The Importance

James 2:26

For just as the body without the Spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.

If I may....Let me say....this is really where James takes out the hammer and nails this sucker home!!!

I'm going to do something real quick and so I hope you follow me as I switch gears.

Here are some verses from Ezekiel 37 and they go something like this:

37:1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones.
37:2 He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry.
37:3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.”
37:4 Again He said to me, “ Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.’
37:5 “Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life.
37:6 ‘I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.’ ”

The word "breath" in these verses is the Hebrew word RUACH which is translated to wind, breath, or spirit. And so in these verses the prophet Ezekiel is talking about dead people coming to LIFE because of the breath (or SPIRIT) of the Lord being breathed into them for one reason and one reason only....That is to "know that I am Lord" (Not me of course, but God)....anyway, I digress....

Friends, without the Holy Spirit of God dwelling inside of you (or breathing NEW LIFE into you) then you will be DEAD (or Eternally separated from God) for....well, ETERNITY.

James is equating "Faith" without "works" in the same manner.

He is saying....If you do not have the works of your faith, it's just like doing religion without having the Holy Spirit.....It's Useless!!!

Listen friend, if you have no idea what in the world I'm talking about and you need to KNOW for sure you will be in an eternal relationship with God in heaven then please e-mail me to find out more about what I'm talking about. It might just be the most important e-mail you ever send.

bminnes@sbcglobal.net

For the rest of us....who call ourselves Christians....Can you see how IMPORTANT the proof is in the pudding???

Are you TRULY living out your Faith?? Our are you simply going through the motions??

Grace and peace.