Doctrinal Studies - Obedient Faith

Introduction

James 2:14 KJV 1900

14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

Body

Tell the story of man crossing Niagara Falls with a wheelbarrow, but from the perspective of the one asked to jump in

It makes a difference whether or not we have “skin in the game” or not

Hebrews 11:1 KJV 1900

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

And the rest of the chapter is a record of what was accomplished, what was wrought, what was DONE through faith.

We don’t see a record of various people explaining the nature of their faith, going in depth as to why they believe what they do, or even the importance of faith

We simply see that because of faith, they accomplished

Abel

Enoch

Noah

Abraham

Sarah

Isaac

Jacob

Joseph

Moses

The Nation of Israel

Hebrews 11:32–39 KJV 1900

32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

Two aspects of this:

Faith produces Results

Faith produces Endurance

Faith produces Results

It matters in what, or in whom we believe. What is the object of our faith?

1 Samuel 4:1–3 KJV 1900

1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. 2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. 3 And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

How did that work?

1 Samuel 4:10 KJV 1900

10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

They knew that the ark represented the presence of God

They knew the account of when Joshua ordered the priests to carry the ark across Jordan that the waters parted

At some point they forgot that it was God that did the works, not the ark

Their faith was not in God, but in the ark.

Numbers 21:4–9 KJV 1900

4 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. 5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. 6 And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Again, it was God that healed them, not this brass pole shaped like a serpent

In Hezekiah’s day they had taken to worshipping this brass pole and attributed to it supernatural powers

They started focusing on the object and placing their faith in it, instead of in God

The results are predicated on the ability of the one we’re putting our trust in

Children with parents

People with Government

Believing in ourselves or in a loved one

Us and God

James speaking about putting our faith in God, and the works that demonstrate that faith

James 2:14–23 KJV 1900

14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 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? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 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. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

Belief will always produce a result. An action. A choice.

Stating that “I believe” without any resulting action is kind of like standing on a street corner carrying a picket sign saying “I am against poverty.”

First of all, I would hope so

Second, is that really doing anything to alleviate the problem?

If poverty really, truly bothered the individual, hopefully it would bother them enough to do something about it.

If we really, truly believe that God is, and that this is God’s Word, and we believe what His Word says, that He created everything, including us, and that we rebelled against Him, and that because of that rebellion, there’s sin and death in the world today, but God came as a man and paid the full legal price for our sins Himself so that we wouldn’t have to, wouldn’t that move us to take action?

If our faith is centered in God’s Word, then yes, it would cause us to take action

But not everyone’s faith is in God, or His Word. So different actions ensue

What actions is your faith producing today?

Faith produces Endurance

Again, James speaks to this aspect of faith as well

James 1:2–3 KJV 1900

2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

In Hebrews 11 we saw that not everyone received the promise.

How can this be?

If we have faith in God, we must because of that faith understand something about the nature of existence

Life exists beyond the confines of this earthly tabernacle

Life fur us will be eternal

When we endure temptations, God is teaching us to love this life less and less and love eternal life more and more

When we keep hold of that understanding, we’ll never misplace our faith in anything else. We’ll keep our faith on God.

God is the only one who is eternal and will outlast all these difficulties and problems with us

When our faith and our confidence is in God we can trust Him to see us through all life’s storms, or to take us home.

Either one is good for us!

When God removes His presence from us in prayer, He’s trying our faith

When God allows us to suffer loss, or heartache, He’s trying our faith

When God places us in impossible situations, will we call for the ark? Will we worship a brazen snake? Or will we call out on Jesus Christ?

People will fail us

We’ll fail ourselves

Money and title and position will fail

Only Jesus will never fail you

In this case, the action faith may cause us to take is to patiently wait on God

Maybe the action our faith will manifest is to fall on our faces before God

Our faith in God will cause us to call out to Him. Rely on Him. Trust in Him. Believe Him.

Conclusion

James 1:22–25 KJV 1900

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Can faith save us? Absolutely, if our faith is placed in the right person, and in faith, we are obedient to Him.