Faith In Action

1. Faith In Action Text: Js. 2:14, 24, 26 Scripture Reading: Lk. 6:46-49

2. Intro Many people today equate belief in Christ with salvation: “Just believe in Jesus” “Accept Jesus into your heart as your personal Savior” “Faith alone saves” Jn. 12:42 42. Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; Were They Saved? Js. 2:19 19. You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. Are They Saved? Faith In Action

3. Intro Saving Faith = Obedient Life Js. 2:14, 24, 26 14. What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 24. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, "The stone which the builders rejected, this has become the very corner stone.'' 26. For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. Jn. 8:31 31. So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; Faith In Action

4. Intro God says one must believe in Him and live faithfully to enter Heaven (Mt. 25:34-40) Those who do not, no matter their beliefs, will be cast into eternal punishment! (Mt. 25:41, 46) Not enough to say we “believe,” but we must put our faith in action! Faith In Action

5. Disobedience = Unbelief Jesus said the one who doesn’t believe is condemned Mk. 16:16 16. "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. Their unbelief will lead to their disobedience. Why do something you don’t believe in? (Obey the gospel) Faith In Action

6. Disobedience = Unbelief Moses believed in God, but did not obey Him… Num. 20:12 12. But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." Ps. 106:32-33 32. They also provoked Him to wrath at the waters of Meribah, So that it went hard with Moses on their account; Because they were rebellious against His Spirit, He spoke rashlywith his lips. “Rashly” is batabatah (H981): “to babble, to speak angrily (unadvisedly).” Faith In Action

7. Disobedience = Unbelief Israelites believed in God, but did not obey Him… Heb. 3:16-19 16. For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? 17. And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18. And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19. So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. Faith In Action

8. Disobedience = Unbelief Saul partially obeyed, which equals Disobedience! I Sam. 15:19-21 19. "Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD?" 20. Then Saul said to Samuel, "I did obey the voice of the LORD, and went on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21. "But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal." Faith In Action

9. Disobedience = Unbelief Moses believed in God, but did not obey Him Israelites believed in God, but did not obey Him Saul disobeyed in that he partially obeyed God Disobedience (partial obedience) = Unbelief, and the consequence is eternal punishment! Faith In Action

10. Belief = Obedience Jesus said the one who believes and is baptized will be saved! Mk. 16:16 16. "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. Not enough to just believe (“faith only”), but also must act on it! Faith In Action

11. Belief = Obedience Heb. 11:6:And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Heb. 11:7 – Noah 7. By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. Heb. 11:8 – Abraham 8. By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. Heb. 11:17-19 – Abraham 17. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; 18. it was he to whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED." 19. He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type. Faith In Action

12. Belief = Obedience Heb. 11:6:And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Heb. 11:24-25 – Moses 24. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25. choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, Heb. 11:30 – Jericho 30. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. Faith In Action

13. Belief = Obedience • Faith in Action • Jn. 3:36: Belief and obedience equated as the same. To believe, one must obey! • Mt. 21:25: The Jews even understood that belief required action, in this case, to be baptized by John the Baptist. • Lk. 7:29-30: The Jews rejected God by not being baptized by John the Baptist. Lk. 6:46: Jesus dealt with the problem 46. "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? Belief = Obedience, therefore to believe in God one must obey God! Faith In Action

14. Conclusion Belief = Obedience (Faith in action!) Mt. 7:24 24. "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine andacts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. Lk. 6:46-48 46. "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? 47. "Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: 48. he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. Faith In Action

15. Conclusion Disobedience = Unbelief Mt. 7:26-27 26. "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27. "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall." Lk. 6:49 49. "But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great." Faith In Action

16. Conclusion • Obedience to Christ’s Plan of Salvation: • Belief (faith) – Jn. 3:36; 8:24 • Repentance – Lk. 13:3 • Confession – Mt. 10:32 • Baptism – Mk. 16:16 • Obedience (faithful living) – Lk. 6:46-48; Jn. 8:31 You either believe Christ or you don’t! (Mt. 7:21, 26-27) You either obey and are saved or you do not! (Mk. 16:16) Have you obeyed the voice of the Lord? If you have, your faith must be seen in action! (Mt. 7:24) Faith In Action

17. “What Must I Do To Be Saved?” Hear The Gospel (Jn. 5:24; Rom. 10:17) Believe In Christ (Jn. 3:16-18; Jn. 8:24) Repent Of Sins (Lk. 13:35; Acts 2:38) Confess Christ (Mt. 10:32; Rom. 10:10) Be Baptized (Mk. 16:16; Acts 22:16) Remain Faithful (Jn. 8:31; Rev. 2:10) For The Erring Saint: Repent (Acts 8:22), Confess (I Jn. 1:9), Pray (Acts 8:22)