August 4, 2019
James 1:25 But 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 deed. And James 2:17-26.
Wednesday Night in our study we considered "The Perfect Law of Liberty". And I want to preach this morning about that truth. The Perfect Law of Liberty is the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus° Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
The written Word of God testifies of the Son. Christ is the Living Word of God, John 1:14, And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Only Christ can make you free. 1Jn 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. It is the freedom that the gospel brings you positionally. Justified positionally is one who has been declared righteous by God as a result of faith alone in Christ alone, That is established in Romans 4:19-5:1.
Man is saved by Grace Alone, through Faith Alone, in Christ Alone.
James's justification is presented differently than that of Paul, as seen in James 2: 23 and Romans 4: 19-24. But it is the same justification.
James uses two examples of faith by Abraham and Rahab. Abraham 's example is through a lifetime of faith, Rahab's is through one experience. The bible says the Just shall live by faith Rom_1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. There is One Faith with many revelations. That is how we grow and live is from one revealed truth to another revealed truth.
James is talking about a mature faith after many years of Abraham's life. The example of him offering Isaac is somewhere between 40 and 50 years after Isaac was born.
Abraham was justified by faith see Genesis 15:1-6 i.e. v6) And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. Abraham received the promise of a son by faith. He believed God for a son long before he offered that son in Gen, 22. Gal.4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. see Romans 4:18-5:1.
1 ) For the sake of clarification, I am calling this Justification: Justification positionally. Justified positionally is one who has been declared righteous by God as a result of faith, Romans 4:24-5:1 Rom 4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead Rom 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification; 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 ) James is laying out the truth; to be justified by works after being justified by faith. If we have been Justified positionally, we should strive to be Justified practically (the practice of Righteous works by the saved) You should continue in the things you saw in Christ when you were saved. "Watchman Nee said, the message of Christ to the sinner is 'Come unto Me' and His message to the believer is 'Abide in Me'
Jesus said without me ye can do nothing, John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. To be in Christ and to abide in Him means that we must share in His death, Romans 6:3, Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
The success of our abiding in Christ is only possible by our understanding of Christ and His death. Paul speaking of this very truth said in Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
We are not our own:
See 1 John 5:9-10 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son 1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Justification by faith alone results in the gift of eternal life.
Justification by works results in eternal reward.
We Posses Eternal Life Now
What we fail to see is that Eternal life is a present possession, He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. And the life that we are living now is that Eternal Life that goes into eternity. Gal. 2:20. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. And that is the same life we give an account for at the JSOC. We are living that life now in the flesh but in eternity in our new body.
James 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect.
" Perfect "not as flawless but as mature – reaching the end for which it was intended. [1]5048/teleioo ("consummate") means "make perfect" in the sense of advancing through the stages of development required to reach consummation (i.e. not necessarily "flawless perfection").
In Genesis 15:6 was Abraham's faith mature? No! But it was approx. fifty (50) years later when he offered his son, Heb 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Heb 11:18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Heb 11:19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure
When you believed the Gospel of Christ through the Word of God was your faith matured? No, but that faith had an intended purpose. That purpose was to be matured just like Abraham's faith. James is talking to us about our life, go to 1 Peter 1:3-9 Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 1Pe 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1Pe 1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 1Pe 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 1Pe 1:9 Receiving(As Abraham received Isaac) the end (The end result) of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. ( Speaking I believe to your life as a believer)
James 2:23, 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. Abraham believed God in numerous trials and errors. And He was called the Friend of God. Gen 18:16-19. (2Ch_20:7 Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?)
Jesus said Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Joh 15:14. Just as Abraham earned the title of Friend of God by obedience, Gen 18:19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
Our love for Him and our friendship with Him depends on our obedience to Him. Just because you have the gift of eternal life does not mean you love Him, Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Rahab's Faith
James 2:25, Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? Companion verse, Heb11:31. In the entire city, she was the only one who believed God and in believing God her family was saved.
Let us look at Rahab. And I don't think James is talking about mature faith in the case of Rahab but rather a personal faith. Joshua 2. It was Rahab's intention from the start was to believe God. She did not receive the spies to deceive them. Her faith had come about by hearing (2:10)
They were directed to Rahab's house, 2:1. I find it amazing that they were directed to Rahab's house, (Number 25:1 Shittim was the place where they committed whoredom but yet God sent them to a harlot's house! The LORD knows our hearts),
The city knew they came and why they came, 2:3;
She had understanding, 2:9,
How did she know? 2:10-12
The true token is their word, 2:14
And it is also what they told her to do,2:18;
She wanted to be saved, 2:13,
She still had to believe for herself. If you notice in 2:21 she did it then.
Now the scarlet thread represented three things I believe:
1 ) It represented her hope, She was saying I am hopeless – I am at your mercy.
2 ) It represented her faith. She was saying I believe your word.
3 ) It represented her sin – She was saying I am a sinner and I come as a sinner depending on you to save me. Isaiah 1:18. Unless you saved me I will not be saved! Joshua 6:17. And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.
os 6:22 But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.
Jos 6:23 And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father, and her mother, and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel.
Jos 6:24 And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.
Jos 6:25 And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
And where do you find Rahab, You find her in Ruth 4:13; 17-22 & Matthew 1: 5,6 and in Hebrews 11:31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
God has sent Christ in our World and He is to be received and believed just as Rahab received the message sent unto her.
[1] Discovery Bible Software
<