Faith Made Complete & The Nashville Statement

This morning as I was studying in James, the thought occurred to me that there are no coincidences in studying the Bible. What I study has a direct impact on my life and my spiritual life. The scripture today was James 2:14-26 and what leapt out at me as I studied was from verses 15-17, "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be [ye] warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what [doth it] profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." 

In my Bible the subtitle for this section of scripture reads Faith Is Shown by Deeds. I know there are many who believe that this portion of James is confusing and contradicts other portions of scripture. But it's really quite simple. Our God is one who requires action by His children. When we accept salvation, we accept it freely, knowing that our sins are washed clean, that when The Father looks upon us He sees The Son and nothing else. Yet when we accept salvation, we also accept the command to go out into the world and spread The Gospel of Jesus Christ. The age old adage, "actions speak louder than words," rings quite true when it comes to Christians living out their faith by good works and deeds. 

Take the Hall of Faith in Hebrews chapter 11 for example...
By faith Abel offered
By faith Noah prepared 
By faith Abraham obeyed
By faith Enoch, Sara, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab...
Each one accomplishing great and mighty works that glorified God in the name of and by their faith. 

We are not called to sit idle on a pew...yet that is exactly what we are guilty of doing. Sitting idle, preaching the syrupy sweet "gospel" of loving and acceptance. Y'all, we're doing exactly what James is speaking of. We are looking on our destitute brothers and sister, naked in their sins and transgressions, and rather than giving them what is so needful for their bodies, spirits, and minds, we're saying "Jesus loves you just the way you are" and we're sending them on their happy, merry, blinded way. What does that profit? Absolutely nothing. It makes us feel good. It makes us look good. We're progressive and accepting, tolerant and all-loving, to the world...but what are we to the Savior? We're dead in our faith. And we are all smiles and hugs as we pat our neighbors on the backs and usher them through the gates of hell. Where are our backbones, Christians? Where is our salt? Where are our good works and deeds? Our actions?

The Nashville Statement  was released this week. It is a declaration on where Bible-believing Christians stand on topics like homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and transgenderism. That it was even needful for Christians to be reminded of where the Bible stands on sexual immorality, is truly pitiful and a sign of the times, a sign of the falling away of the Church. 

Article 10 reads like this: 
WE AFFIRM that it is sinful to approve of homosexual immorality or transgenderism and that such approval constitutes an essential departure from Christian faithfulness and witness.
WE DENY that the approval of homosexual immorality or transgenderism is a matter of moral indifference about which otherwise faithful Christians should agree to disagree.

In today's political climate, a bold, Biblical statement such as this, is likely to have you stoned on social media, or at the very least, cause you to become a social outcast. But standing firm on the Word of God has never gone unnoticed by the Lord and Savior which we serve. Yet how many of us are unafraid to let our peers know where we stand on such political issues? How many of us are guilty of "agreeing to disagree"? 

And this post isn't specifically about sexual immorality, though it was a prime example. The scripture in James is applicable to all sin. When we witness those we know, most often those we love, living in habitual sin, and we pat them on their back and give them a smile without an inkling of reservation, we are condoning and accepting their sin, and that is a dangerous game to play with an unsaved loved one. 

So what can we do? If we point out their sin, we will likely be accused of bigotry, hate, hypocrisy, among a number of things. So we must immerse ourselves in the Word of God, cover ourselves in prayer, and build up a hedge about ourselves, standing firm on the Word of God, without wavering. Let it be known that you will not compromise your belief in the Bible just to assuage someone else's feelings. And when given an opportunity to help a naked brother or sister, given them a fine meal, a change of clothes, and the Gospel, before sending them on their way.