Dwelling in the Gospel: Living by Faith (James 2:14-26) {Pastor Stephen Ro}

Doesn't this passage about justification by works indicate justification by faith alone is insufficient?

This is like the naturalization process. Legally, you are declared an American. But I still wore korean shoes, korean clothes, and ate korean food.
Jesus' work for us declares us citizens of heaven. It's done.. But this is a change in STATUS... not SUBSTANCE.

A faith that is not accompanied by works is dead. Someone who understands a fellow Christian is needing food or clothes, but does not have any mercy or compassion does not have a faith that saves. This passage is addressing those who understand faith, but do not practice it.

Living Faith is demonstrated in two ways in this passage.

• Merciful actions towards the body of Christ (fellow Christians)
  
• Obedient response to the Lord
  

Rehab, the prostitute, sheltered the spies of Israel. The evidence of her faith was her willingness to hide those spies.
Abraham offered his son, Isaac on the alter. He obeyed God, even though he had waited decades for a heir.

Jesus is our LORD, not a consultant. He is not here to give recommendations, he is to take authority to make decisions in our life.
Jesus is not a life coach. He is not our therapist. He is LORD.
If we have conditional obedience, then we have allegiance to something higher than God. "I will obey God, if God gives me  _____"
Christians should understand that they are NOT in control anymore.

At the center of Christian belief, is the transfer of all authority to Christ.

Dwelling in the Gospel, Not in Money or Work (James 5:1-6) {Pastor Stephen Ro}

The Abuse of Wealth

The rich people hoarded riches. The things they held were precious stones & metals, clothes.
The clothes they hoarded got eaten by moths. Anyone have clothes in their closets with the price tags still attached?

The prayer should be OUR daily bread. Not hoarding MY bread.

The rich lived a life of ease. They had no sense of sacrifice or labor. They were self-indulgent. Overconcern with the temporal to the cost of the eternal. That is self-indulgent. Wealth can be destructive without the Lordship of Jesus. We are supposed to be saved to Serve, not self-indulgent.

"I have become increasingly troubled by the state of wealthy US churches. Why do we not pay more attention to God's command to feed the hungry and cloth the naked..."

Common views of work

• Primary identity comes from work
  This is problematic, because this makes work about self-fulfillment. This can make us workaholics or career-ism. Is God serving us or is work serving God?
• Work is to provide
  This robs work of it's intrinsic value. We go by something like this: "I owe, I owe, it's off to work I go." We are supposed to get some pleasure from work.
• Work is a sacrifice for others
  The immigrants came and slaved away to better the next generation. But this too misses the view. It is too limited to the family, the tribe.

Work should be a partnership with God. It allows us to provide and sacrifice to others.
"Work is permiated with purpose it is intended to serve God, benefit humankind, and make nature subservient to the moral program of creation..." -- Carl Henry, Aspects of Christian Social Ethics

Poor people see money as security. Rich people see money as power. Both sides can hoard, but money does not deliver on it's implied promise of either security or power. How then should we view money?

THE Biblical View on Wealth

• Know the temporal and transitory nature of wealth
  (Money comes, money goes...)
• Beware the idolatrous and self-centered snare in wealth
  (For the love of money is the root of all evil....)
• Understand the biblical management and usefulness of wealth
  

How to tell money is an idol? Do a generosity test.

• Do you love to give and share?
• Are you afraid you won't have enough to buy some item you desire?
  
• Do you prefer the company of rich people rather than the people of God?
  

Dwelling in the Gospel: Union with Christ (Romans 6:1-14) {Pastor Stephen Ro}

Apostle Paul preaches deliverance only by God's grace.
His critics accused him of preaching antinominism (sp?).
Basically, that Paul was saying something that was Against The Law.

Union with Christ in Death

Greek indicates a simple future tense. We have died to sin in the past, therefore how can we live in sin in the future?

Five common misconceptions as summarized from his Pastor Stephen's mentor.

1. "Died to sin" means we no longer want to sin. 
   Just because we no longer desire something, we think we are being sanctified. But really, we are probably just moving from one idol to another idol.
   
2. "Died to sin" means we no longer ought to sin.
   
   
3. "Died to sin" means we are slowly moving away from sin.
   This appears to be a mismatch to what it means to "die" in the Greek. The greek tense being used is one of an instant in the past. So a slow moving away from sin, doesn't seem to fit.
4. "Died to sin" means we have renounced sin.
   
   
5. "Died to sin" means we are no longer guilty of sin.
   Yes & No. We are free from the cost / price of sin. But we should feel guilty for sinning against someone... This feeling of guilt is a normal reaction to sinning and wronging someone.
   

Died to sin really means that we are no longer forced or ruled by sin. We have in Christ, the ability to resist sin. We are no longer dominated. Sin is still there. We are liberated from slavery to sin. We are no longer powerless victims of sin. This is available to us by our union with Christ. We still struggle with sin. Sin did not die to us. Just ask those closest to you. The presence of sin still is in your words, actions, and life.

"... the moment we become Christians we are dead, completely dead, to the reign of sin. .. We must differentiate between what is true of our position as a fact and our experience... what he says i that every person in the world at this minute is either under the reign and rule of sin or else under the reign and rule of grace... It is either one or the other, he cannot have a foot in each position...[Why?] He is either 'in Adam' or 'in Christ'." -- D.M. Lloyd-Jones

God loves & accepts us because of Christ. He cannot turn away.

Union with Christ in Life

Can a married person live like a single? Hell no. Consider what and how your marriage symbolizes... One has to understand their identity in Christ and then live accordingly.... KNOW WHO YOU ARE... live it out. YOU are God's child, live like it.

OFFER YOURSELF TO GOD.
This means more than just coming to church. More than being a pew-warmer.
It's not just serving the church.
We must offer ourselves to God in our private lives, our families.
Are we living to love others and God? Live, give, share, & serve. Can we live as if we are not the center of the world?
How do you serve your spouse in the bedroom? How do you serve your children?

Marriage is an expressway to sanctification.
1 Sinner + 1 Sinner != Perfect Marriage

Two highlights:

• Those who live in the Gospel CANNOT be judgmental. We are ALL sinners saved by grace before a holy God.
• There is amazing power in forgiveness. Not just forgetting. Forgiveness is GRANTED then experienced.
  

THIS IS NOT Behavioral modification. This should be HEART transformation.
We are changed from the inside. This comes from seeing Christ and being unified with Christ, day by day.