Author: Berean Baptist

No matter his physical age, every Christian begins his new life in Christ as a baby. We are born again through the operation of the Holy Spirit, and at that moment we are new to the faith, new to the kingdom, and new in understanding. Paul said we are a new creation in Christ. Our former lives have passed away, and the born-again baby wakes up to a new world (2 Cor. 5:17). His desires are changed, his friends will change; his view of self and of the world has changed. The new Christian immediately begins to wrestle with all these differences while at the same time he is under attack by Satan to compromise and mitigate the effects of those differences.

            It is at this point the new Christian is most vulnerable. Since his understanding of the new life is minimal, he is easily susceptible to false doctrine. Like a young child, he is impressionable and trusting of anyone that carries a Bible and purports to speak for God. This is the earliest stage of his sanctification. The foundation of faith that he receives at this point may indeed shape him for the rest of his Christian life. If he is bound by false teachings or even lack of teaching in this early stage, his growth will be seriously stunted. This is truly a problem since it is very hard to find churches that care much at all about doctrine. Some preach truth, but the scope of truth is limited.

            Some years ago, I had two men from a local Baptist church come to my door to invite me to church. One of the men was a deacon and I was thrilled these two had come to see me. They were vocal and unintimidated in their faith, which I found to be very refreshing. I looked forward to sitting with them for a few minutes to discuss the Bible. While I commended these men for their zeal, I soon learned discussing the Bible with them was not much of an option. They knew very little about scripture. This was understandable if they were novices and new to the faith. However, as I stated, one of these men was a deacon and had been approved by the church for his position.

            It is easy to think we are mature if the standard we measure by is less than what it should be. According to Paul, the first step of maturity in the faith is a doctrinal one (Eph. 4:14-15). We must be grounded and settled in the Word of God to grow. We begin with the simpler doctrines of the Word; we feed on these, and when they are mastered we add more substantial doctrine course by course. In this way, we move on from infancy to adulthood.           

            The responsibility of feeding the children of God rests with ministers (Acts 20:28; Eph. 4:11-12). The responsibility of eating is yours. The pastor prepares the spiritual food for you each week, but you must be present to partake. If you are absent from the teaching of the Word, the sanctifying process is slowed to a crawl. For this reason, many Christians that should have grown up long ago are still spiritual babies.

            Our subject today is the conclusion of our miniseries on Proofs of the Preacher. I have the responsibility to feed you the word as Paul says a nursing mother will draw her child close for nourishment and care. I am to give you the whole counsel of the word (Acts 20:27). However, I cannot feed you and you will not grow unless you come to the table to eat. You will prove the preacher as you test and obey the word. Let’s be sure we’re working together for the good of the body, the church of Jesus Christ.

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10)

In 1 Thessalonians 5, we have studied Paul’s view of the Christian’s sanctification as we wait on the Lord to return. Paul also discusses how God made His choice to separate us from the world of unbelievers. In the message today, we take care to emphasize God’s divine selection and the infallible purpose of Christ’s death on the cross. We are not strangers to Paul’s explanation of these doctrines having spent many weeks on the subject in our Romans class discussions of chapters 7 and 8.

The question I pose in this article is this: Did another apostle confirm Paul’s teaching or is he out on a limb by himself? You and I know this could never be since all the scriptures are Holy Spirit inspired. Let us consider the apostle Peter and his affirmation of Paul on these subjects.

Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (1 Peter 1:2) 

Most of you that know me well know that I am drawn to this verse in which Peter mentions one of my favorite subjects of scripture, the doctrine of election. Proper understanding of this doctrine is what I would call a sea change. It radically alters our view of self. The heart of man is naturally against it. We will not come to it easily and yet when God gives understanding it begins to sink into the soul and overwhelms us with His graciousness. It is not popular doctrine because it is designed to take away our bragging rights. It removes any thoughts that in any way we have part in our salvation.

