Is Your Faith Dead or Alive?

       "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?" -James 2:14- 

    If you are bound to a question like the verse from James 2:14, you'll get to ask yourself, "Isn't it that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ     alone?" 

   

    So what then did James try to imply in that verse? 

      

    James was pertaining to those who are already believers. He was speaking not to the people who were yet to know and acknowledge the Lord, but he was emphasizing certain points to those who were already Christians. He did not contradict the "salvation by grace through faith in Christ" principle, what he was trying to point out is that our actions or "good works" as he put it, are manifestations of the faith that we have in Jesus. 

   From the message during the Singles CONNECT worship service, Ptr. George Ngan explained the difference of dead faith from a living faith. 

   DEAD Faith. What exactly does it mean? The major characteristic of being dead is that it does not actually respond to the outside world or environment. Consequently, a person with dead faith will never respond to what God says. Instead, he will continue to do his sinful ways. Henceforth, dead faith cannot save us. 

  Dead faith does not produce good works. The products of a living faith are the fruits of the Holy Spirit which enable a person to do good works. Dead faith will never bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit; it will never put God's Word into action. People with dead faith know the Word of God but do not live it out. James 1:22-27 says,  "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James reminded the Christians to be doers of the Word instead of merely hearers only. 

   Jesus also, had something to say about good works and it is found in Matthew 25:35-46 that says, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,  I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”  Jesus Himself had an expectation that our faith has a manifestation. Our good works are proofs that our faith in Christ is genuine. 

    

    Dead faith is demonic. Do demons even believe in God? The Bible says YES. James 2:19 says, "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder". Demons know and acknowledge God--with fear and tremble; yet they go against the will God. 

  

    When everything about dead faith has been said and well explained by Pastor Jorge, what then, is a LIVING FAITH? 

   James 2:20-24 says, :"You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone." What these verses were trying to imply is that a genuine faith is manifested by our absolute submission to do his will. 

  

     Living faith produces good works. Joshua 2:8-11 tells us, "Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below." If we are truly in awe of the Lord, it will manifest by our total dependence and submission to God. 

  A true child of God will definitely obey the Words of His God. For in John 10:26-27 it says, "But you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." We can certainly regard ourselves as children of God if we heartily seek for His face and we constantly seek His voice. He would certainly recognize us as His children if we take heed of His Words." 

    If you would examine yourself, would you see yourself having a genuine faith, or someone with dead faith? 

   

   IS YOUR FAITH... DEAD? or ALIVE?