Pentecost 14

James 1.16-18,22-27

Hymns: 532, 530, 308, 380

Some people, many hundreds of thousands of people, believe in Jesus; they are Christians. Many more hundreds of thousands of people are not. Why not? I don’t know.

We read in the Bible, (1 Tim 2:4,5) There is only one God and that God wants all people to be saved by believing in him. But not all people believe him. Why not? I don’t know.

We also read in the Bible, (2 Peter 3:9), God does not want anyone to die without faith in Jesus and perish eternally in hell. But many will. Why? I don’t know. God doesn't answer the question, "Why are some people Christians and others not?" We do know from the Bible that it is not God's fault but the fault of any individual that he or she is not a Christian (cf Mt 23.37).

What we do know from the Bible is that the reason why you and I are Christians and believe in Jesus is not because we decided to believe in Jesus but because God choose us to be Christians. It was his will, not ours, to believe in Jesus. Which leads us to say, FAITH IN JESUS IS A GIFT FROM GOD; TAKE CARE OF IT! This is what James is telling us in our text (v 18). James is not referring to physical birth but spiritual birth that is given to us through "the word of truth," that is, through the gospel. A spiritual birth results in faith and it is the word of God, the gospel, that this faith is given to us. More later.

First we need to be clear that believing in Jesus is not something you or I decide for ourselves. To say it another way, becoming a Christian is not a decision that you or I can make or did make. It is, in fact, impossible for someone who is not a Christian to become a Christian by choice. So if someone who is not a Christian would ask you how to become a Christian, you would not say, "Pray about it; think about; invite Jesus into your heart; just tell God that you are choosing to believe in Jesus.

It’s not possible to choose to become a believer in Jesus for sev-eral reasons: 1) The Bible tells us that by nature we are spiritu-ally dead (Eph 2.1), "dead in your transgressions and sins." If someone is dead physically or spiritually he/she can’t do any-thing. Because we inherit a sinful nature from our parents there is no spiritual life in us. We are as dead as a statue. A statue of someone may have a head and eyes and ears and a mouth. But a statue cannot think or see or hear or speak; it’s dead. You are I are as dead as a statue, spiritually.

2) By nature we can only think of God as our enemy. The Bible tells us that at birth "the sinful mind is hostile to God" and "cannot please God" (Rom 8.7,8). Do you know someone who is not a Christian? Do you hesitate to bring up the subject about Jesus? Could it be that you are afraid that the person would be offended or argue with you or tell you to mind your own busi-ness? Why is that? It’s because an unbeliever feels threatened by "Jesus talk," or resents the idea that he or she needs to "get religion," is afraid of God and views God as an enemy.

3) By nature people are spiritually blind and do not see a need for God. (1 Cor 2:14) The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. An unbeliever doesn’t see any need to become a Christian. Tell an unbeliever that no one is perfect and he will agree with you. Tell an unbeliever that ev-ery one is a sinner and she will agree with you. Tell an unbe-liever Jesus is the Savior from sin and he/she will tell you that they don’t need a Savior from sin because they try to live a good life, try not to hurt anyone, try to be honest and faithful and caring and generous, and that these acts of kindness and goodness will count for something and get them into heaven when they die. They don’t see that their sins condemn them and that there is nothing they can do to rid themselves of the guilt and punishment of sin. They are spiritually blind.

Anyone who is by nature, by birth, spiritually dead and a blind enemy of God cannot choose to become a Christian!

We must conclude, on the basis of Scripture, that faith is a gift from God. He gave it to you or you wouldn’t have it. Let’s look at several Bible passages before we proceed (scroll down to the end of the sermon). The fact that faith in Jesus is a gift of God and not something we decide for ourselves is obviously not an isolated truth found in the Bible. It is a truth that is stated over and over again.

And that is James’ point (v 16-18). Every gift you have is from God. You didn’t give yourself the mental abilities you have, your I.Q., God gave you those abilities. God made you to be who and what you are. You didn’t choose to be alive; God gave you life. And he gave you faith in Jesus, spiritual life.

What does this faith believe? You believe that you are a sinner, just as everyone does, including unbelievers. You believe that God has reason to punish you eternally because you violate his will and his word. Unbelievers know that, too. But what sepa-rates you from an unbeliever is that you believe that Jesus, the Son of God, did for you what you can’t do and that is that he took away the guilt of your sin by paying for it when he died on a cross and rose again. You believe that God does not hold you guilty of your sins because Jesus took that guilt away when he took your sins on himself and paid sins’ debt on the cross. You believe that God will spare you from the hell you deserve and give you the heaven he wants you to have, not because you’ve earned that but because he loves you and will give it to you. Faith in Jesus, given to you by God, sets you apart from the people who don’t have faith in Jesus. And God is the one who did that for you; he gave you faith in Jesus.

Now, take care of it (v 22-27)! You see yourself...your sins...in God’s Commandments. Take care of your faith; keep doing so you don’t forget that you need a Savior. And don’t forget that Jesus is your Savior who paid for your sins. Show your faith and love for Jesus by showing love and caring for people who need that, like widows and orphans and others in need. And don’t allow the pollution of sin in the world draw you into its sordid mess and turn you away from Jesus who gave you your faith. You are among the elite. I don’t play the lottery. But when someone wins the lottery and millions of dollars don’t they say that their worries are over...no more financial struggles or worry about paying bills or for kiddos’ college education or whether they will survive retirement? Their worries are over, except for one: death, for an unbeliever...and eternity in hell. This is a major issue that can’t be ignored and no amount of lottery winnings can buy an unbeliever out of hell.

But you have the gift of faith in Jesus; he bought you back from sin and death and hell. Your worries truly are over. He chose you to know and believe that. You are among the elite.

So, take care of your faith. Feed and nurture it, don’t neglect it. Take care of your faith; put it to work in ways that show your love and thanks to Jesus. Help the poor and needy, be generous and kind and honest and happy. God gave you the gift of faith in Jesus. No, that doesn’t qualify you for a trip to Disney. But it does quality you to go to heaven because Jesus paid for your sins and you believe that!

PASSAGES THAT ARE REFERENCED IN THE SERMON FOLLOW HERE　

(God our Savior)...wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2

.4,5)

The Lord is...patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3.9)

.

FAITH IN JESUS IS A GIFT FROM GOD; TAKE CARE OF IT!

James 1.16-18,22-27

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. ¹⁷ Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. ¹⁸ He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. ²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. ²⁶ If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

The Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed

I believe that I cannot by my own thinking or choosing believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way he calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church he daily and fully forgives all sins to me and all believers. On the Last Day he will raise me and all the dead; and he will give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.

Support Passages

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,

1 Peter 2.9,10

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God...Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall,

Ephesians 1:4,5

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—

Titus 1:1

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—

John 6:44

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.

1 Corinthians 12:3

Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 4:6

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Romans 10:17

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

Philippians 1:29

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him,

Colossians 1:12-14

giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.