This week's Bible Study - November 1, 2009
Live Your Faith
 Background Scripture:
James 1:19-25; 2:14,18-26
Quote of the Week:
“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.”
-- Flora Whittemore
This next series of lessons is entitled "Confront Casual Christianity". This is a five session study based on the book of James. James confronts casual Christianity by guiding each of us as believers to express our faith by who we are, how we think and what we do. In these lessons, we will learn about living our faith, celebrating our trials, treating everyone equally, watching our language and working on our humility.
There are times when being casual may be preferred. We all like the times when we feel like we can kick back and not have to deal with formalities. It may be casual attire or a casual dinner. In some cases, it may imply a superficial relationship, just as a casual acquaintance, whom your only meet with on occasion. Being casual can also imply that a person feels or shows little concern. You can think of a casual sports fan. There are other tasks that people perform casually, without any serious intent or commitment.
None of these are wrong in and of themselves, but you can see that there would be a problem if you dress casually for a job that requires workers to dress in suits. It is more dependent upon the situation, as to whether a casual attitude is appropriate or not. This series of lessons speaks to confronting casual Christianity, which can be a big problem. What happens if your Christian life was just by chance or based on irregular periods, on occasions and even then, superficially? What if our degree of interest or devotion to Christ is casual, as if we were watching a sports contest in which we didn't care who won? Certainly, you can see that you are more or less playing a game if you are treating your relationship with Christ like a sports contest.
In this lesson, we will talk about some ways that we can live our faith in the manner that God intended. Last week, I went to an International Students event at a local college. There are several international students there, as well as others who are there to help. They do several activities and try to discuss some topics. The main topic of discussion was about masks that people wear and why they do so. There are times in our lives where we will need to hide our true selves, based on the situation - perhaps in an emergency. But, if we find ourselves doing that in all areas of our lives, we will not be living our faith legitimately. This lesson will by no means be totally inclusive of what it means to live our faith, but it will help us to begin to understand what is actually intended.
This passage begins with 'my dear brothers'. In my church, our pastor has talked about how when the buttering up starts, you can get ready for something that you need to hear, but may make you uncomfortable. James tells people to take note of what he was going to say. The book of James is one of the most practical books of the Bible, because it seems to hit us where we live in a very tangible way.
James told the reader that everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. How would that advice change your relationships? Regardless of how we handle the speaking and becoming angry, we need to learn to be quick to listen. This is something that I have often had problems with. It has always been too easy for me to hear part of an argument or debate and immediately begin to process it in my mind, so that I can come up with my answer. Too often, I have neglected to really listen to what is being said. Isn't it amazing that we have been given two ears, yet we have only been given one tongue? Our ears are exposed, while our tongue is hidden. Perhaps we were meant to spend more time listening, and less time speaking.
If we would spend more time listening, we would likely be slower to speak and we certainly would be slower to anger. Do you find yourself listening to others? When things get difficult, you may find it good to repeat what you've heard, as you may begin to see other sides of issues that you may otherwise miss. After you've listened, you should be slow to speak, which implies that you spend some time thinking about what you have heard. Some of us may be slow to speak, but if our speech isn't based upon what we've heard, we don't help our own situation. And, if we don't ever speak, we're not helping the situation either. When our communication with others breaks down, we are more likely to become angry, because there is a misunderstanding between the two people.
There is often a logical progression to anger. Sometimes it is based upon our own inadequacy or some failure. Have you ever noticed that when you have failed, you are more likely to become angry? When we don't take the steps to resolve our anger, it can often become nurtured. We attempt to cover up or to pass blame to others. Anger refuses to listen to reason, although the warning is often there. Anger affects innocent people - it isn't just about you. If anger is allowed to fester, you will find that it takes a life of its own.
Why should we care about becoming angry? There are times that anger may be good, but that is only when it is God centered. Unfortunately, our anger is most often 'I' centered. Before you get angry, you should question whether God's purposes are to be achieved by your anger. Anger can damage our relationship with God, as it will often cause us to shy away from church and others who could most likely help us. The anger of man will not achieve the righteous life that God desires.
