Bible Study: James 1:22-27 (church, Revelation, believe, scripture)
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For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Faith without works cannot be called faith because faith without works is dead.
Now, here is the scripture of James 1:22-27
King James Version
22But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23For 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:
24For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25But 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.
26If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
27Pure 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.
Life Principles Bible by Dr. Charles Stanley
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 observing his natural face in a mirror;
24) for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
25) But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
26) If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless.
27) Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
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As you read this, what thoughts are going thru your minds? Can you expand more on this to what having faith truly means to you?
Faith is a gift given to a person called by GOD, from the darkness into the Light, and the Light is JESUS CHRIST. The receiver of the gift of faith, willingly accepts the calling, and becomes born of the SPIRIT.
In the relationship between faith and works, one should know that first comes faith. This is the GOD given order of events. GOD Himself gives us this faith. It is a gift from GOD.
Now that we have received this gift from GOD, we are responsible to use this faith. With this faith, we can do good works, which is pleasing unto our LORD. Without this faith, we could not please GOD and do good works and would not even be saved.
In the parable of the talents, one servant did nothing. He was given the gift of faith, but he buried it in the Earth.
It is true that all true Christians have been given faith, but if they don't use it in doing good works, their faith is inactive, buried, and in essence dead. In that condition, and if they do not repent, they will be excluded from the Kingdom of GOD, just as the servant who buried his talent in the Earth.
The Church at Sardis (written in Revelation) was said to be "dead". But admonished to "stir up what remains". Their faith had become dead.
So let's stir up the faith within us and understand the requirement of doing good works with the good faith the LORD has given us.
Faith without works cannot be called faith because faith without works is dead.
Now, here is the scripture of James 1:22-27
As you read this, what thoughts are going thru your minds?
It raises the question as to whether just professing to have faith is merely enough. What or Whom do you have faith in?
--That if one has "faith" (in God) then that somehow implies a connection or inter-relationship. That in internalizing that, it should somehow translate into one's life, as lived. It's nice to say that one has "faith," but what does that really mean to the individual? If one has "faith" that Jesus is/was God, and one therefore adheres to the principles that He stood for, then that would imply acceptance of, and an inter-relatedness with...
That's what June's "off the top of her head" response would be...
Quote:
Originally Posted by aiangel_writer
Can you expand more on this to what having faith truly means to you?
As you read this, what thoughts are going thru your minds? Can you expand more on this to what having faith truly means to you?
22But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Walking according to that scripture that has come to ones heart. Regardless of any given situation.
Believing the word that is given to one and acting upon it. Because one loves God and so desires too, not because one has too (the rules).
23For 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: 24For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
One who hears Gods word yet does not act upon it, is one who does not believe it. One forgets where God has brought one out of a life of darkness (sin).
25But 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.
One who hears the word and believes it and acts upon it. This produces the faith God has given to that heart and one honors and obeys the implanted word. Therefore God blesses that heart and that life becomes fruitful in all that one says and does, by faith.
26If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
True faith in Christ does not show itself merely in religious observances. Real Christian faith is evident when we, restrain our tongues... Ps. 34:13 Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.
Again and again in the Bible, it is our mouth that shows our true relationship to God....
27Pure 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.
Again this pure religion is one who acts upon the written word in the heart and keeps one self from the sin that so easily once ensnared ones life. Helping the fatherless and widows in their affliction to me would be to act because you see one's suffering and your heart is to help....not just because the word says to, but because one wants too, a desire, that comes from God. Faith produces in the heart of one who hungers and thirsts after righteousness.
aiangel_writer this is what I believe in my heart about this scripture and do believe that is what the Holy Spirit has led and helped me to believe.
When one becomes born again, God writes the written word upon our hearts, faith begins when one lives and acts upon it.
I also believe that is when one is aware of the presence of God in our hearts, by the written word that the Holy Spirit brings forth in ones life.
It becomes our lives and we begin to do as the word speaks to us. Faith is the work within us, that the Holy Spirit gives the power and leads the life in God.
I believe Faith is given by God and is the process of the written word upon the heart of one who believes God and one will walk in the light of His word, because faith is the evidence of one who believe God.
Jesus said, that one who does what He commands is one who abides in His word and is one who is with Him, not against Him.
Every thing you do will be the desire to live according to God's will. I believe that is why it is so important for one to be in the word. God has written the word in our hearts and as one reads, studies it, the word that God places in our hearts in the beginning of our salvation becomes life... faith begins it work in leading that life in God through His Holy Spirit whom has sealed us and through the Scripture shows that heart the faith God has given.
How would one not know that which pleases the Father, if the word is not planted and stirred up, brought to life in their heart to honor and obey.
Faith come from hearing the word of God, and believing it and acting upon it because one loves God, because He first loved us....
Blessings...
Last edited by Cyber Munchkin; 10-13-2008 at 07:30 AM..
If you see all that God has done for you, we are adopted sons of God, his own. How could you not want to show your faith by helping other. We are to be salt and light. How can we even see all that God has done and not have actions to back that up? How can the world see your faith unless they see how you treat others and how you use the gifts God has given you. Christianity looks outward and not inward to just what God does for us...we are to show the light to the world.
To me the worst thing would be to be talking with someone I knew and have them surprised and say, "oh I didn't know you were a Christian". The world will know us by our Love.
