12 Evidences of Faith (Part 5)

Welcome to leading the way, where Dr. Michael you, Seth passionately proclaims uncompromising truth was doctors trained to practice medicine there required to learn unimaginable amounts of information that learning to regurgitate that data for a med school exam is enough in these must apply it to take care of their patients like you. And it works the same way with faith having faith doesn't mean anything until it changes your life. Faith without action is dead today on leading the way. Dr. Michael Yousef takes you to James chapter 2 for look at faith and works very different and yet they must work in tandem in a spirit filled life. Listen with me now as Dr. Michael you soft against today's teaching time barking the non-thin 40s and 50s there was a youngster in Hollywood by the name of Mickey Cohen. Mickey Cohen had a partner in crime whose name was Jim Ross.

Not thin, floating on Jim Voss a good to the Billy Graham Crusade in Hollywood. In fact, that is the one crusade the silver bullet Graham into the emotional scene and you come forward to receive Christ. Another moment to give up the life of crime.

He actually went out and sold his house sold his car sold all his possessions in order to make restitution's for his crimes. Few years later he actually formed a great organization great discipleship ministry called youth development, Inc. Jim Voss told Mickey: what had happened to him and how God transformed his life as he committed his life to Jesus Christ. How is thoroughly being converted to Christ.

Will Mickey Cohen become very interested and he attended a private meeting with Billy Graham with few others later Mickey Cohen goes to one of those crusades and at the time of the invitation he comes forward and says that he receives Christ into his life. A few days later, it appeared that Mickey: was still hanging out with the other gangsters and back into the life of underground activities, and so when Jim and a couple of members of the Billy Graham team went over to see him and they began to explain to him Mickey. You made a commitment to Christ. How come you go back to the life of being a gangster is what Mickey said in response noted. You never told me that I have to give up my career and my friends to follow Jesus. There are Christian movie stars are Christian athletes or Christian businessmen. What's the matter being a Christian gangster. If I have to give up all that. That's Christianity count me out. I'm telling you the story. Obviously, for the reason because contrasting these two men who were partners in crime. They were not any worse in each other. There was bad as each other. Jim Voss and Mickey Cohen both made a profession of faith under the same evangelist one understood that a professional faith means a transformed life means that change life that he gave everything to follow Christ. The other thought that he could be saved without transformation in his life. This story illustrated the epicenter of the entire epistle of James, this is the heart unsold of the entire epistle. This is the cornerstone this passage from chapter 2 verses 14 to 26 is the core, the heart of everything that James is saying in his epistles. We have begun a series from the epistle of James entitled the 12 evidence of faith. If you have saving faith.

James says, here are some evidence that you can exhibit in your life to prove that you have been saved and that we have been looking through these evidence will show forward on this is the first one today by far this is the most controversial passage in the Scripture in the New Testament of least. It caused a lot of misunderstanding and some people actually concluded that James is teaching something contrary to what Paul taught that James and Paul are at odds with each other that Paul taught that salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone. But James is saying that salvation is by works, but you can earn your salvation. It could not be further from the truth and that is what I want to make sure that not a soul here. Misunderstand this truth. The truth is that those who are adamant about finding contradictions in the Scripture they're gonna find it even if they have to make it up some equipment rush 14 to 19 of James epistle chapter 2. What is James saying here he is making sure that everybody understand what faith is and what is not.

He want to be sure. Remember, this is the half-brother of Jesus who opposed Jesus mock Jesus until the resurrection and his life was transformed and he was glad to God for Jesus and he did. He is saying that faith is not a matter of agreeing with certain doctrine here. Saving faith is not merely giving and an intellectual assent to a list of do's and don'ts. No, no, no, that's not what you say James is saying that genuine saving faith will produce fruit.

Genuine saving faith is gonna show evidence for itself that genuine saving faith will be lived out and so when Mickey Cohen says I believe in Jesus, James would say to Mickey: great.

So is that the low you hear the keywords in verse 18.

If someone says I have faith that have faith is such a claim to have faith if someone contends that he has saving faith. Let improvement let him show evidence of it not beloved, listen to me this is the most humongous problem today that many are teaching that all you need to do to become a Christian is. You just add Jesus name to the list of your friends you just put them in your contact list right next to 911, just in case you need. So in case of emergency. Just add Jesus the beloved please listen to me.