At the end of the previous passage, James talked about achieving the righteous life that God desires. To do so, we must also get rid of all the moral filth and evil that is so prevalent. In our day and age, the decline of morality has been increasing more and more. There were things that were unheard of two or three decades ago, but now they are commonplace. Words that were never uttered on TV are now heard with regularity. Even when shows are clean of filthy language, there is often strongly suggestive sexual innuendo. If we just continue to follow what every one around us is doing, we will undoubtedly find ourselves living non righteous lives.
We are to humbly accept the word planted in us, which can save us. This is the word of God. What place does the word of God have in your life? If you take your Bible to church, what happens with it the rest of the week? Do you find yourself thinking on things of God or are you more in alignment with the rest of the world? If you're reading this lesson, you at least have some desire for the things of God and his righteousness. But, even if you accept the word, are you merely listening or are you doing what it says?
James says that anyone who does not do what the word says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and then goes away, forgetting what he looks like. When we read the Bible, it really should be an indication of who we really are. Surely, you have read the Bible or have heard a pastor or teacher say something that really applies to your life, and then after you make it to your car, you've totally forgot what it was. The words of Scripture are meant to change us and to bring life and not meant to just be free reading. Are you taking the word of God and applying it, or are you just listening? I know that we have all been guilty of being moved by the word of God and have walked away without being impacted at all.
We are called to look intently at the perfect law that gives freedom, not forgetting what we hear. Most people who have jobs that require specific processes or procedures will take notes or do whatever it takes to ensure that they know what they are supposed to do. It is not meant to be an exercise in merely attaining head knowledge, but an attempt to truly know how to do their job. Our job is life and our processes and procedures are found in Scripture. An employee needs to know and do - do we as believers know the Scripture and do we do what the words say?
James then writes about the relationship between faith and works or deeds. This is something that has caused many issues for many believers for some time. In several passages, Paul makes it clear that salvation is by faith alone, while others will point to passages in James and say that salvation is by faith plus works. While some people have made it seem that Paul and James were at odds, James is really refuting the position that a person can have salvation without any presence of good works or deeds, rather than good works or deeds that lead to salvation.
Paul and James would agree that salvation is really something that only God can do - none of us could ever be good enough to approach God on our own. There are people that would think that if they didn't commit one of 10 'major' sins in their lives, they would be acceptable to God. However, we must come before God and live by his standards, not the ones that we invent. Some churches use the words "venial' and "mortal" to describe sins and the measure the degree to which a person turns from God. Certainly, we can relate to degrees of sins, but if any behavior becomes necessary for salvation, salvation has become works based. The Bible teaches that salvation is by grace through faith alone, based on Christ alone. This is the only was that we can know we have eternal life, as is mentioned in 1 John 5:13, where John says "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life."
James is not talking about a salvation issue. He is talking about the fruit that should accompany salvation. If we fall into the trap of just believing and not allowing that belief to impact our lives, we have missed the mark. Faith that has not accepted the Lordship of Jesus Christ is not faith at all. We all will fail, and we are in continual need of the saving grace of Christ. However, we all need to have works in our lives that are indicators of our faith in Christ. Do you have any works in your life?
James continues upon the need for works and deeds in the live of a believer. He takes the position of one who has deeds that show his faith, and asks another who claims to think that faith is all that is needed. Certainly, there are things that we need to believe and understand in our heads and in our hearts. If you just have all the facts down, you may be a great partner for Bible Trivia, but you are living at risk.
James says that even the demons believe that there is one God. They believe that and shudder. That should give some of us pause to really ask ourselves if our faith is simply head knowledge or if it has impacted our lives. James makes the point that faith without deeds is useless.
Throughout my life, I've seen these positions taken to the extreme. Some point at others and say that they are into easy believism, where life impact matters none at all. Others point to people who have become so works based that they become legalistic and hurtful to many others who deal with so many things in an imperfect world. To get too focused on the deeds will eventually lead to a works based salvation. I believe that most Christians understand the point that we are saved by faith, and that we are expected to live our faith out. Be careful about going too far one way or the other and getting a skewed view.
