Dead Faith
Betty
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man
claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such a faith save him? Suppose a
brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If 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? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not
accompanied by action, is dead.” James 2:14-17
Brothers and sisters I am here today to tell you that the children of abortion are our hungry and naked brothers and sisters that we, as a group, have largely ignored. We have not considered them enough to pray for them like we have for our own needs. We have not offered help to their mothers or assistance to those who did. We have little spoken out against their murders and little railed against their slaughter in our pulpits. We have not stood for them in our voting practices nor insisted our representatives defend them. Not like we would have if it were our bodies being tortured to death. Yet, we say to them, “You are not our concern.” Even worse, we use our own salvation as justification for ignoring them.
Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. James 2:21-24
Why did Abraham offer Isaac? Was it not because he was concerned for the things of God? Yes, God commanded him to it, but was not his obedience wrapped up in his concern for the things of God?
“Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” Genesis 22:2
Even God recognized that Abraham loved his son dearly. He tested Abraham this way because Isaac was that dear to him. Abraham proved his regard for God by his obedience. He, literally, put his regard for the concerns of God ahead of his love for his son.
Salvation is preached to the lost, but the deep concerns of God are for His own. Abraham’s willing obedience opened the door for Christ to be sacrificed for our salvation, but what if Abraham had considered his own position secure enough that he need not have such regard for the concerns of God? After all, we were not his responsibility.
We have taken salvation by grace, sanctification by His righteousness, and justification by faith and turned it into a license to ignore our responsibility to reflect Him to a dying world. Yet, God takes one here and there, clearly revealing His anger and disappointment, and commands them to speak so that the rest of the body may also be convicted.
Today we are appalled at how the children of Israel spurned the word given to them. It is broadly apparent to us that they ignored the truth. Yet, we are just as guilty. We have been told the truth, but rejected it. They could not allow it to be true, because they were the chosen of their day. Our excuse is exactly the same.
Jeremiah is applicable because Jeremiah faced the same type of delusion. The people saw themselves wrapped in God’s mercy. What is the argument here? Is it not that we are protected by His mercy? It is as if we think the rules are suspended for us. He would have so much mercy for us that He would ignore their suffering? If that is so, why do we argue that He is no respecter of persons?
I don’t know how much clearer I can be. If you reject it, you will answer to Him. Salvation was never meant to be used as an excuse for disregarding what God is concerned with. That’s a perversion of the Scriptures and brings about the wrath of God.