The second verse also contains the doctrine of sanctification. Not only is the sovereign God singularly responsible for His choice of lost sinners, but it is also His work alone to make them fit to enter fellowship with Him. The scriptures teach that we are vile and wicked while God is perfectly righteous and holy. If I could put it this way, we cannot sit in the same room with God. His holiness cannot allow any sinner to approach Him. For this, we must be changed. We must be made holy in order to come into His presence. This is what the Holy Spirit does in our sanctification.

 A third doctrine taught in this verse is the end to which we have been chosen. We are chosen to obedience. We are chosen to follow Christ and produce good works for His kingdom. We are chosen to obey the commandments of Christ which is the evidence of our salvation. The absence of these good works reveals that sanctification has not taken place—that we have not been purged from our sins. All those that are chosen, called, justified, and sanctified will be conformed to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29-30).

 A fourth doctrine found in this verse is the means by which all of this is accomplished. It is by the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. It is by His sacrifice on the cross that our sin debt to God is satisfied. We are released from the guilt of our sins and justified in God’s sight by this once for all offering that Christ made on the cross. All the doctrines of God’s word are centered on this all-important fact. If not for Christ’s blood, our election could not result in salvation. If not for the cleansing of His blood, we could not be sanctified in order to fellowship with God. If not for the power of His blood to change our wicked hearts, we would never have the desire to obey God.

Though Paul and Peter have different purposes in their letters, we find the support for their teachings are the same underlying doctrines of the faith. They preach the same Christ; therefore, they are in perfect harmony concerning the Father’s selection of His people, the Son’s vicarious suffering for them, and the Holy Spirit regenerating work to bring them to repentance and faith. Since the apostles agree, why shouldn’t we?

Pastor V. Mark Smith

From time to time, I feel the importance of emphasizing the value of our members attending all the services of Berean Baptist Church. We are studying the last part of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians which speaks of sanctification and the evidentiary change in a believer’s life. Someone said, “Two things are at stake here. One, your own soul is at stake, so you need to understand whether you’re a real Christian or not. Secondly, the church needs to be observant about this so that we deal with the people for their own sake and for the protection of the church.”

            What issue is so important that your soul is at stake because of it? What is so important that the church must be protected from it? The issue is sin and the belief that a person may profess to know Christ and yet continue to live in sin. Your soul is a stake because there are many in fundamental churches today that teach it is not necessary for a believer to submit to the Lordship of Christ, but may assent to the bare facts of the gospel, believe in Christ, and yet continue to live the same lifestyle of sin that was lived before. The problem with this preaching is that it gives false hope to those who believe their souls are safe from hell, when in fact, the lack of a radical, demonstrated change in a person’s life reveals the person has not actually been saved by the grace of God.

            The apostle John makes this very clear with his arguments in 1 John concerning the nature of sin, the work of Christ, and the contrast between believers and unbelievers. Sin is the character of the devil, and habitual sin could not be the character of a person who has become a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). Those who are born again have received the indwelling Spirit of Christ. They have a new nature with new desires. John also argues from the standpoint of Christ’s work. He tells us in the third chapter that Christ was manifested to destroy the works of the devil. Christ’s power over Satan is demonstrated immediately upon a believer in the work of salvation. The power of Satan to blind the sinner’s heart against the gospel must be broken. This is accomplished in regeneration when the sinner is brought to spiritual life in order to repent of sin and believe the gospel. Christ’s power does not stop upon initial belief. When the individual becomes a child of God, the sustaining power of God’s grace enables him to persevere in the faith. We are in the process of being conformed to the image of Christ. If a Christian could continue living the same life as before, at least three biblical doctrines must be denied—the new birth as a new creation in Christ, perseverance of the saints, and progressive sanctification. In effect, Christ’s present work in the believer is completely nullified.

