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PUTTING FAITH TO WORK

THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE OF THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)
DATE: WEDNESDAY, 14TH JUNE, 2023 

TOPIC: PUTTING FAITH TO WORK

TEXT: JAMES 2:1-26

1. My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory, with partiality.
2. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,
3. and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit here at my footstool,"
4. have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
5.  Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world [to be] rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
6.  But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?
7.  Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?
8.  If you really fulfill [the] royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well;
9.  but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10.  For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one [point,] he is guilty of all.
11.  For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12.  So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.
13.  For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
14.  What [does it] profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
15.  If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
16.  and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what [does it] profit?
17.  Thus 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 without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19.  You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe -- and tremble!
20.  But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
21.  Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
22.  Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
23.  And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God.
25.  You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25.  Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent [them] out another way?
26.  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

MESSAGE: 
Our text today warns Christians against favouritism while encouraging us to act in faith. When Christians favour the rich to the detriment of the poor, they are guilty of discrimination. God is not partial, however there are times he defends the poor, not because they are poor, but because they are rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom (v.5b). Similarly, God rejects the rich because of their tendency to trust in their wealth and oppress the poor (vs. 6-7). The text also discusses further the subject of faith which we learned of yesterday (see June 13, 2023). It re-emphasises that faith without works is dead. We are saved by grace through faith. Good works alone do not save, but it is not enough to claim faith. There should be some evidence that proves your claim.
 
James encourages us to uphold the royal law, that is “love your neighbor as yourself” (v.8; Matt. 22:39) and also be a people of faith. Be careful about how you treat others no matter their status in society. In the body of Christ, we are ONE and shall give account of how we treated our brothers and sisters. Be guided to act in faith always because anything that does not proceed from faith in sin.

PRAYER:  
Lord Jesus, forgive me for any form of discrimination I have exhibited and help me to love my neighbours as myself. Amen.

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