Skip to main content

James 2:26: For As The Body Apart From The Spirit Is Dead, So Also Faith Apart From Works Is Dead


James 2:26
[26] For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. (ESV)

There is a word that sums up what James has been saying here in the past few verses, and what he is saying in today's verse. That word is authenticity. In the church we are love to use the word faith. We have learned from James that the one who claims to faith yet does not prove it by their actions are proving that they are a fraud. Their faith is dead. They are not authentic.

I want to give you an example of how important being authentic is. There is a current trend in many churches today where the idea is to make the Sunday Worship service so entertaining that the Millenials, a younger group of people, will be drawn to the cool music, lights, fog, fancy coffee drinks in the lobby, etc.

This entertainment driven model of church growth has problems. This biggest problem with this model of church growth is that it does not connect with millenials. In addition, the church body is not given the spiritual sustenance they need to become more devoted disciples of Jesus Christ. They are not getting taught deep doctrinal truths because that is not entertaining enough for the millenials.

Thom Rainier, a former pastor, and former CEO of LifeWay, did a study on Millenials. Here is what he found:

"With around 12 million Millennials in our churches today, their presence is making a dramatic impact on worship services. This impact is not necessarily manifested in a desire for a certain style of music, but a desired authenticity in the worship service. In that regard, “style” of worship is not their primary focus. Instead they seek worship services and music that have three major elements.

They desire the music to have rich content. They desire to sing those songs that reflect deep biblical and theological truths. It is no accident that the hymnody of Keith and Kristyn Getty has taken the Millennials by storm. Their music reflects those deep and rich theological truths.

The Millennials desire authenticity in a worship service. They can sense when congregants and worship leaders are going through the motions. And they will reject such perfunctory attitudes altogether.

This large generation does want a quality worship service. But that quality is a reflection of the authenticity noted above, and adequate preparation of the worship leaders both spiritually and in time of preparation. In that sense, quality worship services are possible for churches of all sizes."
- www.thomrainier.com

Authentic. It is what the world desperately needs. We do not need coffee, fog machines, and rock bands. We need faith that is authentic. Be real today.  The world is waiting.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 11:24: For If You Were Cut From What Is By Nature A Wild Olive Tree, And Grafted, Contrary To Nature, Into A Cultivated Olive Tree . . .

Romans 11:24 [24] For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. (ESV) We continue looking at the illustration of an olive tree. The root of the tree is the covenant relationship relationship of God with Abraham. Abraham's faith is what this spiritual tree is built on. The first branches would have been the faithful people of Israel, who like Abraham, placed their faith in God. They believed God, just like Abraham, and it was credited to them as righteousness. There were branches of the people of Israel who never placed their faith in God. Because these branches were not true followers of God they were broken off of the tree. Faith in God was the essential element that made the branches true branches of this spiritual tree. Some branches remained. Others, the faithless unbelievers, were removed. After Jesu

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co