Currently we’re in a message series called “Faith Workout.” In this series we’re talking about real faith. I use the term real faith because not all so-called faith is real. There are a lot of religions in the world: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and the list could go on and on. Is the faith of all these religions the same? Is it real faith that connects to God? The answer is “no.” Christianity is unique among the religions of the world in teaching real faith.
In all the other religions of the world, a person must do good works in order to become right with God or to become God. These other religions can be described by the word DO. In Christianity alone, God became man in the person of Jesus. What needed to be done to make man right with God has been completed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through Jesus our sins have been forgiven. Christianity can be summed up by the word DONE. Big difference. You don’t have to do anything to be accepted by God, just have faith, just believe.
NIV Ephesians 2:8-10 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. Notice the sequence here described in this verse. Entering into a relationship with God comes through faith not works. However, as we’ll talk about today, you were created to do good works as a believer. In this verse Paul makes it clear that faith is the root of salvation.
So today my message is entitled “Faith That Wins.” What is a winning faith? Faith that wins is a real faith, a faith that pleases God, a faith that lasts. Winning faith changes the world and leads you to heaven. We’re going to look at what the book of James has to say about faith that wins.
Some people read James as saying that you have to do good works or actions in order to have real faith. They quote NIV James 2:17 Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. Is James contradicting what Paul said in Ephesians? Are you saved by actions not faith? No, James is saying that so-called faith that is not accompanied by actions is not real faith at all. Good works flow from and accompany winning faith. If those good works are not evident, it implies that the faith is dead. So this morning, let’s look at what real faith, what faith the wins is all about.
To hear more about this topic, listen to my August 26, 2007 message entitled Faith That Wins
the religion of my grandfather is Hinduism and he says that it is a great religion.`~~