James 2:14-26
Developing Spiritual Confidence

Do you ever people watch when you're at the airport? If you've ever
passed time that way, I'm sure you've noticed there are two kinds of
people who fly ... The conscientious flyers. They're the ones who check
in early, get their boarding pass and then find a spot to read or watch
CNN or settle in to sleep and drool. They can be leisurely because
they're prepared. Then there are the other kinds of people ...
The last minute flyers. I'm sure one has bumped into you at sometime.
Flying stand-by can be nerve racking. That's why these people are
pacing, tapping, jumping and usually acting obnoxious. When you fly
stand-by, you don't relax until they call your name. When they do, all
of a sudden this nervous wreck of a person takes on a new personality,
they can now relax like the conscientious flyers. Then they go find a
place to go sleep and drool.
The reason for this dramatic change is because now they know they'll
make the flight. They're relieved because they can get to the
destination that is so urgent.
You know, there is a huge difference between hoping and knowing for sure
about something. Knowing gives you direction. Either you know you should
keep going in the direction you are headed, or you know that you should
change direction.
Missing a flight is one thing, but making sure about the direction of
your spiritual life should be a top priority for everyone. It's easy to
get caught up in the day-to-day busyness of life, so much so that the
after-life issues seem pretty unimportant.
Look at what 1 John has to say ...I write these things to you who
believe in the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal
life. (1 John 5:13) This verse, and others like it, inform us that it is
possible to have confidence about our standing in the afterlife.
The Bible is equally clear about the possibility of self-deception
creeping in. Jesus says ...
"Not everyone who claims to believe in me will enter the kingdom of
heaven." (Matthew 7:21)
Sometimes people develop a false sense of security. They think they are
set when they get baptized, or confirmed or married in the church. This
is proof that these people have no clue as to what it takes to secure a
place in heaven. I hope today we can clear up any misunderstanding you
may have about what it takes to be a member in the family of God. This
is important & I want to make myself understood. Our scripture text is
James 2:14-26.
Jesus also reminded us, "Not everyone who claims to believe in me will
enter the kingdom of heaven." So, if someone claims to have faith and
professes to be a Christian, and has no corroborating evidence, there
isn't much to substantiate the claim, is there?
A recent CNN poll reported that 50 million Americans claim to be
Christians. I wonder what percentage actually live by that claim. Talk
is cheap.
A few years ago Larry Flint, the publisher of "Hustler" magazine, said
he was born again. But he forgot to change something -- how he lived. He
kept right on publishing pornography. Never skipping an issue. He has
since recanted his statement of salvation.
We may claim to be Christians, but our lifestyle may say something
different.
In another poll by "USA Today" they were trying to determine if people
lived by what they said they believed.




Some of the questions on the poll ...
Are you a Christian? Yes.
Do you attend church regularly? No.
Do you donate your time to charity? No.
Do you tithe, or give money to the church? No.
Do you live in close community with other believers? No.
Of course not everyone answered no to the questions, but the majority of
people claiming to be Christians answered no to the majority of these
questions.
These verses in James 2 are, what you might call, the "prove it" section
of the New Testament. He is telling us we can't just claim to be
Christians, there has to be action to back up that claim.
You can claim to be an architect, but that won't make you one. Remember
George Castanza on Sienfeld. He wanted to be an architect, to him that
was the epitome of success. But in his little pretend life, if he were
ever asked where he went to school, where his office was, what buildings
has he designed, he couldn't answer those questions truthfully because
in reality, his claim was false.
That type of behavior is what James 2 is driving at. It is saying, many
people say they are Christians, but there is no visible evidence to back
up the claim. He tells us not to kid ourselves.
Remember what we talked about last week? That no one can ever be good
enough, or do enough good deeds to earn their way to salvation. Remember
the verse from Titus?
He saves us, not because of the good things we have done, but because of
his mercy. (Titus 3:5) We all violate God's laws at some time. But once
we accept salvation by God's grace, we should demonstrate this in our
actions. Our life has changed and so should our lifestyle. And it is by
our actions that we prove to others what we claim is true. It is -- our
testimony.
The first sign that your faith is real is that you would live with an
overwhelming sense of gratitude for what Jesus Christ has done for you.
One way to express this gratitude would be by attending services on a
regular basis. It's great! We praise God by singing, and worshiping and
giving thanks. Here we can just say, "Thank you for all you've done for me."
The second sign that your faith is genuine would be in looking for the
opportunity to tell others about the love of Christ and his gift of
salvation. The Bible says that word-of-mouth advertising is how we
should spread the message of God's love. You don't have to be a
doorbell-ringing-extroverted-leaflet-dropping-evangelist. Just show your
love for others in how you treat them, and by doing so, they will see in
you a reflection of Jesus.
The third corroborating evidence that your faith is real, is that you
have a strong desire to grow spiritually. This one's pretty
straightforward. You need to take time to read and study your Bible.
The fourth proof of validity of your faith, is being in community with
other believers. Many people who are far from God, don't like the
company of Christians. They often selectively choose not to associate
with Christians. Sort of like this: A foursome is getting together for
golf and, let's say, your name is mentioned as a team member. That's
when the other guys roll their eyes and say something like, "Oh, now
this ought to be fun." Sad, but true. We are not always welcome.
As Christians, though, we have a common bond with each other, that may
not be present with non-believers. However, I do think we should all
make an effort to communicate with non-believers, too. We can have fun.
We are really good sports. And if Jesus can eat dinner with sinners, and
love them, so can we.
The fifth proof of faith, is in real life transformation. I you claim to
be a Christian, people should see that you are different, there should
be a change in you. It may not be overnight, but after a while you may
find that people are referring to you as the "Old Sam" and the "New
Sam". There will be noticeable changes in your ability to be honest, in
your integrity, and in how you treat others.
Those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same
anymore, for the old life is gone and a new life has begun. (2
Corinthians 5:17)
There's a guy I've played basketball with some time ago. I have to say
that he has the worst temper and foulest mouth, and his overall
likeability is low. One time he was talking to another guy, and I
overheard him say, "Yeah, I had my church league game last night." My
first thought was, "Oh man, I hope no one else heard that." That's the
kind of statement that confuses people, why would they want to have
anything to do with church when the people there don't practice what
they preach?
Look at this verse again ...
Those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same
anymore, for the old life is gone and a new life has begun. (2
Corinthians 5:17)
If that's true about you, give yourself a 4 or a 5.
If it's a little bit true, give yourself a 3.
If it's a big fat lie, you get a 1.
The sixth corroborating proof that your faith is authentic, is in doing
God's work. The book of Acts gives a good description of how life was
for the early believers. Then, throughout the New Testament, it's very
evident that what was at the center of their lives, was Jesus Christ and
his purpose for the world.
We were all born into this life with a "me first" mindset. From the
first time we snatched a toy away from a playmate to our need to be
first in our everyday work lives. We are constantly reinforcing this
attitude. And unless there's an intervention of some kind, we can become
some very nasty people to be around.
The only intervention that can truly change a "me first" lifestyle is
the love of God. After you've encountered his love and mercy, it's
almost impossible to continue "being your own agenda." You'll find
yourself asking God for guidance in most every situation. You'll want to
know what is important to God and how to be a part of it.
The intervention of God into your life is the most important thing that
can happen to you. It will change your life. And then you will find the
satisfaction that comes from the one who saved you, by his incomparable
act of love and sacrifice.