WEBVTT - James 2:14-26 - The Demons Believe and Shudder

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio, how do their friends and faithful listeners and

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to the Bible explained on this lovely, lovely morning.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm excited to dive into James chapter two today and

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<v Speaker 1>finish out this chapter because this is the part that

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<v Speaker 1>I think a lot of people struggle with. James talks

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<v Speaker 1>about the lukewarm faith, the faith that is just lip

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<v Speaker 1>service to God, the same kind of faith that the

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<v Speaker 1>demons have, and I think this makes a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>people question their own salvation. I also think that a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of people believe that James and Paul contradict each other.

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<v Speaker 1>So we're gonna address all of those issues today right

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<v Speaker 1>after this quick ad break from a sponsor. Okay, faithful listeners,

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<v Speaker 1>let's go ahead and grab our bibles and read James

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<v Speaker 1>two fourteen through twenty six. As you guys know, I'll

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<v Speaker 1>be reading from the Web or the World English Bible.

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<v Speaker 1>Grab your delicious hot cupasideven weeks coffee, or your cup

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<v Speaker 1>of tea for you crazy tea drinkers, and will read

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<v Speaker 1>James to fourteen through twenty six together. What good is it,

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<v Speaker 1>my brothers? If a man says he has faith but

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<v Speaker 1>has no works, can faith save him? And if a

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<v Speaker 1>brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food,

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<v Speaker 1>and one of you tells them go in peace, be

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<v Speaker 1>warmed and filled, Yet you didn't give them the things

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<v Speaker 1>the body needs. What good is it? Even so, faith,

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<v Speaker 1>if it has no works, is dead in itself. Yes,

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<v Speaker 1>a man will say, you have faith and I have works.

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<v Speaker 1>Show me your faith without works, and I will show

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<v Speaker 1>you my faith by my works. You believe that God

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<v Speaker 1>is won. You do well. The demons also believe and shudder.

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<v Speaker 1>But do you want to know, vain man, that faith

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<v Speaker 1>apart from works is dead. Wasn't Abraham or father justified

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<v Speaker 1>by works in that he offered up Isaac, his son

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<v Speaker 1>on the altar. You see that faith worked with his works,

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<v Speaker 1>and by works faith was perfected. So the scripture was fulfilled,

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<v Speaker 1>which says Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to

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<v Speaker 1>him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God.

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<v Speaker 1>You see then that by works a man is justified

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<v Speaker 1>and not only by faith. In the same way, wasn't

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<v Speaker 1>Rayhab the prostitute also justified by works when she received

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<v Speaker 1>the messengers and sent them out Another way, For as

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<v Speaker 1>the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so

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<v Speaker 1>faith apart from works is dead. Starting in verse fourteen,

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<v Speaker 1>here's what it says, What good is it? My brothers?

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<v Speaker 1>If a man says he is faith but has no works,

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<v Speaker 1>can faith save him? Now? Notice here that James does

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<v Speaker 1>not specifically say that this person has faith. He says,

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<v Speaker 1>this man or this woman says they have faith, but

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<v Speaker 1>they have absolutely no works. What James is alluding to

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<v Speaker 1>here is the people who give God lip service. They

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<v Speaker 1>say they have faith, they say that they're Christians, they

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<v Speaker 1>say that they believe in God, but that faith never

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<v Speaker 1>sunk down deep into their hearts. So can that kind

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<v Speaker 1>of faith, that superficial, lip service kind of faith actually

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<v Speaker 1>save that person? No faith has to sink down deep.

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<v Speaker 1>Which is why we cannot believe every single person or

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<v Speaker 1>a thing, or book or a movie that claims to

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<v Speaker 1>be Christian, because anything and anybody can claim to be Christian,

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<v Speaker 1>but that doesn't mean that they have a genuine faith.

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<v Speaker 1>And so here's an example in verse fifteen the James

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<v Speaker 1>gives regarding all of this. If a brother or sister

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<v Speaker 1>is naked and in lack of daily food, and one

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<v Speaker 1>of you tells them go in peace, be warmed and filled,

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<v Speaker 1>Yet you didn't give them the things that the body needs.