            Also, in 1 John 3, the apostle makes this statement in verse 10: “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil; whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God…” This is the King James translation which we advocate at Berean. But in addition to the KJV, the ESV, NIV, NEB, RSV, CEV, NASB, and the Amplified Bible among others, all translate this to the same effect. All of these are very clear that a life of righteousness is evidence of the new birth. The preceding verses are emphatic in making the point that a true believer will demonstrate his salvation by a life of holiness.

            Your soul is at stake over this issue. Receiving the Lordship of Christ is evidence that you have been genuinely converted. The health of the church is at stake because an increasingly unregenerate membership will be death to the preaching of the gospel. I am afraid many that miss church could be greatly benefited by such teaching. Often, they are the ones who need it most. Examine your life. Are you one of them?

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

            How are Christians to live as we expectantly await the coming of our Lord? Since the time Christ founded the church and ascended to the Father, the church has eagerly anticipated the time of His return. The disciples thought it would be nearly immediate, believing as they watched Him ascend that His absence would be momentary as He made all things ready for the establishment of His kingdom.

            Our studies in 1 Thessalonians showed that the late timing of His return was confusing causing the Thessalonian church to believe they had missed it. The common opinion was that since Christ had not quickly returned something was radically wrong. The critics of Christianity scoffed at the believers’ hope asking, “Where is the promise of His coming? All things are just as they were and will continue as they are.” The delay and the scoffers fueled the doubts of God’s people and led them to despair.

            In this letter to the Thessalonians, Paul corrected the high points of their confusion and redirected their thinking. Once he had them on the right track, he settled into the mode of putting into practice their enlightenment of the truth. The terrible calamities of the last days would not be theirs. They were not living in the darkness of despair with judgment hanging over their heads as were the enemies of Christ. They were new creatures in Christ. They came out of the blindness of hopelessness with the promise they would obtain their final salvation. No matter how long it takes for the Lord to return, we will never be overtaken by any of Satan’s tricks.

            The Lord does not want us to live in despair, and yet many times I heard the comments of members after the end times sermons that Christ must soon return, or they won’t be able to bear the terrible direction our country is headed. I often caution believers to be patient. Perhaps patience is the greatest virtue because it lets God be God. He works in His time not ours. We have no promise that it won’t be another two thousand years before Christ returns. Time means nothing to God because He is timeless.

            This part might seem like an odd ray of hope, but there is no believer who will fail to see Christ and be rid of this world in any longer time than the span of one lifetime. Do you understand? You will see Christ soon whether He returns to earth in one year or one thousand.

            I believe Paul made this clear to the Thessalonians. The business at hand is preparing to see Him whether in death or in the rapture. His delay does not stop our preparedness and obligation to sanctification. One way or another, our redemption is near. Our focus cannot be what enemies, the government, the squad, or anyone else does. Our focus is the worship of Jesus Christ. Paul concludes the Thessalonian letter on this very topic—the worship of Christ in the church.

            It is perfectly fine to wish for, hope for, and pray for Christ to return. In fact, Jesus said we are to pray the Kingdom will come. It won’t until Christ’s returns, so obviously praying for it is appropriate. Invest in that hope, but if it is not realized in your lifetime, seeing Christ will be. See 1 Thessalonians 4 to learn that the end of life for a believer is to fall asleep and in a split second awaken to be with Christ forever. It is not too long to wait for patiently because it happens in God’s time.

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

Can Hell be Hotter?

For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; ^[3] How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:2-3)

            One of the most serious errors of today’s evangelical movement is the construction of a god and of a savior that is very much different than the one presented in scripture. The modern fallacy is to believe the God of the Old Testament was very harsh, unforgiving, and much too demanding. We read the Old Testament laws given to Moses at Mount Sinai and we shudder at the consequences ordered by God to make restitution for breaking those laws. There are many examples that could be given, but one that comes to mind is the sin of adultery. God said, “And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus 20:10). These laws are difficult for the modern hearer because the god that has been constructed today is one that would never think of punishing evil doers so harshly; and certainly He would never punish anyone in an eternal Hell. And yet in the book of Hebrews, we learn these laws were given to man through the administration of the holy angels of God. God’s holiness demanded such punishment so that scripture says the penalty paid is a “just recompense of reward.”

