A pastor I learned under once pointed out that we never want to be back window Christians. I asked him what a back-window Christian was. He said it was an old southern term that pointed to people who attended church every Sunday and then threw their bibles in the back window of their cars and that is where their bible stayed until the next Sunday. Being a Christian is not a part time hobby, it should become a life time quest, to grow and discover all we can humanly discover about God and his desires for our lives. This next section of James chapter 2 has been a very debated section of scripture. When you think about it in context there really is nothing to debate. James is speaking to his fellow believers in Jerusalem, his purpose is to inform them what genuine Christianity is. These same principles are still very relevant to us today and we to should take head of the words he wrote.
James 2:14-26
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
The controversies fought over this part of scripture is that some believe James is promoting a works-based path towards salivation and we must put aside any preconceived bias as we know this is not true. What James is conveying to the reader is that there must be some evidence that you are a Christian and a follower of Christ. A very common but brutal question we must ask ourselves is that if we were arrested for being a Christian is there enough evidence to convict us or are we just a back-window Christians. There are three question we are going to look at:
Is there evidence of God working in your life that has caused change?
Is there evidence that you are working to grow closer to God?
Is there evidence that you are working to show others God’s grace, mercy and love?
Is there evidence of God working in your life that has caused change?
The concept that once you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior that there will be changes in your life is overwhelmingly apparent in Scripture. It is written that we must be born again, he has cussed us to be born again, that we are a new creation, the old has passed away, and that we are to be in the world but not of the world. You cannot remain who you once were and follow Christ.
You must be born again. This symbolizes a new beginning, from the moment you accept Christ you become an infant on the faith and you begin to grow in that faith. We learn to walk again as we begin this new life in Christ. And like any infant as we grow there will be change. The old has passed away. Abraham was once an idol worshipper, and having been called by God, through many trials and test became a man of such faith he was willing to sacrifice to God his own son.
Our sin have been forgiven and we have repented and changed direction. This means that through the power of the Holy Sport we will begin to change the way we think and act. Many of the things we once thought of as being acceptable behavior will no longer be a part of our lives. There is as Paul says in the book of Romans a renewing and transforming of our minds. And while these things will always be tempting us away from Christ, we are to resist and look for things that not only help us grow in faith but honor God.
We are to be in the world but not of the world. This perhaps is the hardest to accomplish as we are bombarded by the things of the world and to deny many of these is to face thru wrath of political correctness. But we are not to give in to these things and the demands of the world as we answer to a higher power we have become citizens of God’s kingdom. Political correctness and the pressures to conform to the world are great and many have caved in to avoid being ostracized and marginalized. Forgetting that our Lord told us that when we choose to follow him instead of the world there will trouble, that we will be hated just as he was hated. Some conform because they do not want to lose popularity or power, some give in so that can gain popularity or power. In the news recently was an article about the band U2 and its leader Bono recently came out in support of repealing an amendment in Ireland that makes abortion illegal. The sad part is that Bono on many occasions has proclaimed he is a Christian and a follower of Christ. We see this same type of capitulation in people and churches all over the world, as they affirm many of the very things God has said is a sin, because these people and church’s want to remain relevant and show that they love all people. It is not loving to endorse another person’s sins, as this will not lead them to life but death. It is loving to lead them to repentance and then lead them to the cross where there is forgiveness, grace and eternal life. We cannot be the light on the hill if we are living in the darkness. If we choose and embrace the ways of the world we are no longer doing the work of God, and people will and should question whether our faith is genuine.
Matthew 5:13-16
“You are the salt of the earth, but of salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltines be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket , but on a stand, and it gives light to sell the house. On the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they my see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Is there evidence that you are working to grow closer to God? Are you a back-widow Christian, does your bible get ignored every day of the week except Sunday, is it collecting dust on a bookshelf. We live in a world where access to the word of God is unimaginably easy, it is book, on your tablet, computer and cell phone, yes there is s app for that. We listen to it on the radio, the TV, on our phones and tablets. A new born infant needs nourishment to grow strong and healthy. A born again Christian needs to consume the word of God to grow strong in their faith. How does one walk in God’s will if they have no idea of what that will is? There is s building at Edwards Air force base where they test new planes that is so dark that once they turn out the lights you cannot see your own hand in front of your face. Of you are trying to live a life that honors God, and not studying, meditating , consuming his word you are living life like that building, you are trying to navigate on total darkness. The Psalmist says, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.” In Deuteronomy we are told “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand.” We must always be working to get God’s word onto our hearts, minds and souls.
