SHOW Your Faith

©copyright 2007 Bonita M Quesinberry, R.C.

 

Back in 2003 a short essay spoke of true love between two people; alas, it did not include anything about loving God. A short response stated, “more importantly, however, is to love God and Christ.” This resulted in a 2003 lesson entitled “Don’t Tell, SHOW!”

Once a college instructor, now an author and former editor for a publisher, one writing technique stands out among others to indicate the quality of the writing: don’t TELL a reader what’s going on, SHOW it. Today, we embark on disciple James’ lesson about speaking faith as well as demonstrating, showing as it were, one’s faith.

People often are heard saying, “I tell God every day that I love Him and have faith in Him; and, I thank Him for all my blessings.” Sadly, those words are often hollow or, as Jesus described it, “You flatter me with your lips but your heart is far from me.” James 2:14,17-18,20,24,26 brought to mind the above writing instruction as applicable also to our Lord: don’t tell, SHOW!

 

God is concerned about the things we say; that our words be absolute truth, never slaying another with our words, and never speaking blasphemy against the Holy Ghost: for He will judge us in the end based on whether or not our behaviour reflected love for and faith in God and Christ as well as mankind, love and faith of which people continually speak. Words are nothing more than a series of letters combined to form specific sounds: only action gives them absolute meaning; revealing truth or lie, sincerity or insincerity. Action is to show, to display words spoken.

 

James states that faith alone cannot save a person, if they do not perform works reflecting their professed faith: “It does not profit you to say you have faith but not works; for faith alone cannot save you. Faith is dead without works, faith being alone. So, if a man says, ‘I have faith and you have works;” then I say to that man, ‘SHOW me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works. Don’t you know, foolish man, that faith is dead without works? Understand: a man is justified by his works, not by faith only; for, as the body without a spirit is dead, likewise faith without works is dead.”

 

James went on to cite examples of works by Abraham and Rahab the harlot: because Abraham believed God, he laid upon the altar of sacrifice his only son Isaac, for which obedience God deemed Abraham righteous and replaced Isaac with a goat; and Rahab aided God’s messengers, believing their words, and this was counted toward her righteousness thus she was saved when the city’s wicked inhabitants were destroyed.

James gives further example in 2:25, “Whoever obeys and continues in the perfect Law of Liberty, he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deeds.” Deeds require action and action equates to works. The “Law of Liberty” spoken of here is yet another title for God’s “Ten Commandments:” also known as the “Law of Righteousness” and “Statutes of Life.” Jesus lived and taught these Laws, therefore fulfilling prophecy that He would “magnify and make honourable God’s Law.”

Isaiah 58:6-11, which references God’s fourth Law as cited in Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15, also describes works of faith: “To reject wickedness, remove your servant’s burdens and yokes upon beasts of labor, free the oppressed and break every yoke. Feed the hungry, bring the poor and homeless into your home and clothe the naked, as well as spend time with your family. Then, the glory of the Lord will be your reward and He will guide you continually and satisfy your soul when the world twists His Word.” Jesus confirmed these actions, as did His Apostles, Ministers and disciples.

Jesus described another kind of faith work in Luke 18:9-14: a Pharisee and a tax collector having entered the temple to pray. The Pharisee thanked God he was not like extortioners, the unjust, adulterers, or even that tax collector. The tax collector bowed his head and, beating upon his chest, begged, “God be merciful to me a sinner!” Jesus declared that tax collector as the only one to return home that day justified by God.

Minister Paul also referred to works of faith in II Timothy 2:15, “Study to show yourself approved by God, as a WORKMAN that need not be ashamed . . .” How is it, then, that all Christian denominations teach that all we need is faith? Is that not to condemn their flocks to everlasting damnation? As James pointed out, without works faith is dead, just as works without faith is dead: dead faith or dead works or both condemned us to Revelation’s second resurrection thus second death; utter destruction as it were.

How does our Lord determine a sincere SHOW of love and faith in Him? Better still, how do we prove to self that we are “showing” love and faith? In these few following ways, yet more; each way scripturally sound: 3 times God’s perfect number SEVEN~~

1) Obey God’s Doctrine: all Ten from a heart of love and utter humility, making Twelve;

2) Accept Christ as God’s son;

3) Give up all that we have and follow Jesus;

4) Feed the hungry;

5) Clothe the naked;

6) House the homeless;

7) Confess our faults one to another;

Plant seeds by living, speaking and teaching Yeshua’s truths at all times;

9) Overcome this world: being in but not of it, in but not of the flesh body;

10) Pray unceasing;

11) Continually forgive in order to be forgiven;

12) Give good for evil, not evil for evil;

13) Give to all who ask of us;

14) Study His Word for knowledge, wisdom, reproof, correction and good doctrine: to learn to be quiet and mind our own business;

15) Be kind to the wicked and filthy: for even God is kind to them while they are here;

16) Be satisfied with what we have, however little it might be;

17) Give to all who ask of us, expecting nothing in return: not even love returned

18) Spend quality, loving time with our families

19) Worry over nothing, for God IS in control

20) Fear nothing and no man

21) Do all that God asks of us, for it IS in our best interest

Faith and belief go hand in hand: one cannot lack faith yet believe and neither does one disbelieve yet have faith; one without the other is dead, just as works without faith is dead and faith without works is dead. To reject Jesus is a lack of faith, to disobey God’s Law is to lack faith, to worry about anything is to be faithless, to fear anything is to lack faith, and to say we cannot do something we should do is to lack faith: for God says all things are possible with Him.

By faith, a believer understands obedience to be in his or her best interest, and God has all events and concerns and needs under control; that all things will be achieved unseen in God’s perfect timing and perfect way: not as we might think those events should be, based on a worldly perception, but as God knows they ought to be; all outcomes always in our best interest.

BELIEVE, OBEY, AND HAVE FAITH; FOR THEN WE SHALL BE KNOWN AS THE CHILDREN OF GOD AND OUR REWARDS WILL BE GREAT IN HEAVEN.

~~ end Sabbath Lesson 05/05/07

see also “Faith Times Seven” and “Grace: Times Seven” or “Seven Steps of Grace”