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Fruitless Faith and the Gospel

            James 2:14-17

Introduction:

 

I. Fruitless faith is a mark of spiritual deadness.

a. Fruitless faith is a problem because contradicts the spiritual birth and new life that God provides through every conversion. 

 

b. James says here that living faith has marks of life. Energy. Vitality. Sensitivity. Awareness. Strength. 

 

II. Why charity is so hard.

a. It’s easy to be compassionate, but it’s hard to be charitable. Why? 

 

b. We don’t want to see. 

 

c. We don’t want to feel. 

 

d. We don’t do it for the right reasons. 

 

e. We don’t want to be locked into a relationship of constant charity. 

 

III. How the Gospel produces spiritual fruit in us.

a.     Christ, filled with mercy and love, did not consider his humiliation and sacrifice an unworthy interruption to free us from the chains of dead works. His work on the Cross secured access to the very source of life – God himself.  

 

b. Be interruptible for the sake of others. This is what the gospel is about.  

i. Grace

 

ii. Faith

 

Questions

1. Have you or others you know ever felt a pressure to give evidence of spiritual fruit through work? What is the appeal of this? What are the risks?

2. Which of the challenges to charity most relates to you? What are new ways the gospel opens up communicating to God for help?

3. In what ways do you see Christ bring mercy and grace through word and in action? How should it shape the way you present and apply mercy and grace to those in your life?

不結果子的信心與福音

            雅各書 2:14-17

引言:

 

I. 不結果子的信心是靈命死亡的標誌。

a. 不結果子的信心是一個問題,因為它與神每次通過拯救所賜的重生和新生命相矛盾。

 

b. 雅各在這裡說,活潑的信心有生命的標誌。 能量、 活力、 靈敏度、 意識、 力量。

 

II. 為什麼施捨是如此的困難

a. 為什麼很容易有同情心,但很難能施

 

b. 我們不想看

 

c. 我們不想去感受

 

d. 我們不以對的理由去作

 

e. 我們不想被鎖在一個固定的施關係

 

III. 福音如何在我們裡面產生屬靈的果子。

a.   基督,充滿憐憫和愛,為了釋放我們脫離死亡的鎖鏈,不以羞辱和犧牲為無意義的代價。 他在十字架上的工作確保了我們能獲得生命的源泉 - 上帝自己。

 

b.  福音就是願意為了別人的緣故被打擾

i. 恩典

 

ii. 信心

 

問題討論分享

1. 你或你認識的人中有沒有感受到壓力,為要藉著工作彰顯屬靈果子的見證?它有什麼要求? 它有什麼風險?

2. 當你要捨時什麼是你最大的挑戰? 福音打開了什麼新的方式與上帝交流支取幫助?

3. 你看到基督以什麼方式藉著言語和行為帶來憐憫和恩? 它將如何改變目前的你來對你生命中的人施與憐憫和恩典?