Now when we first look at this
passage, it appears that there is a conflict between the Apostle
Paul and James. In fact, Martin Luther felt that
this portion of the book of James was not inspired. He called it
a rather strawy dialogue. He didn't like it at all. He
resisted and rejected it. In fact, it was many years later
in his ministry that he was even willing for it to be included
in the Scriptures. And here's the reason. Turn to
Romans chapter 3. Now, when you first look at this
Scripture, as I read it a moment ago, and I commented, well, I've
got your attention, because it got my attention, too. I didn't
know it was so forceful until I read it again tonight in your
presence. In Romans 3, verse 28, The apostle
Paul writes, therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith
without the works or deeds of the law. Now listen to James
in verse 26, James 2, just kind of hold those two passages. In
James chapter 2, he says, as the body without
the spirit is dead, faith without works is dead. Paul says that
a man is saved by faith without works. James says faith without
works is dead. Dead is a body without a spirit.
Now turn to Romans 4. In Romans chapter 4, the apostle
Paul writes, verse 1, 2, and 3, that Abraham was justified
by faith. In Romans 4, verse 1. Now let's
look at it. What shall we say then that Abraham
our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if
Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glow, but
not before God." Now hold that a minute, and turn over to James
2, verse 21. James says, "...was not Abraham
our father justified by works?" In verse 24, James says, you
see how that by works a man is justified, not by faith only.
Let's go back to Romans 4. Paul says Abraham was justified
by faith. He says in verse 3, what sayeth
the scriptures? Abraham believed God, and it
was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the
reward not reckoned of grace, but of death. Paul says salvation
or justification by works is not grace, it's death. Now in
Hebrews 11, Paul wrote the book of Hebrews also. Let's turn to
Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11. verse 31. And Paul said in Hebrews 11,
31, "...by faith the harlot Rahab perish not with them that believe
not." James says in James 2, 25, "...likewise also was not
Rahab the harlot justified by works." So when you look at these
scriptures, it appears that there is a conflict between Paul and
James, and there is a contradiction between the book of Romans, the
book of Hebrews, and the book of James. For Paul flatly says
a man is justified by faith without works. James flatly says faith
without works is dead. Paul flatly declares that Abraham
was not justified by works. James flatly declares that Abraham
was justified by works. Paul there plainly states that
Rahab the harlot was justified by faith, and James flatly declares
he was justified by work. All right, let's see what's going
on here. We know there's no contradiction in the Word of God. We know that
if this appears to be a contradiction, and a conflict between these
two men, we know that it just appears that way to us. It's
not, it's non-existent. It can't be. There's no controversy
or contradiction in the Word of God. It says the same thing. Now, if you'll carefully study
the writings of these two men, you will see immediately that
so far from opposing one another, they are in reality presenting
different sides of the same truth. I want to show you that. This
is B in the introduction. They are presenting different
sides of the same truth. Now let me show you where they
agree. In James chapter 2, our text tonight will stay there
for the writing of James, verse 15. James condemns faith without
love. He says here, If a brother or
sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you
say, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled, notwithstanding you
give them not those things which are needful to the body, what
does it profit?" James condemns faith without love, faith without
affection. That's what he's condemning there.
Well, Paul does, too, in 1 Corinthians 13. Turn to 1 Corinthians 13.
I want you to use your Bible now. Let's look at this. Paul
condemns faith without love. He says in 1 Corinthians 13 verse
2, Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all
mysteries, and all knowledge, and though I have all faith,
so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. That's what James just said.
If a brother or sister in Christ is standing here naked and hungry,
And you say, depart, be filled, and be warm, notwithstanding
you give them not the things that are needful to the body.
What does that profit? And Paul is saying the same thing.
I have faith so that I can remove mountains and have not love.
I'm nothing. It profiteth me nothing. Look
back at James 2 again. James condemns faith without
works. He says in James 2, verse 18, A man may say, Thou hast faith,
and I have works. Show me your faith without your
works. I'll show you my faith by my works." He condemns faith
without works. Paul does too. Turn to the book
of Galatians. I'll show you the apostle Paul
condemns faith without works in his writing. In Galatians
5, verse 19, listen. Paul said, The works of the flesh
are manifest. Now Paul's talking about works.
