it is something you do...

james says in 2.21 – 24 (ms), wasn't our ancestor abraham "made right with GOD by works" when he placed his son isaac on the sacrificial altar? isn't it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? that the works are "works of faith"? the full meaning of "believe" in the scripture sentence, "abraham believed GOD and was set right with GOD," includes his action. it's that mesh of believing and acting that got abraham named "GOD's friend." is it not evident that a person is made right with GOD not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works?

here it is, living a life of real, authentic faith means something that i do. it is a life of action. it is not passive, it is a commitment. and abraham is an example of this.

james 2, 23 (niv) abraham believed GOD and it was accredited to him as righteousness and he was called GOD's friend.

do you know the story? it's the ultimate test where GOD asked abraham to give his own son. this has nothing to do with salvation. abraham was already a believer, twenty-five years earlier GOD has said, you're righteous.

he's not talking about being saved by his works. he is saying, this shows how much you believe. abraham obeyed GOD, he was immediate. he followed him. he took his son up. he did all of those five steps. he cut the wood, built the altar and was ready to sacrifice his own son.

abraham says to his son while walking up the mountain, we (not i) will return. he knew that GOD would provide somehow even if it meant raising him from the dead. the fact is GOD did raise him from the dead figuratively speaking.

abraham was about to sacrifice him and GOD says, i was just testing you to see what's most important in your life. it was an action. his works proved his faith. he held nothing back from GOD.

we as a church just voted almost unanimously to buy a $5,000,000 building. oh we’re buying it for nearly $3,000,000. but some would say, what in the world are you doing in this economy? are you out of your mind? and the answer from a world view is yes. we are out of our earthly mind but not our heavenly mind.

i cannot believe how many so called CHRISTians are having such major fears and anxieties, staying awake at night, fighting with family members, etc., all because we are going through a bump in the economy. listen, this is just a testing of where we are putting our faith and it is showing that so many CHRISTians are putting their faith in other things besides GOD.

some would say, "but bill you don’t understand. i have worked my whole life and all my retirement is going down the drain." but i do understand. i just moved clear across the country to do what i believe GOD has called me to do and i don’t have a paycheck and my pension is nothing, three of us didn’t have jobs and the one who did took a pay cut. but as the song that we sang yesterday in church said, "i am a friend of GOD" and that means i am not afraid and i sleep all night with no worry because of that fact. a real CHRISTians lives by faith and real faith is something you do.

just some thoughts here on my front porch…