Becoming Like Jesus: Confession and RepentanceSample

Faith That Isn’t Enough

In today’s Scripture, we are going to learn a vital lesson about the kind of faith that honors God, and the kind that doesn’t. What you read may shock you, but if you’re willing to put it into practice, it will surely bless you.

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Pray…

Jesus, I need you today. I’m a sinner. I keep falling short. I want to do better. Change me. Heal me. Make me whole. Help me to love you and to love others. Use me to make a difference. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Read…

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? James 2:14-20 NLT

Consider….

James wants us to know that genuine faith is more than just believing the right things and saying the right words. Similar to what we read from John several days ago, James is trying to help us understand that faith is a way of life.

“...faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.”

What is faith? It’s trust, based on evidence, that produces obedience. Faith is not just agreement with an idea, it’s commitment to a person. It’s giving our allegiance to Jesus and choosing to let Him rule our lives. That kind of faith changes everything.

To be clear, James is not saying that we have to do good deeds to be loved by God or to be saved. He is saying that if we are not doing any good deeds then we clearly don’t love God and are not saved.

“Grace is opposed to earning, not effort.” - Dallas Willard

Because if we have truly been changed by Jesus, then we will agree with God about our sin, and we will start aiming our life towards Him and what He says. That’s the kind of faith that honors God.

Practice…

Decide to do things differently.

Think back over the past few days. What are some areas where you are living obediently to Jesus? Take a few seconds to thank God for these areas of faithfulness! Now, what are some areas where you are still struggling to obey God? Decide today to do things differently. Ask God and your community to help you. It may not be easy, but it will be worth it.

Listen…

Find a quiet place where you can continue to spend time with God. Maybe you have a favorite chair, a certain spot in your backyard, or a particularly cozy closet. Wherever you need to go to limit distractions, do it.

Set a timer for five-ten minutes. Ask God to speak to you. When you get distracted, come back to God by praying this Scripture:

Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Psalm 86:11 NLT

When the timer ends, thank God for the time you spent together and go into your day looking for opportunities to love Him and love others.