it is something you do…

if real faith is not just something you say or think of feel or believe, then what is faith? well the answer is real faith is something you do.

here in james chapter 2 there are two illustrations of two very different people.  abraham and rahab – exact opposite extremes.

abraham is a man, rahab is a woman.  abraham is jewish, rahab is a gentile.  abraham is a patriarch, rahab is a prostitute.  abraham is a somebody, rahab is a nobody.  abraham is a major character in the bible, rahab is a minor character. 

now james uses these illustrations to say, it doesn’t matter who you are as long as you’ve got the important thing.  they only had one thing in common – their faith in GOD and their faith in GOD led them to an action.

verses 20-23 (nirv), you foolish man! do you want proof that faith without good works is useless? our father abraham offered his son isaac on the altar. wasn’t he considered to be right with GOD because of what he did? so you see that what he believed and what he did were working together. what he did made his faith complete. that is what scripture means where it says, “abraham believed GOD. GOD accepted abraham because he believed. so his faith made him right with GOD.” and that’s not all. GOD called abraham HIS 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 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.

just a thought from the front porch…