Faith and Works (Part 1)

When we talk about salvation, we are very careful to affirm that salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ alone. We cannot be saved by our works. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast." Salvation is by faith alone. How is a man justified? By faith alone.
However, James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ deals with another question in his epistle. He answers the question, "What kind of faith justifies?" Is it just enough to say, "I have faith"? Is it just a matter of professing faith? No, James says a faith that is exists in name only is not the kind of faith that saves. James 2:14 says, "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?"
The Bible clearly says that a faith that does not produce good works is unprofitable. If someone says, "I have faith," but his life does not back up that claim, what is the profit in that? James says, "That kind of faith cannot save him, can it?"
He continues on with an illustration of how empty words that aren't backed up with action are. Verses fifteen and sixteen say, "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 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?" Here a person gives a blessing that is empty because it is only words and no action. James says that is as worthless as a profession of faith that is only words and not backed up by one's life.
His conclusion in verse seventeen is straightforward: "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." A professed "faith" that does not change one's life and demonstrate obedience to God is a dead faith. It cannot save.

Where to Look for a Godly Person

In Genesis 24, we read about Abraham sending his servant to the land of Haran to find a wife for his son Isaac. I suppose we might find it very strange for Abraham to send a servant to get a wife for his son: after all, Isaac wasn't a kid--- he was probably about fifty years old! But in that culture (and many others today), parents arrange marriages for their children. When Rebekah came back with the servant, Isaac married her (Gen 24:67). Don't feel too bad for Isaac--- the Bible tells us that Rebekah was a beautiful girl (Gen 24:16).
Can you imagine your parents picking out someone for you to marry? Or even worse, sending one of their employees to pick someone for you? Obviously, in our day and time, people pick out their own marriage partners. I want to focus on something else: let's look at where the servant went to find a wife for Isaac.
The most important thing that Abraham wanted for his son's wife was that she was not a pagan like the Canaanites who lived around him. He made the servant take an oath that the girl he brought back would not be from the heathen people around them (Gen 24:3). Perhaps there were some good girls in the surrounding nations; however, Abraham was a wise man. He knew that to find a godly person, you should look among other godly people.
When you go to look for someone to marry someday, or even for a friend now, keep that principle in mind. If you want a godly friend or spouse, look among other godly people. We are known by the company we keep. People look for friends that are like themselves. A person who hangs around ungodly people is probably not going to make a godly friend. A girl who is comfortable with ungodly guys will not be a godly wife.
The group of people you are comfortable with says a lot about who you are. Where you look for your friends (or someday, for your spouse) also says a lot about you, too.

Boiling Over With Enthusiasm

Have you ever noticed that some people are excited about everything? I don't know about you, but I'm not always that easily excited. I do think that it is important, however, even if you're not bouncing off the walls, to be enthusiastic about what the Lord has done for you and your service to him.
This makes me think of a verse: "Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord" (Rom 12:11). As Christians, we are commanded not to be lazy in what we do. Whatever God has given us to do, whether school, or a job, or helping out around the house, we ought to do to the very best of our ability. We should work hard and not be lazy.
Second, we are to be "fervent in spirit." I think the best way we could say this would be enthusiastic. We should not be "wet blankets" and put a damper on the mood of everybody around us. Do you know people who just light up the room when they enter? They are the kind of people you like to talk to because they encourage you with their energy and excitement. Do you know the opposite kind of people? The ones who drag down any activity with their negativity and moodiness? The kind that can make any activity "boring"? Remember what Mr. Sam Brock says all the time at camp: "If you're bored, it's because you're a boring person." This verse tells us not to be boring people; we should be "boiling over" with enthusiasm.
Third, we are to be serving the Lord. If you have a magnetic personality and you can drum up excitement easily, but you are serving yourself or doing things that are wrong, that's no good. We should be excited about serving the Lord. After all that God has done for us, being able to serve him should be the most exciting thing in our lives. We should serve God enthusiastically, whether we help in the nursery, greet others and encourage them at church, or help with the music ministry. Wherever God has placed us, we should be enthusiastically serving God with diligence!

Done With School!

How do you know when you are done with school? You may think you have had enough school already and you want to quit. Or maybe you think that when you finish high school, you will be done with school. Perhaps you plan to go to college, and when you graduate you will be done with school. Maybe you even think you might like to get a master's degree or a doctorate. Surely then you will be done with school.
We can know when we are done with school when we have become like our teachers. In Luke 6:40 Jesus said, "The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master." You may think initially that this verse doesn't say anything about school, but the word "disciple" really means "student" or "learner" and the old English word "master" means "teacher." So what this verse is saying is that the student is not above his teacher; on the contrary, every student when he is "perfect" (or fully trained) will become like his teacher.
In other words, you are ready to be done being trained when you can do the right thing on your own. If your teachers are constantly having to correct you and teach you the right thing to do, then you aren't ready to be out from under their instruction. If your parents can't trust you to do the right thing on your own, you still need their training. If you haven't learned the lessons you've been taught in school, at home, or at church, then you aren't quite ready to be done yet!
At the same time, we need to realize that who we learn from is important. We will become like our teachers. That's why our schooling and formal education is an important choice in our lives. As you get older and think about choosing a college, look at the teachers and think about this: Is this how I want to be in ten or twenty years? Is this how I want to think? Are they committed to the same values that I am? The teachers that we learn from, that we respect, that we listen to, will influence us. We will become like them.