James 2:14-26 | What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

ON THE SURFACE, the writings of Paul and this letter from James appear to present a contradiction. Paul is very clear that we are saved by grace through faith and not works. He argues that Abraham was saved through faith, apart from works of the law (Gal. 3). James, however, says that faith without good works cannot save (Jas. 2:26) and appeals to the example of Abraham to show that he believed and obeyed God when he offered up Isaac (Jas. 2:21-24). How can we reconcile these viewpoints?

I suggest that if we understand three specific contrasts between Paul and James, we see both of their perspectives in harmony. First, Paul is looking at the root of our salvation, while James is looking at the fruit after salvation. Paul emphasizes the point that at the time of conversion, the root of salvation is faith alone. James sees that the faith that saves us does not remain alone, though we are saved by faith alone. After salvation, there are things that will inevitably happen in our lives that show the reality of our salvation.

Another contrast is that Paul describes salvation from God’s perspective, while James is addressing the issue from a human perspective. It’s like Paul is sitting in the house and sees the fire in the fireplace. James walks by the outside of the house and sees the smoke coming out of the chimney. James says, “When I see the smoke, I have no trouble believing that there’s a fire in the fireplace.” People can’t see through walls, but God can. In other words, Paul says, “God sees the fire,” while James says, “I’m looking for the smoke.”

Perhaps the most important contrast of all is the difference in tone: Paul is instructing, and James is exhorting. The difference is clear in the way the two talk about justification. When Paul says “justification,” he is referring to the sovereign act of God whereby He declares a believing sinner righteous on the basis of faith. But James uses the word in the sense of validation. A person’s works validate him or her as a genuine believer.

So when James calls out faith without works as useless, he is questioning the value of a faith that is not validated. What good does it do to carry around a card that says “Driver’s License” if you never actually drive and couldn’t if you needed to? What good does it do to show somebody your high school diploma only to have them find out that you are unable to add two and two together? In a way, that is what James is saying. Now, this implies that a person’s professed faith can be phony, which leads to a deeper question: Can a faith that is not validated save? The answer is clearly implied by James’s argument: No, that phony kind of faith cannot save anyone. But of course, that is God’s place to judge, not ours. We tend to see ourselves as the standard of how much validation proves our faith.

In light of this, James is making the point that Abraham’s faith, which justified him before God, was validated in his life by his obedience to God. This sets a pattern for every believer’s life. James shows that faith is more than merely correct knowledge, which even the demons possess (Jas. 2:19-20). Faith includes a response of the heart to God, which inevitably bears fruit.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics.

Titus 3:8 | At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

DON’T GET SO FAR from the world that your neighbors feel uncomfortable talking to you with a beer in their hand. I don’t mean you should violate your conscience or join anyone in sin, but remember well that God reached us while we were “slaves to many lusts and pleasures” (Titus 3:3). We were living empty lives, and God broke through. He didn’t save any of us “because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” After He saved us, He “washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). That is regeneration—starting again. When God breaks through, He does it by showing us His light through light- bearers, revealing to us His love through love-givers, and giving us examples to respect through respect-earners. Suddenly, we realize that salvation lies in what Christ has done for us, not in what we do for Him. We were made right by grace through faith in Jesus. We were justified: God sovereignly declared us righteous when we believed in Him, even though we were still in a sinning state. Even when we were engaged in acts of unbelief and sinfulness, the Lord captured our hearts through faith. That’s His grace!

With that background in mind, we are reminded by what Paul says in this passage: that we live before a watching world. Our lives are an integral part of our witness on every level. None of us is perfect; therefore, this is a calling to ever-increasing maturity in Christ. A couple of lingering principles can bring this idea home.

First, it takes authenticity and integrity to win a hearing. Be real. If you’ve wounded or offended another person, believer or not, go and apologize. Have you been holding a grudge against someone? Then, admit it to them and tell them you’re sorry. Have you formed a wrong opinion about them? Tell them you jumped to the wrong conclusions or were going through a tough time and reacted poorly, even though you know that’s no excuse. Then apologize. That’s authenticity. More often than not, it will give you an open door over time—it will win you a hearing.

