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Faith in Action

Faith in Action

Words of Faith 5-1-2020

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2020

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

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James 2:14-17

           What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  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?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

 

       We can almost imagine James trying to hold together things in Jerusalem.  There, with Peter and other Apostles, managing a movement now ten or fifteen years old.  They had dealt with the first big issue of accepting Gentiles (Acts 15). 

      But now economic times were rough.  If not for the offerings sent by Paul, a converted persecutor, they never would have made it through the hard Jerusalem winters.   Oh, there were lots of people who came through town on the Jesus bandwagon.  They came to see the Apostles so they could say they had the "Apostolic blessing,” only to move on with their new found "faith" to preach and make their fortunes leaving a lot of needs behind.

         Antioch was fast becoming the big church everyone was talking about.  It was the new mega movement of that day.   But who was left in Jerusalem to care for the aging widows of Jerusalem?  These widows had prayed for Messiah all their lives and finally had found Him. But now they were aging first believers.  And there were also orphans, those left to the streets by violence and disease.  Oh, for the glory days of Pentecost when miracles were plentiful.  Or is this where real faith is lived out?  In the hard times. The faith that works is the faith that works.

        True, this salvation of Jesus is by grace as Paul was preaching.  Salvation is not by the works of the law that so long ruled religious culture.  BUT… and it is a very important "but.”   But what good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Is that faith real?  Can such faith that has brought no real change or compassion be real or save anyone?

        Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 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?  "I'll keep you in prayer"-- just doesn't cut it when it is thirty degrees outside, and you are hungry.  It is worse than no religion at all.  Better not to claim the name of Christ than to claim that name and then live in a way that represents it as powerless and empty.  Faith by itself?  If it is not accompanied by action? Is dead faith.

         So how are your vital stats in the faith department?  The blood pressure, temperature, and blood gases of our spiritual life are measured in how faith is lived out.  Is your faith alive today?  Dead?  On a respirator?  There is a Physician who can help.       

 

       Lord, Jesus.  I want faith that is alive.  I want faith that is a relationship that lives, breathes, listens, and responds. I want to have faith marked by Your heart and Your compassion.  Break me free, Lord.  Keep my lips free from words of polite religious comfort.  Lord, whisper in my ear today... and I will obey.  Let me speak the Good News, but also live the Good News. In Jesus Name, Amen.

 

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2009, 2020

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)       

2820 Business Center Blvd.

Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.