What is faith? This is one of the most absolute questions I believe any follower of Christ has encountered, discerned and maybe even lost some sleep over. Faith is a fundamental word that is filled with great mystery and power which has proven and demonstrated time and time again by the moving of obstacles, healing the most dreaded diseases and even the raising of the Dead. And then, there is one element of faith that is vitally important for all mankind to understand. No matter how you dish it out or portray it. We cannot please the living God without faith.
Knowing I cannot answer all your questions about faith, I would like to steer you towards an element of faith, signs of living faith, that quite possibly many people do not fully understand or are even aware of.
In starting our journey today, we are going to start in the epistle of James, were we come to the heart of his message where Christians have always had great difficulty in understanding the relationship with faith and works. And while we who follow Christ know God is a just God, favoritism or partiality, seems to run rampant amongst our way of life—which James is declaring here to the Jewish Christians of the day. Starting at James chapter 2 verse 1, My brothers and sisters, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in bright clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the bright clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? James declares here that the sin of partiality is one of the most subtle of all sins. Partiality reveals a non-Christian sense of values as God shows no favoritism and neither can those who follow Him. But what is more to the point is just this; Authentic Christians that are living with signs of faith is not merely a matter of talk; it must show itself in appropriate action! It’s not just favoritism, it’s not just praying in public view, it’s not just getting affirmation of a sound doctrine that we believe in or even a set of beliefs that we follow as Christian in order to call ourselves as Christians; it isn’t even calling out the sins of others as to make yourself look and feel good about yourself. Friends, the living signs of faith mentioned here is directly connected to how we as Christians actually live—even behind the scenes! While it seems to be a natural function for us to show deference to those who show visible signs of wealth and to have disdain for those in the lower class than ourselves, the epistle of James was written in such a time like that—although we too are no different today.
Let’s relook at verse 1. “My brothers and sisters, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.” Our faith with personal favoritism! What does this mean? One of the key words used here is attitude, and in Greek (pros-o-pol-ape'-tace) has the meaning of one who shows partiality, and acceptor of a face, or face value. This is where we see faithfulness and faithlessness being brought into practice. When we take God at face value with blind faith, this is genuine faithfulness. Then, when we take that same faith with the attitude of partiality, we then learn faithlessness and are driven into a very dark abyss. Do we tend to give more emphasis on your friends in the Christian faith than those that don’t even know God? Which do we need to minister to more? Our faith in Christ comes at a price whereas we who know Him, should serve Him obediently. Meaning we must act on the basis of what we truly believe which when we act out our faith, others will indeed see it! This is where the world has it right! When the world see’s a Christian not doing God’s work, they are not seeing signs of living faith! Mentioned here in James about personal favoritism, this is a symptom of a much bigger problem. Knowing faith without works is dead, those who practice faithlessness will see firsthand that our works to sparingly give honor and service to the poor people of the world while ingulfing the rich people of the world with full measure of our time and energy shows exactly opposite of what James is telling us here. “But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.”
Let me, however, describe to you the good and the bad about the living signs of faith. The good is where we learn our faith, whether strong or weak, is always subject to action as if it’s alive within us; meaning if we grow and learn faith, we become part of that faith. A concert pianist Arthur Rubenstein stated faith this way. “You cannot play the piano well unless you are singing within yourself.” What you practice is what you become! You practice what you preach! The bad news is if the living signs of faith are not present in our lives, then we cannot please God with faith that is dead! But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to acknowledge, you foolish person, that faith without works is useless? or just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
In a 2019 article, Gabe Lyons wrote a report that Americans spent 264 billion dollars on physical activity which is far more than any nation. That huge number included 37 billion on fitness classes, 58 billion on sports and recreation, 117 billion on apparel and footwear, 37 billion on equipment and supplies and 10 billion on mindful movement such as yoga. And yet, the untied states ranked 143rd in the world for actual participation in physical activity. More than 40 percent of Americans fail to meet the goal of moderate physical activity. This demonstrates an illustration where we can put faith in our physical wellness and health, but until you actually do it, we gain nothing!
In closing, I would like to leave you with a very positive outcome of faith my friends that once you see and experience faith that works in your life, you will most assuredly see God at work in every area of your life. When faith is not in our lifestyle, we are breaking God’s heart; and when we take the approach of partiality, the rich over the poor person, we see a direct path to spiritual death where our faith is divided, not being used or exercised. Do you know what the solution is with faith and the living lifestyle of partiality? Its called love! Love is the key to overcoming partiality where our faith is divided. Scripture tells us You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well. God loves all people, rich and poor alike, exactly the same! Everything is shared! No person is violated. Those who don’t know God has access to God just as you do, whether if they are rich or poor. And then how do we fulfill the law of love? We obey God’s laws as Jesus tells us, “Love God with all your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself! All the laws are hinged upon these two!”
Love is the key to a Christian lifestyle with living signs of faith! If you really think about it friends, love is the very essence of God. 1 John 4 is a most profound definition of love that says “God is love!” Its unconditional and with no strings attached. As Christians, true believers, we too must learn of this love by way of living signs of faith in obeying God without partiality. Now, let me leave you with three elements to help with living the signs of faith. First, all of us have broken God’s laws. No matter how trivial you think about it, we each do not deserve God’s love. When we try to live good lives, we cannot, without God’s love. Second, only love can fulfill the law of God. Paul tells us to owe no one anything, but to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. Satisfying God’s royal law is to obey God as we learn to live by faith and moving directly into the third element is where only in Christ do we find love. Christ is the source of all love. Gospel of John tells us “let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.” Our faith must be accompanied by action or work. If you cannot find meaning in the work for Christ, then think on these attributes. Authenticity, Going to work should make you feel you are accessing your "true self". Agency, You are able to make significant decisions and feel as if you are "making a difference” with Christ. Self-Worth Your work should make you feel valuable; you should be able to see milestones of achievement, no matter how small. Purpose, You should see your work as moving you closer to a strongly held goal which is serving Christ by spreading His word. Belonging, It's not what you do, it's who you do it with. You belong to a special group; followers of Jesus the Risen Christ! Transcendence, Your job is about sacrifice for a greater cause. Its not just about you! Its all about God. Amen.