Faith, Love, and Commitment (3-14-2021)

Faith, Love, and Commitment 3-14-21 James 2:17 "So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. You must also do good to prove that you have it. Faith that doesn't show itself by good works is no faith at all - it is dead and useless." TLB Our pastor told me yesterday that Bill Gates and Governor Abbott will be visiting our sanctuary for next Sunday's service and afterwards will be having a discussion to find out how churches are responding to the COVID crisis. I was wondering if anyone here would be willing to accommodate them when they arrive. Where will we seat them? Should we have a special group to greet them upon their arrival? After all, they are both special people with lots of power in the case of the governor or money in the case of Bill Gates of Microsoft Corporation fame. Would anyone here be willing to volunteer to help with arrangements? Of course, I am just kidding about Gates and Abbott coming here, but if they were would they be given any more special treatment than an ordinary visitor? Would we treat them as privileged persons? If so, I am afraid the author of the book of James would be disappointed in us, for he begins Chapter 2 of his letter with these words: "My dear brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism." (v. 1) If we are to act like Jesus taught us, then, if anything, we would pay special attention to poor, down-and-out people rather than the rich and famous. That was Jesus' faith based on his knowledge of what God prefers. Perhaps Jesus knew Leviticus 19:15 which warns the people not to show favoritism to the great. This chapter goes to great length to show the important connection between faith and works, between what we believe and what we do about our beliefs. According to our Sunday School booklet, the substance of faith is works and works flow from genuine saving faith. The connection between the two is inseparable. I come from a background that puts a big emphasis on head knowledge. Intellectual accomplishment is important, it is the basis of a teachers' ability to do their jobs. But James points out that even the devil has lots of knowledge and is very smart, so head knowledge is not enough. When I first started reading the second chapter of the book of James I have to be honest, I was feeling uneasy. James does that to me. And then I got to that verse in which James says: "Dear brothers, what's the use of saying that you have faith and are Christians if you aren't proving it by helping others?" (James 2:14 TLB) And I thought to myself, there you go again, telling me I have to prove myself or be rejected. Of course, that self talk came from my own personal history in which I so often found myself wanting when I compared myself to others who were running, writing, doing math, or saying the right thing so much better than I was. But then the words of one of my former pastors rang in my ears: "Comparisons are odious." I had to look up the word odious. It means hideous and detestable. Yes, my initial reaction to that phrase about proving my faith put me off a bit. But after I finished reading this chapter the impression I got was that James loved the Christian he was writing to. He did refer to them as dear brothers and sisters. (v. 5) And he loved them enough to tell them the truth in spite of how they might react to his words. Not only did James love the people to whom he was writing, this chapter is really about love and commitment as well as faith. I remember when I started attending the non-denominational church in Mansfield, TX. I liked the messages and the worship. I became involved with the men's group there and got to know a few of the people in the church, I became more comfortable in the church and started to love the people there. More important, I learned about Jesus and about a God who loves and forgives. Without realizing it in addition to my love, my faith started growing. I finally decided to go up to one of the ministers after the invitation and told him that I needed to surrender. He put his hand on my shoulder, listened and was very gentle and supportive. Eventually after a couple of earnest conversations with the pastors there in which I had lots of my questions answered, I decided to get baptized. That baptism of immersion was completely and totally different than the sprinkling I got as an infant in the Catholic church. When I came up out of the water to the applause of the congregation, my wife and a close friend who were there later told me I was beaming like a little child. My point is that my baptism was an important instance of something I DID that I now realize was proving my faith by committing myself to follow Jesus. I tell this story again to make the point that faith, love, and commitment - or action go together and cannot be separated - as our Sunday School booklet tells us. Questions and Challenges * Describe an instance in which you did the opposite of being a "respecter of persons," of giving preference to someone due to their power, wealth or prestige. Maybe it was to a newcomer at church or an outsider in a group you belong to, or someone who was on the margins and in some way not like most people. * How did you show your love for that person - in your tone of voice, what you said, how you acted? * Describe the way your faith is growing and how love and commitment of some kind are connected with your faith. * How do you react to the message that without works, faith is dead? Prayer Father, help me to grow in my trust in you. Help me realize that I am not defective because I still have room to grow in faith and in works. Lord, help me to identify the small ways that I am working and acting like your Son, Jesus. Give us in our community the vision to discover what it is you want each of us individually to do with our unique gifts, skills, and abilities. We pray these things in the name of our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.