I’M SAVED, NOW WHAT (part-22)

I’M SAVED, NOW WHAT?

FAITH IN ACTION
Clubs and civic organizations of various types are available to those
who are interested. Some have little or no requirements but others have
well-defined commitments (either financial or time) for maintaining
memberships. As a general rule, when we join a club, we pay our dues
which give us certain personal rights of participation.

In contrast, whenever we become Christians, we give up our personal
rights and yield to God’s control. This is an area where many Christians
can struggle because they like to be in control. When we are saved, we
have made a decision to trust the Lord and give Him control of our
lives, instead of charting our own path.

If you were to ask several people to give you their opinions regarding
the rights and expectations of believers, chances are you would get
several different responses.

Some folks feel that as long as they live a life better than most people,
there is no reason for them to be ‘saved’ in order to get to heaven. This
is commonly referred to as legalism. During his ministry, Paul was
confronted by a legalism that wanted to include faith as the basis
for salvation.

This may sound good initially but the problem is, it still includes legalism.
In other words, some feel that if we express our faith that Jesus was God’s
only Son who died on the cross for our sins and was resurrected on the third
day, then their salvation is complete.

Sounds accurate, doesn’t it. But you see, they were basing their salvation on
a ‘head knowledge’ of events that had taken place. If that is all we believe,
then we are limited to a faith that is no more than a set of facts. If all we do
is express our belief in these events and nothing really changes in our lives,
then we have stunted the growth of our faith. Paul preached about a salvation
based on God’s grace and His free gift to those who believe. He refused to
include legalism as part of the requirements for salvation.

Faith however is an action word. The belief of the events that took place is
the starting point of salvation, but true salvation is confirmed through our
actions. True faith creates a desire in us to make changes in our lives as we
strive to become more like Jesus. Our faith is manifested when we
allow God to modify our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Some have the concept of,
    “I made a profession of faith years ago. I know I don’t live a good
     Christian life, but I believe in God and Jesus. That’s all that counts.”

James was confronted by those who felt that faith was all God expected.
He seemed to be concerned that they were limiting their understanding
of faith to a simple knowledge of facts. They may have made some minor
changes in their thinking, but there was no noticeable evidence that they
had been reborn as a new person. We may wonder about our own faith and
ask the question, “How can I measure my faith to be sure it was genuine?”
I believe James wanted to help us answer that question.

Back to the concept of clubs and organizations – many of them have
expectations of their members. Doesn’t it make sense that God would
have expectations of those to whom He has given His free mercy gift
of salvation?

More importantly, shouldn’t those who have been freed from a fiery hell
and given the gift of an eternity in heaven, want to do something to show
their appreciation. James didn’t feel that our good deeds would lead to
salvation, but he insisted that true faith would show itself in what we do
and how we live after being saved.
    What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims
    to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?
    (James 2:14)

Notice that James uses the phrase “claims to have salvation”. In other words,
in their own mind they have been saved. However James is concerned that
there are many who ‘think’ they are saved, but there is no evidence to support
their claim. He felt that true faithfulness would be shown in the daily lives of
individuals.

To James, faith should have an overwhelming impact on each person, and the
changes in their lives should be evident to others. In his opinion, once a person
has been saved, they will have a natural desire to do the things the Lord wants
them to do. There should be a noticeable change from the way they were living
before they were saved.

I don’t think he was trying to be judgmental, he just had a love for people and
wanted them to be sure of their salvation. If they claim to be saved but there
has been no real change in the way a person lives, then their salvation may
be in question. Jesus had the same concerns.
    Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter
    the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the
    will of my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)

Jesus says ‘does the will of my Father’ which indicates there are some
expectations of God from those He has saved. Salvation is scrutinized
today, and it was an important issue during biblical times as well. In
Acts 15, we read about the assembly of a Jerusalem conference for the
purpose of settling once and for all how Gentiles could be saved. James
participated in this conference along with Paul, Peter and many others.

Peter insisted that Gentiles could be saved through faith in Christ, but it
had nothing to do with circumcision and keeping the law. Others in the
conference felt that the Gentiles must be circumcised and keep the law
in order to be saved.

The conference finally decided in favor of salvation through faith. They
also agreed that they should instruct the Gentiles about some things they
should avoid after being saved. Although James asked the Gentile believers
to respect some of the beliefs of the Jewish Christians, he agreed with the
conference decision.

So what is James trying to say in James 2:14? He is not teaching that
salvation is a result of our works, he is focusing on how individuals
demonstrate that they are in fact, Christians. James is saying that good
deeds are not the “root” of salvation, but they are the “fruit” of salvation.
In other words, if our faith doesn’t produce any fruit, then we may have
this question, “Is it alive and genuine?”

Just to be sure everyone understands his point,
James provides an example of what he means about ‘faith in action’.
    Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.
    If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well
    fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good
    is it? (James 2:15-17)

When James says ‘brother or sister’, he is referring to a fellow Christian.
In his example, he exposes the fellow Christian for failing to do anything
to help another person in need. Instead, he merely wished them the best
and went on his way. When he said ‘go’, it sounds like he wanted the one
in need to get out of his sight so he wouldn’t feel obligated to help. By his
actions, apparently he felt the needy should take care of themselves.

The question we should ask ourselves is,
    “When have I helped someone in need?”
Helping others is not restricted to physical needs such as food and clothing.
It can include being a concerned and sympathetic listener to someone who
is hurting. We can help someone by encouraging them when they are down.
Praying with others or helping them with a task is a way of showing that we
value them as a friend. We benefit as well, because it gives us confidence that
our faith is not merely something we express in words alone, but we have an
active faith that is guided by God.

We can see that John shared James’ thoughts.
    If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister
    in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in
    that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech
    but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:17-18)

Jesus taught that His followers
will also serve Him by helping others who are in need.
    “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with
     him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be
     gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from
     another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He
     will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then
     the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed
     by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you
     since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me
     something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
     I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you
     clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and
     you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord,
     when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you
     something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you
     in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or
     in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you,
     whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of
     mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart
     from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the
     devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to
     eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger
     and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe
     me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They
     also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a
     stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
     “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of
     the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away
     to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
     (Matthew 25:31-46)

If it is important enough for Jesus to mention, then it should be important
for every believer. We can see how Jesus links faith and action together.
Apparently words are just not enough to confirm our faith, we need to
include actions to prove our faith is real. Our actions are an outward
expression of our inner faith.

When Jesus walked the earth in human form, He had a genuine concern
for others and valued them as individuals. Since He has gone to be with
the Father, who will continue His ministry on earth? All believers are
tasked with carrying His light. It isn’t a labor of love that is only restricted
to pastors and missionaries. As God’s adopted children, we are all involved
in His earthly ministry.

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