Tag Archive | faith

James 2 – Faith and Works

Aug4

​Good evening y’all. Today I am blogging on James 2: 14- end.

Be blessed 🙂 

It’s not good enough to say you have faith and then do nothing or say things that are contrary to the Faith you profess. Verse 17-20 and 24 says:

“So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone”.(James 2:17‭-‬20‭, ‬24 NLT)

In the verses above, James tells us the importance of following up our faith with good deeds. That is, if I say I have faith in God, then what I say or do must show that indeed I have faith. 

James gave us the example of Abraham and Rahab. Abraham could have easily said ‘God I love you, I believe in you so I don’t need to prove it to you by killing my son‘. Instead when the instruction came to prove his faith in God, he obeyed and God came through for him. Scripture says it’s was counted unto him as righteousness  

“Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God”. (James 2:21‭-‬23 NLT)

I like how the Message version puts this – 

“Wasn’t our ancestor Abraham “made right with God by works” when he placed his son Isaac on the sacrificial altar? Isn’t it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are “works of faith”? The full meaning of “believe” in the Scripture sentence, “Abraham believed God and was set right with God,” includes his action. It’s that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named “God’s friend.” Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works?”(James 2:21‭-‬24 MSG)

Message bible says “Faith expresses itself in works”. That is faith comes alive in the good works you do.
My prayer for us all today is that God will give us the grace to do the right thing by him. That our actions and words will match our faith. 
Prayer: Dear Lord, pls let my actions match the Faith that I profess. Thank you Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Thanks for joining today. Pls feel free to share your thoughts on the chapter. 

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I’m blogging through the book of James with Good Morning Girls. Check us out at www.goodmorninggirls.org.

Have a blessed evening 🙂

Mark 9 – Do you believe ?

Mar17

Good evening y’all. Today we are studying mark 9.

I am focusing today’s blog on  verses 17 – 27.

Be blessed 🙂

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“One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.” Jesus said to them,  “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!” Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up”.
(Mark 9:17-27 NLT)

For the disciples this must have been shocking and at the same time humbling for them. Considering in the earlier chapters Jesus sent them out and gave them authority over unclean spirits and they came back with reports on how they casted out demons. Now they seem to have met with one demon who seems to be too much for them to handle.

I found a commentary online from Grace Gems about this which brought things home for me….

“Let us learn from these verses, how dependent Christ’s disciples are on the company and help of their Master.
We see this truth brought out in a striking manner in the scene which meets our Lord’s eyes, when He came down from the mount. Like Moses, when he came down from Mount Sinai, He finds his little flock in confusion. He sees His nine apostles beset by a party of malicious Scribes, and baffled in an attempt to heal one who had been brought to them possessed with a devil. The very same disciples who a short time before had done many miracles and “cast out many devils,” had now met with a case too hard for them. They were learning by humbling experience the great lesson, “without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5.)–It was a useful lesson, no doubt, and over-ruled to their spiritual good. It would probably be remembered all the days of their lives. The things that we learn by smarting experience, abide in our memories, while truths heard with the ear are often forgotten. But we may be sure it was a bitter lesson at the time. We do not like to learn that we can do nothing without Christ.
Let us learn a lesson of humility from the failure of the disciples. Let us strive to realize every day our need of the grace and presence of Christ. With Him we may do all things. Without Him we can do nothing at all. With Him we may overcome the greatest temptations. Without Him the least may overcome us. Let our cry be every morning, “leave us not to ourselves–we know not what a day may bring forth–if your presence does not go with us we cannot go up.” (http://gracegems.org/Ryle/mark09.htm)

In verse 23 Jesus said to the father all things are possible to him that believes. The father replied in verse 24 I believe but help my unbelief.

I can so relate with the fathers response in v24. Sometimes the situation is overwhelming that we can’t truly see a way out, even though we are praying and believing God for a miracle. There is a part of us that thinks: can this really be fixed? I believe that’s were the father was at that moment, especially after the disciples had tried and couldn’t cast out the demon in the boy.

Jesus didn’t condemn the man for asking him to help his unbelief. Instead Jesus went ahead and healed the boy.

Today be real with God and sincerely tell him how you feel and invite him to help you. I believe he won’t cast you away or condemn you rather he will draw you nigh and step in like he did for the father who cried out to him on behalf of His son. Have faith that He is able and willing to help you.

Remember all things are possible to him that believes.

Thanks for joining today. Pls feel free to share your thoughts on the chapter.

Have a blessed evening 🙂

***With God all things are possible***