The works of the flesh are manifest, this is what the flesh does,
adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft,
hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, sedition, heresy,
envying, murder, drunkenness, revelings, and such like, of
the which I tell you before, as I told you in times past,
that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom
of God. That's Paul writing. But the fruit of the Spirit,
the works of the Spirit, is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ, they that are saved, they that have
saving faith, have crucified the flesh with the affections
and lust. If we live in the Spirit, let's
also walk in the Spirit. So James condemns faith without
works, and Paul does too. And then James, in chapter 2
again, verse 19, James condemns a head faith that is alone. He condemns it. He says in James
2, 19, you believe there's one God? That's a head faith. You
do well. The devil believes there's one
God and trembles. Now Paul condemns a head faith.
Turn to Romans 10. in Romans 10. Paul is talking
here about an heart faith. He just said back in verse 1
of Romans 10, in verse 2, I bear them record, they have a zeal
of God. These Jews knew there was one
God. They worshiped the one God. They
preached the God of creation and power and providence and
purpose. But he goes on down in verse
8, But, what saith it, the word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth,
and in thy heart. That is the word of faith which
we preach. It's a heart faith. It's not just a head faith. That
if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, or Jesus
to be Lord, and shalt believe in thine heart God hath raised
him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart,
not the head. It's not a traditional, historical
faith. It's a heart faith. With the
heart man believeth unto righteousness." That's what James is saying.
James is saying that head faith alone is not saving faith. Paul
says the same thing. Head faith alone, you have a
zeal of God, you're going about to establish your own righteousness,
that won't save, Paul said, it's a heart faith. Paul condemns
faith without works, faith without love, and head faith alone. And then in James chapter 2 again,
James proves Abraham's faith by his willingness to offer Isaac.
James 2.21, look at it. Was not Abraham our father justified
by works? All right, how are you going
to prove, James, that Abraham was justified by works? Here's
his proof. He offered Isaac, his son, on
the altar. All right, turn to Hebrews 11.
Paul takes the same illustration and proves Abraham was justified
by faith. Look at Hebrews 11, verse 17. By faith, Abraham, when he was
tried, offered up Isaac. The same illustration, the same
conduct, the same obedience. James is talking about something
that he wishes to present, and he goes back to Abraham being
willing to offer his son Isaac on an altar. Paul is talking
about something the Holy Spirit is leading him to present about
Abraham, and he uses the same illustration. James says, I'm
going to prove Abraham's faith by his willingness to offer his
son. Paul said, I'm going to prove
Abraham's faith by his willingness to offer his son. All right,
look at James 2 again, verse 25. James proves Rahab's faith
by works. In verse 25 of James 2, James
says, Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works? What did she do? She received
the messengers of God and sent them out another way. Well, let's
see what Paul says in Hebrews 11, 31. By faith Hebrews 11, 31, "...by faith
the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believe not."
What did she do, Paul? She received the messengers,
or the spies, with peace. Same illustration. So what I'm
saying, these men are teaching the same thing. They're coming
at it from two different ways. Now let's see another illustration.
James 2, verse 26. James says that the As the body
without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.
