This morning I was reminded of a statement by Dr. Edwin Cole. He went on to be with the Lord in 2002 and before passing on said, "tell them the only scripture they believe is the one they obey". What a simple phrase but what profound meaning! I was immediately reminded of James 2:26. Here it is in context:
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith obut does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 pIf a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 qand one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good2 is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith rapart from your works, and I will show you my faith sby my works. 19 tYou believe that God is one; you do well. Even uthe demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 vWas not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that wfaith was active along with his works, and faith was completed xby his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, y “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”— and he was called a zfriend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also aRahab the prostitute justified by works bwhen she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
o [ch. 1:22]
p [Job 31:19, 20]; See Luke 3:11
q 1 John 3:17, 18
2 Or benefit
r [Rom. 3:28; 4:6; Heb. 11:33]
s Matt. 7:16, 17; Gal. 5:6
t Deut. 6:4; [Rom. 2:17-25]
u Matt. 8:29; Mark 1:24; 5:7; Luke 4:33, 34; Acts 16:17; 19:15
v Gen. 22:9, 12, 16-18
w Heb. 11:17
x See 1 Thess. 1:3
y Rom. 4:3; Gal. 3:6; Cited from Gen. 15:6
z 2 Chr. 20:7; Isai. 41:8
a Heb. 11:31
b Josh. 2:1-22; 6:23
The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Jas 2:14-26). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
So then we are reminded that Faith comes to enable Obedience to God's word in our life and experience which is the highest form of worship. True faith will empower a life of consecration to the call and purpose of God in our lives. That's why Hebrews 11:6 says, " Without Faith it is impossible to please God, for He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those that dilligently seek Him".
So then disobedience to the revealed word of God in our life is a symptom of a lack on our part to activate the Faith of the Son of God that is already within us. We must choose each day to activate our faith to move the mountains in our life. "And Jesus said unto them, verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
2Peter1:1-4, "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Grace and Peace,
Ed
