James 2:15-17‏

"If a brother or sister is poorly clad and lacks food for each day" James 2:15

In this verse, James refers to our Christian brothers and sisters whom really need a helping hand. He adds, "for each day", which suggests the need is even for more than giving a shirt that doesn't fit us anymore... or taking them to K&W restaurant for lunch... both very loving gestures. But, it suggest even this person could use help getting back to a point of being able to sustain themselves from day to day. There are so many ways that any one of us... rich, poor, wise, hard-working, etc., etc. could end up with this kind of need, at any moment. Things happen... and God allows it for a purpose... remember?

When it does, it is devastating... many are ashamed, and even embarrassed to let others know their need, but like James has done here in verse 15, God has a way of bringing people in need before us. Let's continue...

16. "And one of you says to him, Good-bye! Keep [yourself] warm and well fed, without giving him the necessities for the body, what good does that do?"

Dear Christian... you can argue that the Holy Spirit has not lead you to do any more than wish someone well. There are some times, when that has happened to me, and I just had to trust God as to why. But, in my experience, not helping someone in need is a rare occurrence. It is also very possible that we don't want to hear the Holy Spirit at times. Our judgmental, prejudice, fault-finding thought-life shuts out the Holy Spirit and we ignore the opportunity to be blessed by helping this person.

Being obedient to the Holy Spirit is very important, because if you help or don't help someone (using your own reasoning) we do so on and in our own power, and not God's. This will eventually leave us just as destitute and unable to help anyone. Helping someone God did not mean for you to help may enable a person who is resisting God's will for them to do something else. But, back to the warning James makes here, OBEDIENCE to the Holy Spirit is vital. Listen to this next verse...

17. "So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead)."

We must remember that the covenant of grace (Law of Liberty) is always, "faith in Christ’s work alone"... but, the condition of continuing in that covenant is said to be obedience to His leading. Though this obedience did not in the Old Testament and does not in the New Testament earn us any merit with God, nonetheless, if our faith in Christ is genuine, it will produce obedience.

"Whoever says, I know Him [I perceive, recognize, understand, and am acquainted with Him] but fails to keep and obey His commandments (teachings) is a liar, and the Truth [of the Gospel] is not in him." 1 John 2:4

Obedience to Christ is seen as necessary evidence that we are truly believers and members of the new covenant.

Let's pick up with James verse 2:18 next time.

I love you.