Faith Without Works is Dead

February 4, 2018 Background Scripture: James 2:14 – 26 Lesson Passage: James 2:14 – 26 Our study of biblical faith would be incomplete without a review of some “faith principles” found in the epistle written by James. James addressed his letter to the Jewish Christians who were scattered as a result of the early persecution of the church in Jerusalem. Whether one wants to compare or contrast James’ doctrinal statements about faith with those of the Apostle Paul, the unbiased conclusion is always that they are both correct because they are both found in the word of God. Whereas Paul asserts that good works cannot justify anyone but only the grace of God through our faith brings salvation, James asserts that a faith that saves will also produce works in and by the saved person. Paul’s stance is totally a matter of what justifies a person in the presence of God. James, on the other hand, takes the stance that a person who has been saved will show evidence of that in their manner of living. On the one hand, Paul defines justification by faith but on the other hand, James defines a living faith that shows up in the sanctification process that every living Christian continuously goes through. In justification, the person is delivered at once and eternally from the penalty of sin which is eternal damnation. In sanctification, the person goes through the process of being delivered from the power of sin in their everyday situations. James wrote about faith as part of the character of a Christian who is going through the process of maturing spiritually. James gave several illustrations of the type of works that faith should engender in the believer. He gave a hypothetical situation of someone coming to a Christian with physical needs but leaving with only words or prayers but no deeds are done to alleviate the needs. James called this behavior dead faith. Living faith goes beyond words and follows through with deeds. Next, James offered examples of faith by looking at two of the faithful who are recorded in Israel’s history. The example of Abraham clearly shows the relationship between Paul’s statement concerning faith and James’ statement. Both writers used Abraham as an example of faith. Paul referred to God recognizing Abraham believing Him and the promises He made to him and counting Abraham’s belief in Him as faith. Faith was reckoned to Abraham without Abraham performing any deeds or works at that time. James referred to Abraham’s actions many years after that encounter with God and offers it as the proof of the living faith which was in Abraham. We believe that justification comes from believing God’s words and trusting in Him that the works of Jesus satisfies the penalty of sin in all who receive it by faith. Being saved and having the Spirit of Christ in us should propel Christians to do good works just as Jesus did on earth in the flesh. Christians should do good works as we live through the sanctification process. James challenged believers to show forth or demonstrate their faith without using works but his choice was to show his faith by the works that resulted from having faith. Robert C. Hudson January 22, 2017

A Strong Faith

January 28, 2018 Background Scripture: Daniel 10, 11 Lesson Passage: Daniel 10:10 – 19 The strength of Daniel’s faith can be measured by his willingness to remain steadfast in fasting and prayer for three weeks waiting to hear from God. When the answer came, it must have been mind boggling—or perhaps awe inspiring! Daniel was given a vision of all of the kingdoms of the world that would wage war against each other over the centuries long after his own death. He was told which kingdom would prevail over which and what would subsequently lead to their downfall. Daniel would develop the firm conviction that in spite of all that was being devised by men over the centuries, God would remain firmly in control of everything. God set angels and archangels over nations to limit the damage that demonic forces would do if left unchecked. Daniel’s desire to know the outcome was satisfied by showing him much more than he could possibly have known to inquire about. Nations would continue to rise against nations and God knew which ones would, the time that they would, how long their reign would last, and which nation would overthrow them. Yes, God knows the activities that evil people engage in and how long those things are going to last. In the midst of all of this, God protects His people. Daniel’s desire to know was limited but God’s answer to him covered such a long span of time that thousands of years later many of the prophecies have been fulfilled and yet many remain to be fulfilled in the future. Daniel’s prophecies are important to all other prophecies in terms of the span of time involved and the details that are included. For many years, scholars and theologians have used the prophecies of Daniel to understand world events of our past and to anticipate future events that were foretold. When one reflects on the text in the two chapters of the background scripture, one must be reminded that Daniel arrived in Babylon as a youth and part of the spoils of war gained by Babylon when they conquered Judah. He found favor with kings and was given a prestigious position for a servant. In spite of Daniel’s situation, God’s hand was upon him and he prospered even in servitude. As one of the writers of the major prophecies of Israel, Daniel was uniquely positioned by God to speak to kings and declare the oracles of God far beyond his own limited lifespan. This was not a result of Daniel having a casual relationship with God or being simply religious. Daniel’s relationship with God was on a level that few individuals presented in the scriptures ever achieved. Because of it, Daniel didn’t just speak to the issues of his day, but his writings speak to issues that are yet unfolding in our lifetimes. Because Daniel trusted God, God entrusted him with some of the true treasures of Heaven which included detailed descriptions of future times and events. Daniel does not appear to have been feared as some prophets were but he was highly respected by kings as a man of God. Daniel had a strong faith and even kings were able to observe it and praised Daniel’s God for it. Robert C. Hudson December 8, 2017

A Strong Faith

January 28, 2018 Background Scripture: Daniel 10, 11 Lesson Passage: Daniel 10:10 – 19 The strength of Daniel’s faith can be measured by his willingness to remain steadfast in fasting and prayer for three weeks waiting to hear from God. When the answer came, it must have been mind boggling. Daniel was given a vision of all of the kingdoms of the world waging war against each other over the centuries long after his own death. He was told which kingdom would prevail over which and what would lead to their downfall. Daniel would be given the firm conviction that in spite of all that was being devised by men over the centuries, God remained firmly in control of everything. God set angels and archangels over nations to limit the damage that demonic forces would do if left unchecked. Daniel desire to know the outcome was satisfied by showing him much more than he could possibly have known to inquire about. Nations would continue to rise against nations and God knew which ones would, the time that they would, how long their reign would last, and which nation would overthrow them. God knew the activities that would be created by evil people and how long those things would last. In the midst of all of this, God would protect His people. Daniel’s desire to know was limited but God’s answer to him covered such a broad spectrum of time that thousands of years later many of the prophecies have been fulfilled and yet many remain to be fulfilled in the future. Daniel’s prophecies are important to all other prophecies in terms of the span of time involved and the details that are included. For many years, scholars and theologians have used the prophecies of Daniel to understand world events of our past and to anticipate future events that were foretold. Robert C. Hudson December 8, 2017