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<v Speaker 1>What good is it. It's the same thing as if

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<v Speaker 1>you would go up to somebody who is dying of starvation,

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<v Speaker 1>dying from the elements because they don't have a home,

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<v Speaker 1>or they don't have any clothes on their body, and

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<v Speaker 1>you say to them, oh, I see that you're in

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<v Speaker 1>so much need. Go in peace and be filled with

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<v Speaker 1>good food and be warmed, and then you just like

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<v Speaker 1>walk away. What good is that speech? That speech didn't

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<v Speaker 1>heal that person. That speech didn't help them in the least.

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<v Speaker 1>They are still miserable, they are still dying from the elements,

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<v Speaker 1>they are still cold, they still don't have a house,

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<v Speaker 1>they still don't have any food in the That's what

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<v Speaker 1>James here says, lip service to God is like, it's

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<v Speaker 1>exactly like that. It is useless, Just as useless as

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<v Speaker 1>if you give a speech to somebody who is in

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<v Speaker 1>desperate need. You need to actually do something with that speech.

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<v Speaker 1>So if you were to give that person clothing, and

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<v Speaker 1>you were to give that person a hot meal, and

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<v Speaker 1>then you said this is from God, go in peace,

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<v Speaker 1>be filled and be clothed, that would actually help that person,

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<v Speaker 1>and your words would help as well, but action has

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<v Speaker 1>to be associated with the words. This is the same

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<v Speaker 1>thing as faith. We can certainly tell God anything we

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<v Speaker 1>want to tell him with our lips. In fact, in

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<v Speaker 1>the Old Testament, I believe it's in the book of Malachi,

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<v Speaker 1>God was getting so angry. I believe the word lip

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<v Speaker 1>service was actually used. God was getting angry at the

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<v Speaker 1>hymns that his people were singing. He was getting angry

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<v Speaker 1>at the feasts and the celebrations, the ceremonies that they

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<v Speaker 1>were doing, even the offerings. He said, this is all

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<v Speaker 1>lip service. You guys don't have any faith, true faith

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<v Speaker 1>in your heart. You are just pretending to be Yahweh followers.

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<v Speaker 1>And that's what James says in verse seventeen. Even so,

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<v Speaker 1>faith if it has no works is dead in itself,

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<v Speaker 1>and James stresses that point several times, that faith without

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<v Speaker 1>works is dead. In fact, jumping down to verse twenty six,

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<v Speaker 1>for as the body apart from the spirit is dead,

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<v Speaker 1>even so faith apart from works is dead. Now that

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't mean that faith isn't there. You know, the body

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<v Speaker 1>of a deceased person exists, but it has no life,

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<v Speaker 1>just as faith if it has no works and no

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<v Speaker 1>obedience associated with it. It is dead. There is no

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<v Speaker 1>life to that faith. Verse eighteen, Yes, a man will

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<v Speaker 1>say you have faith and I have works. James says,

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<v Speaker 1>show me your faith without works, and I will show

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<v Speaker 1>you my faith by my works. Right there, he is

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<v Speaker 1>stopping the argument that some people make where they're like, well,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, faith is one of the gifts of the spirit,

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<v Speaker 1>and works is one of the gifts of the spirit.

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<v Speaker 1>And you know I might have the gift of faith,

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<v Speaker 1>but I don't have the gift of works. And you

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<v Speaker 1>know somebody else might have the gift of works, but

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<v Speaker 1>they don't have the gift of faith. James says, no,

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<v Speaker 1>absolutely not show me your faith without works. He says,

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<v Speaker 1>you can't do it because your faith is dead. And

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<v Speaker 1>he says, and I will show you my faith by

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<v Speaker 1>my works. He says, my faith is going to be

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<v Speaker 1>proven by the things that I do. Because faith can

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<v Speaker 1>be alive, it does not have to be dead. Then

