Real Faith Is More Than an Empty Confession.

REAL FAITH will make you Grow Up Rather Than Give Up - "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourself." 2 COR 13:5: "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves." Examine your faith you claim to have and see if it’s real. Put it under the microscope of God’s word and analyze it to see what it is made of. Faith and action go hand and hand. A Faith that saves is a faith that serves.

The entire New Testament teaches that you are saved by faith alone. "By grace, through faith, you are saved."But Scripture also says: It’s not just faith but faith and works. What is the Truth? (James 2:14-26) and Paul (2 COR 13:5). They are both right.

They are talking about different things.
Paul was fighting the problem of legalism -- the problem of "I’ve got to keep all the Jewish laws and regulations to be a Christian." Paul is talking to that group.
James is not fighting legalism but laziness -- those that say "It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you believe."

They are fighting two different enemies. But they both use the word "works" in different ways. When Paul uses the word "works" he’s talking about Jewish laws like circumcision and things like that. When James uses it, he’s talking about the life style of a Christian -- acts of love. It’s totally different. Paul focuses on the root of salvation -- what happens to you internally. James focuses on the fruit of salvation -- what happens on the outside as a result of what happened on the inside. Jesus said, "By their fruits you will know them." Paul is talking about, How to know you’re a Christian. James is talking about, How to show you’re a Christian. Paul is talking about his passages on faith alone, How to become a believer. James talks about, How to behave like a believer It is not a contradiction.

It’s summed up in EPHESIANS 2:8-10 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, for a life of good works that God has already prepared for you to do." It is "by grace", "through faith", "for good works". If you get those out of order, you’re mixed up. Scripture is saying that you are saved by faith; James is saying that faith that saves is not alone. In other words, true genuine saving faith will produce actions of works. Look at it this way. You are not saved by the work that you do. The work that you do is the result of being saved. But how do you show you are a believer?

God say’s, “Where your treasures are that’s where your heart will be.” James is saying that Real Faith Is More Than an Empty Confession. Real Faith will change your Attitude, Actions and Affections toward God, toward other believers and toward sinners. So you can see any one that claims to be a Christian but you don’t see any evidence in their life? That’s a phony faith.