Faith & Deeds

It was interesting & not at all an accident, in my last post, the Lord was teaching me about learning to live in freedom. In a couple weeks I am going to be going through the study James, lead by Beth Moore. This is all about having freedom in Christ & what that looks like.

James is my favorite book in the Bible. Always has been. I think its because I think how he thinks. I just want to know how it works, what I should do, and then I want to know how to do it. I don't like this "it’s open for interpretation" kind of thing. I just want to know what to do & then I will do it. Kind of like a robot? Perhaps, but it works for me. :)
I went to training on this study last night, as I am facilitating one of the tables. I cannot tell you how excited I am to get these next 6-7weeks to dig deep into James. Wow. I have a feeling it is going to rock my little world.....not a feeling...I know it will.

This morning as I was just preparing by reading James again; as I intended to read the whole book, I was stopped by James 2:14-24.
The section title is Faith & Deeds. Here it is to read:

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[a]? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[b] and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

I was going to continue reading…but I couldn't. I was stuck on the part about Abraham. (vs. 21-24). Abraham laid his son on an alter with the full intention he was to kill him, per God. As he raised the knife up to kill him, an angel of the Lord spoke & stopped him. You can read about it in Genesis 22:9-12. I just love this picture James gives us in vs. 22. It says his faith AND actions were working TOGETHER, and his FAITH was made complete by what he did. Then in v.24 it says...a person is justified by what he DOES and NOT by faith alone.

Sometimes I think we, I, get hung up on the “it’s not by works that we are saved” phrase and we stop there & kind of justify our no action at times. Because we know it’s not by what do that saves us, so sometimes I think we can take the approach of, I believe, that’s enough. However, when God increases our faith in a situation; it’s one thing for our faith to be changed & increased....but if we don't ACT or do anything with that faith that he gave us....then it is dead.
I knew this...but it’s one thing to KNOW it and another to LIVE it. Exactly what James is saying.

So for me, it would mean being obedient in the small things in my life..... A real struggle of mine is being self controlled in my eating. I could go on and on about this, but I will keep it short & to the point. This has always been a struggle. Vulnerable moment here: I was made fun of all the time; elementary school, junior high, and even in high school about my weight. So as you imagine this constant thing has loomed over me since I remember the first incident in 4th grade. It formed who I thought I was, it formed who I thought people thought I was, it formed how I lived my life! Having faith that God is who he said he was, but not really doing anything with that. Until one day 8 years ago, God grabbed a hold of my shoulders & shook me & said…THIS IS NOT WHO YOU ARE! HE defines me. Not the scale. Not people. He alone does. He has taught me a lot about myself & being controlled by food….carbs especially. There I said it. Seriously though, if I could live off carbs alone I would. That is all I would eat, but I know what it does to my body & I know that I am not living out my faith when I chose to eat bread instead of a vegetable. I KNOW THIS. So when I make those choices to give in to what I want (oh so yummy carbs)...then in essence the faith that he has given me & increased over the years....is dead. If I can't even put a small thing like being obedient to God in what I put in my mouth, then how can I be obedient in the big things? Hear me, this is not a post on weight; don’t miss the big picture of what he is trying to say here.

God is showing me that being obedient in the small things, like making a healthy choice...is one way of how to daily live in freedom. To take those moments where we can choose to obey or standstill, and MOVE into them....and that is when I/we will be justified by what I do and not just by our faith alone.

Truly living in freedom.