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<v Speaker 1>in verse nineteen, I've talked about this verse a handful

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<v Speaker 1>of times on the podcast already, but it says you

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<v Speaker 1>believe that God is one you do well, the demons

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<v Speaker 1>also believe in shudder. So what he's saying here is

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<v Speaker 1>that even the demons believe in God. There has to

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<v Speaker 1>be something more than that, just as the people in

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<v Speaker 1>the wilderness believed in God, right you know, I'm reading

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<v Speaker 1>through the Exodus account right now. And the people they

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<v Speaker 1>saw God with their own eyes. They saw Him in

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<v Speaker 1>the pillar of cloud by day and the fire by night.

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<v Speaker 1>They saw Him perform so much many amazing miracles in

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<v Speaker 1>front of them. They saw, they heard his voice, and

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<v Speaker 1>they still didn't believe in God. They still didn't have

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<v Speaker 1>a true faith in Him. And here's why. Because they

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<v Speaker 1>did not want the truth of who God is. That

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<v Speaker 1>faith never sunk down deep in their hearts. There was

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<v Speaker 1>no obedience associated with that faith. There was no good

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<v Speaker 1>works in the name of Jesus associated with that faith.

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<v Speaker 1>Their faith was dead in the water. And there are

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<v Speaker 1>so many, so many people who claim to be Christians

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<v Speaker 1>who are doing the exact same thing that the people

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<v Speaker 1>in the wilderness did. And this is not to make

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<v Speaker 1>anybody doubt salvation, because yes, salvation can only come from

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<v Speaker 1>God alone. There is not a single good work on

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<v Speaker 1>the planet that can save you. In fact, a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of critics of the Bible like to say that James

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<v Speaker 1>completely contradicts everything that Paul says, because Paul in Ephesians

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<v Speaker 1>chapter two, verse eight nine says this, for by grace

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<v Speaker 1>you've been saved through faith, and that's not of yourselves.

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<v Speaker 1>It is the gift of God, not of works that

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<v Speaker 1>no one would boast. But unfortunately people don't continue reading

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<v Speaker 1>because in the very next verse it says, for we

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<v Speaker 1>are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works

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<v Speaker 1>which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

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<v Speaker 1>Paul and his letters never contradict the book of James,

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<v Speaker 1>not once. Paul even says right here in Ephesians two. Yes,

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<v Speaker 1>you can't be saved by your own good works. Absolutely

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<v Speaker 1>not only Jesus can save. But once we become saved,

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<v Speaker 1>we are created in Christ Jesus for good works which

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<v Speaker 1>God prepared beforehand that we would walk in them. So

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<v Speaker 1>what Paul is saying there is once you become saved,

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<v Speaker 1>once we are born again, created new in Christ to Jesus,

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<v Speaker 1>we are required to do good works which God prepared

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<v Speaker 1>before that we would walk in them. Paul himself says that,

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<v Speaker 1>and that does not contradict James chapter two at all.

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<v Speaker 1>So when we become born again, we are prepared in Christ,

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<v Speaker 1>Jesus to do these good works. Then how can we

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<v Speaker 1>say we have faith if no good works are associated

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<v Speaker 1>with that faith. And that is what James is arguing here.

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<v Speaker 1>Even the demons believe in God, but they don't have

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<v Speaker 1>true faith because they've been sinning and disobeying since the

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<v Speaker 1>very beginning. They don't trust in God. They don't have

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<v Speaker 1>faith in God. And unfortunately, there are a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>people who have a dead faith very similar to the demons.