Second, it is impossible to convince anyone of any truth that you are not living. Do you want to talk about the forgiveness of God? Great, but do you forgive others? Do you want to talk about the love of God? Begin by loving your family as Christ loves His people. This can have more influence than you think. It is often an amazing thing for younger couples just to see older husbands and wives who still love each other.

If you’re a leader in a church, do you want to know how to increase your influence? Live in the way that Paul instructs Titus to live throughout this letter. The community outside your church has no idea what true Christian fellowship is about. They’re most likely scared or put off or confused about Christians. But if you live like this, they will find it contagious. They will want to know what being a Christian is all about.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics.

Galatians 5:1 | It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

HOW DO WE STAND FAST for freedom in Christ? How do we stand for grace and not become slaves again? How do we keep ourselves from being caught in a cycle of works and failure and drifting away from God? There are some things we can do for ourselves that will help us be people of grace and some things we can do for others to help them allow grace to awaken in their lives.

Every time we are tempted to submit ourselves to sin, we must remind ourselves that we are free. The Gospel of John says it well: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. . . . If the Son sets you free, you are truly free” (John 8:32, 36). We need to remind ourselves with Scripture that we are no longer enslaved to sinful habits or sinful relationships. You and I are no longer enslaved to sinful thoughts, sinful organizations, or sinful behaviors. Sin is no longer our master. I’d like to suggest that you read Romans 5 through 8 and choose some verses to memorize. Those chapters focus on the fact that where sin once reigned over us, keeping us under the condemnation of a death-like sentence, Christ now reigns in grace.

In addition, don’t allow yourself to be enslaved by anyone whose list of requirements becomes your channel to feeling accepted by God. This may be the result of an overly sensitive conscience and perhaps a traditionalism fed to you by people who meant well—parents, missionaries, or pastors, all with the best of motives. We need to remind ourselves again and again that we are free. We are no longer under condemnation. Armed with that reality, we then present ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness rather than to sin as instruments of unrighteousness (see Rom. 6:13).

I would imagine that most of us are better students of our sins than we are of our position in Christ. I’m not making light of the wrong in our lives—I’m just saying it’s wrong to focus on it. We are more conscious of sin than we are aware of Christ. How much better it is to have lives that focus on who we are in the Savior: forgiven, in the family, in Christ, secure, and accepted.

Not only do we need to remind ourselves that we are free, but at times we may also need to remind others who try to enslave us. Whenever I do that, I become less popular, but I sleep better at night. We must be both direct and kind, but conversations with those who try to enslave us don’t always end kindly. This is because legalists who want to dominate us don’t give up easily. (If it sounds like I’m being too strong or too independent of spirit, reread Paul’s words in Galatians 2:4-16 and 3:1-4.)

Why do I say this with such passion? Because there will always be more legalists than there are freedom-loving believers. We will always be outnumbered. But Christ has gained victory for you. His name is at stake in your freedom. Don’t relinquish it. I realize when I say this that I am asking a hard thing. But Christ has set us free at the cost of His life. The freedom He gives us is worth fighting for.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics.

1 Corinthians 15:9-11 | For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE of a chapter about resurrection, Paul gets personal. This passage offers wonderful insights into the work of grace in this grand apostle’s life. In Paul’s words, I see what I call his credo, his affirmation of belief. He underscores three simple ideas. How clearly they reflect and reaffirm the truth about God’s grace!

First, God does what He does by His grace. Paul deserved judgment of the severest kind. Instead, God gave him grace. Paul comments that he is “the least of all the apostles. . . . I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church” (1 Cor. 15:9). This is not false humility; this is truth. Paul fully recognized that he had been totally devoid of a spiritual life. He had no interest in the true things of God but aggressively worked against the Christian cause right up until the Lord appeared to him and struck him blind (Acts 9:1-19).

