True faith must show character.
By Pastor George Lehman
2 Timothy 3:16 (Amp) – Every Scripture is God breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought purpose and action.)
Ephesians 4:23-24 (Msg)- A life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces His character in us.
Acts 17:11 (NIV) – Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
1 Thessalonian 1:3 (AMP) – Recalling unceasingly before our God and Father your work energized by faith and service motivated by love and unwavering hope in [the return of] our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).
1 Thessalonian 1:8 (AMP) – For not only has the Word concerning and from the Lord resounded forth from you unmistakably in Macedonia and Achaia, but everywhere the report has gone forth of your faith in God [of your leaning of your whole personality on Him in complete trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness]. So we [find that we] never need to tell people anything [further about it].
James 1:26-27 (LB) – 26 Anyone who says he is a Christian but doesn’t control his sharp tongue* is just fooling himself, and his religion isn’t worth much. 27 The Christian who is pure and without fault, from God the Father’s point of view, is the one who takes care of orphans and widows, and who remains true to the Lord—not soiled and dirtied by his contacts with the world.
*What’s in you comes out of you.
A sharp tongue: Destructive power of words, causing harm and division, gossip and lies.
There is so much counterfeit Christianity in our day and age.
James said, “If anyone among you thinks he is religious”.
Many people consider themselves religious.
So many think they can go through the bible picking and choosing commands they want to obey.
Then believe they are good religious people. People don’t change because they believe they are okay.
Credibility in the Christian’s life involves knowing Christ and sowing consistency of lifestyle.
A genuine Christian character is evident in three ways:
By our conversation
Our concern and
Our conduct
The evidence of our conversation.
James said:
“Those who consider themselves religious but don’t control their tongue” are deceiving themselves and their religion is useless – James 1:26.
In short, it’s just an empty show and will have zero kingdom effect on anyone.
The word deceived can also mean ‘cheat’.
People who can’t control what comes out their mouth…
…whether it is filthy language or *gossip or *slander or lies or whatever, are only cheating themselves in the process.
*Gossip[skinder] =idle talk or rumour about a person behind their back.
*Slander [laster] = malicious, false, defamatory to cause hurt.
The only one that loses is you!
Our character is often revealed in our conversation before anyone has a chance to observe our conduct. You’ll know what will follow that mouth. Our behaviour will always match our speech.
James says, “Control your tongue”.
The evidence of our concern.
True faith is demonstrated by our character and our character is evident in what concerns us. What concerns us must be what concerns God.
James 1:27a (NIV) – Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…
Clearly God is concerned about the orphans and the widows.
The things we are concerned about reveal our true character.
As Christians we are to show mercy and kindness to people in such need.
Especially to those who can never repay the help.
Keep in mind what Paul told Timothy:
1 Timothy 5:3-4 & 8-9 (NIV) – 3Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. 4But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.
8If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 9No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband
After all, a true sign of Christian character is a genuine concern for anyone in need.
“To add value to others, one must first value others”.
-Maxwell
It’s not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived. If God can get it through you, He’ll get it to you.
The evidence of our conduct.
We get this right – our conversation and concerns will be right.
James completed this initial chapter with a firm warning to us to keep “unpolluted from the world”. James 1:27
The tragedy is that this world system has polluted many who are called by His name.
Paul warned the church because he saw the pollution taking hold of the church.
2 Corinthians 11:3 (NLT) – But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.
How many of you have seen in a department store – there’s a table with all sorts of odds and ends – skirts, dresses, shorts, sweaters piled up on it.
The big sign above it reads:
“Slightly soiled…greatly reduced in price.”
Just let those words penetrate your heart when you think of them.
Slightly soiled
Greatly reduced in price
How many Christians have had those words written across their lives…
…because of their inconsistent and ungodly conduct. People ‘de-value’ themselves.
The truth is, if you allow your life to become spotted and stained by sin….… you lose much of the value of your Christian witness.
When James challenged us to keep unspotted or unpolluted from the world…
…it was not a calling to become a monk and isolate yourself.
James was talking about insulation, not isolation.
Jesus prayed this over us:
John 17:14 (NIV) – I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.
Jesus left us an example… in the world but not of the world.
We are to take His glorious, good news, the gospel, into a dying world.
Letting our character shine brightly and credibly as we insulate ourselves from the world’s influence.
First by knowing Christ, then by sowing consistency in our lives and finally by showing godly character in our conversations, our concerns and our conduct.
The world is watching and waiting to see credibility.
2 Corinthians 8:21 – For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.