That's the last verse in James 2. As the body without the soul
is dead, so faith without works is dead. Well, let's see if Paul
doesn't say the same thing in Romans 8. Romans chapter 8, turn
over there with me, verse 8. Romans 8, verse 8. Now James
says, as the body without the spirit is dead, faith without
works, faith without the love of Christ and without the Spirit
of Christ is dead. Romans 8, verse 8. So then Paul
says, they that are in the flesh cannot please God, but you're
not in the flesh, you're in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit
of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the
Spirit of Christ, what is the Spirit of Christ? Let this mind
be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, the Spirit of submission,
the spirit of humility, the spirit of faith, the spirit of kindness,
the spirit of mercy, the spirit of grace. Any man doesn't have
this spirit. Paul says he's not saved. He
doesn't belong to God. Well, that's what James is saying
over here. Faith as the body without the spirit, without life,
is dead, so faith without the spirit of God, without works,
is dead. Paul says the same thing. If
any man does not have the Spirit of Christ, the life of Christ,
the grace of Christ, he's not, he doesn't belong to God. Also,
now what I've said is this, I say that the two men, Paul and James,
are in reality presenting different sides of the same truth. But
also, now listen to this, this is important. The Apostle Paul
and James are writing against different eras. They're dealing
with different eras. They were confronted with different
eras and different tendencies. Now Paul, and you know this,
who are familiar with the Book of Romans, you know if we studied
the Book of Romans, and you're familiar with the fact that Paul
in the Book of Romans is writing against those who would impose
the old Jewish laws on the Gentiles, and who would oppose circumcision
and the Jewish tradition on Gentile believers, calling it the works
and deeds of the law, the ceremonial law. Paul was writing against
that. He was writing against those
who would impose this ceremonial law, these Jewish laws, circumcision,
and all of these related things on Gentile believers. Now later
on, James is writing against complacency. James is writing
against the so-called orthodox believer who claims freedom from
all responsibility. Paul is writing against those
who would bring the believer under the bondage of the old
Mosaic economy and the old Jewish laws of circumcision and so forth. But here, James is warning people
against the so-called orthodoxy and liberty which relieves us
of any responsibility. Antinomianism, in other words. The Apostle Paul, in the Book
of Romans, is opposing self-righteousness and presenting Christ's righteousness. That's what he's writing about,
Romans chapter 3 and 4. Paul is opposing self-righteousness
and Phariseeism, and he's presenting our sufficiency in Christ, or
Christ's sufficiency for us. The righteousness of God is Christ,
Christ who is the end of the law for everyone that believes
it. James is opposing no righteousness. James is opposing carnality. just exactly as the illustration
that he gives us. Here's a man who says he's a
believer in Christ. A brother walks up who is naked,
destitute, and hungry, and he says, Peace be unto you. He's
saved by faith. He's saved by believing. He has
no responsibility at all to do anything for this man. James
says that's not faith. There's no righteousness involved
there. That's carnality. That's antinomianism. Paul opposes legalism. James opposes carnality. Paul is looking at justification
as meaning acceptance with God on the basis of Christ's righteousness. That's the way Paul's looking
at justification. He's looking at justification
as God sees us in Christ, washed in Christ, clothed in Christ,
robed in Christ, accepted in Christ. James is looking at justification
as it's connected with sanctification. As it's connected with sanctification
in producing the image of Christ in us. That's what he's looking
at. Now, there are four major points in this division. of God's
Word. Before I get to that, I want
to repeat what I just said, now because this is the heart of
the whole thing. These four things that I've mentioned
here. Paul is writing against those
who would impose the old Jewish ceremonial law on Gentile believers. And James is writing against
self-complacency and orthodoxy that claims freedom from any
freedom even from the law of love. And Paul is opposing self-righteousness. James is opposing no righteousness. Paul is opposing legalism. James is opposing antinomianism. Paul is looking at justification
as meaning acceptance with God on the basis of what Christ has
done for us. James is looking at justification
connected with sanctification and what Christ has done in us. Now, there are four major divisions,
or major points, in this division of Scripture. First of all, let's
look at verses 14 through 17. Here's the first division, and
here's the summary of it. Let's read it first of all. Verse
14, "'What doth it profit, my brethren, Though a man say he
have faith, and have not works, can that faith save him, that
faith without works, that faith which he says he possesses, can
that faith save him?" What James is saying is this.
Faith without the fruit of the Spirit, faith without works of
love, is equal to a profession without practice, and is therefore
dead. Can a mere profession of faith
in word only, a man says he has faith, can a mere profession
of faith in word only, a faith that has no love for Christ and
no love for his people, can that faith save? And he answers it
with an illustration, verse 15. If a brother or sister be naked
and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them,
Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled, notwithstanding you
give them not those things which are needful to the body, what
does it profit?" What's he saying here? He's saying, suppose a
brother or sister be naked and hungry, and you say, in word,
in words, you say, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled
with food, but ye do not give them clothes, and ye do not give
them food. Will your words clothe him? Will
your words fill him? Your words without food and clothing
are powerless. Even so, faith in word only is
powerless. It profiteth nothing. But If
I feed and clothe the hungry and naked, I don't have to say
anything. My love is obvious. I need make
no boast of my love. I need make no boast of my faith. I need make no profession at
all of affection for that individual. If I just give them food and
give them clothing, I need not talk of faith at all. It's clearly
revealed in my conduct." That's what he's saying. Faith, verse
17, if it hath not works, is dead. It's dead. If I feed and clothe the hungry
and the naked, I don't have to say anything. I need make no
boast of my love, it's obvious. But if I do not feed and clothe
the hungry and the naked, and I boast of my love for them,
everyone has every right to doubt my profession." All right, the
second division begins with verse 18. "'Yea, a man may say, Thou
hast faith, and I have works. Show me Thy faith without Thy
I'll show thee my faith by my works." A true believer in Christ,
James says, may justly call upon a boaster of his faith. Here's
a man who boasts, I have faith. The believer has every right
to call on him to give proof of his faith. Prove your faith.
