Further Evaluation

James 2:18-23

But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?

You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God.

There are 2 things that catch my eye when I read these verses. The first one is the fact that DEMONS not only "believe" in God but they KNOW God and shudder. It's funny to me that some people claim to have "Faith" or "believe" in God and yet really have no fear for their eternal future. Once again proving that it really doesn't matter what you SAY you believe but IF you actually live it out.

The second is that James uses Abraham, the father of the Jews, to describe what TRUE FAITH looks like.

Now I gotta tell ya....I LOVE my girls and if God told me to take one of them up onto a mountain top and slay them I might just tell the Big Guy where to go. (Just being honest here!!!) and yet, here's Abraham who TRUSTS God sooooo much that he takes Isaac and is ready to sacrifice him and because of his faithfulness God credits him as "righteous", and it says God called him his "friend". WOW!!!

Can you say you are a "friend" of God??? Do you have that much FAITH that you would do ANYTHING God told you to do??? Once again, just being honest....I'm not sure I do.

But that's why we're on a journey with Him, and that's why He shows us more grace than we really deserve....Because He loves us so much more than we can even love ourselves.

And I don't know about you....But THAT thought makes ME shudder!!!

Peace out.