A Prayer for an Obedient Faith

January 21, 2018 Background Scripture: Daniel 9:1 – 19 Lesson Passage: Daniel 9:4 – 8, 15 – 19 While in captivity, Daniel studied the written word of God seeking to understand the reason for the shameful condition of the people of God. He found his answer in the writing of Jeremiah’s prophecy. The statement describing Israel’s punishment was very plainly written in the prophecy. Israel’s punishment was first described in the Law given by God through Moses. Because the nation, its rulers and people, had not adhered to the instructions given to them in the Law, God had poured out the curses defined in the Law upon His people. Israel was punished openly and other nations witnessed it. Israel’s sovereignty had been stripped from her and the people scattered throughout other nations. All of this was just as the Law had recorded it would be. Jeremiah’s prophecy confirmed this but also provided a ray of hope for Israel. God’s prophecy through Jeremiah declared that the nation’s punishment would last for seventy years and afterwards God would punish the nation He had used to bring judgment on Israel. After reading the prophecy, Daniel began to earnestly fast and pray to God. Daniel acknowledged the sins of Israel and her leaders in straying from God’s instructions and ignoring God’s warnings. Israel deserved all that she was experiencing because she had been warned beforehand about the consequences of her behavior. Even while the nation continued to descend into moral and spiritual disobedience to God, God continued to send prophets to warn her to repent and return to Him. Daniel acknowledged the faithfulness of God in spite of Israel’s behavior. Daniel prayed that God would now allow His face to once again shine on His people and the holy city of Jerusalem. Just as the punishment from the Lord had come about as prophesied, Daniel prayed that the promised restoration would now come to pass. Daniel knew Israel did not deserve restoration but he prayed that God would do it for His name’s sake. While deep in prayer and confession, Daniel was again visited by the angel Gabriel. Gabriel informed Daniel that at the beginning of his prayer, God had commanded him to go and assist Daniel by providing insight and understanding. Gabriel encouraged Daniel by telling him that he is highly esteemed. What an indescribable honor it was for Daniel to be acknowledged in such a way. In the gospel account, Gabriel identified himself as one who stands in the presence of God. When Gabriel delivers a message, it is coming from the very throne of God. What Daniel read in the Law and the Prophets, he was receiving second hand. Moses and the prophets received the messages from God that they delivered and recorded for the people of God. When Gabriel shows up, he is the intermediary between God and the recipient of the message from God. In other words, the message delivered by Gabriel was “hot off the press”. This was done because God held Daniel in high esteem. Daniel prayed earnestly, and God sent him an answer. Robert C. Hudson December 8, 2017

A Bold Faith

January 14, 2018 Background Scripture: Daniel 3 Lesson Passage: Daniel 3:19 – 23, 26 – 28 Someone once said that a faith that has not been tested is a faith that cannot be trusted. In today’s lesson, Daniel’s three friends have their faith put to the test. Nebuchadnezzar had created an idol and was insisting that everyone bow down and worship it when the music played. It is interesting to note that the scriptures do not tell us what was going on with Daniel during this time of testing of his friends. We don’t know if Daniel was complicit to the king’s request or away on official business during this time. However, we do know that Daniel’s three friends were there and they refused to bow down and worship the king’s idol. They were threatened with death by being thrown alive into a super-heated furnace for their rebellion. The king favored them because he had selected them for special positions in his kingdom. In spite of the king’s feelings toward the young men, the king knew that he could not allow any of his subjects to disobey his direct orders without risking anarchy in the kingdom. Therefore, the king extended the privilege of providing personal counsel to them so he sent for them to be brought to him. The king explained to them his request for everyone to worship the image and the punishment prescribed for anyone who disobeyed the king’s order. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego declared boldly that God, whom they serve, has the power to deliver them from the furnace and that He would deliver them from the king. To this they added, if God chooses not to deliver them from the furnace, they would still obey God and not worship the image. This was a bold faith. They were willing to risk their lives with no guarantee other than knowing that they were following the Law of God concerning the worship of idols. Nebuchadnezzar was undeterred by their faith in God and had his servants increase the heat inside the furnace seven times above its normal level. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were bound with ropes and taken to the opening of the furnace and thrown in. The fire from the furnace was so intense that it killed the king’s servants who threw the three men in the furnace. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, on the other hand, were unharmed and Nebuchadnezzar saw them walking around inside of the furnace. Nebuchadnezzar was so amazed at what he witnessed that he went to the door of the furnace and called for the three men to come out of the furnace. The fire in the furnace was real. It had killed the servants who threw the three men into the furnace. Yet there was no damage done to their bodies, their hair, or their clothes. Their clothes did not even have the smell of smoke in them! When the king witnessed this, he praised the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He praised their steadfast faith in their God even to the point of disobeying the king’s commandment. Then the king issued a decree that if anyone, regardless of nationality or language, speaks offensively against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego they should be destroyed and their property destroyed. The king wanted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to bow down and worship his idol but instead the king ended up praising the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego because of their bold faith. Robert C. Hudson November 29, 2017