Show me your faith without your works. Well, this of course is
impossible. Faith is an inward principle.
It can't be seen. Faith is a hidden thing in the
heart. It cannot be seen. But where faith is genuine and
where faith is operative, it will be evidenced, consequently
seen, by labor of love and works of faith. That's the reason he says, you
show me your faith without your works. That's an impossibility.
Faith is a hidden thing. Faith is a principle in the heart.
It cannot be seen. I will show you my faith by my
works. Faith which is genuine and operative
will be evidenced by works. But, now remember this, while
works are not an infallible proof of faith, the absence of works
is infallible proof of the absence of faith. I thought that's such a good
statement. I jotted it down years ago and found it in the margin
of a book that I was reading today. Works are not an infallible
proof of faith. Though I give my body to be burned
and have not love, it profiteth me nothing. Though I give my
goods to feed the poor, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have
not love, it profiteth me nothing. A man may have works and not
have faith, but a man cannot have faith and not have works."
Works of love, labors of love, are not an infallible proof of
faith, but the absence of love is an infallible proof of the
absence of faith. And the absence of works is infallible
proof of the absence of faith. For example, he says in verse
19, you believe there's one God? Now this is a continuation of
the address to the empty professor who has no fruit. You believe
there's one God? That is, that God is one, Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit? You do well. The demons all believe
that God is one. The demons believe there is Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. The demons believe this, and
they tremble before His awful majesty and presence, which is
more than men do. But this type of faith will not
save. The devils also believe and tremble,
but wilt thou know, O vain man, that this empty faith, that this
faith that does not produce love, this faith that does not produce
work, is dead. It's demon faith, it's head faith,
it's devil faith, it's an historical faith, it's a traditional faith,
it's a mental faith, it is not saving faith. And it's dead. Now verse 21 starts the third
division, or section, and in the next three verses, James
proves from the example of Abraham that saving faith produces obedience. It produces works of love. Read
it with me. Was not Abraham our father justified
by works? Was not Abraham's faith, his
claim to faith, his profession of faith, was it not justified
by works? And we know Abraham was not justified
in the presence of God except by the death of Christ. It is
God that justifies, and we're justified by his blood. We're
cleansed by his blood. We're forgiven through his blood.
We know that. Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to his mercy hath he saved us. But what James is saying here
is that Abraham's faith was evidenced, his faith was proven, his faith
was justified, his claim to faith was justified by his obedience,
by his conduct. Now Abraham was called of God
to leave his home and go to a land that God would show him. He believed
God. He acted on the word of God and
he proved it by going, not knowing where he was going. Now, we've
just got through talking about, here's a man that says he has
faith, but does not conduct himself as one who has faith. We've been
talking about a man who says he believes, but who does not
conduct himself as a believer. And James says that kind of faith
is dead. Now, Abraham's faith was living
faith because Abraham's faith produced works. It was evidenced
by his conduct. Abraham was promised a son in
his old age. He believed God. He went in to
Sarah, and they had a son. He didn't know how. He believed
God. Abraham was told to sacrifice
that son to God on an altar of wood, Thine only Son, whom Thou
lovest. And brother, let me tell you
something. That wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision. Do you know that When
God came to Abraham, and Isaac was a teenage boy then, when
God came to Abraham and said, Abraham, take thy son, thine
only son, whom thou lovest, take him to Mount Moriah, and offer
him there as a burnt offering unto me. You've got to stab him
first, shed his blood, and set him on fire. And do you know
that that mountain was a three days journey from where Abraham
got those orders. He didn't just rush out and grab
Isaac and wrap him up in rope and put him on an altar. He had
to get the camels. He had to get the servants. He
had to get the wood. He had to get the knife. He had
to sleep that night or try to, set out the next morning for
that mountain. Three days journey. And all the
way there, he had plenty of time to think over what he was about
to do. Now Abraham believed God, and
he believed God so strongly, so completely, that he was willing
to sacrifice his son Isaac on that altar, not knowing why. Not knowing why. Now that's a
proof. That's what James is saying. Saving faith believes God, and
saving faith acts on that faith. Saving faith conducts itself
as a believer. You can't separate faith and
conduct. You cannot separate belief and
obedience. It's not works that justifies,
it's Christ that justifies. But fruits, good works and fruits
of faith and obedience are the effects of faith. Saving faith. If there's sap in the trunk,
there'll be leaves on the tree. And if there's faith in the heart,
there'll be works of charity and works of love produced from
that spirit which dwells within. That's what he's saying here.