An older gentleman upon visiting his doctor for his annual physical pointed out to the doctor that he thought his wife was loosing her ability to hear well and wanted to know what he could do. The doctor said to determine how bad the hearing loss was that when he gets home ask her a simple question and each time she does not answer get a little closer until she can hear you. Upon arriving home as he entered the door he asked, “What’s for dinner?” Hearing no response, he moved into the living room and asked again, “What’s for dinner?” Still no answer so he moved to the dining room and asked again, still no answer. He went into the kitchen and standing right next to his wife asked, “What’s for dinner?” Where upon she responded, “For the fourth time spaghetti!” Communication is essential in every relationship we have and that includes our relationship with God. If your faith is genuine, if your commitment means you are all in then spending time with God will always be a priority in your life. Scripture tells us to pray without ceasing, in all circumstances and when we need something we are to ask, and he will answer. I cannot a day without talking to my wife because I love her how much more should I want to spend tome with the God I love? When we pray we are aligning ourselves with God and his desires for our lives. When we spend time with him, we have the opportunity to seek the wisdom and guidance of the Creator of the Universe. How cool is that? If you do not have the desire to pray, you have to ask yourself why that is, why are you not seeking God? We are to pray without ceasing that is prayer should not be a Sunday, meal time only experience in the life of someone who’s faith is genuine. James tells us that if we seek wisdom all we Have to do is ask and it will be given. If we seek answers in times of trials we are to ask, and he will answer. He has promised that he will never leave us nor forsake us. We must to remember that God will never turn a deaf ear to us, when we think he has not heard our pleas it is often us who have gone deaf to the answer.
We grow closer to God, when we purposely gather together with other believers. If you have accepted Christ but are unwilling to attend Church, or even go to a small group study, of you find yourself not wanting to gather with other Christians you might want to once again reevaluate on whether your faith is genuine. There is no such thing as a lone Christian, God has created us to be relational, with him and others. By gathering together, we are able to learn from others far more mature on the faith that we are, learning from the wisdom they have obtained over the years. We are able to hold one another accountable for our actions, keep each other on the right path. We are told in scripture not to forsake the gathering together as some others do. Jesus never worshiped alone and neither should we. While we have no say on who God chooses to be his adopted sons and daughter, we are to love them and care for them because they are family.
Is there evidence that you are working to show others God’s grace, mercy and love? James uses the example of caring for those less fortunate that ourselves. God as a heart for the poor and outcast. We should have same heart. I remember my past life, if given the choice I would avoid contact with any homeless person I saw. But God has changed that, and now it is easy and a blessing not only to give to them but to pray for them send talk to them. I hear many Christians say I do not give them money because they will just spend it on drugs or alcohol. There is two issues here first you are sure you understand their intentions and only God knows what their intentions are, and second nowhere in scripture does it say only give to those you believe will use the gift the way you intended, it says to give to those how ask. If giving money borders you then give them gift cards for food, or buy them some food, I have friends who make up care packages in Ziploc bags to hand out to those in need. The point is if your faith is genuine then you will have a heart to help.
One of the hardest things for us to do in our lives is to forgive. We live in a culture where forgiveness is seen as weak. We are taught to hold on to a grudge like a pit-bull with a bone. Forgiveness should be a hallmark of genuine faith. And that takes work, it takes faith and it takes humility. We have to always ask what right I have to withhold forgiveness when God has seen fit to forgive me of all my past, present and future sins. Jesus goes as far as to tell us on Matthew chapter 6, “But if you do not forgive others of their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” We have been shown great grace and mercy, by God because of what was done on the cross and we are to do the same on our lives.
Lastly if your faith is genuine, you will have an overwhelming desire to share it with others. Charles Spurgeon once said, “Every Christian is a missionary or an imposter”. An atheist once said that if the good news of Christ and the cross was so powerful and if it truly was the only way to salvation then is not every Christian shouting it from their roof tops? The sad truth is that very few Christians share the gospel, they either see it as someone else’s duty or they are afraid to share. Both cases show a lack of faith. First, we are all called to share the gospel it is not one person’s job but the duty of all believers. Jesus’s last commandment before he ascended was to proclaim the gospel to all nations making disciples and baptizing them the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So, you cannot say it is not your job. Second, what do you have to fear, Jesus has said that he will always be with you and if your faith is genuine then you also have the power of the Spirit to lead you. Jesus tells us that he will send us a helper the Spirit of truth and that Spirit will lead us to all truth. Jesus tells his disciples that when they are taken before kings and governors that they will be given the words they need to speak. Those same promises are ours to hold onto. Do not be afraid when the opportunity arises for you to share the gospel and the life saving good news it contains.