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<v Speaker 1>They believe in God, but they don't have it deep

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<v Speaker 1>in their heart. And James continues on here and he

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<v Speaker 1>makes the argument in verse twenty one, wasn't Abraham our

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<v Speaker 1>father justified by works? In that he offered up Isaac,

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<v Speaker 1>his son on the altar. You see that faith worked

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<v Speaker 1>with his works, and by works faith was perfected. So

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<v Speaker 1>because Abraham obeyed God, that was when his faith was

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<v Speaker 1>truly perfected. In fact, I talked about this at great

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<v Speaker 1>length when I did my Good Friday special, which I'm

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<v Speaker 1>going to link that episode in the description of this one,

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<v Speaker 1>because I really think that is an important topic if

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<v Speaker 1>you want to understand what James is talking about a

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<v Speaker 1>little bit more. To really go into Abraham's story and

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<v Speaker 1>his obedience to God and how his faith was perfected

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<v Speaker 1>through that obedience. And so James says this in verse

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<v Speaker 1>twenty three. So the scripture was fulfilled, which says Abraham

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<v Speaker 1>believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness,

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<v Speaker 1>and he was called the Friend of God. You see

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<v Speaker 1>that by works a man is justified and not only

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<v Speaker 1>by faith. So basically faith and works, or faith and obedience,

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<v Speaker 1>they go hand in hand with one another. You can

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<v Speaker 1>have faith without obedience. You can believe in God, but

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<v Speaker 1>that's just a dead faith. Even Jesus talks about that

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<v Speaker 1>in the Book of Revelation where there was a church

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<v Speaker 1>that was just sitting on the fence all the time.

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<v Speaker 1>They weren't either hot or cold, they were somewhere in

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<v Speaker 1>the middle. They had a dead faith. And Jesus said,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm gonna spit you out of my mouth, just like

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<v Speaker 1>lukewarm water that is just so disgusting, not refreshing, not hot,

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<v Speaker 1>not cold. It's gross. I'm going to spit you out

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<v Speaker 1>of my mouth. In fact, there are many scriptures that

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<v Speaker 1>warn against that type of faith, and apparently a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of us have that type of faith. Our faith doesn't

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<v Speaker 1>become alive until we start obeying God and having the

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<v Speaker 1>truth really sink down deep into our hearts. And that's

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<v Speaker 1>why James says that by works a man is justified

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<v Speaker 1>and not only by faith. I do believe that once

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<v Speaker 1>a person has faith in Jesus that they become saved,

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<v Speaker 1>because it says, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and

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<v Speaker 1>you will be saved, you and your household. But once

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<v Speaker 1>that belief takes root, it has to go deeper than that.

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<v Speaker 1>If you just stay a baby Christian your entire life,

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<v Speaker 1>you are not going to receive your full reward, the

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<v Speaker 1>reward that Jesus says he's going to give those who

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<v Speaker 1>conquer in the end. And again that has talked about

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<v Speaker 1>plenty of times in scripture that we need to prepare

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<v Speaker 1>ourselves for meeting Jesus, for standing in front of his throne.

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<v Speaker 1>That's a really scary thought. There's not going to be

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<v Speaker 1>anybody with you in front of that throne of God.

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<v Speaker 1>You're going to be standing there alone, and Jesus is

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<v Speaker 1>going to recount all of the things that you did

0:12:19.000 --> 0:12:21.920
<v Speaker 1>in this life. I believe that's talked about in First

0:12:21.920 --> 0:12:26.079
<v Speaker 1>Corinthians two. I think it's two. It's either two or three,

0:12:26.240 --> 0:12:29.360
<v Speaker 1>it's at the beginning where someday we will meet Jesus

0:12:29.400 --> 0:12:31.439
<v Speaker 1>face to face and he's going to judge us for

0:12:31.520 --> 0:12:34.040
<v Speaker 1>all of the works that we did or did not do.

0:12:34.440 --> 0:12:37.200
<v Speaker 1>So this isn't to make anybody doubt your salvation, but

0:12:37.320 --> 0:12:39.880
<v Speaker 1>more so as an encouragement that if you think that

0:12:39.960 --> 0:12:44.200
<v Speaker 1>you have a dead faith, to really start looking at

0:12:44.240 --> 0:12:47.679
<v Speaker 1>the truth of God, to start loving God's truth. And

0:12:47.720 --> 0:12:50.679
<v Speaker 1>what is God's truth? Well, I believe that the truth

0:12:50.720 --> 0:12:54.520
<v Speaker 1>of God is Scripture itself, the Bible. If you love

0:12:54.559 --> 0:12:56.800
<v Speaker 1>God's truth, if you are clinging to God's word and

0:12:56.800 --> 0:13:00.360
<v Speaker 1>making changes in your life based upon God's lid and

0:13:00.360 --> 0:13:03.480
<v Speaker 1>based upon the commandments of God, then Jesus says that

0:13:03.559 --> 0:13:07.239
<v Speaker 1>you do love him. What was Jesus's commandment to his disciples.

