Coffee With The Lord

“An evil man is ensnared in his transgressions, but a righteous man sings and rejoices!” (Proverbs 29:6) Don’t be deceived… The choices are deceptive bondage (in the name of freedom) or true freedom – the result of a righteous life!!

Couldn’t resist reposting this from 10 years ago …

I just finished reading apostle James great passage dealing with faith and works this morning (James 2.14-26). Maybe I’m the only one who would enjoy this, but I would LOVE to sit in and listen to apostle Paul and James have a “one-on-one” discussion on the relationship of faith and works! I think it would be intellectually stimulating, spiritually enlightening, and highly practical for our understanding of salvation and a life of discipleship… and probably highly “animated” as well (they’re dear “brothers in Christ” after all)! J (Might remind me a little of the “discussions” I have with my brothers).

Listen to the two sides of the issue for awhile today…

James: “What good is it if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? … Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead! Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. Look at Abraham… His faith and his actions were working together. His faith was made complete by what he did. And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness… You see, a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone… As the body without the spirit is dead so faith without deeds is dead!” (From James 2.14-26 NIV)

Paul: “We maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law… What then shall we say that Abraham… discovered in this matter? What does Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ To the one who does not work, but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, faith is credited as righteousness… For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast!” (From Romans 4 and Ephesians 2.8-9 NIV)

I know what you’re thinking… He’s going to try to resolve that age-long issue for us today! NOT!!! In fact this issue reminds me a little bit of the response of Charles Spurgeon when he was asked to resolve two apparently opposing theological truths… His response? “I never reconcile friends!”

“Faith” and “works” … properly understood “forever friends!’

There’s a figure of speech that hunters and others who work with firearms understand… The figure of speech I’m referring to is “GOING OFF HALF COCKED.” It refers to the accidental discharge of a firearm before the shooter is prepared… a very dangerous thing. It has been applied to conversation and speech and means to do or say something without preparing for it or thinking about it. In a passage I read today, that figure of speech came to mind… We need to be very careful when we venture to speak for God – when on His behalf and in His Name, we deliver a message to others that “seems right” to us…

Nathan, the prophet, made this mistake with David the king, and God corrected him for it. Here’s the account of it from the Bible…

“After king David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, ‘Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord is under a tent!’ Nathan replied to David, ‘Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you!’ But that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying: ‘Go and tell my servant, David, This is what the Lord says: You are NOT the one to build me a house to dwell in… I declare to you that the Lord will build a house for you! … I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons… He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his father and he will be my son.’” (From 1 Chronicles 17:1-15)

What David had in mind “seemed right” – and Nathan judged it to be a noble desire! So a word of affirmation – a word of encouragement seemed in order… the problem was, it wasn’t what God had in mind!

It seems to me, therefore, before I venture to “speak for the Lord” I should pause and listen and seek to find out what the Lord desires to say – what He has in mind. Sometimes I’m all too ready to “speak for Him” when He may have something else (something “better”) to communicate. Hey, I’m going to try to do more “listening” – and avoid presumptuous speaking for the Lord. I don’t want to “go off half-cocked for God!”