Tuesday, November 1, 2011

it’s more than just talk…

many people want to know how do i show i am a believer?  maybe you’re one of them.  well james in his nt book in the latter part of the bible gives us some steps or principles here in the 2nd chapter of his book.  he strives to answer the question what is real faith?

one thing he says is real faith is not just something you say, you talk about.  james 2.14 (nlt), 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?

now, it doesn’t say he actually has faith; he just claims to have it.  he talks about it.  he knows all of the right phrases.

there are a lot of people who claim to be CHRISTians.  george gallup says that over 50 million americans say, “i’m born again.”  but you don’t see anything in their lifestyle.

today we tend to label people as CHRISTians if they have the slightest sound of being a believer.  listen, it’s more than just talk that is involved in real faith.

we find in matthew 7.21 (nlt) that JESUS said, not everyone who calls out to me, “LORD! LORD!” will enter the kingdom of heaven.  not everyone with a CHRISTian bumper sticker is a believer.  not everyone who is a professor of CHRISTianity is a possessor of CHRISTianity. 

james says, can that kind of faith save anyone?  “what value is this kind of faith?”  nothing.  talk is cheap.  james is saying that real faith is not just something you say. 

just a thought from the front porch…

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