It is my belief from experience that once a person gets truly saved, offers his soul to God, changes will take place.
They might not come overnight, nor all in a big noticable bunch of things, but gradually and silently...till one day, you realize hey, look--I don't care to do this or that anymore, and when did I start doing this?
I have found as I grow in the Word, my actions follow, I grow my Spiritual self and put off the old and embrace the new. What once I thought nothing of doing, now I find it distastful. My outlook on how I live my life has changed, but I miss nothing from the old life--it was a seamless transition for me.
I wish I could express how I feel now...the peace and comfort I feel and how I worry less about things that would have had me to the brink of sickness before...I am more calm, less prone to anger which is great at curbing my tongue which was always something I strived to work on. For years I prayed for help with my wayward tongue, but it has only been in the past two to three years that I have noticed the difference!!! God's timing, not mine. Praise Him for this...I stay out of a lot of trouble now LOL..
Recently, I have been busy at my job and with other obligations, too busy to read and study the Word as I should.. I have noticed a difference in my life from this too, frustrations piling up, harboring anger, and just feeling out of sorts are some of the things I've been feeling....all the while, way back in the recesses of my conscience has been a voice.....it basically was telling me to come back, make time, for Him....And until I insisted on finding time to spend in the Word, I felt just a bit off-kilter, once I got back into the Word--things fell right with my life once again...Now, this is not to say I don't have things that bring me pain, I do, we are not promised to be immune to life and it's misery, but we are promised that He will always be there to guide and help us thru these difficult times.
That is why I can understand the statement of faith without works is dead.
When we are born into Christ, our outlook, thoughts, and dreams change to reflect the Love of Christ that is in us....Our Spiritual gifts slowly emerge and we find we are strong in certain things, and wish to do what we are being called to do.
I am such a giver...There are times when I belive I would give the shirt off my back to someone just to please God....I get such joy and delight in giving to people, whether it is money or a smile, or something more concrete. And, I don't go around proudly proclaiming to all that I am a giver, I am a silent giver.
If I am in town, or anywhere and see someone who is having a bad day, sad, sick or angry even, I feel it is MY responsibility to offer them something to help ease their pain....many times, it is a kind word and smile, if it is someone I know it could be as simple as a hug....
What I am trying to say is, I am compelled so strongly to these people, to Do something nice for them...
Works, simple as that, not trying to do works, but being compelled by the Spirit to do them...Obeying His Word...
It is my belief from experience that once a person gets truly saved, offers his soul to God, changes will take place.
They might not come overnight, nor all in a big noticable bunch of things, but gradually and silently...till one day, you realize hey, look--I don't care to do this or that anymore, and when did I start doing this?
I have found as I grow in the Word, my actions follow, I grow my Spiritual self and put off the old and embrace the new. What once I thought nothing of doing, now I find it distastful. My outlook on how I live my life has changed, but I miss nothing from the old life--it was a seamless transition for me.
I wish I could express how I feel now...the peace and comfort I feel and how I worry less about things that would have had me to the brink of sickness before...I am more calm, less prone to anger which is great at curbing my tongue which was always something I strived to work on. For years I prayed for help with my wayward tongue, but it has only been in the past two to three years that I have noticed the difference!!! God's timing, not mine. Praise Him for this...I stay out of a lot of trouble now LOL..
Recently, I have been busy at my job and with other obligations, too busy to read and study the Word as I should.. I have noticed a difference in my life from this too, frustrations piling up, harboring anger, and just feeling out of sorts are some of the things I've been feeling....all the while, way back in the recesses of my conscience has been a voice.....it basically was telling me to come back, make time, for Him....And until I insisted on finding time to spend in the Word, I felt just a bit off-kilter, once I got back into the Word--things fell right with my life once again...Now, this is not to say I don't have things that bring me pain, I do, we are not promised to be immune to life and it's misery, but we are promised that He will always be there to guide and help us thru these difficult times.
That is why I can understand the statement of faith without works is dead.
When we are born into Christ, our outlook, thoughts, and dreams change to reflect the Love of Christ that is in us....Our Spiritual gifts slowly emerge and we find we are strong in certain things, and wish to do what we are being called to do.
I am such a giver...There are times when I belive I would give the shirt off my back to someone just to please God....I get such joy and delight in giving to people, whether it is money or a smile, or something more concrete. And, I don't go around proudly proclaiming to all that I am a giver, I am a silent giver.
If I am in town, or anywhere and see someone who is having a bad day, sad, sick or angry even, I feel it is MY responsibility to offer them something to help ease their pain....many times, it is a kind word and smile, if it is someone I know it could be as simple as a hug....
What I am trying to say is, I am compelled so strongly to these people, to Do something nice for them...
Works, simple as that, not trying to do works, but being compelled by the Spirit to do them...Obeying His Word...
14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[a]? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"[b] and he was called God's friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
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Even satan and his demons acknowledge that God exists. They just choose to not have faith in God and Jesus. They refuse to kneel before God and surrender their will to Him.
So, considering the passage, do you think we can get to heaven with belief alone?
I alway thought if we believed Jesus was who He said He was, that He died for our sins on the Cross, and arose and ascended into Heaven we were considered believers. But, then again, we must ask Him to come into our lives to be saved, which is a work that justifies faith?
Comments anyone?
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James 2:14-26
