DOERS - AND SPEAKERS - OF THE WORD

Ezekiel 39:1-40:27; James 2:18-3:18; Psalm 118:1-18; Proverbs 28:2

“Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds.’ But I say, ‘How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.’ You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?”

“…The tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.”

“In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people.’”

“When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.”

“Faith without good deeds is useless?!?” Say what, James? Doesn’t that undo all the “saved [solely] by grace” stuff that Paul was always preaching? Well…, James isn’t here to answer this most pithy of questions, so today, I’ll just take a shot at it. And how I respond (however presumptuously) on his behalf is with an emphatic “NO!” Good works in demonstration of strong faith is not the kind of “work your way into heaven” theology that Paul denounced. For many of us, doing good works – especially when they take us outside our comfort zone and into the realm of risk - is simply the only way we can convince ourselves our faith is lasting beyond the emotion of our original salvation. Works don’t prove anything to anybody, except ourselves. But when they give us evidence the Lord has taken up residence in our hearts, they are an indispensible learning tool, especially to the extent they reflect an actual changed nature in us to us.

Undoubtedly one of the most frequently questions new converts (and not a few old timers) ask concerns ways they can tell if their faith is “real.” First, let’s be careful here. As C. S. Lewis’ famous demon, Screwtape, instructs his charge, Wormwood, on how to “fuddle” a human into Hell in The Screwtape Letters, humans…

“…find it all but impossible to believe in the unfamiliar while the familiar is before their eyes. Keep pressing home on him the ordinariness of things…. Don’t let him get away from the invaluable ‘real life’.”

Screwtape’s point is that humans who insist on the “reality” of faith by definition miss the supernaturalism of it and so neuter the power of faith down to a nullity. It is, simply, a fatal habit to keep our attention focused on the stream of immediate sense experiences, because at some point, faith won’t “feel” like much of anything at all. In those moments, if we allow ourselves to think of it as “worthless” (because we no longer feel it), we are doomed. Faith does not depend on feelings. It is a commitment to belief outside feelings altogether.

That said, though, faith does have its particular manifestations, and some of the most obvious are good works. Christians do not do works for show or to earn their salvation. They do them because the Spirit of Christ compels them. Oh, and in that compulsion, they actually feel the touch of the Master’s hand.

There are any number of works Christ compels to educate us about His very real and persistent presence in our lives (or its absence), but almost none involve Him more than the taming of our tongues. I know, I know, we do not usually consider our language to be a “work” of Christ in us, but it’s high time we should. Just as there is nothing that can inflame faster than a cruel or thoughtless word, so there is nothing more encouraging than the proper word spoken at the right time. There is also nothing more revealing of the soul than the words of a brother or sister observing us in times of high stress or great blessing. Are they jealous, belittling, critical, judgmental, affirming, excited or enthusiastic? We all know how it feels to be on the receiving end of all of those type responses. One of the greatest works we can allow the Spirit to do through us to prove His existence in us is to speak the Truth in Love in all circumstances and without condition. This has nothing to do with being “nice.” It has everything to do with demonstrating faith. After all, one cannot always be certain of the reception Truth will get.

No one can tame the tongue… except for the Holy Spirit, working through us. If we must ask whether our faith is real, we can look to our language, the “work” of our tongue, as one of the truest indicators. I’ll admit I do not like this particular litmus test. But it sure does provide a lot of clarity. It also shows me I still not as far along my faith journey as I’d like to believe I am….