DRAWING NEAR
June 27
Exposing Dead Faith
"What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he
has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is
without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says
to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,' and yet you do
not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is
that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by
itself" (James 2:14-17).
Jesus said, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they
may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven"
(Matt. 5:16). Your righteous deeds illuminate the path to God by
reflecting His power and grace to others. That brings Him glory and
proves your faith is genuine.
Your deeds also serve as the basis of divine judgment. If you
practice righteousness, you will receive eternal life; if you
practice unrighteousness, you will receive "wrath and indignation"
(Rom. 2:6-8). God will judge you on the basis of your deeds because
what you do reveals who you really are and what you really believe.
That's why any so-called faith that doesn't produce good works is
dead and utterly useless!
James illustrates that point in a practical way. If someone lacks the
basic necessities of life and comes to you for help, what good does
it do if you simply wish him well and send him away without meeting
any of his needs? It does no good at all! Your pious words are
hypocritical and without substance. If you really wished him well,
you would do what you can to give him what he needs! Your
unwillingness to do so betrays your true feelings. Similarly, dead
faith is hypocritical, shallow, and useless because it doesn't put
its claims into action--indeed, it has no divine capacity to do so.
I pray that your life will always manifest true faith and that others
will glorify God because of your good works.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Perhaps you know someone whose claim to Christianity is doubtful
because his or her life doesn't evidence the fruit of righteousness.
If so, pray for that person regularly and set an example by your own
good works.
For Further Study:
Read John 15:1-8.
What illustration did Jesus use for spiritual fruitfulness?
What is the prerequisite for fruitfulness?
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
John 15:1-8
15:1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and
every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to
you.
4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of
itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you
abide in Me.
5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I
in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is
withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they
are burned.
7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what
you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you
will be My disciples.
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
http://www.gty.org/Gospel/
http://www.nwbible.org/
To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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