Faith Without Works is Dead

Apparently the doctor's have changed their minds yet again. It looks like my dad will be having a heart cath done on Tuesday. He's going to have some tests ran on his kidneys tomorrow to see if and how much damage he has due to diabetes. So, other than that, there is no new information to offer at this time. Just continue to pray for him and my family during this time. I'm feeling the stress of everything already. On top of school, work, and church I now have the added responsibility of looking out for things around the house. My mom is stil staying in Charleston, so it's just me at the crib.

We had an interesting discussion in Sunday school this morning regarding the James passage about faith without works being dead. I personally believe that James was written to believers. As far as the salvation of these people that say they have faith but demonstrate no works whatsoever, I don't believe that's for me to decide. I've personally known people that have became believers and just never grown. This is tragic, but the reality is that these people do exist. I think it's a matter of sanctification. Positionally we are already seated with Christ in the heavenlys. Our citizenship is in heaven with Him. But, at the same time, we are still on this earth in our sinful, lust-driven bodies. God is in the process of restoring us back to what we were originally created for. This occurs in many different ways, but the believer must strive and be willing to become more like Him in all they do. We no longer stand condemned before God. He purchased and bought us with a price--His own blood. We are forgiven past, present, and future. Sin is no longer a condition whereby we are commanded to "ask forgiveness". Upon salvation our forgiveness is complete and finished. However, we are commanded to confess our sins or admit to God what we did was against who He is and what He stands for. After we confess, we are to repent or turn away from the sin we were guilty of committing. You see, sin is a matter of fellowship with Him after salvation. The consequences of sin remain the same, but we are secure in our position with God. Our salvation is not based on works.

Faith without works is dead. This is hypocrisy in its plainest form. To an unbelieving world, who would buy that idea of faith? True faith should always produce true works! Separate the two and you have a debased formed of hypocrisy that should be apparent to the believing and unbelieving world alike. So, I ask you this, where do you stand? Let's strive to become more like Christ in all we do.