Saturday, May 12, 2018

Faith Can Be Dead Without Works.


Sincerity of our love.

2Co 8:7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. 
2Co 8:8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. 
2Co 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 

If we KNOW the grace of our LORD JESUS CHRST…. do we? 

Our Savior gave up heaven. You might instantly shake your head and say that He didn't, He's there right now, and you're right. However, He had to GIVE up heaven in order to go back to heaven.  The enormity of that act is somewhat lost on us I think.  God with God in heaven, think about that for a moment.

Let's take it down to another level- suppose you are born rich, filthy rich. You've never lacked for a single thing in your entire life. You've had the best of the best. You've been blessed with amazingly good health and a very sound mind. And then your sister/brother comes to you and says we have a problem. You learn that there is a village on the opposite side of the earth from where you live that unless someone goes to that village, becoming exactly like one of the people there and live their lifestyle- the complete opposite of all you'd known your entire life, the people there will perish. There are a lot of particulars we can't go into but that's the gist of it and now you need to decide if one of you will go, or not. Could you give up everything, I mean everything- every amenity you've ever known, and live a life of complete deprivation from your rich reality in order to save a village of people?

Of course the life of our Savior prior to His taking on human flesh as a baby is something far beyond anything similar to even the best life here on earth. He was SPIRIT form, He was from the everlasting, at His word heavens were brought into existence, worlds came to be, He was never in time, never constrained by any limitation we can imagine. He CHOSE to give all that up. To comprehend the depths of the poverty He took on for us, is impossible.  And He would have US take on poverty for our fellow man.  I know that sounds ludicrous and some may be instantly protesting saying we aren't all supposed to be poor people.  But there are many meanings of poverty.

2Co 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 

For us Jesus became poor and because He became poor we have the riches of eternal life!

He is our greatest example!

2Co 9:7  Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 

Jas 2:14  What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 
Jas 2:15  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 
Jas 2:16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 
Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 
Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 

Let us follow our Savior's example, let us have faith with works so our faith is not dead!

All through His amazing love!!!!!! His GRACE!


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