The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 450


The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 450

James 1 (CJB) Faith Trust versus Faith Works
2 Regard it all as joy, my brothers, when you face various kinds of temptations; 3 for you know that the testing of your trust produces perseverance. 4 But let perseverance do its complete work; so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing. 5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in trust, doubting nothing; for the doubter is like a wave in the sea being tossed and driven by the wind. 7 Indeed that person should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 because he is double-minded, unstable in all his ways.

Jesus Christ/Messiah is the same Yesterday, Today and Forever—Hebrews 13:8

There is not a day when we are not tempted to do something sinful. Evil is alive in the hearts of the children of God and the further we drift from ‘faith in God’ the closer we are drawn to the various temptations of our flesh. The writer of Hebrews nails the subject with this verse--Hebrews 11:6 (CJB) And without trusting, it is impossible to be well-pleasing to God because whoever approaches him must trust that he does exist and that he becomes a Rewarder to those who seek him out.

There are a few words I would like to examine and I always feel inadequate to examine anything since I am a sinful man and have always dealt with issues related to faith in God. This is especially true when it comes to a works-based faith or a trust-based faith. The epistle of James can be a ‘knee buckler’ on this subject—like just when you believe you are walking by faith/trust you find out that you are mistakenly walking by faith/works—as Dr. David Jeremiah would say, “can I get a witness”?
Now I do not recommend that everyone should dump their favorite Bible for the Complete Jewish Bible. As a companion to other versions, this CJB does help me understand the proper noun of Faith and the common noun of faith. Faith the proper noun is what we all share as believers in the LORD Jesus Christ, the common noun of faith is what we do with our faith in Christ on a daily basis. 
I have; as you, a personal Faith in God and daily, like you, I seek to strengthen my trust in Him, sort of like this. A Chair is a proper noun, when you sit in the chair you use it for the purpose it is designed for. In common observation, we see the Chair and while sitting in the chair we perform the action or thing to do. So the use of the words Faith and Trust in the Complete Jewish Bible help me to KNOW that this peraonal trust is producing God's work out my trusting relationship with Him, or if I am depending on—myself.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 203

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 203 Luke 21:7   –   So they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?” Matthew 24:3 – Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Mark 13:4 – “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?” Jesus, the Christ of God/Messiah Yesterday we looked briefly at the First coming of the LORD Jesus, born of the virgin Mary, suffered and crucified, killed by the power of sin of which we all had and have a part in. He rose from this death; He is alive again . The apostle Paul writes, “For I deliver to you first of all that which I also received that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose
Read more

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 169

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 169 Luke 14:7-14 - So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; “and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. “But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. “But when you give a fea
Read more

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 161.1

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 161.1 SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:   Luke 12:1-5 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. “Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” Jesus, the Christ of God/Messiah An excerpt from yesterday’s devotional: In our passage, the point of the LORD is not that of being a newscaster but placing the death of these people beyond human judgment, in fact; Jesus does not look at the death of human beings as we do. All humans, past present and future will die a ph
Read more