0:13:07.280 --> 0:13:10.880
<v Speaker 1>If you love me, then keep my commands. So loving

0:13:10.920 --> 0:13:15.319
<v Speaker 1>God is loving his truth, loving his word. And if

0:13:15.320 --> 0:13:17.360
<v Speaker 1>you do that, then I do believe that you are saved,

0:13:17.600 --> 0:13:20.160
<v Speaker 1>and I do believe that your faith will start to

0:13:20.200 --> 0:13:23.160
<v Speaker 1>come alive if it is not already. Now, this takes

0:13:23.360 --> 0:13:26.199
<v Speaker 1>years to learn. It takes a really long time to

0:13:26.280 --> 0:13:30.520
<v Speaker 1>learn how to obey. It's a difficult process. Even Paul

0:13:30.840 --> 0:13:33.280
<v Speaker 1>himself said that I had to learn to be content

0:13:33.440 --> 0:13:38.000
<v Speaker 1>in every single situation, Paul, the pinnacle of you know,

0:13:38.360 --> 0:13:42.360
<v Speaker 1>Christian ethics, I suppose had to learn how to become content.

0:13:42.880 --> 0:13:45.200
<v Speaker 1>It's a teaching process. But your heart has to be

0:13:45.400 --> 0:13:47.800
<v Speaker 1>open to it has to be open to the truth

0:13:47.960 --> 0:13:52.560
<v Speaker 1>of God. So James mentions Abraham right here, an Israelite man,

0:13:52.640 --> 0:13:56.160
<v Speaker 1>in fact, the patriarch, the first Israelite man, I suppose,

0:13:57.000 --> 0:13:59.760
<v Speaker 1>who was justified by his belief in God and his

0:13:59.760 --> 0:14:04.480
<v Speaker 1>words of obedience. And now also James talks about a

0:14:04.760 --> 0:14:07.959
<v Speaker 1>gentile woman, so that any gentile reading this letter doesn't

0:14:07.960 --> 0:14:09.760
<v Speaker 1>think that James just left them out or that this

0:14:09.840 --> 0:14:12.960
<v Speaker 1>is only for the Israelites. It certainly is not, it

0:14:12.960 --> 0:14:15.760
<v Speaker 1>says in verse twenty five. In the same way, wasn't

0:14:15.920 --> 0:14:20.480
<v Speaker 1>Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received

0:14:20.520 --> 0:14:24.040
<v Speaker 1>the messengers and sent them out? Another way, Now, that

0:14:24.160 --> 0:14:26.920
<v Speaker 1>is a woman who is discussed in the book of Joshua.

0:14:27.240 --> 0:14:31.000
<v Speaker 1>I think it's Joshua chapter two and three, where Rehab

0:14:31.120 --> 0:14:35.280
<v Speaker 1>the prostitute lived in Jericho. But she believed in God,

0:14:36.080 --> 0:14:38.760
<v Speaker 1>and she knew that God was going to give her

0:14:38.840 --> 0:14:42.920
<v Speaker 1>homeland to the Israelite nation. So when the spies came

0:14:42.960 --> 0:14:46.360
<v Speaker 1>to her door, probably to spend the night in an

0:14:46.360 --> 0:14:50.680
<v Speaker 1>inconspicuous location. She hid them up on the roof, away

0:14:50.720 --> 0:14:53.880
<v Speaker 1>from the King of Jericho, and she said to them,

