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James 2:14-26 Devotional – Day 3

By November 16, 2022Daily Devotional

ADORATION – Reflect on God’s Greatness

GOD IS IMMUTABLE The Immutability of God means He cannot change in His nature, Character or dependability.

Malachi 3:6 “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Praise the God Who Does Not Change
God is perfect and has no room to improve his nature or character. Praise Him because his love has never diminished or changed. Praise him because His power has never diminished or changed. Praise him because his justice has never changed or wavered.

CONFESSION: Confess your sins to God and receive his continued mercy.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

THANKSGIVING: Giving thanks to God for his specific blessings in our lives.

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100

SUPPLICATION: Bringing our requests to God.

  • Bring your personal prayer requests to God.
  • Pray for your friends who do not know Jesus. Ask God to strengthen your friendships and to give you opportunities for gospel conversations.

SCRIPTURE READING:
James 2:14-26 – New Living Translation
Faith without Good Deeds Is Dead
14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

18 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.”

19 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. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?

21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

SCRIPTURE REFLECTION:

Verse 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

I’m sure that Satan, apart from God himself, has the most comprehensive theological knowledge of anyone. Theology is the study of God, man, salvation, the church, end times, and a host of other biblical topics. Satan knows first-hand of God’s holiness and justice. He knows firsthand of man’s fall into sin and the devastating results of that fall. Satan knows firsthand of the price paid for our salvation by Jesus on the cross. He knows of the power and glory of the church, and the pettiness and failure of that same church. He knows how things will end, and this is a fact that must drive him mad, though I’m sure he cannot become worse than he already is. So, James uses what to me seems to be an extreme example to make his point. The most extreme example possible. You have accurate knowledge of God…so what, demons do as well. Wow, James, that is direct. This is important, so he has to be direct. There is a time for diplomacy and a time for clarity. James, the brother of the Lord Jesus, has no time for diplomacy; too much is at stake. In this statement of intense clarity, he makes the strongest case possible for application, not mere information. It is better to know one thing of God and apply that one thing than to know a thousand things and apply none of them. By all means work to learn of God–there is no greater field of study than to learn of God. But do not think he is merely an object of academic study; he is someone to know and love and obey. The only reason to know more about God is to better love him and others. The demons know about God…but they do not love him. Their knowledge only brings them more fear, as well it should.

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