Abraham, our father, was justified by works when he offered Isaac
his son upon the altar. See thou how faith wrought with
his works, and by his works was faith made perfect. It was revealed
and it was justified. All the claims which he made
to believe in God were justified by his obedience. Now then, verse
25. This is the fourth division.
Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works. Proof from the example of Rahab
that saving faith produces obedience and works of love. Why do you
suppose that out of all of this hall of fame he chose Rahab?
There was Moses, Noah, Joseph, Jacob, hundreds when he chose
Rahab the harlot. Her name doesn't appear anymore
except when she was in the genealogy of Christ as the mother of of
Boaz, you know. Rahab was Boaz's mother. Boaz married Ruth, and she appears
in the house and lineage of Christ. But it seems like James just
reaches out and picks up this harlot, Rahab, and lists her
along with Abraham. I'll give you several reasons
why I believe that he chose Rahab. He selects her because her case
is so unlike Abraham. so totally unlike. And what James
is saying, I don't care who the man is, whether he is Abraham,
the father of the faithful, the Jew with the traditional background,
or whether the person is a harlot that God picks up off the street,
if they're really saved If they really have redeeming faith,
if they really have saving faith, it'll change their lives and
it'll produce works and fruits of righteousness. I don't care
who it is, whether it's Abraham or Rahab. They're so different. And here's the way in which they're
different. Abraham was a Jew. Rahab was a heathen, gentile,
a heathen woman. Abraham was the father of the
chosen nation. Rahab was a nobody. Abraham had
for many years prior to the sacrifice of Isaac been trained in the
school of faith. He had had a lot of experience.
Well, he had to leave home a long time ago and wander out in the
wilderness and dwell in tents, not knowing where he was going.
He had to leave a comfortable dwelling and comfortable companionship
and go out in the desert and walk around. He had had to drive
out Ishmael. He had had a lot of trials before
he came to Mount Moriah, but not Rahab. She had no training
at all, just like that. God told her what to do, and
she did it. Abraham was a moral man. Rahab was a harlot. Abraham
was a respected man. I don't imagine Rahab was too
respected. And yet this woman proved her
faith in God by giving shelter to the messengers of God at the
risk of her life. She proved her faith. She didn't
go to the door and say, well, I know you fellows are messengers
of God, and I believe in God, but I'm just not going to risk
my profession and my life And everything to cover up for you
fellas, you have to go somewhere. No sir, she opened the door and
says, you're God's men, come on in. And she proved her faith. She justified her faith. Now
the last verse says this, as the body without the spirit is
dead. And you know that. Here's a man
lying in a coffin. And he's dead, you know that.
A thousand people around here might come and say, he's alive,
he's alive, he's alive. No, he's dead, he's dead, his
spirit's gone, he's dead. Everybody knows that. And James
says, everybody knows that faith, I don't care who says it's alive,
if it doesn't have work, it's dead too. It's dead. If it doesn't produce love and
kindness and mercy and grace and a forgiving spirit, if it
doesn't produce faithfulness to Christ and love for his word
and love for his gospel, he says, I don't care what you say, I
don't care what you profess, dead. These verses are applicable to
this day in which we live in, when they're walking the aisles
by the hundreds making decisions, and they're claiming to believe
there's one God, claiming to believe Christ died on the cross,
and claiming to believe that they're on their way to heaven.
