WHY HAPPINESS IS FAITH IN ACTION
"Why Happiness is Faith in Action" comes from a
letter Jesus' brother James wrote about 60 A.D.
You'll find chapter and verse references and
our comments are in brackets.@
Every good and perfect gift comes from your
unchanging heavenly Father. The greatest gift
is to be born spiritually into His family.
Here's how that can happen.@
(Ch 1 vs 16 - 18)
(You are made in God's image, designed to enjoy
a life of harmony, sharing His love, friendship
and creation. He has specially prepared plans
for your life, but He loves you too much to
force them on you. He leaves you free to choose
His way or your own. In fact, everybody begins
by choosing to go their own way. This breaks
his "law of love" and separates us from him, a
spiritual and physical death penalty. Even so,
He continues to care for us, sharing our
resulting pain of sorrows. He showed the depth
of His love by paying your penalty and
eliminating the cause of your separation. He
did this by dying in your place at Calvary and
opening the way for you to be reunited with
Him. All He asks in response to His love is
belief in what Jesus Christ has done for you
and a genuine desire to go His way rather than
your own. If you want to do this, then tell
Him in words like these:-@
Dear God, I have been going my own way and
now I want to turn and go your way. I believe
you will forgive all my past sins and give me a
new life as a member of your family. I believe
the way to do this is through trust in your Son
Jesus Christ. Thanks for accepting me.@
From here on, what we say assumes you have
turned to Jesus and been born spiritually into
His family).@
This won't protect you from undeserved trials,
but because you know God is testing your faith,
you'll be able to face them joyfully. This will
make you a mature, complete person and finally
you'll get a "Victor's Crown" when you get to
Heaven.@
(Chapter 1 vs 1 - 5 & v 12)
Trials don't come because God is tempting you.
You bring some trials upon yourself. If you
give in to temptation by your own evil desire,
it gives birth to sin and fully grown sin
brings death.@
(Ch 1 vs 13 - 15)
Ask God for wisdom when you face trials and He
will give it generously and without being
critical. But ask believing. To ask and doubt
shows you are double minded and unstable - why
should God answer a doubting prayer?@
(Ch 1 vs 6 - 8)
Are you in poor circumstances? Take pride in
your high position in God's family. Are you in
rich circumstances? Don't take pride in your
riches, they may be gone to-morrow. Rather take
pride in your "low" position in God's family
where all are equal.@
(Ch 1 vs 9 1 - 11)
Be a good listener, think before you speak and
be slow to become angry. Your anger is unlikely
to produce the results God wants. God has
planted His word in you,so use it to get rid of
all moral filth and avoid the evil that is so
prevalent to-day. Don't just listen to God's
word, act and continually do what it says.@
That's the way to freedom and blessing, a
relationship with God that is pure and
faultless. Put God's love into practice by, for
example, looking after orphans and widows at
the same time keeping yourself from being
polluted by the world.@
(Ch 1 vs 19 - 27)
It's all a matter of practising what Jesus said
when they asked Him to sum up the Bible, i.e.
Love God whole heartedly and your neighbour as
yourself. This keeps you practical. You'll know
and so will everyone else, that your faith in
God is real because it proves itself daily
through Christ controlled actions.@
(Ch 2 vs 8 - 26)
For example, this way of living stops you from
playing favourites. Thus, if a rich man and a
poor man are in your presence, you treat them
as equals because that's God's way of showing
mercy. You are just allowing God (the Holy
Spirit) to live His life through you. On the
other hand, if you treated one better than the
other you'd be setting yourself up as a judge
and that's God's job not yours. Speak and act
remembering that you are going to give account
to God and judgment without mercy will be shown
to anyone who has not been merciful.@
(Ch 2 vs 1 - 13 & Ch 4 vs 11 - 12)
If you are called to teach, remember that those
who teach will be judged more strictly. Let God
(the Holy Spirit) speak through you, otherwise
one word of yours can do great damage like a
spark that can cause a bushfire to destroy
a great forest. This way your speech will
consistently please God. After all, fresh and
salt water can't flow from the same spring.
(Chapter 3 vs 1 - 11)
As a believer in Christ, you have His wisdom on
call. It is pure, peace loving, considerate,
submissive, full of mercy and good fruit,
impartial and sincere. Use His wisdom and your
life will be good, as your actions are done in
humility. By contrast, the world's wisdom is of
the devil, it produces bitter envy, selfish
ambition, disorder and every evil practice.
(Ch 3 vs 13 - 18)
At times the quiet voice of God's Holy Spirit
within you will be in conflict with your
natural selfish desires. Ask for God's help
but make sure your motives are right, that it's
not your selfish desires you're really trying
to gratify. Giving in to your selfish desires
is spiritual adultery, it makes you God's enemy
and can lead on to quarrels and fights with
others.@
At such times of conflict, draw near to God and
He will draw near to you. Submit to Him,
grieve, mourn and weep over your sins and
confess them, ask Him to purify your heart and
your double minded attitudes. Humble yourself
before the Lord and He will lift you up. The
devil causes all conflict, so command him to
leave you in Jesus' name and he will flee from
you.@
He will also tempt you to leave God out of your
planning for the future. Remember that your
life is like a mist that appears for a little
while and then vanishes. Then you will be able
o say "if it's the Lord's will my goals will
be achieved." Remember that sin is knowing what
God's goals are for you and not acting to
achieve them.
(Ch 4 vs 13 - 17)
If you become rich, don't live in luxury and
self indulgence, hoarding your wealth. Instead,
use your wealth as God directs. Pay fair wages,
remembering that the "cries of the harvesters
have reached the ears of the Almighty." In
business and private let your "yes" mean "yes"
and your "no" mean "no".
(Ch 5 vs 1 - 6 & 12)
If you have to suffer as a believer, don't
grumble against God or others. Be patient and
stand firm. Christ "knows the score," is
compassionate and merciful and for all you
know, could return to-day.@
(Ch 5 vs 7 - 11)
When you are under pressure, pray. When you are
happy, sing praises to God. When you are sick
get a few believers to call, "anoint you with
oil" and pray for forgiveness of sin and
healing. When you sin, confess to another
believer and pray together for forgiveness and
cleansing. Remember that "the prayer of a
righteous man is powerful and effective."@
Help another believer if you see him wandering
from the truth. If you turn a sinner from the
error of his way you have saved him from
"death" and God will forgive him.
(Ch 5 vs 19 & 20)
HERE ARE SOME MAIN POINTS FROM JAMES.
1. It's tough being Christ's person but this
produces growth and gets you closer to Him as
you ask His help.
2 Think before you speak, let Jesus talk
through you, listen carefully especially to
God's word and ACT on it. Then you'll find
yourself "on the street" where the hurting
people are, PRACTICALLY meeting all their
needs.@
3. The devil will try to have a "field day" as
the above comes into conflict with your
natural selfish desires. At such times draw
near to God, confess sin and command the
devil to leave in Jesus' name.@
4. Use riches as God directs, let your word be
your bond, pray for help, praise God's
goodness, guide believers into the truth,
work to achieve God's goals only.
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