Preached by Pastor Mike Hess Sunday morning 01/24/2010.
Identity Theft (Part 2)
James 2:20-26
I. The Emptiness of False Faith (James 2:20)
The natural person and the regenerate person
“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14
This has two implications:
1. We should not expect unsaved people to live like saved people.
2. We should expect saved people to live like saved people.
II. The Example of Abraham (James 2:21-24)
“the father of all who believe.” Romans 4:11
“Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” Galatians 3:7-8
“yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” Galatians 2:16
“And he brought him outside and said, “look toward heaven and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “so shall your offspring be.” And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” Genesis 15:5-6
“You are my friends if you do what I command you.” John 15:14
One Commentator - “Faith alone justifies; but the faith that justifies is never alone.”
III. The Faith of Rahab (Jam. 2:25-26)
“I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.” Joshua 2:9-11
“By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.” Hebrews 11:31
Closing Thoughts:
1. Never fall for the myth that your faith is somehow a “private matter”
2. Scripture uses the examples of Abraham and Rahab as active saving faith. If we were to take an honest and humble inventory of our own lives, would others be able to come to the conclusion that our faith is an authentic faith?
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