One day in prayer and preparation for an event I had been invited, to introduce the guest speaker at, who is a good friend of mine, The Lord led me to two parts of scripture
James 2:14-18 and Matthew 25:14-28. Both these passages of scripture have amazing revelation, of Faith and the outworking our faith. Over the next 8 weeks I am hoping through His Leading to combine both. To bring an even greater revelation to reveal what it is like and how to outwork our Faith, into our daily life. This will be broken into 8 remarkable, I believe life transforming parts.
Let’s start by reading from the book of James. Which was written by Jesus’s younger brother James. As you read, I want you to picture yourself from the position of being in James shoes. James would have grown up with Jesus and witnessed him throughout his childhood, teenage years and into career like their dad as a carpenter. Then he would have been a witness to Jesus, stepping away from all this, into His incredible ministry, death and resurrection.
Ok you are James, ready, let’s go!
James 2:14(NKJV)
Faith Without Works Is Dead
“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?”
Here I feel to introduce one of the scariest scriptures I know, powerful and confronting words from Jesus
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we. not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast. out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” (Mathew 7:22)
And Jesus reply in the following verse
“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”
That’s blunt right? I agree but I think it’s better we know this now, today so we can move, shift and learn how to end up not in this space and place of hearing these words from Jesus.
Now let’s have a look at our second part of scripture we will be focusing on in this series mentioned above, called the Parable of the Talents? In Matthew 25:14-28 by starting the first two verses 14-15
For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
Let’s stop here and digest what we have read. Anytime that Jesus mentions the kingdom, He is inviting us to think through His mind to grasp the importance and vastness of the opportunity we have in front of Us. If we are willing, it is an entry point into another reality. Do you remember this verse?
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6).
Every time you hear Jesus mention the kingdom, He is calling us to see from the position of what Paul describes in the above verse. This is backed up by an invitation from Jesus that Paul talks about in Romans 12:2 ‘to renew our mind. The key to all this is something called faith and using it the right way.
Because faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen. (Hebrews 11:1)
And
Faith empowers us to see that the universe was created and beautifully coordinated by the power of God’s words! He spoke and the invisible realm gave birth to all that is seen (Hebrews 11:3)
So with and from this position and prophetic insight, let’s re read the beginning of the parable of the talents again.
For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
Ok let’s pause here and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the point Jesus is trying to make for us in this part of scripture ! He is telling these people, that He is about to leave and that He is going to give them something.
Let’s read one more piece of scripture, that will reveal what he is leaving these people and us !
……Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8)
The very thing Jesus left us with, is the very thing He is hoping to see when He eventually returns. Which is called Faith through the Holy Spirit ! What is this Faith? As Paul says in Romans 12:6 , we all have gifts “that differ according to the grace given to us”, and each gift requires a different “measure of faith” that God supplies us with.
As such, this measure of faith enables us to use sober judgment to assess how we can use our gifts as a unique member of the body of Christ. This is why I believe Jesus uses this line in this scripture we’re have been looking at that He give ‘to each according to his own ability’
The next verse says ‘immediately he went on a journey. Do you re-call the verse where Jesus says “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7).
Advocate being one of the names of the Holy Spirit according John 14:26 (…. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name).
Ok so now we have these two keys we can now understand the importance of our opening passage from James.
James 2:14-18
Faith Works
My dear brothers and sisters, what good is it if someone claims to have faith but demonstrates no good works to prove it? How could this kind of faith save anyone? For example, if a brother or sister in the faith is poorly clothed and hungry and you leave them saying, “Good-bye. I hope you stay warm and have plenty to eat,” but you don’t provide them with a coat or even a cup of soup, what good is your faith? So then faith that doesn’t involve action is phony.
But someone might object and say, “One person has faith and another person has works.” Go ahead then and prove to me that you have faith without works and I will show you faith by my works as proof that I believe.
To conclude James is making this point, that faith has been given and design by the Lord. Who gives it to us, (to each of us according to our ability). For it to reveal through works our belief in Him. This is why Jesus came as a servant to serve His Father ! For faith only becomes real in serving. Through this, the world gets to see the heart of the Father, which is centred in true selfless love. This was what Jesus’s life was witness of (revealing the Father ), He also commission us to follow and continue until He returns
Let’s finish here today, we will unpack and go deeper more in our next part.
Challenge Time: (Grab your journal and space to be with the Lord, record all He says)
1. I believe we all are drawn to either faith or works as a belief. But we are to combine them both to reveal the kingdom. So ask the Father to show you which one you focus on and which one you often put aside. Write this down.
2. Choose the area that you have written down, the Father revealed to you, that you often put aside. Ask the Father to reveal to you the reason you often put this area aside ? Write this down !
3. Now ask the Father to reveal to you, who He is to you ! Soak in this revelation.
4. Ask the Father to reveal to you. How He sees you ? Write this down and soak in this revelation.
5. Now ask the Him to reveal to you. That you are Well able to and confident, to rein in this area, you often put aside ! Ask Him to show you, you reining in this area ? Soak in this new revelation !
6. Now ask the Father to reveal to you how to step out in this area Faith/works you often put aside ?
7. Time to be obedient to what He is saying and take that first step. Trusting in Him, who has started this good work, who will now complete it in and through you.
8. Now it’s time to combine both faith and works, to step out with this new confidence and be the Son/Daughter, you were create by Him to be. Original/Authentic one of a kind you !
9. Time to give all the glory for this transformation that has just happened in your life ! Spend a special moment worshipping Him and giving praise.
Father I thank you for your glory ! Today I acknowledge and give you all the glory for Your mighty power that works in me and accomplish all this. I believe You will achieve infinitely more than my greatest request, my most unbelievable dream, and exceed my wildest imagination! And You Father will outdo them all, for Your miraculous power constantly energizes me. Amen
