Living A Profitable Christian Life

LIVING A PROFITABLE CHRISTIAN LIFE

James 2:14

INTRO: Every Christian should be interested in a successful career. Profession without possession will be a sad plight. There are two essentials to balance and guarantee the quality of Christian life. They are faith and works.

I. FAITH OR WORKS IS VOID ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER.

A. The relationship of faith to works.

1. They should be closely associated in each Christian life.

a. Some people try to work their way to heaven.

b. Others try to get there on faith alone.

2. Faith and works are so dependent upon one another, that without

one, the other is dead.

B. The body without the Spirit is dead.

1. When the spirit leaves our body, we are dead.

2. So it is with the Christian who does not have both faith and

works.

II. NOAH’S LIFE IS A CHALLENGE TO US.

A. Noah believed God.

1. There had never been a flood before, nor such a ship as Noah

built.

2. Anyone could believe that it would rain, but to believe what

God told Noah about the flood took great faith.

B. Noah believed God because he knew God.

1. God was no stranger to Noah.

2. Noah knew that God had kept all of His promises to him.

3. Noah had no cause to doubt.

III. FAITH IS PERFECTED BY WORKS.

A. Abraham perfected his faith by his works.

1. God does not always give men the work they like to do.

2. He gave Abraham the hardest task he could think of.

B. Man stands justified only by both faith and works.

1. Abraham received the honor of being called the "Friend of

God."

2. Could we be called by this title?

C. The first requirement is faith, the second is works.

D. "By their fruits, ye shall know them."