THE BEHAVIOR OF LIVING FAITH

JAMES 2:2

A. "FOR AS THE BODY WITHOUT THE SPIRIT IS DEAD, SO FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD ALSO"
  1. Faith, living faith, is the basis of our relation with God and with man:
    1. "But without faith it is impossible to please God" - Heb. 11:6
    2. "Have faith in God" - Mark 11:22
  2. Faith, living active faith is a rare article in our sophisticated world today:
    1. "Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth" - Luke 18:8 B. THE BEHAVIOR OF LIVING FAITH
  3. It calls forth an active response in life:
    1. Noah believed and built an ark for the saving of his house - Heb. 11:7
    2. Abraham left his country and his relatives, went into a country unknown to him because he believed God - Heb. 11:8-10
    3. By faith Jochebed prepared an ark to save the son that became the great emancipator of his race - Ex. 2:1-9
  4. This living faith centers in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ:
    1. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house" - Acts 16:31
    2. "For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" - Acts 4:12
  5. This living faith produces conviction rather than opinion:
    1. In this superficial age men are quite content to have religious opinions
    2. Conviction is a rather strenuous word for men that are quite content with what this world has to offer to them
    3. A person with a burning conviction is never idle or inactive
    4. Writes Paul, "For the love of Christ constraineth us" - 2 Cor. 5:14
    5. John the Baptist was "a burning and a shining light" - John 5:35 Can that be said of us?
  6. Living faith brings to life truths which seemed dead and ineffectual:
    1. Keep in mind, dear friend, that truths never exercise a vital influence upon you until you employ a real faith in them
    2. Great Bible truths lie dormant until they come to life through the exercise of vivid faith
  7. This living active faith produces a creative influence in the lives of our fellowmen:
    1. Think of that simple faith of the woman of Samaria and what it did to her countrymen - John 4:28-41
    2. Writes the apostle Paul, "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, the just shall live by faith" - Rom. 1:17 C. THE BLESSING OF LIVING - ACTIVE FAITH WHICH CENTERS IN THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD
  8. It transfers us from the kingdom and power of darkness into the kingdom of light:
    1. Picture to yourselves the experience of the thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-43
    2. Or think of the experience of little Zacchaeus in a few short moments - Luke 19:9
    3. Or take a close look at the woman that was caught in adultery - John 8:1-12
  9. It unfolds to us vistas of divine truths that we cannot fathom in our limited understanding:
    1. Listen to Paul and his exclamation "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God" - Rom. 11:33
    2. Or read the chronicles of the faithful in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews
  10. Best of all, living and active faith, centered in the Bible:
    1. Purifies our own souls
    2. It changes our nature and enables us to become partakers of the divine nature - 2 Peter 1:2-8
  11. Dear reader, does this living - active faith dwell in you?


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