OPEN: How many people here would say that you enjoy taking tests? If you go back to your good 'ole school days -- how many people actually looked forward to the day when the test was taking place? OK, let's see a raise of hands of people who would say you are way on the other side of the spectrum -- you not only dreaded taking tests but you actually got physically sick thinking about taking a test or exam? I found out this week there is actually a word that describes those of you who respond to tests that way, you have a sickness called testophobia. The symptoms can include an inability to concentrate, feeling dizzy, vomiting, panic attacks, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, irregular heart beat, sweating, nausea, an overwhelming feeling of dread, depression, and anxiety. Anybody ever feel that way before taking a test?
I imagine all of us have experienced a mild form of testophobia some time during their life, particularly if you weren't adequately prepared for it. Feeling a little stress before a test is probably a fairly normal thing. But we all realize that you can't really get through life without facing examinations from time to time, right? --I can think of few careers in which competency isn't tested -- and in most it is tested over and over again. So most of us learn to cope with the fear of being examined. If you hang around an academic environment long enough you will occasionally hear someone questioning the need for students to be tested -- normally the argument against comes from the students themselves. (go figure) Their rationale goes something like this: Why do we need to be examined? We've received the information, been assigned homework, prepared lab experiments, written essays, given oral presentations, memorized data, talked about it class - studied everyday - so why is it even necessary to have a test? How would you respond to that kind of a discussion? Every teacher knows that you can do all of those academic activities but still not really learn what is being taught. Everyone knows there is often a big difference between studying and actually learning. The problem we all face is that because we've done a few of those things or some combination of them, we delude ourselves into thinking that we've mastered or learned the topic. Going through the motions of reading a high school chemistry book, doesn't mean you're competent enough to be a chemist. Reading a book doesn't guarantee you've actually learned anything. Testing is necessary. A test provides a setting where a student can be evaluated according to objective performance standards rather than assessing themselves from an personal point of view. Exams give evidence of whether or not the topic was learned.
The entire book of James is a window through which we see a pastor evaluating his little group of students. He's giving them insight on how well or how poorly they are doing with the several different kinds of tests which God has been taking them through. In Chapter one we were told there are two kinds of tests -- one is called a trial -- which comes from God -- the purpose of this test is to cause to grow in our dependence and trust of our Heavenly Father. Then we learned about temptations -- they come from our own evil desires and lead us away from God -- when we get a failing grade in the area of temptation it reveals that we haven't really learned how to practice our faith and live victoriously as God desires. We've been told if we want to get a passing grade on the test -- we've got to be doers of the Word and not just hearers. We've been told a passing grade is also exemplified by intentional compassionate involvement with people in distress. (widows and orphans) In chapter two, James told his little group of students (also called disciples) there was a test on which they scored miserably. (the story of the gold-fingered man and the poor man) Last week he told his class what they had to do in order to get a passing grade. Real faith is more than meaningless expressions. Real Faith is more than counterfeit kindness. Real faith is more than superficial beliefs. Now what I want us to catch in these three things is that the foundation of these three concepts is a proper response to others, right? Real faith is more that just words. You can say all the right words but still not have a right faith.
Words serve me -- Actions serve others.
Jesus is teaching his class that a faith that is not expressed through a compassionate involvement with others is a dead faith -- not a living faith. He mentions it in verse 17, "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." He mentions it again in verse 20, "Faith without deeds is useless." And he mentions it a third time in verse 26, "Faith without deeds is dead." And in verse 26 he identifies it like it were a corpse without life, a corpse lying in a casket all dressed up, all made up, looking very life like but with no internal life principle, no breath, no movement, nothing but a mannequin with a painted smile. Now let me take it a step further. Faith is invisible. You can tell me you have faith but I can't see that faith unless you show me that faith. And you can't show me that faith unless you show it to me in a transformed life. Faith can only be revealed in a transformed life.