            Churches today offer salvation from a god that is much less demanding. This god loves you and is unconcerned with your petty indiscretions (re: actual crimes against His holiness!). You owe nothing to God, but He owes everything to you. There are no requirements, no real standards—all you need do is acknowledge He has something to offer.

            These verses in Hebrews are some of the strongest refutations in scripture about this idea of God and His Christ. Hebrews affirms that God is just in giving a penalty for the transgression of His law. What is more amazing from these scriptures is that the demands of God are not decreased because we have entered the New Testament era, but are rather intensified. In the Old Testament, angels were attendant at the giving of the law (Ps. 68:17), and prophets such as Moses taught it to the people. Obedience was expected even though the law itself could never bring anyone into a personal relationship with God. “For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God” (Hebrews 7:19).

            The better hope is the Lord Jesus Christ and knowledge of Him is through the gospel. The writer makes a simple but profound argument. Christ is God’s own Son, the express image of His person (1:3). He has spoken, not angels and not men, and His gospel is the only way to come into a saving relationship with Him. If the hearers of the Old Testament Law could not escape God’s punishment for disobeying an inferior law given through angels and men, how much less can we expect to escape punishment for disobeying the superior law which actually brings salvation (Rom. 8:2) and was given by the One who sits in majesty on high (1:3)?

            Rather than God demanding less today than He did in the Old Testament, He demands incredibly more. Punishment for rejection of God’s message today is far greater than it was then. To put it simply, Hell has become hotter! We will not escape it if we neglect salvation in Christ.

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works… [15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:12, 15) 

            The last themes of Revelation are the final states of the righteous and the wicked. After thousands of years of man’s existence, a time will come when his eternal future will be unalterably fixed. Revelation chapter 20 concerns the judgment of the wicked. This is known as the Great White Throne Judgment. This judgment is for people that have never trusted Jesus Christ as Saviour and received His perfect righteousness for their justification with God.

            This judgment takes place in God’s courtroom, but the operations of God’s court are somewhat different from ours. In our courts, the outcome is at first undetermined because the accused is presumed innocent until he can be proven guilty. At this judgment bar, every person is guilty. There is no presumption of innocence; there is no evidence presented for acquittal because none exists. God’s judgment is based on perfect righteousness. However, when the books are opened there are no records of righteousness. This is beyond argument because God’s word already declared, “The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Psalm 14:2-3).

            Wouldn’t it be to your great advantage if you could see the books ahead of time and learn what they contain? The entries are your sins, which are transgressions of God’s law. There are many things in the books that you might not be aware of, but there are plenty that you do know if you will just think about them and be honest with yourself. Truly, honesty is one of your greatest problems. The Bible says that all people are liars. Surely you know there are multiple instances of lies on your account.

Have you ever used God’s name as a curse word or were you in any way irreverent with the use of His name? No doubt that list is quite long as well. Did you ever miss a day at church because your priorities were higher than God’s? There are many Sundays in your life. How many of those did you use for self instead of Him? The list of occasions of idolatry are too numerous to count.

What about lust? Jesus said if a man looks at a woman to lust after her, he has already committed adultery in his heart (the reverse is also true for women). God has a record of all those times. Do we need to go on and cover all the commandments to show you are guilty of breaking them all and breaking them multiple times? Now you know what God will check when He pulls up your account.

            Since I don’t have much space and this is a huge topic, let me just mention the gravest sin of all. Did you notice in both Revelation 20:12 and 20:15 the mention of the book of life? Every person judged at the Great White Throne is missing from the book of life. The book of life is a book of righteousness. It is a book that contains the names of all that have been given the righteousness God requires. This is the righteousness of faith which is transferred directly to you from the merits of the perfect life of Christ. This is given to those that repent of their sins and trust Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Those that do not are guilty of the gravest sin of all—the rejection of the perfect sacrifice for sin. The gravest sin of all is to trample the precious blood of Christ under your feet and despise the grace of God.