0:14:54.200 --> 0:14:56.880
<v Speaker 1>I believe that God is going to give this land

0:14:57.000 --> 0:15:00.320
<v Speaker 1>to you. And she was justified by her faith. She

0:15:00.440 --> 0:15:04.520
<v Speaker 1>helped those spies in faith of Yahweh, and her entire

0:15:04.640 --> 0:15:08.160
<v Speaker 1>family was saved. So she was justified by her works

0:15:08.400 --> 0:15:10.600
<v Speaker 1>and also her faith. But if she would have just

0:15:10.680 --> 0:15:14.720
<v Speaker 1>sat back and not done anything with her faith, you know,

0:15:14.840 --> 0:15:17.920
<v Speaker 1>had those spies come to her doorway and she believed

0:15:17.920 --> 0:15:20.080
<v Speaker 1>in Yahweh, but she didn't hide them out of fear

0:15:20.120 --> 0:15:23.600
<v Speaker 1>of the King of Jericho, then she wouldn't have been

0:15:23.840 --> 0:15:27.200
<v Speaker 1>justified by her faith. She probably would have perished along

0:15:27.240 --> 0:15:31.920
<v Speaker 1>with everybody else in Jericho. So Rehab was justified as

0:15:31.960 --> 0:15:35.440
<v Speaker 1>well by her works. Then, to conclude in verse twenty six,

0:15:35.480 --> 0:15:37.840
<v Speaker 1>it says, for as the body apart from the spirit

0:15:37.920 --> 0:15:42.080
<v Speaker 1>is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead. Again,

0:15:42.120 --> 0:15:45.120
<v Speaker 1>the faith is still there. It says that the faith

0:15:45.280 --> 0:15:49.640
<v Speaker 1>is there, but it is a dead, lifeless faith that

0:15:49.760 --> 0:15:52.960
<v Speaker 1>God doesn't really want much of a part of. God

0:15:53.120 --> 0:15:57.200
<v Speaker 1>desires a true relationship with us, a true fellowship with us,

0:15:57.520 --> 0:16:00.160
<v Speaker 1>and not for us to just give him lipservance. Yes,

0:16:02.480 --> 0:16:04.240
<v Speaker 1>all right, faithful listeners, I'm going to move to an

0:16:04.240 --> 0:16:06.600
<v Speaker 1>ad break, and after that I will close up this

0:16:06.680 --> 0:16:11.280
<v Speaker 1>episode with one last point. I just want to really

0:16:11.320 --> 0:16:14.880
<v Speaker 1>stress again what I said at the beginning of the episode.

0:16:14.960 --> 0:16:18.960
<v Speaker 1>We are to test every single spirit. We are to

0:16:19.000 --> 0:16:21.840
<v Speaker 1>test people. We are not supposed to just take their

0:16:21.880 --> 0:16:23.960
<v Speaker 1>word for it. In fact, I was just reading in

0:16:24.000 --> 0:16:28.160
<v Speaker 1>Proverbs the other day that a fool believes everything everybody says,

0:16:28.360 --> 0:16:32.800
<v Speaker 1>but a wise man has discernment. You have to have discernment.

0:16:33.040 --> 0:16:37.680
<v Speaker 1>That's why Jesus in Matthew seven fifteen through twenty tells

0:16:37.760 --> 0:16:41.520
<v Speaker 1>us to beware of false teachers and false prophets and

0:16:41.600 --> 0:16:45.760
<v Speaker 1>avoid these people. Here's what Jesus says, beware of false

0:16:45.800 --> 0:16:48.800
<v Speaker 1>prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly

0:16:48.840 --> 0:16:52.120
<v Speaker 1>are ravening wolves. By their fruits, you will know them.

0:16:52.440 --> 0:16:55.320
<v Speaker 1>Do you gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles?

0:16:55.720 --> 0:16:58.480
<v Speaker 1>Even so, every good tree produces good fruit, but the

0:16:58.480 --> 0:17:02.560
<v Speaker 1>corrupt tree produces evil fruit. A good tree can't produce

0:17:02.600 --> 0:17:05.760
<v Speaker 1>evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree. Produce good fruit.

