My Lord and My God

We all remember the story of "doubting Thomas." When Jesus first appeared to his disciples following his resurrection, Thomas wasn't there (John 20:24). He wanted to see Jesus' hands, to touch the marks of the wounds, and unless he could do that, he would not believe that Jesus had risen. The other disciples tried to convince him that they all had seen Jesus alive, but Thomas would not be persuaded (John 20:25).
A week following Jesus' resurrection, the disciples were again meeting together, but this time Thomas was with them. Even though they were in a room with the doors shut, Jesus miraculously appeared in the middle of them (John 20:26). Jesus was very gracious to Thomas, and called on him to examine his hands and feet, to touch the wounded side, and to feel the nail marks, to no longer be faithless or unbelieving, but to believe in Jesus Christ (John 20:27).
Thomas' response is amazing. He did not take Jesus up on his offer and touch the wounds. Thomas replied, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28). His statement here is very interesting. He was not simply acknowledging Jesus as his master (although the word "lord" often means "master"); rather, he was saying that Jesus is the LORD of the Old Testament— Jehovah. He was saying that Jesus was God! He was calling the Man standing in front of him, Jesus of Nazareth, the Eternal God!
Jesus' response is equally interesting. In the book of Acts, God struck down King Herod immediately when people were shouting out that he was a god, and not a man. Because Herod did not give God the glory, God killed him on the spot (Acts 12:22–23). In Revelation 19:10, the apostle John fell down at the feet of an angel in worship, and the angel immediately rebuked him, instructing him to worship God instead.
If Jesus were not God, it would have been completely blasphemous for Jesus to accept Thomas' worship of him as God. It would have been dishonest of Jesus to accept it, if he were not God. But the Bible is clear that Jesus is God. As God, Jesus Christ is completely worthy to accept the worship of men. He told Thomas, "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (John 20:29). This blessing from Jesus extends to us who put our faith in Jesus. We have not seen him in person, but with the eye of faith, "we see Jesus, who was made a little [while] lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man" (Heb 2:9).

Love = Putting Others First

We have said several times that our goal in youth group is for each one of us to become more like Jesus Christ. Obviously, that means we all need to listen to God's Word and obey it. However, we have said before that our goal is for each one of us to become more like Jesus Christ. That introduces another dimension— we need to help each other toward that goal.
With that in mind, the Bible clearly teaches that we ought to love each other. If we love something, we will choose that over another. If we love each other, we will put others ahead of ourselves. We will be thinking of each other more than we think about ourselves and what we want. Romans 12:10 says, "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another." We are commanded to be kind and loving toward each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. In order to do this, we must "prefer one another" or "put others first."
Think about our youth group meetings: we only get together once a week for a little more than an hour. How do you view that time? Is it a chance for you to do what you want? If this is your attitude, you might complain if you think an activity is silly or, in your opinion, boring. If youth group is all about you, then you might spend the time talking to your friends instead of listening. How is that putting others first? How is that helping them be more like Jesus Christ?
Is youth group an opportunity to relax and catch a few winks? Perhaps you are tired after a long day at school. What is the loving thing to do? How could you put others first? Does it encourage others and help them be more like Jesus Christ if you sit with your arms folded, slouched down, and not say a word? One of the ways that we can encourage others is to participate in praises and prayer requests, to sing out, and to talk with each other afterwards. If we ignore members of our youth group, how are we helping them become more like Jesus Christ? Those of you who have been in youth group for a few years, you should take the initiative to talk to the younger ones, encourage them to be a part, and provide a good example for them to follow. These are just a few ways that we can demonstrate godly love for each other.

Faith and Works (Part 3)

The last two weeks, we have looked at what James says about faith and works. He said in 2:14-17 that a professed "faith" that fails to produce good works is not a saving faith. In the next section (2:18-20), James says that a genuine faith will produce good works. In this final section (2:21-26), James gives two examples of faith producing good works.
His first example of good works produced by saving faith is Abraham. Abraham had put his faith in God back before God had given him his promised son. But God asked Abraham to do a very difficult thing: offer up his son Isaac to God. Abraham didn't understand how Isaac could be the promised son when God wanted him to be offered up, but he was willing to obey. He was willing to follow through to the very end. This action proved that Abraham's faith was a real faith, a genuine saving faith.
Abraham was saved by faith, and James points that out fact by quoting this verse from Genesis: "Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness." Abraham was not saved by a faith that was "alone," or separate from good works; no, Abraham's saving faith demonstrated that it was real by obeying God. Rahab was another person who put her faith in God, and then demonstrated how real that faith was by risking her own life to protect the Israelite spies from the king of Jericho.
James' conclusion is similar to verses 20 and 17: "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." If a person is not breathing, we might presume them to be dead. If somebody claims to be a believer (have faith), and their life does not demonstrate good works, we would presume their faith not to be genuine. A genuine saving faith will produce good works.

Faith and Works (Part 2)

Last week, we discussed what James said about a so-called "faith" that fails to produce good works in the professor's life. In James 2:14-17, this kind of faith is called a dead faith that cannot save.
Perhaps someone might object to what James has said: "James, I thought that faith in Christ was all we needed for salvation. Are you saying that we must have good works in order to have faith?" James anticipates this objection and answers the person. James 2:18 says, "Yea, a man may say, 'Thou hast faith, and I have works'; 'Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works."
If somebody has just faith, how can they prove they have faith? Do they have saving faith just because they say so? The way to demonstrate that someone has saving faith is by the good works that faith will produce. Nobody can know another person's heart, but someone who only claims to have faith and doesn't live it out is not giving any indication that they have true faith. The Bible never gives assurance of salvation to a person who is living in disobedience to God's Word.
It is simply not enough to repeat words and affirm the truth. Saving faith is much more than that. Verse nineteen says, "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." Even the demons have "faith"--- they know that God exists and that he is all-powerful, but they haven't been saved! Genuine faith is much more than empty words.
James' conclusion in verse twenty is similar to his conclusion in verse 17: "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" The final sentence uses a play on words in the original: "a faith that does not work--- does not work!" In other words, a so-called "faith" that fails to produce good works does not accomplish salvation. It is not faith at all. Genuine faith will produce good works.