Resuscitate a Dying Faith

James 2:14-26

We need to have real faith, not fake faith.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer a German pastor, theologian and martyr at the age of 39: “The Christian life comes to mean nothing more than living in the world and as the world in being no different from the world …The upshot of it all is that my only duty as a Christian is to leave the world for an hour or so on a Sunday morning and go to church and be assured that all my sins are forgiven. I need no longer try to follow Christ, for cheap grace ... has freed me from that.”

Bonhoeffer's words sting a little, don't they? 

Because they are painfully true. When we simply go through the motions of Christian Appearances, we become no different from the rest of the world, for we live the same lives, speak the same words, listen to the same music and treat people in the same manner that nonbelievers do.

Jesus uniquely called us to be “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world”, Matthew 5: 13-14. 

Get Back to Basics

When we place our faith in Jesus, we are placing our complete trust in Him. 

Have you placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ?

Balance the Teeter-Totter (2:14-17)

We must remember that God will indeed take care of them through us-through our generous, selfless, and compassionate deeds!

We must posses the proper balance of faith and deeds working together.

Shudder at the Possibilities (v. 19)

When the Bible tells us to fear the Lord, it doesn’t mean that we should cower in the corner and wait for God to roll through righteous vengeance. 

For the believer, fearing the Lord is having a holy respect for a holy God. We do not shudder with dread. Instead, we should shudder at the possibilities of God’s greatness in our lives and marvel at the lengths to which He can display His love for us.

Show, Don’t Tell (v. 18)

We can’t simply talk about Christ’s forgiveness to others; we have to show it.

The very moment we decide that our Christian faith is a private matter between God and us is exactly the moment we've lost our faith. 

Get Your Head in the Clouds (v. 20-26)

The final step in God's app to resuscitate a dying faith is to remember that we are not alone in this struggle toward achieving a faithful walk with the Lord. 

The Christian life is a race, one that requires great endurance and considerable focus, but this race isn't an individual sprint. It's a relay race. 

Sometimes, as believers, we can allow our faith to drown in a sea cares and worries that distract us from our goal in mission for the Kingdom of God. 

It's during those times that we need a Lifesaver to come and breathe new life into our spiritual lungs.

That Lifesavers is Jesus and he declares “I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.”