And James says it's not so. I don't care who says it. If
men do not have in their hearts and in their lives the love of
Christ, and the grace of Christ, and the mercy of Christ, and
love for the Word of God, and love for the gospel, and love
for each other, dead, dead, dead. You say you have faith? Show
it to me. Well, you say, that's impossible.
James says, I can show you mine. I love the brethren. Christ said,
by this shall all men know you're my disciples, if you love one
another. If you love one another. Show
me your faith. Well, I can't. I can show you
mine, he said. I love the gospel. Show me your
faith. Can't do it. I can show you mine.
When a man's hungry, I feed him. I love the house of God. I love
the gospel of Christ. A lot of ways I can show you
my faith, James says. I'll show it to you by my conduct,
by my actions. You can't show yours without
it. When I was in France several years ago, we left Marseilles
and drove down to the Mediterranean. I suppose that's what that is
down there around the Riviera. And we went to a little city
down there on the Mediterranean called the City of the Dead Swamps. It was where one of these Kings,
I think it was St. Louis, Louis XII, XIII, XIV,
one of those fellows. That's where he organized his crusades to the
Holy Land. He left from there. He'd come
back there and then go back by ship, and they had a—it was a
walled city. The wall was still around it,
and it had a big tower. right on the corner overlooking
the port and overlooking the sea. And they kept a light in
the top of that tower, and the soldiers lived in that tower,
and then there was a dungeon in that tower. You could go up—I
went all up in the tower, in the dungeon, up in the soldiers'
hall, up on top where the light was with the iron railing around
it where they could signal the ships coming in at night. But
there was a dungeon right in the middle of that under the
soldiers' hall, and there they imprisoned Protestant believers. They had a young girl they put
in prison there. Her name was Maria Duran. They
kept her in that prison for 35 years. They put her and her brother,
who was a Protestant preacher, and several other people in that
prison She was only 15 when they put her in there. She was 50
years of age when they took her out of that room. I stood in
her cell. I looked out the window where
she used to stand, look out the window through the bars, the
walls, about 48 inches thick stone. She could have left that
dungeon any time she was willing to deny her faith in Christ.
Any time. All she'd had to say was, I no
longer believe. in Jesus Christ as my sufficient
mediator. I accept all of the dogmas of
the church, the state church. I refuse anymore to witness or
to declare the sufficiency of Christ. All she had to do, but
she wouldn't do it. She was mistreated by the soldiers.
She was starved. She finally died just a few months
after she was 50 years of age when they let her out of there.
But when they let her out, they found on the floor a stone. The floor had different sections
of stone with mortar. But they found where she had
sat day after day, month after month, year after year for thirty-five
years, and whittled or chiseled in that stone with something.
I don't know what she used, but she had chiseled in that stone
one word. You know what it was? Resist. Resist. Resist. Resist the temptation to deny
Christ. Resist the temptation to go free. Resist the temptation to give
in. Resist. It was dug in the stone when
she got out of there and died. That's faith. Faith proved by
works. Now, as I said before, Works
are not an infallible proof of faith. A man might have works
and not have faith, but I'll tell you this, an absence of
works is infallible proof of an absence of faith. A man can't
have faith without works. He can have works without faith,
but he can't have faith without works. You can't separate faith
and conduct. As a man thinketh in his heart,
so is he. Our Father, we are thankful for
Thy Word. We believe that thou hast taught us the sufficiency
of Christ. We're nothing. When we've done
everything that we are commanded to do, we're still unprofitable
servants. In the flesh no man can please
thee. In my flesh dwelleth no good
thing, but in my heart Christ dwells. Christ dwells there by
faith, by grace, by mercy, by thy divine purpose and providence.
And, O Lord, when Christ was revealed in us, and when Christ
Jesus was enthroned in our hearts, he brought with us and shared
abroad in our hearts thy love. We love thee not as we ought
to, but, Lord, thou knowest all things. Thou knowest we love
thee. And we love one another. Thou hast brought us together
in a bond of brotherhood and love and mercy. Strengthen that
bond. Strengthen our love for the Lord
Jesus Christ and our love for one another. Let us reveal to
this ungodly world our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by our
works of love. Through Christ our Redeemer we
pray. Amen.