James takes Abraham, the father of the Jews, as a case in point. The Jews admired Abraham and James asked them to consider the time when Abraham offered his son Isaac on the altar. You may remember that story. It is one that horrifies many people, to think that God would do such a thing. I remember hearing one new believer that just could not fathom that God would ask Abraham to do this, or might ask them to do the same to their son or daughter. To them, it matters little that God provided for Abraham, as they think of the turmoil that Isaac endured. Certainly, if any child felt obliged to call the child abuse hotline, it would have to be Isaac.
Yet, James states that Abraham was considered righteous for this act. In doing so, his faith and his actions were working together. His faith was made complete by what he did. The scripture says that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. The conclusion was that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. It is clear that God had Abraham's heart, as he was willing to sacrifice the one that was dearest to him. God wanted to know that Abraham's faith was truly in him, and he credited that faith as righteousness.
God still wants our hearts. I don't believe he will be asking the same from us today, and if anyone attempts to sacrifice their own child, it is less a sign of faith and more a sign of great mental imbalance. However, God wants each of us to consider those things that we hold dear to us and question about what is most important in our lives. In going through this exercise, we begin to see that God does want more than for us to simply believe and then live anyway we want. We won't always make the right decisions, but we certainly understand that there is a standard that God wants us to strive for. Our lives are to change. You can ask unbelievers around you what they consider important in life. You will hopefully find that their lives are much different than the lives of a believer.
James continues with another example from Scripture. You may remember Rahab. She was not considered in the same light as Abraham. Abraham was the father of the Jews - respected. Rahab was most often referred to as the harlot or the prostitute. Rahab was considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in another direction. When the Israelites came into the Promised Land to scout out the land that had given them, God used Rahab and she helped to save them, and eventually lead the Israelites into Jericho. Though her life had many flaws, James indicated that her deeds showed faith. James stated that as the body is dead without the spirit, so also faith is dead without deeds.
Closing
As we live our faith, it becomes more and more apparent that God intends for us to become more and more like him. One of those ways is in our relationships. Are you quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger? With some people, it can become increasingly difficult to get along. Have you ever noticed that in many cases, those people are most like us? It isn't easy to live as God would have you live in all your relationships, but we are to take the effort to do so.
We are to get rid of the moral filth that is so often around us. As you consider the language you use, the entertainment you seek and the other relationships in your life, are they God honoring, or are you taking steps further away from God? What role does God's word play in your life? A casual approach to the Bible will not impact your life. In my class last week, we talked about why we are so often inconsistent. One of the men stated that it could be simply because we may not really be sold out to Christ, and that we may not have fully believed. This is something we all need to consider. Are we sold out, and if not, what is holding us back?
As James wrote more about faith and works, we truly see that there is to be some major life change. Certainly, we will not achieve perfection and we will from time to time fall. However, are we focused on living our life in a God honoring way, or do we think we have accepted Christ, effectively purchasing our insurance, and then living any way that we desire? Most of us should have working smoke detectors in our house, but that doesn't mean that we should adopt a casual attitude about fire, right?
Both Abraham and Rahab were given as examples of those who had faith and works. That went from one extreme to another. Abraham was the Father of the Jews and as such, was truly respected. On the other hand, Rahab was a a harlot. Was her life pristine? Did she live the life that commanded respect? Wouldn't you have thought that God would have used somebody different? Rahab had plenty of issues in her moral conduct, but she offered herself to be used as God desired. In doing so, God may have reached her through the lives of these 'spies' and undoubtedly God used her to help bring the Israelites into the Promised Land. Take a look at the lives that she impacted, because of her obedience.
Many who read this lesson have done things that may make them feel unworthy to be part of God's family. Face it, we all have those things - from our past, or from things that we continue to hold on to, no matter how hard we have tried to drop them. Many deal with 'secret sins' from their past or present and feel discouraged. Some are struggling now and have begun to question God's love for them. God chose Rahab because he loved her, and he loves you just as much. There is nothing that you have done that is so awful that it can separate you from God's love.
|