It is not enough to say you have faith, that proves nothing. That's merely an affirmation which may or may not be true. Faith in a sense is like the wind, you can't see it, you only see its effects. It's like electricity, you can't see it but you can see its power by what it produces. Faith is not known to be real until it is evident in action - in doing. So, James is really saying look at yourself. What about you? Do you have a belief without behavior? Do you believe but not obey? Do you say you believe? Are you claiming to believe but you don't long to serve God? Do you say you love Him? Do you say you care about Him? Do you say you believe in Him? But do you love sin? Do you still court unrighteousness? Is it all words that serve you or demonstrated by action that serves others. Living faith is revealed in the decisions we make -- not in the words we say.
Here's the question James wants to ask, the test of real faith:
"When you are at the crossroads of decision, do you choose to honor God because He is supremely dear to you no matter the cost?"
There are decisive moments in all of our lives which reveal either a living faith or a dead faith. They come in various sizes: Sometimes they are "big moments" in our lives in which we have to make big decisions that might change the direction of our life. Sometimes (perhaps most times) they are much smaller -- small decisions - situations which we encounter on a daily basis that reveal to us the true nature of our faith. Every time we face that weak area in our lives and we cave in - it is a test -- revealing to us that there is a weakness in an area in which we've failed to honor God. That's a test of purity. Sometimes they are tests of compassion God brings us to a person who is in need testing whether or not we will get involved in meeting that need -- testing our compassion and service towards others. - Testing our self-centeredness. Sometimes it is a test of trust -- when our resources are stretched and instead of going through a season of life in which we have plenty, we face circumstances where we are in need -- perhaps our contentedness or what we really believe to be true of his ability to provide and resource us. God believes in retests -- He wants all of his kids to get a passing grade. He will take us through the tests over and over and over and over until we wake up and change something in our life so that we get a passing grade. "No child left behind" wasn't the government's idea -- that comes right out of the Bible. So he brings us to these moments of decision over and over again -- providing us with opportunities to get a passing grade.
Maybe the test you are facing is an uncertain future -- maybe it's failing health -- or maybe the test you are going through is you can't find a job -- maybe you are facing a foreclosure on your home -- or perhaps you are facing marital problems -- the test is whether or not you will trust God in the middle of those things and respond with obedience and dependence for His glory. Will you still see God in the middle of it all? Will you trust him without compromise what you say you believe -- will you put your faith into action?
As James is coaching his students -- he gives them a negative example and a couple of positive examples -- some who have failed the faith test and others who passed. For exhibit "A" on the failure side he points fallen angels. "You believe that there is one God. Good! (but) even the demons believe that and shudder." They understand full well how absolutely absurd it is to know the right things about God and not have it impact the decisions of your life. There is not a demon in universe that is an atheist! Every demon in existence knows there is one true God and every demon there is knows about the Trinity. They know that God is Creator, Maker of heaven and earth -- they know of Jesus' virgin birth, death, resurrection, ascension and coming return. Demons are great theologians. For some, demons have better theology than we do. James says they shudder -- they tremble when they contemplate the truth of God's word because they recognize the judgment that awaits them in hell because they chose disobedience instead of obedience. Their knowledge did nothing for them. In spite of their great knowledge, their faith was shallow and superficial because they were unwilling then, and are now unable to "do" the Word. James says, "Knowledge without doing -- without transformation - is a demonic faith."
OK -- So let me ask: Pass or fail?
- No passing grade here -- total failure, right?
Picking up from there he adds, "You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?" The word "useless" literally translates "empty-handed" "You could almost translate this verse "You empty-headed foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds will leave you empty-handed?" (James wasn't a person who worried much about being perceived as a polite, tactful speaker.) Faith is useful only when joined to actions that demonstrate its reality, but alone it is just dead, totally useless.
Now to make his point of what really constitutes living, saving faith, he uses two illustrations. James puts two exhibits on the table. Two witnesses that exhibit a living, saving faith. The first one is Abraham and the second one (in verse 25) is Rahab.
