Fruitless Faith

“FRUITLESS FAITH”

Text  1 Cor. 15:1-11

Intro.      2 Co 6:1 ¶ We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

Vain - 1) empty,  vain,  devoid of truth

1a) of places,  vessels,  etc. which contain nothing

1b) of men

1b1) empty handed

1b2) without a gift

1c) metaph. destitute of spiritual wealth,  of one who boasts of his faith as a transcendent possession,  yet is without the fruits of faith

1d) metaph. of endeavours,  labours,  acts,  which result in nothing, vain,  fruitless,  without effect

1d1) vain of no purpose  

Fruitless

There is a lot of vanity in this world:

                                                                                Life

                                                                                Language

                                                                                Learning

                                                                                Looks

                                                                                Longings

Conversation – Manner of Life, Conduct, Behavior.

(1 Peter 1:18-23 AV)

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.  Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Supplication

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. (Matthew 6:7 AV)

Worship-

Matthew 15:9  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Labor

   Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:58 AV)

I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. (Galatians 4:11 AV)

Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. (Philippians 2:16 AV)

And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. (Galatians 2:2 AV)

Words

Ephesians 5:6  Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. (Colossians 2:8 AV)

From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; (1 Timothy 1:6 AV)

But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. (2 Timothy 2:16 AV)

For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: (Titus 1:10 AV)

Here Paul warns us of Vain faith:

                I               No Pardon vs 3 , 17

1.                    From  the Past

1 Corinthians 6:11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Titus 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

2.                    For the Present

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1 AV)

 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. (John 1:9 AV)

Proverbs 28:13 ¶ He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

Psalms 19:12  Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.

Psalms 51:2  Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

II.                   No Possession

Earnest of the Spirit

III.                 No Position

1.                    Relationship – Son of God

Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

2.                    Reliance- Children of God

Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

17 ¶ And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

3.                    Rights – Adopted of God

Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

IV.                 No Purpose vs 10

V.                   No Purity

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27 AV)

VI.                 No Peace

VII.               No Preaching