This is why I call this the epicenter is well call this the cornerstone because what James is saying that easy believers in belief without evidence is producing disastrous consequences for the nation. Today we have Christianity without the cross we have Pentecost, without any cost. We have cheap grace is not worth half a hallelujah I want to make a true statement on on know it may step on some of your toes. If Jesus is not the Lord of your life chances are that he is not the savior of your soul.

I didn't say he isn't. I'm saying, chances are Jim Voss proved that his faith is real. By acting upon his face.

Mickey Cohen proved that his faith was fake, so he went back to the life of sin. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10 the apostle Paul makes it very clear. Once you are saved by faith alone, then you should walk in the good works that God has already prepared for you and for me, beloved, the Bible is very consistent. Paul and James are teaching exactly the same things, how we are not saved by all through good works, but once we are saved by faith we do good works, good works will never save us, but good works will be the evidence that we are saved, salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. But that's not where it stops. I want to give you four reasons from the Scripture not from me. Just from this text here from these verses. I want to give you four reasons why counterfeit faith cannot save you cannot save anyone is look at this for very quickly.

Verse 14. What good is it, my brothers, if someone says has faith but does not give your use of translation show evidence of it. Can that faith save him and answers now here that saving faith does not produce real live chain that does not transform the life. It does not deserve to be called faith should be called something else. It is merely a faith like that of Mickey Cohen, one that has no reality to it is not a real faith. Jesus explained that faith in his discussion with Nicodemus in the center. You must be born again.

What does it mean to be born again. It means simply that has to be a radical transformation that has to be a supernatural lifestyle as we been seeing in these evidence of faith that Jane show us that has to be joy in the midst of trials that has to be overcoming of temptation. There has to be obedience to the word of God has to be overcoming anger and bitterness and then there has to be a constant willing to do self-examination. That's not to be living in fear of intentions my sadomasochism I sent another self-examination is a very natural thing.

Second reason counterfeit faith is worthless because it does not serve others, self-centeredness, or self absorption or just doing it for publicity and all that stuff that would not say those who are oblivious to the desperate needs around them.

Those who see the need, but they close their eyes to it. Those who could not care less about people's eternity. Those who could not care less if a person goes to heaven or hell.

These are people who have worthless play. The third reason counterfeit faith is worthless is because it never exhibits fruit. If you're unable to exercise grace and mercy and forgiveness and on the thing that would stumble from time to time. That is not and I explained that before, but I failed again just to be sure I'm talking about day in and day out. If are unable to exercise any mercy in any forgiveness and grace if we are unable to trust God through the tough times.

If we are not faithful stewards of what God entrusted in our hands, then chances are that faith is a counterfeit than the fourth reason probably is the most shocking of all, it really shocks a lot of people.

The fourth reason is that the same faith that Satan has and the demons all the demons all of you claim to believe big warp.

Satan does to know this is a rough translation of James. But you know what I mean if you think faith is merely agreeing with certain doctrine. So Satan believes all the demons believe. Did you know that there are no atheists, demons, did you know that there are no agnostic demons trolling. Satan knows better than most human being that Jesus is God's only son that Jesus was crucified and died that Jesus rose again from the dead on the third day, but he actually does something else that most Christians do not do that is when you hear the name of Jesus.

Shutters want to make Satan shorter chapter member Jesus Jesus that Maxim shutter the Bible city trembles. Christians today treat Jesus like a bellhop trembles some shutters of the sound of Jesus. Why do you think people do not want to in public to pray in the name of Jesus. Satan does not want to hear that name inside the church going outside to ask a question doesn't shake you to the core.

To know the demons have faith does it amaze you that demons believe 100% seriously think about this with does it surprise you to know that demons have no doubt whatsoever that Jesus will come back to judge the world in fact that's what terrifies him the most. Because the 31st thing Jesus is going to do when he comes back is going to so Satan and his demons in the lake of fire seek demons believe, but every times demon or demons were confronted by Jesus.