            Are you in the book of life? I have some good news for you—you can know this ahead of time. Have you repented of your sins and do you trust Jesus Christ and only Him as your perfect righteousness? If so, your name is there. You do not need to fear the Great White Throne Judgment because you will not be there. All others—beware!

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

Today, my thoughts bring me to the many troubles Christians experience living in postmodern America. It is not my purpose to argue forms of government but to address a concern that threatens our individual freedoms. Particularly, I speak of the freedom of religion. Our government is pursuing a course of persecution against the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. While we are concerned about what government does, we must also be aware the government will never stop the gospel nor the perpetuity of the church.         

More concerning is the way Christians treat the church. Recently, I read an excellent article by Stephen Kneale that speaks volumes to Christians who protest what the government does to the church when they themselves are guilty of not doing much better. Read carefully and consider…

”Jesus words to Saul/Paul in Acts 9, and repeated in Acts 22 and Acts 26, are evidently important because Luke records them three times. Paul is blinded by a bright light and he hears a voice. Jesus identifies himself and asks, ‘why are you persecuting me?’

Whatever else we may want to say about this, it carries at least one major implication. Saul was not arresting the person of Jesus; he was busy rounding up Jesus’ followers and bringing them back to Jerusalem for punishment. As far as Saul was concerned, Jesus was out of the picture altogether. As far as Jesus was concerned, Saul’s persecution of Jesus’ followers was Saul persecuting Jesus himself. By his union with his people, attacking Jesus’ people is attacking Jesus.

This link is well attested. Most want to apply it to those who from outside wish to persecute the church. That is certainly a legitimate application, but it is not, I want to suggest, the primary implication for the church. It is true that those who attack the church are attacking Christ and the church may take comfort in that. But the broader implication is that whatever anyone does to the church is done to Christ. If Christ is unified to his people, then what one does to his people is what one is doing to Christ. How one treats his people is how one is treating Christ. This is the clear implication of Jesus’ own words in Matthew 25:40.

Jesus’ words to Paul have far wider-reaching ramifications than how Jesus views the persecution of his people. It has clear implications for how the Lord’s people treat one another. It similarly has implications for how the Lord’s people treat the Lord’s stuff.

If we cannot be bothered to get out of bed to get to church on Sunday morning, we are not just failing to bother spending time with God’s people, but we are spurning Christ himself. When we have no interest in serving and caring for the Lord’s people, we are failing to care for the Lord. When we drop the ball on stuff in church and put-upon others, we are spurning the Lord and saying there are other things that take precedence over him.

If Jesus’ words to Saul tell us that those who persecute the church are persecuting Christ, it also tells us that how we treat the church is how we treat Christ. If we never go to church, if we constantly go away for the weekend, if we never serve, if we find anything else to do, these are not just holding the church in low esteem, it is treating Christ lightly and a direct reflection on our views of him.

By contrast, a high view of the church is a high view of Christ. If the church becomes a high priority, Christ is a high priority. Serving the people of the church is a measure of our love for Christ. Serving in the ministries of the church is a measure of our love for Christ. Turning up at weekly worship and engaging with the Lord’s people is a measure of our love for Christ.

Your love for Jesus is seen in your love for the church. It is on this ground that meaningful church discipline is rightly enacted. If treatment of the church is a measure of our love for Christ, treating the church with contempt suggests a level of contempt for Christ. If you hold Christ in contempt, it is hard to credibly keep you in membership of the church. What does your love for the church say about your love for Christ?”

The last question is a great one. Here’s another one—will your love for Christ and his church stand His scrutiny in the last day?

