Lent 37: 100° PROOF

People make a lot of claims.

If you go on facebook, and just scroll around, you'll find lots of claims. But what's true? How does one prove their claims? 

"I'm a good man." This is my all-time favorite Facebook and online dating claim. You can't just write that somewhere! How do you go about proving this without typing some more sentences about your credit score, your nine-to-five, and a claim that you "at least try to listen?" I didn't read that phrase and become instantly convinced. I need PROOF!

We've all had people in our lives who say one thing and do another. Which is why in the back of every human being's mind there is a concept that governs relationships: 

Actions speak louder than words. 

Even when we have convinced ourselves that "I love you," "I miss you," and "I'm sorry" out of the mouth of a known liar are words worthy of acceptance...somewhere deep down you're thinking: 

• Then why did you do XYZ?
• Then why didn't you at least text me? 
• Then why do you keep doing this?   

Are actions really the proof?

 

This brings me to tonight's scripture, which is for sure a doozie, and I'm not pretending to have all (or any) answers, just some thoughts: 

What use is it, my brethren, if someone 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. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

- James 2:14-20 

Despite being one of the most difficult passages in the Bible for modern day evangelical Christians, this is awesome just because it sounds so angry and sarcastic. 

I almost didn't write the first part of this blog because the scripture came with its own background analogy about how we treat the less fortunate. Here's the quick breakdown:

• Go in peace - How will I go in peace if I'm yet naked and hungry? 
• Be warmed - With the clothes you gave me? 
• Be filled - Ummm...did you give me a burrito and I missed it?

Can the person saying "go in peace, be warmed and be filled" sincerely mean that? Do they sincerely care about the peace, warmth, and full stomach of this individual? They said they did. But...where's the PROOF.

James is mad about it: "what use is that?" I imagine a tone full of sarcasm. 

My favorite part is "You believe that God is one..." whoopty doo! I think if James were alive today, he might say "whoopty doo." Then he goes as far to say that having that bit of faith is on par with demons. Burn!  James wants action. If you're saved. And you love people. DO something!

Bible Edition

A lot of people feel like they need to reconcile what James is saying to what Paul is saying (Romans 3:26-28). I saw an article that was titled: Paul vs. James. Like they are in some Bible version of celebrity deathmatch! Believe me, they are not. They are both  kicking it in the presence of God, waiting for the end times. But even if we were measuring Paul and James against each other...neither of them is the yardstick.

The yardstick is Christ.

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation 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; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’

- Matthew 25:34-36

 

God is a god of productivity and power. Those who are being transformed into His image should be no different. Show me your faith without works? Hard to do. But at the same time, if a person is trusting in their works...their faith is misplaced. There are some other folks in Matthew 25 who also had works...but they heard different words:

Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

- Matthew 7:22-23

 

What is happening?!

You know what is key in these verses? I think it matters WHO is doing the commending: 

 

"Then the King will say" vs. "Many will say to Me." 

 

In the first group, they are being commended by God for works they didn't know they had done on His behalf! They had been acting in faith and living in love. And love does things. These people had a faith, that produced love, that produced works. And these are the works that James is talking about (I think). The faith-produced, love-produced works of someone with a regenerated heart and mind. 

In the second group, they are commending themselves to God, based on works: "I did XYZ...let me in." God doesn't owe you. There are no people going to heaven because of their personal accomplishments. We get in on Jesus' accomplishment:  

The Cross. 

Believe on it.

 

That belief produces. That belief transforms. But it's not the transformation itself that saved you. It's the faith that caused the transformation. The transformation is merely the sign. It's the proof.

 

But if there's no sign...what does that signify?