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Faith vs. Works (Website Page 4)
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There are people from all walks of life that do things for various reasons and motives. Some are more obvious than others. But if people were honest with themselves, they would realize some startling conclusions. The problem with most of us is that we deceive ourselves by any one of a hundred different ways, usually in two categories:
1-We rationalize our thinking, and
2-We justify our actions.
Hypocrisy at it's Worst
We go through the motions of a typical “well meaning citizen” upright in his/her community, but only for recognition, reputation or religion. We seek a “pat on the back” to ease our own conscience from individuals, the community, or God (whichever comes first). But what does God have to say about it? Let’s look at a character in the Bible who had to demonstrate what he believed by his actions.
The Abrahamic Covenant
In Genesis 17, God promised Abraham that he would be “Father of many nations” (v.5), and promised him a land (v.8), and that the promise would be forever (v.7). This promise was made as a result of a covenant God established with Abraham in Genesis 15. He told Abraham to divide three animals and lay them on the ground. Normally, two people would both pass between the animal parts to establish a covenant. Both had to perform an act of obedience to signify their obligation to keep their part of the agreement.
However, “A deep sleep fell upon Abraham” (v.12), and God passed between the animal parts by Himself (v.17). The covenant did not require any physical action on Abraham’s part. But Abraham BELIEVED God, and because of his FAITH, God made the promise to him. “Abraham believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness” (Gen. 15:6). The Abraham covenant was not a covenant involving any work on Abraham’s part. It was a FAITH covenant, but Abraham had to DEMONSTRATE that faith when God told him to offer his only son Isaac on an altar as a sacrifice. If Abraham had not carried out that act of obedience, his faith would be of no effect. “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” James 2:18
A Faith Covenant
The reason this is so paramount is because the nation of Israel today is a result of that Covenant. Abraham was to be father of many nations. Abraham had a son Isaac, who had Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel. Jacob had twelve sons, whose descendents became the twelve tribes of Israel. Not only this, but Judah was the tribe through which would come the promised Messiah Who would be born into the world to provide salvation to mankind by paying for the sins of the world by His death on the cross. So what does all this have to do with us today? There is much to say about the faith of Abraham in Romans. “For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” Why? Because Abraham demonstrated his faith (believing in God’s promises to multiply his seed) by offering his only son Isaac. Empty words would be “Faith without works”. The believer in Jesus Christ is a partaker in the inheritance that was promised to Israel. But because of unbelief some of them were “broken off” and we as gentiles are “Graft in” (Rom. 11:17-20).
The New Covenant
How does that apply to us today? What commandments are we given? How are we to demonstrate our faith as Abraham did? In Genesis 26:5 it says “...Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” It was not only his acting on God’s promises by offering Isaac as a sacrifice, but his life of obedience as well. However, are we under the law as Abraham was? The covenant God has with us is based on the promise He made to Abraham, and it is still a “faith” covenant. We are not partakers of his inheritance by works, but by faith. So what commandments are we to obey? “...Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the seconds is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Mt. 22:37-40.
In the same way that Abraham had to demonstrate his faith by his works, we are told to do the same. However….
1- “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision, but faith which works by love” (Gal. 5:6).
2- Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal. 6:2)
3-Love worketh no ill to his neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (Rom. 13:10)
Faith Without Works
“Do you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” (Jas. 2:20). What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say he has faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things needful to the body; what does it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” (Jas. 2:14-17).
Begin at the Cross
The Christian way of life is not a life of “Going through the motions” to do good, imitating some social organization with no spiritual message. It is a life that begins at the Cross, receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, believing what He did on the cross, and trusting Him for our salvation. But it begins there. It is a life of outworking of a supernatural love that He demonstrates through us, not of our own. “...Let us labor therefore TO ENTER INTO THAT REST, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief” Rom. 4:11. This is referring to the time when the Israelites “Could not enter in because of unbelief” -through their murmuring, complaining, idolatry and lack of faith in God’s promises during the forty years in the wilderness wanderings. An entire generation died in the wilderness because of unbelief! The Law that we are given is a Law of Love, to be lived supernaturally through the believer. Anything less than that is to fall after the same example of unbelief.
“I was hungry and ye gave me meat. I was thirsty and ye gave me drink. I was a stranger and ye took me in; Naked and ye clothed me, I was sick and ye visited me; I was in prison and ye came unto me. Inasmuch as ye did it unto the least of these my brethren, ye did it unto me.” Mt. 25:35ff.
“Therefore whosoever heareth these saying of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock; And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat unto that house; and it fell not; For it was founded upon a rock. “And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell; and GREAT WAS THE FALL OF IT.” (Mt. 7:24-27)
“Be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves.” James 1:22
©1999 David Film
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