                                                            Pastor V. Mark Smith

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. (Luke 2:29-32)

            Today, we return to our study of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord as we discuss worship and society in the millennial kingdom. We also reach the finale of the kingdom as its form on earth ends with permanent disposal of Satan and all unbelievers who join his last rebellion. Millions, perhaps billions will die, but the end is also the eternal future of a vast number from every nation who through thousands of years have waited for the new heavens and new earth.

Forty days after the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem for his dedication. When they entered the temple area, a man named Simeon, who was a true believer in Jehovah God, approached them and took Jesus up into his arms. With a powerful message from the Holy Spirit, he proclaimed, “Mine eyes have seen thy salvation.” This was confirmation of Jesus’ name which means “Jehovah saves.” Jesus is Jehovah, the One who saves.

            How appropriate in the Lord’s Prayer Jesus included a petition that speaks of salvation. In the words, “Thy kingdom come,” we find a wonderful evangelistic message. When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, He proclaimed, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). When He instructed the disciples to pray “Thy kingdom come,” He was teaching that prayer should include the request that the gospel would reach those who are lost in sin.

            Every person in the world needs this message because all of us have been born into a kingdom of darkness. Satan who is the god of this world has blinded the hearts of men so that they cannot see the light of the gospel (2 Cor. 4:3-4). In order for people to be saved, they must be told the gospel of Christ and the Holy Spirit must open their hearts to understand the good news of salvation. When the Holy Spirit opens the heart through regeneration, at that point a person is capable of expressing faith. This is equivalent to Jesus’ words about seeing the kingdom of God. Thus we see that when Jesus instructed with the words “Thy kingdom come,” He was expressing most vividly the work that He came into the world to do. “Jehovah saves” is His mission. Man is truly blessed when His heart is conquered by the King of all kings and then by faith he is translated from the kingdom of darkness into the glorious light of the kingdom of God.

            This aspect of the kingdom must be proclaimed by those of us who are now in the kingdom of God. In other words, Jesus instructs you to pray for the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20. He intends that you should have a part in helping the kingdom come. Your prayers and your efforts in witnessing are the methods by which the kingdom is increased. If you are not a part of the program to bring in the kingdom of God in this way, then you certainly cannot pray the next petition, “Thy will be done.”

            Your part in the kingdom is not just a future experience. This is surely a part because God promised it would come and be ruled by believers in all ages. Your part of the spiritual kingdom today is to help populate the physical kingdom of tomorrow. The gospel much reach God’s chosen one for no one is saved and enters the kingdom without it. May we all do our part to see the kingdom come!

                                                                        Pastor V. Mark Smith

If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: (James 2:8) 

            One of most notable features of the epistle of James is the directness of the author’s approach to practical Christian living. In the first chapter, James said, “If you lack wisdom, ask God and He will give it to you.” He said “When you are tempted, don’t blame God because God never tempts anyone.” He said, “Don’t just listen to the word, go and do what the word says.” Those are very straightforward statements without a great deal of exposition to go along with them.

            The same is true in the second chapter as James gives practical advice about how Christians should be impartial to others. This chapter begins with an example of how we are often prone to judge the worthiness of people by their prosperity. We show this in the difference we make in the way we treat those that are wealthy as opposed to the poor. These kinds of judgments are purely acts of the flesh and do not reflect the way God treats us. Imagine if our salvation was dependent upon how much money we have in the bank!

            It is the duty of God’s people to imitate the attitudes that Jesus showed in His life. Jesus never dismissed the rich as unworthy candidates for His love but neither did He court them to receive their approval. He spent most of His ministry among poor people and those that were social outcasts. If the rich thought they would receive His attention because they deserved it, He was quick to point out that all are spiritually bankrupt, all stand on level ground at the foot of the cross, and all must come to Him in the same brokenness to receive life from Him.

