justice?

  • Jun 8, 2022

Does God Care About Justice?

That All Should Be Saved

  • Jun 7, 2022

That All Should Be Saved

A Battle Between Brothers

  • Jun 6, 2022

A Battle Between Brothers

The Cold Hard Truth

  • Jun 4, 2022

The Cold Hard Truth

Just You Wait

  • Jun 3, 2022

Just You Wait

Idolatry Vs. Adultery

  • Jun 2, 2022

Idolatry Vs. Adultery

The Lord Reigns Supreme

  • Jun 1, 2022

The Lord Reigns Supreme

Restored to Glory

  • May 31, 2022

Restored to Glory

The Saddest Chapter In The Book

  • May 30, 2022

The Saddest Chapter In The Book

The Bearer of Bad News

  • May 28, 2022

The Bearer of Bad News

Salvation Is of The Lord

  • May 27, 2022

Salvation Is of The Lord

God’s Plan

  • May 26, 2022

God’s Plan

What’s the Point?

  • May 25, 2022

What’s the Point?

Read the Instructions

  • May 24, 2022

Read the Instructions

A Real Relationship

  • May 23, 2022

A Real Relationship

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

  • May 21, 2022

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

God Behind the Scenes

  • May 20, 2022

God Behind the Scenes

Miraculous Reconstruction

  • May 19, 2022

Miraculous Reconstruction

Coming Home

  • May 18, 2022

Coming Home

Not Just A Building

  • May 17, 2022

Not Just A Building

The Family of God

  • May 16, 2022

The Family of God

Discipline and Destruction

  • May 14, 2022

Discipline and Destruction

A Heart and Kingdom Divided

  • May 13, 2022

A Heart and Kingdom Divided

The Greatest King Ever

  • May 12, 2022

The Greatest King Ever

No King But God?

  • May 11, 2022

No King But God?

A Love That Redeems

  • May 10, 2022

A Love That Redeems

Rebel, Rescue, Repeat

  • May 9, 2022

Rebel, Rescue, Repeat

A Literal Scarlet Thread

  • May 7, 2022

A Literal Scarlet Thread

He’s Faithful, So Be Faithful

  • May 6, 2022

He’s Faithful, So Be Faithful

Why Did It Take So Long?

  • May 5, 2022

Why Did It Take So Long?

Holy as He Is Holy

  • May 4, 2022

Holy as He Is Holy

Passed Over

  • May 3, 2022

Passed Over

The Beginning of Redemption

  • May 2, 2022

The Beginning of Redemption

The Lord Is Near

  • Apr 30, 2022

The Lord Is Near

I’ll Be Happy When…

  • Apr 29, 2022

I’ll Be Happy When…

Working Hard or Hardly Working?

  • Apr 28, 2022

Working Hard or Hardly Working?

You Can’t Hide a Lie

  • Apr 27, 2022

You Can’t Hide a Lie

The Sin Underneath All Others

  • Apr 26, 2022

The Sin Underneath All Others

Play the Long Game

  • Apr 25, 2022

Play the Long Game

Where Does Joy Come From?

  • Apr 23, 2022

Where Does Joy Come From?

Well Worth the Wait

  • Apr 22, 2022

Well Worth the Wait

Getting to Know God

  • Apr 21, 2022

Getting to Know God

Why Don’t We Just Give Up?

  • Apr 20, 2022

Why Don’t We Just Give Up?

Take Heart, He’s With You

  • Apr 19, 2022

Take Heart, He’s With You

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

  • Apr 18, 2022

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

What Are You Afraid Of?

  • Apr 16, 2022

What Are You Afraid Of?

Nothing Can Separate Us

  • Apr 15, 2022

Nothing Can Separate Us

What Has God Forgiven You For?

  • Apr 14, 2022

What Has God Forgiven You For?

But by the Grace Of God

  • Apr 13, 2022

But by the Grace Of God

A Healthy Swap

  • Apr 12, 2022

A Healthy Swap

Tell Yourself the Truth

  • Apr 11, 2022

Tell Yourself the Truth

He Hears You

  • Apr 9, 2022

He Hears You

Listen and Learn

  • Apr 8, 2022

Listen and Learn

Do You Need to Put Up Some Walls?

  • Apr 7, 2022

Do You Need to Put Up Some Walls?