Note this very carefully; there is a powerful contrast between these two people. Abraham and Rahab -- exact opposite extremes. Abraham is a man. Rahab is a woman. Abraham is Jewish. Rahab is a Gentile. Abraham is a patriarch. Rahab is a prostitute. Abraham is a somebody. Rahab is a nobody. Abraham is a major character in the Bible. Rahab is a minor character. He uses these illustrations to say, it doesn't matter who you are as long as you've got the important thing. They only had one thing in common -- a living responsive active faith in God. Their faith in God led them to an action. Now let's take a look at example "a" in James presentation. Example "A" is Abraham
The first example of a person with real faith is Abraham. And this goes from verse 21 to 24: "Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?" The NIV chooses to use the word ancestor when describing Abraham. The word is "pater" in Greek and translates quite naturally "Father." Was not "Our father Abraham considered righteous..." You might say "Wait a minute, Abraham is not my father -- he's not my ancestor. I'm not Jewish." James here is not nec. speaking if Abe. in a racial sense, but rather in a spiritual sense. Abraham is in a sense, the father of the faithful. Paul says in Romans 9:8 "It is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring." In other words, it is those who believe and behave like Abraham believed and behaved that are of his family. You often hear people say, for example, the George Washington is the father of our country. Now we don't mean by that that George Washington fathered every person in America. We mean there's a sense in which he is all that embodies the greatness of America. He is the one who gave structure and life and destiny and future to this nation. Abraham is exactly like this. He set the model and the example of believing in God. The first great classic ancient illustration of saving faith with specifics was Abraham.
KEY EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM:
1.HE BELIEVED (GEN 15:6)
God's interaction with Abraham starts back in Gen 12. Many years go by during the next few chapters in which God uses different circumstances, most of which are very difficult by the way, to mold and shape Abe's faith. Someone has said that the world in which we live is the laboratory of life and this is certainly true in Abraham's life. In some of the lessons that he has to learn he struggles along not really responding in the proper way. (i.e. in Egypt) In others he comes out with wonderful marks. (i.e. Separating from Lot and not being enticed by the sin of Sodom). When you get to chapter 15, Abe is still in the classroom and at this point he's starting to struggle with this whole faith thing. (read Gen.15:1-6) Now I want you to note Gen.15: 6 -- "Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness." Abraham had just come off a great military victory where he and 318 of his men had rescued Lot, defeating four kings in battle. Like Elijah after great victory over the prophets of Baal, Abraham was suffering a letdown. He was old, the battle had taken a lot out of him and he was tired. Perhaps as he drifted off to sleep he was reflecting with weary negativism on his having been in the land for ten years, but still having no heir to carry on. Just then God spoke in a vision. "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield, your very great reward." Rousing words! Nevertheless, Abraham still discouraged, expressed his fear that because he was childless his estate would go to his servant Eliezer. With Abraham at this low point the word of the Lord came to him, "This man will not be your heir, but a son from your own body will be your heir." He took him outside and said, 'Look at the heavens and count the stars if indeed you can count them.' Then he said to him so shall your offspring be." Now we don't know if his response was verbal or mental, but we do have this record, "Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness."
OK -- So let me ask: Pass or fail? - Passed -- when God credits righteousness into your account that's a passing grade. The word "believed" is the biggest word in the chapter -- one of the greatest in the OT. This is the first time the word is used in the Scripture. Its emphasis is that Abraham trusted God more than he trusted anything else. The laws of nature were working against it -- but Abraham believed God. God sure seemed like he was taking a long time to keep his promise -- but Abraham believed. It was difficult to even imagine from a human perspective how God could possibly work this out, but Abraham believed. Abraham trusts that God's word is more trustworthy than his own perspective.
