James 2:18 But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith.
Martin Luther wanted to take the book of James out of the Bible. It tends at times to argue against his emphasis on faith saving us and us not earning our salvation. I'm glad Martin didn't succeed in his anti-James quest. There are some good reminders for us there. Like this one, which is just this: don't worry so much about whether your works save you, but if you don't have any, I have some questions about your faith.
If you say you have faith in Jesus Christ Sunday morning, and then steal a car Sunday afternoon then we better talk about your faith. If you say you have faith in Jesus Christ Sunday morning and then give or take a bribe at work on Monday morning, then some conversation about what your faith is exactly might be in order. That's what it means. There are fruit that grow from faith. The fruit don't save you, but they are visual cues.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot for conversation and http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more details on all our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday and 9 am Sunday.
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