Keep Your Cool

  • Apr 6, 2022

Keep Your Cool

Great Is His Faithfulness

  • Apr 5, 2022

Great Is His Faithfulness

Move on to the Meat

  • Apr 4, 2022

Move on to the Meat

Saving Faith Works

  • Apr 2, 2022

Saving Faith Works

Is Other People’s Faith Your Business?

  • Apr 1, 2022

Is Other People’s Faith Your Business?

January - March 2022
October - December 2021
July - September 2021
April - June 2021
January - March 2021
October - December 2020
July - September 2020
April - June 2020
January - March 2020
backtothebiblebttb2
Back to the BibleApr 2, 2022 6:00 am GMT

Saving Faith Works

 

April 2

 

Read James 1:22; 2:14-17 (ESV)

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves…What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 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? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

 

Reflect

How would you sum up the teachings of James?

 

We have reached the end of our series studying the letter of James and learning how to live out our faith in real life. We have learned directly from the brother of Jesus how to have a living and active faith. We often referred to his letter as “Christianity 101.” Christianity is not merely about giving intellectual assent to a set of beliefs. A true saving faith in Jesus Christ results in a changed life! There has to be an acceptance of true doctrine, yes. But there also has to be practical life application. That is the heart of what James taught in his letter to the early Jewish converts to Christianity.

 

In James 1:22, James commanded them to put the Word of God into practice! He said to be doers of the Word and not just hearers only. This applies to us today as well. Think about it: what good is it if you read your Bible every day only to close it up, put it back on the shelf, and immediately forget what you’ve read? Why dedicate every Sunday morning of your life to going to church to hear the Word of God preached from the pulpit only to drive home and live like the rest of the world the rest of the week? If you aren’t planning to put what you are learning into practice, why spend your time reading these daily Forward devotionals?

 

James said that if we think hearing the Word of God is enough we are deceiving ourselves. God’s Word was meant to be lived out. Jesus Himself said that His Words were meant to be put into practice: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24). If you would be wise, don’t just read God’s Word. Do it.

 

Throughout his letter, James also emphasized the importance of good works. It’s important to understand and remember though, that James was not suggesting that good works are the basis for our salvation. Good works do not save us! The Bible repeatedly affirms that faith in Jesus Christ is what saves us.

 

In Romans 10:9 Paul assured us that “...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” In Ephesians 2:8-9 he explained that we can’t earn our own salvation: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

 

In Acts 16, we read of a prison guard asking Paul and Silas, “‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…’” (Acts 16:30-31).

 

We are saved by God’s grace when we put our faith and trust in Him. But still, James emphasized good works and godly living all throughout his letter. Not because those things save us but because they are evidence of our saving faith. He said that if we put our faith in Jesus but we don’t obey God’s word through our actions, our faith is dead (James 2:17). He went on in James 2:18 to say, “But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” Our works demonstrate to everyone around us that we truly belong to Jesus.

 

Friends, let’s not be merely hearers of the Word. We want there to be evidence that we have placed our faith in Christ. So I encourage you to take some time today to reflect on what you’ve learned the past few weeks as we studied the book of James. Identify some ways that you can put what you’ve learned into practice. Remember—saving faith works.

 

Pray

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your grace and mercy towards me—a sinner. I know that there is nothing that I could ever do to save myself and restore myself to You. Instead, I place my trust in what You have done for me. Help me to put my faith to work in my life. I want to demonstrate to everyone around me that You have transformed my life and that I belong to You. Amen.

 

~ Pastor Nat Crawford

 

 

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T
theshepherdsmaiden
a year ago
"Lord Jesus, help me to live everyday by faith, that my works will reflect that faith that I have in You. Amen."
likeReply
K
P
a year ago
I believe you ABSOLUTELY must act and live like Christ in order to get to Heaven 🙏. Just saying you are "saved" surely does not get you there. Words, actions and lots of prayer help.
2 replies
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R
Randall
a year ago
1 cross + 3 nails = 4given!
1
like
R
Randall
a year ago
Yes if you truly believe you should try to live like Christ lived, by faith you are saved thru faith not works, your faith saved you not works but you should try and live the Christian. Life
like
a year ago
James is a great book, they were not going to use James, because they said he was saying you could be saved by works. Which that is not what he said.
1
likeReply
a year ago
Amen
likeReply
andreodell
Andre
a year ago
One thing I have been wrestling with is when did God change the Sabbath?
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