They testified to Jesus, he found it both in the Gospel of Mark, and Luke Mark 311 and Luke 831 really want to go home once is I believe in Jesus big deal. Satan goes to verse 90 but then that belief change your life. That's a question and beloved, listen to me this is a big warning to all of us will have saving faith really is this a one to me. It's a big warning to all of us that we must willingly continuously examine ourselves. This is the evidence is sufficient evidence of faith, constantly examining your life that does not mean I'm living in terror living in fear of Islam in an amount no no no no great joy to lay myself adulteration table and let the great physician operate on me. I was thinking about this if I have to go the hospital and be operated on the moves over there and it is my surgeon. I know that he loves me another that he is my best interest at heart. I know that he's a bright surgeon, am I going to be 100 now give me that injection make me go to sleep because I'm comfortable, please. And if I got the trust, a human being. How much more should I trust the great surgeon was self-examination, not just daily, but several times a day lay myself grounded in his presence because that means beloved, listen to me, it means that I am constantly conscious of the danger of complacency are fear complacency in my life within the church's life more than anything else and that the only way you overcome that spirit by constantly willing to be examined by the chief surgeon and should be second nature to us, not something we fear. Why, because counterfeit faith is dead faith.

It has no more excitement than a dead romance that has no more power than a data engine. It has no more life than a dead body, but the genuine and authentic faith, the genuine and authentic faith is active is dynamic. It is living. It involves the will involves the emotions involved, the spirit involves the soul involves all of it invades every space in me, and when that happens. Prayer meetings are going to be joy, not a drudgery. When that happened, serving all of my Lord, and serving others be great opportunity, not a burden, but when that happens, giving, and praising and worshiping is a delight mother Judy how can you tell the difference versus 22, 26, he gives us an example of two people who could not be more polar opposites to on opposite extremes as those two people that he gives us here in this passage, Abraham and Rahab, he could not have chosen any two contrasting people there were opposites. Culturally, there were opposites religiously. There were opposites. Economically there were opposites, morally, one is an honored patriarch of the Jewish nation and the other is a despised Gentile prostitute, but they both have one thing in common. One thing in common, dynamic, say that was expressed in risky, courageous action. They both expressed evidence of the trusting in the living God. Their claim of faith was marked by evidence of faith. Verse 21 and is what a lot of people get stumbled. Was Abraham saved by his willingness to offer Isaac as a sacrifice.

Now he doesn't say that at all. In fact, he confirms what Paul said in Romans chapter 4 Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness if I sent you. Although I trust God, and I'm not tithing I'm not giving often on top and I'm living my life and notice stashing away every Monday.

I get so that why why am I stealing from God and keeping it because I really don't trust God. I don't trust that is going to provide me next year.

That's really the bottom line is the reason why people are not faithful and they get they never trusted God. They never trusted God to be the God who said that when you give is given back to you with shovels to be true.

If I am saying that I trust God and I am not faithful in my stewardship. I am really saying nothing. Words but in action. I just don't trust God to provide for me in the future. I really don't trust God to keep all of his promises that he made and James wanted us to know that this kind of faith that Abraham had is not the counterfeit faith because he was giving him everything that the tragedy of many churchgoing people today in the West to Jim apply the word of Paul to Titus and Titus chapter 1 verse 16. Listen carefully. They claim to know God are they not outside their anti-God.

They not asystole, not agnostics and not enough people and I got said they claim to know God as is what he said but bear their very action they deny him.

They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for doing anything good. Rahab, on the other hand, was a resident over the doomed city of Jericho listen to me. She was not there with the Jews when they crossed the Red Sea.

She was not there in the wilderness. When Manna came from heaven and 40 years of provision supernaturally. She was not there. You know all that happened she her.

She heard about God. She heard about the God of power and might, she heard about the God of the Hebrews she heard about the God who parted the Red Sea.

She heard about the God who threatens people in the wilderness and she set out not to trust this God and she risked her life because she believed if that's the God that they telling me about his God to be worthy of my trust.

I put my laws on the line for the God she had the spies who were sent by Joshua before they invaded from sling.

She said I'm going to put my life on the line for over 100 maneuvers to know God experienced seen the hand of God's help with bylaws in the line for him. Nothing would always hold your listening to Dr. Michael you set on leading the way with part five of his practical and life-changing series called the 12 evidences of faith. If you'd like to start a confidential fate conversation take just a moment to visit LTW.org/GSS.

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