0:17:06.160 --> 0:17:08.720
<v Speaker 1>Every tree that doesn't grow good fruit is cut down

0:17:08.760 --> 0:17:11.679
<v Speaker 1>and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits, you

0:17:11.720 --> 0:17:13.880
<v Speaker 1>will know them, and you might be like, well, Jen,

0:17:13.960 --> 0:17:16.640
<v Speaker 1>some of these people seem to be, you know, really

0:17:17.560 --> 0:17:22.600
<v Speaker 1>showing good fruit. They seem to really be doing good things,

0:17:22.680 --> 0:17:26.120
<v Speaker 1>like their churches are really big, or their ministries are thriving.

0:17:27.119 --> 0:17:29.439
<v Speaker 1>I just want to give this warning that sometimes people

0:17:29.960 --> 0:17:34.159
<v Speaker 1>can paste good fruit onto corrupt trees, and a lot

0:17:34.200 --> 0:17:36.639
<v Speaker 1>of times it's good fruit from the backs of other people,

0:17:36.840 --> 0:17:40.680
<v Speaker 1>like people that genuinely are trying to do God's will,

0:17:40.680 --> 0:17:44.040
<v Speaker 1>but maybe they're deceived. Sometimes these people will take other

0:17:44.080 --> 0:17:47.280
<v Speaker 1>people's fruits and paste it on to theirs, and they

0:17:47.320 --> 0:17:50.280
<v Speaker 1>are deceivers and they are liars. But here's what Jesus says,

0:17:50.640 --> 0:17:52.679
<v Speaker 1>Not just their fruit will you know them by. But

0:17:52.720 --> 0:17:57.800
<v Speaker 1>you're also gonna see that God will cut down those

0:17:57.920 --> 0:18:01.520
<v Speaker 1>bad trees that don't produce any fruit. Even if you

0:18:01.560 --> 0:18:05.000
<v Speaker 1>think that somebody has good fruit, if God fully cuts

0:18:05.040 --> 0:18:07.440
<v Speaker 1>that tree down, then you can know that that person

0:18:07.760 --> 0:18:10.520
<v Speaker 1>was a false prophet in sheep's clothing. So we are

0:18:10.560 --> 0:18:12.600
<v Speaker 1>supposed to avoid these people, and we are supposed to

0:18:12.680 --> 0:18:15.720
<v Speaker 1>beware of them and I'm telling you this problem is everywhere.

0:18:15.960 --> 0:18:18.280
<v Speaker 1>It is not just the church in California. It is

0:18:18.320 --> 0:18:22.080
<v Speaker 1>not just the church down the street that has weird beliefs.

0:18:22.640 --> 0:18:24.720
<v Speaker 1>Chances are these people are in your church as well.

0:18:25.400 --> 0:18:27.520
<v Speaker 1>It is not just a problem for somebody else. It

0:18:27.560 --> 0:18:31.040
<v Speaker 1>is a problem in our very own churches. And we

0:18:31.119 --> 0:18:33.800
<v Speaker 1>need to watch out for this. That's why Jesus tells

0:18:33.880 --> 0:18:37.800
<v Speaker 1>everybody on the Sermon on the Mount, everybody, the entire multitude,

0:18:38.280 --> 0:18:42.720
<v Speaker 1>to watch out for these corrupt people. Why would he

0:18:42.800 --> 0:18:45.720
<v Speaker 1>tell so many people if this was only a problem

0:18:45.800 --> 0:18:49.119
<v Speaker 1>for big churches. It's because it's a problem everywhere. And

0:18:49.280 --> 0:18:53.120
<v Speaker 1>Jesus understands that that these false prophets and these false teachers,

0:18:53.359 --> 0:18:55.960
<v Speaker 1>they are going to come in looking like a sheep.