Now is his belief in God perfect? By no means. As you continue to read through Genesis you discover that there were certainly low points in his faith as he walked with the Lord. In fact as you read the story of Abraham -- what you see are his life's circumstances being arranged in one way or another to test the reality of his faith. God did not want this man to live with a dead faith. We've got the Bible so we can look back and see his test scores during very phases of his life. So in chapter 12 of Genesis, there is a famine and Abraham takes his wife Sarai down to Egypt. Sarai was a real looker and to protect himself he lied and told everyone she was his sister. Pass or fail? Fail. In chapter 13 his family is expanding and his herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen are quarreling. He gives Lot the opportunity to choose where he wants to live -- and Lot chooses to pitch his tent near Sodom while Abe. chooses to live away from it. He passes. In chapter 14 Lot is taken as a slave by an evil king. Abe. has to trust God and go up against an organized army -- passing grade. Chapter 15 we just looked at where even though he didn't have a son, God told him his progeny would be like the stars in the sky -- Abe. believed God. Passed. Chapter 16 Abe & Sarah have been preoccupied with the promise of a son -- but no son has arrived. So they come up with the plan with Hagar. Abe sleeps with Sarah's maidservant Hagar, and he conceives a son that way. Failed that test. Finally Issac is born and that leads us up to his finals.
2. His Obedience Was Tested (GEN 22)
Abe faced one final test. That's exactly how Genesis Chapter 22 begins:"Some time later God tested Abraham" This is very important, this is a test. A test of what? It's a test of Abraham's faith in order to demonstrate its reality, its genuineness. He said to him, "Abraham. He said, Here I am. He said, Take now your son." He rubs it in, "Your only son." Rubs it in again, "Whom you love, take your son, your only son, the son you love, go to the land of Moriah and...get this...offer him there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I'll tell you about." Absolutely unbelievable.Abraham knows this. He knows that God has made him a promise. By this time Isaac is maybe ten to fifteen years old. This is nearly fifty years after he first believed God. And he's been walking in this promise all these years, somewhere between forty and fifty years. And God's been saying your seed will be as the sands of the sea and as the stars of heaven and I'll make out of your loins a great nation, whoever blesses them will be blessed and whoever curses them will be cursed. And Abraham for years believes this, even though he has no daughter, he has no son, he has no child, he's married to an old lady who's barren. Finally God gives him a child when he's a hundred years old. Now when he's between 110 and 115 and all he has to look at regarding this promise of a seed as wide as the sand of the sea is one measly kid. And now God comes to him and says take that kid to Mount Moriah and kill him. And everything he knows about the character of God is violated in his mind. And everything he knows about God's standard of sacrifice is violated because God has never required human sacrifice...never permitted it. It's murder.
How can God reverse Himself? How can God be ungod? How can God contradict everything about His nature that I know to be true? God says take your son and offer him as a sacrifice. "But...but...but...there's never been a human sacrifice...but He's the promise you made. What about Your nature? What about Your truthfulness? What about Your faithfulness? This will violate everything I know to be true about You. This will destroy Your reputation." What does he do? Does he argue with God? No. Here is the evidence of his faith...no questions asked. Rose up, went to the place which God had told him. Off they go. A couple of young men, Isaac and the donkey carrying the wood. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." There's his faith.
In Hebrews chapter 11, you know what it says? It says Abraham went all the way, put Isaac on the altar, tied him up, got ready to start the fire, got the knife up to plunge it in his heart because he believed in the God who could raise the dead. He was ready to see the first resurrection in history. How much faith does it take to believe in something that's never happened? You say, "Why did he believe that God would raise him from the dead?" Because by now he believed so unalterably in the character of God, who under no circumstance could ever violate His promise. And that God was a God who when He said He would do something would indeed do it. And everything was based on the life of Isaac. (Hebrews 11:19) "Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking he did receive Isaac back from death." And James says that is where Abraham's faith was perfected - before all the watching world. He wasn't a perfect man but there developed in his life a pattern of believing God that culminated in this incredible act of trust.
The Result? And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend." He was called the friend of God. The result of responsive active faith is we are called God's friend. It's not the ones who say they believe in God that gets this title -- it's those who do what they say that get this title. Jesus put it this way in (John 15:16), "You are My friends if you do what I command." A friend of God. Real faith -- real friendship with God is demonstrated by obedience to the Word. By the way that is exactly what it says about real love as well. "This is love for God: to obey his commands." (1 John 5:3) That which is real is always demonstrated by action -- not words.
