FAITH THAT BREATHES

Scripture Text: "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons." James 2:1 (KJV)

Does that scripture make you want to turn away and just say - I know what he's going to talk about so I guess I can skip this one? Been there... done that... Click!

Well, I sure hope you aren't one who did that because you may just miss something today. I too have seen the same message there when I first read through this verse and pretty much did what you perhaps were about to do... skip it! But I'm glad I didn't. Here's why.

Everyone gets the idea here that James is speaking about not showing partiality to those with the gold rings and those that drive the fancy cars and those that dress out in the fancy duds every Sunday... and of course they're right. And really, there are a whole bunch of churches and preachers out there that need to re-read James and learn a lesson from it once and for all.

I'm actually a very fortunate individual. I was raised pretty much all of my life in the Salvation Army with Officer Parents and even my grandpa was the local Corps Sergeant Major of the corps (church)  that my mama grew up in. So I was taught from way back that we loved people because Jesus loved them. It didn't matter where they came from or what they looked like, they were God's people and we were to be his hand extended. My mama took that one to heart and there would be many a time I would come home from college and find kids in the home calling her mom - more at home than I was. As a child, there was never a man that came to our front door looking for food that mama didn't at least cook them some eggs and hot coffee... and I knew mama made some good Hot Coffee... because all of the guys would say, "That was such a good cup of coffee ma'am, could I maybe have one for the road?" Well you know they got it... and while they were eating they got to have my sister and I entertain them. We would dance and do summersaults; why... we were a veritable "two-ring" circus. Often we would even talk to the men and we always talked about Jesus. We were little Lieutenants my mama used to say - even at 6 and 7 years of age.

Through the years, the Salvationists have held on to that love for their calling in their life - and even though they are often laughed at because of the uniform and the ringing of the bells at Christmas... every Officer who is commissioned (ordained) as a Servant of God in Ministry like any other Pastor in the world... signs a covenant that says the following

CALLED BY GOD

to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as an officer of The Salvation Army

I BIND MYSELF TO HIM IN THIS SOLEMN COVENANT

to love and serve him supremely all my days,

to live to win souls and make their salvation the first purpose of my life,

to care for the poor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, love the unlovable, and befriend those who have no friends,

to maintain the doctrines and principles of The Salvation Army, and, by God's grace to prove myself a worthy
officer.

But along with the obvious here today - I want to quickly make an observation of another possible viewpoint of how to look at this verse "in times like these".

Let's re-read the verse again:

"My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons." James 2:1 (KJV)

Now when I say another possible viewpoint... I am not saying an alternative to or in replacement of. I am speaking of another view of this in light of the faith of The Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory.

Now, before I begin, let me drive home what we are speaking of here when we speak of having "the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory".

Yes, the very first part of this devotional today is very clear that love without partiality is an attribute of Our Lord and one that we should aspire to in all that we do. But, I want to take that one step further.

The word "faith" in the GREEK is <pistis> meaning "the conviction of the truth".

But wait! While it refers in general to a relationship with God and to His Divinity... it is a word that has a secular meaning as well. In fact, the Greek word for Loyalty is also the word <pistis>. Now, hold that in your head somewhere or write in on a peace of paper because we're going to come back to it.

Let's move on to the next word I'm interested in here, the word LORD.

"My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons." James 2:1 (KJV)

The word "Lord" in the Greek is <Kurious> koó-re-os, which speaks of the possessor and disposer of something or someone. It denotes "Sovereignty and Power". It is a word that expresses respect and reverence as well as honor.

Being that James has attached this title to the Name, Jesus Christ, we know immediately that James sees Jesus as His Lord: He who had possessed the reins of James life some time before. (ref., Psalm 139:13).

But James goes on to say that Jesus is not JUST the Lord of of His life... but He is the Lord of Glory!

The word "Glory" in the Greek <doxa> speaks first of an opinion. It is a positive opinion that one bestows upon someone for the good they posses or bestow upon others. In the Bible - especially in the New Testament, the WORD "GLORY" further denotes praise, and honor. It is a majestic chorus of exultation for someone or something - usually directed toward God the Father.

Oh how I wish I had more time here - but I'm just going to have to leave this with the Lord and ask him to help you understand what He is saying here and perhaps He will do just that as I sum it up here for today. To do that let's bring in our text one more time today:

"My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons." James 2:1 (KJV)

First of all - who was he speaking to? The brethren... "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ,"

Faith was what again? The inward "conviction" of what other men say regardless of their denomination as long as they are religious - right?

NO! The Conviction of the truth! Let's even bring in that secular meaning here as well and put it all on Christ. Faith is the conviction of our LOYALTY to the Lord Jesus Christ who is He that is "the possessor of our reigns". He who is Sovereign and full of Power. And what's more, He is "The LORD OF GLORY!" He is "The lifter up of our heads". (ref., Psalms 3:3) It is He alone that we praise, and honor, and lift our voices in exultation for His goodness unto us.

In the days of peace and safety; in the days of the church spreading the Gospel around the WORLD, it might be understandable for us to see this verse as referencing the more docile reasoning of not showing partiality to the so-called "respecter of persons". But "in times like these", when Jesus speaks of wolves in sheep's clothing (Matthew 7:15) leading many astray with their vain teachings only to receive gain to consume upon their own lusts and to be drunk with power - this is a cry for the conviction of the brethren to remain true to what they know in Christ; in "spite of persons". This is a cry to not be fooled by the emergent faith leaders and their followers who are calling the WORD OF GOD a book of fairy tales and saying that there is no such thing as a "Second Coming" of Christ or a Rapture or even a Heaven or Hell. It is a Cry to all of the mimes of the faith who are referring to men of God - such as yours truly - a "sandwich-board carrier" - preaching "gloom and doom" - and they dare to add that we are uneducated and next to delusional. Well other than the uneducated and next to delusional and preaching gloom and doom - I'm your man... and proud of it!

In times like these, people need to know that there is a remedy to their bogus lifestyles of running here and running there - always looking for an answer to life - especially when we KNOW His Name is Jesus!

In times like these, people need to know that there is a Heaven to gain and a Hell to shun.

In times like these, people need to know that they can't be about business as usual or they're liable to miss out in the greatest disappearance of all time when Jesus comes in the Rapture.

In times like these we need to get a few of those who are lost in sin SAVED and FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT and turn them loose on the streets to EVANGELIZE in Jesus' Name.

So call me a sandwich-board preacher if you want to, but let me tell you my friend, I have a faith the breathes and it is not stuck under some bushel somewhere because some "respecter of persons"... some supposed man of God has told me to put it there before I scare somebody. Let me tell you... there's a good many people need to get the Hell scared out of them and the peace of God prayed down upon them or they're going to lose everything.

As for me brethren... let me say it one more time, " have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons", but start holding to The Book - the inspired WORD of the Lord, (ref., 2Timothy 3:16) and let the "CHIPS" fall where they may.

Let's Pray...

Father, never allow me to be faithless in my believing and in my covenant to you as a man of God. Fill me with your Spirit and equip me at all times to be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh me a reason of the hope that is in me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

 

출처 : http://inthegarden.us/devo2010/itg090510.htm