            This is the attitude that is to be reflected in the church. Some believe they should receive more attention because they are able to drop large amounts into the offering plate, and there are many churches that accommodate such people because they trust men to supply the church’s needs rather than God. However, if we are going to imitate Christ, we will accommodate the poor in an equal manner with the rich. This treatment is summed up in James’ characteristically succinct way. The principle is “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It seems kind of odd to say it this way, but do you treat yourself better depending on the worth of your investments? We love and take care of ourselves no matter where we stand economically, so to fulfill the command of scripture towards others, neither will we treat them differently depending upon their material worth.

            James goes on to show that mistreatment of our fellows because of economic status is a transgression of God’s law (vv.10-11). This is as much sin as if we were to kill someone or to commit adultery. Sadly, we rarely see it this way. If we recognize it as sin at all, we do not give weight to it in the same way as we do other sins. James’ point is that all sin transgresses the law and all sin must be dealt with accordingly if we are to be Christ like. We can never pat ourselves on the back and say what fine Christians we are especially if we have disobeyed such a crucial law as found in James 2:8. James calls this a “royal law.” Jesus described it as one of the two foundations of God’s entire law (Matt. 22:37-40).

            The next time you see a homeless person enter the church; the next time you see someone dressed a little differently and their Sunday best is not equal to yours, check your attitude towards that person. Are you judging their worth by what they wear? Your greeting of them, your fellowship with them, your care for them, your love for them—all of this speaks to whether you are really doing well. “If you fulfill the royal law…ye do well.”

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? [18] Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.  (James 2:14, 18) 

            As good students of the word of God, we are amazed at the perfect congruity of biblical doctrine. We understand there is nothing written in God’s word that is inconsistent with any other part, and this is true because the Holy Spirit is the author of divine scripture. Though men were used as God’s instruments of recording the Word, yet their words were inspired by God. Therefore, when we arrive at a scripture in which one author seems to be in conflict with another, we must recognize the conflict exists because of our lack of understanding.

            It is because of misunderstanding that some imagine Paul and James were running on opposite tracks when they expounded the doctrine of justification. Paul says that we are justified by faith without the deeds of the law (Rom. 3:28) while James asks the question, “Can faith without works save us?” Which of these writers is correct? Are works necessary for salvation or are they not? If this is indeed a conflict between Paul and James, the problem is actually much greater because it also becomes a conflict between Paul and John and Paul and Jesus. Both John and Jesus demand faith that includes righteous works.

            The truth of the matter is no conflict exists. John and James wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as well as Paul, and it goes without saying that Jesus could not be incorrect because He is God. Paul views the matter of justification in the sense of the initial act. Is there any specific work or a number of works we can do that will add up to make us righteous in God’s eyes? The answer is “no” because all of our good works fall short of God’s standard. They are all imperfect and all done with selfish motives. James is not speaking of this initial act; he is speaking of the evidentiary proof of justification. Faith alone saves, but as both Calvin and Luther said, a faith that is alone does not save. Faith always produces good works in the Christian.

We can rephrase James’ question in James 2:14 this way: “What is the profit if a man says he has faith and not works? Can that kind of faith save him?” A faith that does not produce works is not the kind of faith that God gives. And this point is critical to our understanding—faith is a gift from God and the faith that God gives could never be a deficient faith that fails to produce what God intends for it to produce. Here we can interject Paul’s teaching on the grace of God in salvation by quoting Ephesians 2:10. Immediately after saying that we are saved by God’s grace through faith and not by works, he says: ”For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” James stated this exact point only with different wording. True saving faith is one that produces works of righteousness. These works are ordained by God and will not fail to be present. If anyone says he has true saving faith but his faith is not a productive faith, his faith is self-generated not God given.

In their epistles, both James and John include helpful information to differentiate false faith from true faith. The type of faith a person has will determine whether he is truly a child of God. Paul does no less in his epistles as he consistently outlines the kind of conduct that is evident in the lives of true believers. The agreement of these writers is apparent because each conveys the perfect mind of God.

                                                            Pastor V. Mark Smith