Verse 25: Coming back to James -- James gives a second illustration that a faith without works is not real faith but a dead faith.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
Notice James says, "In the same way" In other words the same principle is going to be demonstrated in Rahab's life that was demonstrated in Abe's life. Let me just mention to you from Joshua chapter 2 a couple of things about the story of Rahab. Rahab was a harlot living in Jericho. She ran an inn and inns were brothels and she had women in her inn to sleep with men and that was how she made her living. So into the land has come the Israelites - they are there because God's going to give them Canaan. They arrive at Jericho. They're obviously going to take Jericho. They send some spies in to spy out the city and see what's there. The spies go in. They stay in an inn. The inn is owned by Rahab. Rahab is a harlot. They're not there for those purposes, they're simply there to lodge.
KEY MOMENTS IN THE LIFE OF RAHAB (Josh. 2:9-11)
She Believed
Her Obedience Was Tested
She Passed the Test by Putting Faith Into Action
When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. This woman then takes in these spies. When she gets the spies there, and obviously finds out who they are, verse 9, "She said to the men, I know that the Lord has given you the land and that your terror is fallen upon us and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you for we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt. And what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed, and as soon as we heard these things, our heart did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man because of you, for...listen...the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and in earth beneath."
Now when that woman believed that, she is expressing her belief in God. She believed that God was the true God. She believed that God was the God of miracles who had led His people out of Egypt. She believed that God was the God of power who had defeated the Amorite kings. She believed all she knew about God, the true God, and it was imputed to her for righteousness. In that point she was justified by her faith.
HER OBEDIENCE WAS TESTED
But just like Abraham Rehab is going to have faith in God tested. Catch this: faith never goes untested. Someone sees the spies entering into Rahab's Inn and goes to report it to the King of Jericho. Now there's not a great deal of brain activity that's necessary in order to determine why these guys are there. They are there to spy out the land, to prepare for an invasion. So the King sends some of his people to capture the two spies. Now watch this. When given the opportunity, the only opportunity she ever had in her life to do something to demonstrate her faith in God, she put her life on the line. Hiding the spies was an act of treason in her country. If she had been found out, it would have cost her her life. She hid the spies in the flax on the roof. She let them escape. She told the guys that came to find them that they weren't there. She told them how to escape. The whole thing, she protected herself, put a cord in the window, said when you come back save me and my family, we want to be a part of the community of people that worship the true God. She demonstrated her faith by works. Some people want to point out that she lies in order to protect the spies. Her lie was unnecessary. Who knows what God might have done to spare her if she hadn't done that. But she proves the reality of her faith by what she does.
What was the result? - - Rahab passed the test of real faith. (Heb. 11:31) "By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient."
- James' great concern for his little class of students is that they have a faith that is real and active and responsive -- not shallow and dead. Real faith is not demonstrated only by going to church, reading a verse and singing a song. The issue is not do you go to church, do you read your Bible, do you have a little spiritual activity. The issue is when it comes down to the decisions you and I have to make on a daily basis, do we really demonstrate that what we say is real or is it all words? If your report card was displayed up here on the screen -- with the multitude of decisions which you've make what would your grades look like? What's the reality of your faith -- is it alive or dead? That's the issue. What kind of evidence do you have to support it? Ill. of a person I met said this was their church. I said, "I've been here for 4 ½ years -- I don't think I've ever seen you in church." That's because someone said something that upset me so I don't attend any longer -- but it's still my church." Really? That's the kind of love we are called to have towards one another -- love that sticks around right up to the point where we bump into someone that either says something or does something that I don't like and then I hit the road? I walked away from that person thinking to myself -- if that was a test of the reality of their faith -- pass or fail?
Close: What do I do if I've failed the test over and over again?
* Learn from your failures
* Everyday is a new opportunity
* Do something different in the area of your failure
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test? (2 Cor. 13:5)
