The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Pamphlet #4640
James 2:14  ¶What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

Don't make the mistake of SEEING this only in terms of the flesh.
This particularly applies to spiritual nakedness and spiritual starvation of our brothers and sisters today who are STARVING TO DEATH spiritually.
We are in the famine of the end time spoken of by Christ and that famine is not for sandwich bread.
It is for the "daily bread" which comes from the table of the Lord, which is the true Word of God.
Amos 8:11Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
What our brothers and sisters hear today from the pulpits of the land are mostly traditions of men, not the line by line teaching from the Word of God.
[12]And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.
And they do wander from "sea to shining sea", and waver to and fro in the religious confusion while they try to find the truth of God's Word.
Again, all they find taught in the churches are the traditions of men.


16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
My highlighted verses:James 2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

[19] Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
We can tell that a person is wicked by the evil deeds he does, can't we?
Again, the analogy is that a good tree brings forth good fruit, but a bad tree brings forth evil fruit, or perhaps no fruit at all.
[20] But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
So listen up, O vain man (as if to say airhead)!
It is real plain and simple.
If you say you have faith yet you've got no works showing that you do, then you are all talk and your faith is dead, spelled D-E-A-D!
Is there anything you don't understand about the word "dead", that is, in light of your difficulty with knowing what having "faith" means?
Here are just two examples of faith bringing forth good works.
Many more examples can be found summarized in Hebrews chapter 11, which is often called the faith chapter.
You see, we KNOW all these servants of God had faith because of what they did!
That's the whole point!
It is not complicated at all!


21  Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24  Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25  Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

It is not even matter of being successful in your works.
Abraham never actually went through with the sacrifice of Isaac, i.e. the knife never pierced his son, but because of his faith, which was demonstrated in his willingness to "do it", he was justified by God.
Wow, where does that kind of faith come from?
Romans 10:17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
First you must continue to look into the perfect law of liberty, the Word of God, and daily absorb the nourishment from the true vine that you may be able to bear fruit.
James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Then you must be a doer, because if you say you have faith and are not a doer, you are just plain kidding yourself!
If you want the blessings of God, continue to study His Word to show yourself approved, which will greatly increase your faith, and then be a doer according to the gifts and talents He has given you.
You will be blessed for the deeds (works) that you do.
Our brother James and fellow servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, says it best:
James 1:25But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.


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