GENUINE: Evidence of Faith

Read James 2: 14-26.

“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” James 2:26.

A genuine Christian can be recognized, not by how much of the Bible he knows, but by how much of the Word of God he applies in his life. Faith and works are meant to go together.
The apostle Paul wrote that the righteous will live by faith (Hebrews 10:38). He made it clear, once and for all, that salvation is by the grace of God and that we have done absolutely nothing to gain it.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” Ephesians 2:8-9.

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” Hebrews 11:6.

But what kind of faith pleases God?
Paul’s letters complement the epistles of James in stating that evidence of faith must be shown in our actions.

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” Ephesians 2:10.

3 KINDS OF FAITH:

Dead Faith.
“But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” James 2:20 (KJV).
People with dead faith are those without any lifestyle change. If there is no lifestyle change, there is probably no heart change. We need to be able to express our faith in what we do.

Head Faith.

“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that –and shudder”
James 2:19.

Demons believe that there is only one God. They believe in the Trinity. They believe in the deity of Jesus Christ. They believe that Jesus Christ died and was risen from the dead and through which we are saved. But Demons are NOT saved! Coming to church and knowing the bible does not make one a Christian. There must be internal change that lead to external change.

Genuine & Saving Faith.

“You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made by what he did” James 2:22.

“You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone” James 2:24.

Are we really working out our faith? Is being a Christian a statement or a reality in your life? Our faith must be seen in the way we treat our spouses and in the way we lead our homes. Our faith must be able to withstand temptations and our tongues must be used to glorify God.

The moment we declare that we are Christians, we put ourselves under the scrutiny of other people. Are we living the Word? Do we use our lives to make an impact on people and our community?

“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” Matthew 5:16.

FOR GOD’S GLORY, NOT OUR GLORY.