Consistent Christianity (Part 2; Full Sentences)
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Introduction
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The Big Idea: Be consistently Christian
The Big Question: What are the consistently elements of consistent Christianity?
1. Consistent obedience
Explanation:
Consistent obedience is possible because of three things about the word:
A. The word is receivable (James 1:19-27)
James 1:19–21 (ESV)
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
Taking off wickedness doesn’t leave us naked
“Putting off” is joined by the receiving of the “implanted word.”
The word is inside of you.
The thing that Christians are commanded to obey is not outside of themselves.
We do not have to reach any word that is outside of us for consistency; we already have what we need within us (through the Holy Spirit)
B. The word is practicable
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
The receiver of the word isn’t just a hearer of the word, but a doer of the word.
To receive is to go beyond hearing.
Illustration: The mirror
The word only has a “temporary” effect on those who hear it without doing it
God’s word gives us stuff to do, so being a consistent Christian means consistently doing what it says
C. The word is practical
26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
When it the word is truly received, it is practiced, and it is practiced in practical situations that apply to everyday life.
Two such examples are given:
Controlled speech
Sacrificial care for the needy
Consistent obedience is never unpractical.
It can always be applied to specific stuff that we go through
The Point: God’s word should be a consistent part of our lives, which displays itself through consistent obedience.
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The Big Idea: Be consistently Christian
The Big Question: What is consistent Christianity consistent in?
Consistent obedience(James 1:19-27)
Consistent love (James 2:1-13)
Explanation:
Three things about consistent love:
A. Consistent love is impartial
1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
Partiality: To make outward-based judgement
Love does not judge by outward appearance
“A favoritism based on external considerations is inconsistent with faith in the One who came to break down the barriers of nationality, race, class, gender and religion.” -Douglas J. Moo
The consistent love of consistently Christianity is consistently impartial.
B. Consistent love is merciful
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Mercy: Not getting what you deserve.
The second greatest commandment
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The Big Idea: Be consistently Christian
The Big Question: What is consistent Christianity consistent in?
Consistent obedience (James 1:19-27)
Consistent love (James 2:1-13)
Consistent faith (James 2:14-26)
Explanation:
A. Consistent faith works
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
The phrase “that faith” in verse 14 is really important
James is NOT saying that genuine faith doesn’t save
He is just saying that a “faith” without works doesn’t save, because it isn’t true “faith”
His point is that true faith always works.
And in verse 15, an illustration is given about helping those in need
Words only go so far. A true faith goes beyond words and into tangible action,
A consistent faith helps people; if a faith doesn’t help people, it isn’t really faith, and it is pointless.
B. Consistent faith sacrifices
James 2:20–24 (ESV)
20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
Here’s where we are introduced to the idea of justification, and Abraham is given as an example.
The specific example given is when Abraham is willing to offer up his son Isaac on the altar
And James says in verse 24 that “I person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
But there is a problem with this; it seems like it is the exact opposite of what Paul said.
1 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”
So, James says that Abraham was justified by works, and Paul says that Abraham was justified by faith alone. Which is it?
Well, both are actually correct, because they are using the word “justify” in different senses.
When Paul says it, he is talking about the initial justification that happens as soon as someone becomes a Christian
But what James has in mind is final justification that happens after Christ returns
This quote from Douglas Moo does a better job of describing this than I ever could:
“Paul wants to make clear that one ‘gets into’ God’s kingdom only by faith; James insists that God requires works from those who are ‘in’.” -Douglas Moo
Makes sense?
We obtain salvation by faith alone, but we prove our salvation through works.
The works confirm that the faith was legitimate.
C. Consistent faith risks
25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
Rahab is about as different from Abraham as someone could be
Abraham was a patriarch of the Jewish people, and Rahab was a prostitute in the middle of a Gentile nation
Abraham was called “the friend of God,” while Rahab was living in the middle of the enemies of God
Abraham was a great leader, and Rahab was a common citizen
Abraham was at the top of the social order, and Rahab was at the bottom.
Yet, she, like Abraham, had a consistent faith that proved itself through works .
What works?
When Israel sent spies to out of Jericho, she hid them and sent them out safely, and didn’t tell anyone where they were
Rahab put her life on the line because of her faith; if what she was doing would have been discovered, she would have been killed right away
But she did the work of taking a risk for her faith
And this proved that her faith was consistent.
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Conclusion
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Small Group Questions
Text: James 1:19-2:26.
The Big Idea: Be consistently Christian
The Big Question: What is consistent Christianity consistent in?
Consistent obedience
Consistent love
Consistent faith
Why is it so much easier to just be a “hearer” of the word and not a “doer”?
How can we overcome these challenges and become doers of the word?
In what ways to teenagers show partiality to some people more than others?
What can we do to overcome this partiality?
When it comes to the concept of “faith without works is dead” (2:14-26), how is the concept of salvation for works different than salvation from works? Explain.
What is one way you can apply this message to your life this week?