0:18:56.720 --> 0:18:58.959
<v Speaker 1>They're going to have sheep's clothing on, but they are

0:18:59.000 --> 0:19:02.440
<v Speaker 1>going to be a wolf who devours the sheep. They're

0:19:02.440 --> 0:19:06.120
<v Speaker 1>going to be people, unfortunately, like James chapter two, who

0:19:06.160 --> 0:19:08.600
<v Speaker 1>only give lip service to God. And if you keep

0:19:08.640 --> 0:19:11.360
<v Speaker 1>on reading down through Matthew seven, you're going to see

0:19:11.359 --> 0:19:13.879
<v Speaker 1>that there are plenty of fakers out there. Here's what

0:19:14.000 --> 0:19:16.520
<v Speaker 1>Jesus says in verse twenty one. Not everyone who says

0:19:16.520 --> 0:19:18.720
<v Speaker 1>to me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the Kingdom of heaven.

0:19:18.920 --> 0:19:21.560
<v Speaker 1>But he who does the will of my Father, who

0:19:21.720 --> 0:19:24.440
<v Speaker 1>is in heaven. So there are people who are going

0:19:24.440 --> 0:19:27.280
<v Speaker 1>to fool others, these wolves in sheep's clothing. They're going

0:19:27.280 --> 0:19:30.959
<v Speaker 1>to fool others by saying, yes, I believe in the Lord, Lord, Lord,

0:19:31.000 --> 0:19:34.240
<v Speaker 1>I believe in him. And yet they are not doing

0:19:34.280 --> 0:19:37.520
<v Speaker 1>the will of the Father. They are doing their own will.

0:19:38.000 --> 0:19:42.280
<v Speaker 1>They are using the sheep. They are pretending to believe

0:19:42.320 --> 0:19:45.439
<v Speaker 1>in God. So again, these verses are not to scare

0:19:45.480 --> 0:19:49.960
<v Speaker 1>you about your salvation, but more so to convict if

0:19:50.000 --> 0:19:53.680
<v Speaker 1>somebody here listening does have a dead faith, start taking

0:19:53.680 --> 0:19:56.640
<v Speaker 1>these truths of scripture and sink them into your heart.

0:19:56.920 --> 0:20:00.200
<v Speaker 1>And it's also to keep you, guys aware of anybody

0:20:00.240 --> 0:20:03.159
<v Speaker 1>that might be doing this in a leadership position in

0:20:03.200 --> 0:20:07.359
<v Speaker 1>your church. Be careful of this kind of stuff because

0:20:07.359 --> 0:20:11.720
<v Speaker 1>this can cause many people to go astray. Faithful listeners

0:20:11.880 --> 0:20:14.439
<v Speaker 1>have a fantastic rest of your Thursday. Check out all

0:20:14.480 --> 0:20:16.760
<v Speaker 1>of the links in the description for the different things

0:20:16.800 --> 0:20:19.840
<v Speaker 1>that I do with the Bible explained, including the Friday

0:20:19.880 --> 0:20:22.520
<v Speaker 1>podcast which is for the members. You'll find out how

0:20:22.560 --> 0:20:24.760
<v Speaker 1>to become a member in the link that says Koffee

0:20:24.880 --> 0:20:27.399
<v Speaker 1>down below if you would like to gain access to

0:20:27.440 --> 0:20:31.040
<v Speaker 1>the Friday podcast. Faithful listeners, have a fantastic rest of

0:20:31.080 --> 0:20:39.600
<v Speaker 1>your day, happy listening, and God bless. I just want

0:20:39.640 --> 0:20:41.280
<v Speaker 1>to take a second to thank the team at Life

0:20:41.320 --> 0:20:44.240
<v Speaker 1>Audio for their partnership with me on the Bible Explain podcast.

0:20:44.640 --> 0:20:46.880
<v Speaker 1>In fact, if you go to lifeaudio dot com you'll

0:20:46.880 --> 0:20:49.680
<v Speaker 1>find dozens of other faith centered podcasts in their network.

0:20:49.920 --> 0:20:53.480
<v Speaker 1>They've got shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, and more.