Is your faith real?

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September 25, 2011
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GRAB YOUR BIBLES James 2:14-17
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Tonight my message is going to be about...making a profit in life!


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LETS READ THE TEXT James 2:14-17
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V.14A “What [doth it] profit,”
-THE LORD....WANTS US TO MAKE A PROFIT IN THIS LIFE-
(Not necessarily.....in the area of money
But in.....a truly valuable part of life:
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Our Spiritual life:
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-THIS IS A REOCCURRING THEME.....IN THE BIBLE-
Qt. Mark 8:36
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world,
and lose his own soul?”
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V.14B “my brethren,”
-A POINT.....THAT MUST BE MADE CLEAR IN THIS PASSAGE-
(This is talking about Believers
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Salvation....has nothing to do with good works:
But after you’re saved....good works are important:
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-THE QUESTION.....BEING DISCUSSED HERE-
Can you be saved.....& not be doing good works?
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V.14C “though a man say he hath faith,”
-THE CENTRAL ISSUE.....OF THIS PART OF SCRIPTURE-
(A Man “saying”....that he is saved
“But not living like it:”
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A person can say.....anything they want:
But that does not make it true!
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V.14D “and have not works?”
-THE “ONLY WAY”.......TO “LIVE LIKE YOU ARE SAVED”-
(Is to have....a “changed life”
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A change that....was brought on by the Lord:
And your relationship with Him!
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V.14E “can faith save him?”
-A QUESTION....THAT EACH OF US HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES-
(Can my faith be real...if it’s not changing me?)
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The answer.....we get from Scripture is....
(“NO!”)
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This kind of faith....is “talk only”!
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V.15A “If a brother or sister be naked,”
-A CLASSIC TEST..........OF OR FAITH-
(That determines...which kind of faith we have
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“A fellow Christian in need”
So what do we do?
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V.15B “and destitute of daily food,”
-THIS COULD BE A REASON...THE LORD LETS THIS HAPPEN-
(By allowing.....some Christians may be in need
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So that other Christians...have someone to give to!
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V.16A “And one of you say unto them,”
-THE PLACE...WHERE THE LORD WANTS TO BRING EACH OF US-
(A pace where... “the ball” is in our court
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If you’re a wealthy Christian:
It may be someone in need.
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If you don’t have a lot of money:
It will be someplace else!
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But the Lord wants us to see the truth about ourselves!
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V.16B “Depart in peace, be [ye] warmed and filled;”
-THE WRONG ANSWER......TO GIVE IN THIS TEST-
(Although....this answer
May seem....to be “deep and thoughtful”:
It’s the wrong answer:
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Because...it didn’t cost you anything:
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I remember hearing a preacher say once...
“If your faith isn’t costing you something,
than it’s not.....real faith!”
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It may cost you “money” or “friends” or “some pride”, etc.
But it should be...costing you something!
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V.16C “notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body;”
-THE RESPONSE THAT TRUE “FAITH”....WILL BRING US TO-
(Giving....as the Lord leads
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We can never go wrong...following the Lord’s instructions:
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Because He’s the one...that has given us the things we have:
And we are only stewards....of the things we have:
Therefore we should give them up....as the Lord leads!
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V.16D “what [doth it] profit?”
-A SACRIFICE.....THAT NOONE ELSE MAY KNOW ABOUT-
(That you make...because God has changed you
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This...is what will bring you a profit in life!
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V.17A “Even so faith,”
-THE ROOT PURPOSE.....OF THIS PASSAGE-
(To get each of us....to examine ourselves
To determine....what kind of faith we have:
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Is it “real faith”....or just a religion!
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V.17B “if it hath not works,”
-THE SMOKE SCREEN....SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO HIDE BEHIND-
(Hold it preacher.... “Salvation is by faith...not works”
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Although this is absolutely true:
We are not talking about....”getting saved”:
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This passage is talking about...”being saved”:
And the kind of person... “your salvation has made you!”
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V.17C “is dead,”
-THE WAY THE BIBLE DESCRIBES.....HAVING FAITH WITHOUT WORKS-
(You faith is “dead”
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This means....that you are “not really saved”:
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-BUT.....GOOD WORKS.....CAN ALSO BE A TRAP-
See Matthew 7:21-23
V.21 ¶ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;
but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
V.22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?
and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
V.23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
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We need to have been...born again by faith:
Then be...following the Lord’s instructions!
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-A QUESTION.......THAT MIGHT HAVE POPPED INTO YOUR MIND-
Why does God’s Word...seem to show us:
So many ways...we can be deceiving ourselves?
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Because of.....Jeremiah 17:9-10
V.9 The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?
V.10 I the LORD search the heart, try the reins, even to give every man
according to his ways, [and] according to the fruit of his doings.
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V.17D “being alone.”
-THE REASON......FAITH WITHOUT WORKS....IS “ALONE”-
(Because all we hear....is your profession “alone”
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A Christian profession:
Will always be backed up.....by Good works!
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