Second, each of us is what we are by God’s grace. Notice Paul’s words: “But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me” (1 Cor. 15:10). In a world of high-powered self-achievement and self-help books and personal accomplishments and selfish kingdom-building, God’s grace gives a new message. How many people who reach the pinnacle of success and are interviewed in the Wall Street Journal say, “I am what I am by the grace of God”? We are impressed with men’s and women’s achievements, but Paul says, “Don’t be impressed by that. Go back to the grace of God. That’s our only hope.”

Third, we should let others be what they are by God’s grace. The apostle says, “It makes no difference whether I preach or they preach, for we all preach the same message” (1 Cor. 15:11). Paul confronted error when necessary for the sake of the gospel, but he did not set himself up as a judge of other Christians’ preaching and ministry, and he didn’t try to force all believers into the same mold. Jesus spoke of an abundant life characterized by the freedom He provides by His grace.

Many people seem determined to find the one flaw or failure that marks our lives and then point it out and drill at it. Many—or even most—Christians think that God operates in the same way. But why do we think that way when God poured out all of His wrath on His Son? God was satisfied with Jesus’ death for sin, and if you find yourself in the Son by faith, remember this: He is satisfied with you. You will always have men and women in your life who will give you their list to live up to. They will prod you with guilt until you are driven mad. But not God. We are what we are by the grace of God. If we really getting ahold of this, we will let others be what they are by the grace of God.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics.

Acts 4:13-37 | When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old. On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “ ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.’ Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

IF YOU EVER WANT TO EMBARRASS A PREACHER, I’ll tell you a surefire way to do it. Just ask about his first sermon. The nerves of the moment seem to conspire with ­inexperience to produce some really funny and embarrassing stories that nobody will forget—as much as the preacher might wish they would! That could have been the case with Peter’s first sermon, which is recorded in Acts 2. But in reality, it still stands as one of the best sermons anyone has ever preached.

In fact, both the sermon and the events surrounding it were full of amazing moments. It all got started with a literal bang, some fireballs, and a group of people speaking languages they had never learned (Acts 2:1-6)! Some jokers heard the excitement and laughed it off, saying the believers must have been drunk (Acts 2:13). After a crowd had gathered, Peter corrected this notion (Acts 2:15) and went on to explain what had actually happened—why the crowd was hearing their many local languages from these backwater Galileans.

Peter explained that the events the people were witnessing had been spoken of by the prophet Joel (Acts 2:16). He was essentially saying, “You men and women, who are standing in the streets of Jerusalem hearing about the great works of God in your own languages, are witnessing the fulfillment of Scripture.” Peter then quoted Joel 2:28-32, apparently from memory—it is extremely unlikely that anyone would have had their own scroll of the Prophets to carry around with them in those days. This, by the way, is a demonstration of the power of the memorized Word. It is always there, right at the moment we need it. Peter declared that what the crowd had witnessed was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit from God, an event marking the last days. What a declaration! Peter asserted that Joel had written about that very moment centuries ago, and these people were seeing it—living it!—right there in Jerusalem.

What was the thing that was happening according to Peter (and Joel)? It was the pouring out of the Spirit of God (Acts 2:17-18). Because the Spirit was poured out, the believers could prophesy—that is, speak the message of God without error. They could speak it in languages they had never studied. They could see visions and dream dreams that were miraculously given to them by the Spirit, something that had never happened like that before.

In this era that has now begun, the Spirit of God has been poured forth. But Peter goes on quoting Joel in Acts 2:19-20: “And I will cause wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below—blood and fire and clouds of smoke. The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red.” Well, we’ve never seen that. It has not yet happened. That is because Peter and Joel show us both ends of a parenthesis, the description of the beginning and the end of an era. There has been a partial fulfillment of Joel’s words—the Spirit of God has come, and the young and old have begun to dream dreams and see visions and experience His fullness. But the “great and glorious day of the LORD” (Acts 2:20) has not yet come. That will mark the end of this era.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics.