Hey Friends in Christ,
Well how has your Spring been? Started out cold here but it’s promising to be a pretty nice weekend. I’ve had a few ailments of late. I had eye surgery a year ago on my left eye and then on my right one at summers end, a hernia operation 6 weeks ago and I blew out my knee recently somehow. It’s swollen up, but it’s summer break now, so I’ve been kind of hopping about on it, stripping wallpaper for extra money. But hey, something has to make you long for eternal life with God and He already gave me Ellen to live with so He has to shake some of the rest of it up.
God was faithful to use the work on campus right up until the last day when Luke came to Christ. He was just a regular guy sitting in the BIC building, killing time. The halls were pretty much empty but Luke was willing to answer some questions and in the end prayed to receive Christ. 108 other peeps prayed to receive Christ this school year too. I can’t see into their hearts at the moment, but I become more hopeful of their conversion often when I see them later and they are happy to see me. Still it is impossible to be certain if they have faith and so will go on to love and good works. The highest of all good works is faith, it all must start here. It’s what God wants most from you; to believe Him. This is what anyone wants in a relationship, to believe the other person and for them to believe you. Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” But we read in James that Faith without works is dead right? Possibly we simply don’t understand the word usage we have encountered in the Bible (but then at least we are not reading a book like the Qur’an, which Islamic scholars say is unintelligible in 20% of the text having been translated verbatim from another language, Syriac probably.)
Faith is a living thing, unlike simple belief that even demons have (James 2:19). Often the act of an individual praying to receive Christ after a Gospel message is critiqued as inadequate for Salvation, as it is a mere intellectual ascent. But of course this is not what it is at all, if genuine, for this is not faith in the scripture. In the Bible, Faith is generated by God in us (a gift from Him, Eph. 2:8.) It embodies and fills a person. And so a living faith that is one with God would of course lead to some action. So James teaches (James 2:26), otherwise it is dead. James is merely continuing to add to the definition, stating what the byproduct of a living faith produces: Concomitant actions. Of course these actions may very in frequency, intensity and even definition in a variety of people, and each has a different starting point. So simply looking at actions would not tell you much. A lot of people are religiously good. Most of the peeps I talk to are good.
Mere intellectual ascent does not produce living faith. I may agree with you that a certain bus route is the fastest commuter option in a city and yet, for reasons of my own, never ride a bus. There are many ideas or intellectual notions that do not require an active life structure to support them; a belief in Pi for example need not work itself out in any active commitments. I believe in Pi completely and have absolutely no doubt it can be multiplied by the radius of a circle and give you its circumference, and this does not change my daily actions one bit. But Christian faith is deeper and more essential than this, James is teaching Faith is not like Pi. James is not teaching that these actions do what Faith does (save you.) He is merely asserting that if you have faith they will be present. Riding a motorcycle assumes you can balance equipment on two wheels. But being able to balance does not require that I ride a motorcycle. Faith is different in that, if I have a genuine faith, it will compel me to get out there and be riding, doing some kind of work. Loving ones children, helping ones neighbor. Faith that is real is tied to a compulsion, a concomitant action. This is simply what faith produces in people. James is providing further insight into Faith, not suggesting works replace it or supplant it. On campus I don’t know the people I am talking to well enough to know if they have changed, nor would that definitively show their new hearts. But if the Holy Spirit has entered into them at that moment in time, He will begin to produce His fruit (Galatians 5:22+23) though this fruit might begin so subtly that the closest intimates of the converted may fail to see it.
And this is the other thing about our lives, without asking for God to lead and empower us by His Holy Spirit our actions do not please Him. It is when we seek God for His help and direction we walk by the Spirit. It is like God wrote you a grand play that is your life and in the end you will have something of a review. But all that is looked for is that you sought the Director’s guidance. Eph. 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” I pray every night for these new believers each by name, for I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in them will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Phil. 1:6.
Thanks for your love and prayers and support this year that made God’s work possible. He did it and we are so grateful for your help in allowing Him to use us.
New Believers 2013-2014 Michelle, Soe, Kristine*, Samantha, Teddy, Misael, Aja, Shaya, Mark, Kamera, Dontrel, Ryan, Kayla, Zach, Jewellel, Brian*, Frangela, Theresa, Brittany, CJ, Lucia, Luis, Ryann, Nick, Laversa, Martin, Ana, Karen, Zach, Kyra, Precious, Meishan, Brandon, Edwardo, Andy, Maria, Rob, Maribel, Kyanna, Montez, Dylan, Dionnie, Kevin, Matt, Taylor, Tracy, LaDonte, Shanice, Amber, Andrew, Teresa, Nadia, Patrick, Angelica, Samantha, Denasia, Erika, Larry, Joe, Dan, Mike, Maursheka, Nia, Joy, Kathy, Taylor, Maggie*, Devon, Isaiah, Ashley, Justin, Raina, Pat, Gil, Karli, Liz, Robert, Casey, Chris, Marita, Ana, Kevin, Sam, Taylor, Kaven, Duke, Brygette, Katie, Edwardo, Taj, Jimena, Cherise, Madelene, Michel’le[mishelay], Jemile[Jimeel], Xander, Shane, Junior, Alex, Alex, Raquel, JT, Kirk, Leo, Ulysses, Courtney, Kayla, Brandon, Gyel, Joshua, Alejandra, Luke, Zach* (An * means they committed but did not pray with me)
May you know the presence of God this summer and may He bring healing and restoration for you as well.
In Him,
Bob & Ellen