James 2:20‏

20. "Are you willing to be shown [proof], you foolish (unproductive, spiritually deficient) fellow, that faith apart from [good] works is inactive and ineffective and worthless?"

We don't like words like, foolish, ignorant, or hypocrite... yet, we come to God's Word seeking truth, and that's exactly all we're going to get. These words seem harsh, however, wise men do foolish things... the smartest person is still ignorant of something... and everyone would like to be more than what we really are! James pours out his heart here in this verse, begging, by way of raw reasoning... for us to SEE how foolish it is to believe we have been received into a saving faith and not see in OURSELVES, proof, through OBVIOUS change! Foolish, because we don't recognize the POWER of Him Whom wants to save us.

Reason (think) for a moment... have we been deceived? How long can we believe that Christ has received us and NOT done to us, what God's Word PROMISES that salvation WILL do to us? I asked the question, in our last verse, "So, if I believe I am saved... and James is writing to Christians... why is he saying this to me... to us?", and the answer may be, "because we have been lured into a false faith". Listen to what Paul says...

"Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves [not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you--unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected?" II Cor 13:5

James' example of an argument in these last three verses is exactly the kind of self examination that Paul refers to in the verse above. This kind of self evaluation should and will be experienced by every believer. And so, yes at some point, we should feel foolish to believe that we can keep living the way we want and still be saved. That kind of thinking is worthless, we must resolve at the end of each day.

Let's pick up with James verse 2:21 next time.

I love you.