It’s an age-old debate – are works necessary for our ticket into heaven? Some forms of Christianity make it a huge issue. You can even do something on behalf of someone else to ensure their entry past the pearly gates. Others debunk that as Old Testament – under-the-Law theology.

James, chapter 1 gives a road map for Christian living.

Rejoice when you encounter various trials and let them perfect you.

If you lack wisdom, ask God, who gives it generously.

Rejoice in God’s perfect plans and designs for you personally.

Remain steadfast under trial.

Don’t be deceived. Every good and perfect gift comes from God, the Father of Lights.

Be quick to hear; slow to speak; slow to get angry. Anger does not produce God’ righteousness.

Receive the implanted Word, which is able to save your soul.

Be doers of the Word, not just hearers who,
in actuality, deceive themselves.

Bridle your tongue!

Visit orphans and widows and keep yourself
unstained in this world. 

This is pure, undefiled religion before God.

Living the Kingdom of God on this earth will require doing as well as being. It isn’t that the doing saves us, but it does prove God’s righteousness overshadows, fills motivates and sustains us. The proof, an old adage says, is in the pudding – one can only judge the quality and character of something after you have tried, used or experienced it. I cannot say I live for Jesus if I have not done so, nor will the world experience God’s true love apart from the way we, believers in Jesus, live out God’s Kingdom here on this earth.

James 2 dives in a bit deeper. Now it isn’t about the things I do to gain the character and heart of God within my own soul. Now it is about how God’s love is accomplished through me.

Showing partiality to the rich and slighting the poor is not just wrong; James calls such evil thoughts. He makes quite an indisputable case – it is the rich who oppress; it is the rich who will drag you into court with little provocation just because they can. It is the rich who do such things that dishonor the very name of Christ, the name by which believers are called…Christians. Showing partiality is an I’ll scratch your back because I know you can scratch mine mindset. God’s love constrains us from that kind of evil thinking and living.

James says fulfilling Jesus’ command to love others as you love yourself means we fulfill the Royal Law, and if we show partiality to the rich, slighting the poor, we are committing sin and are, therefore, convicted by the law as transgressors (the law imposed under the old covenant). The Royal law, on the other hand, is the law of liberty ushered in by Jesus, whose actions are merciful rather than judgmental, and Mercy triumphs over judgment. The Royal Law is best demonstrated in how Jesus lived and died. Even from the Cross He cried out, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do! Jesus did not slight the rich. He ate in their homes, counseled them in the night, and, I dare say, opened their spiritually blinded eyes - but neither did he show them partiality. 

He made abundantly clear what the Royal law is in His infamous Sermon on the Mount . . .

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Here is the crux of the debate over faith and works. . . 

Believing in Christ is not proprietary – even the demons believe and shudder!  Our world wants a demonstration of Christ’ love, grace and mercy – not just empty hyperbole. True faith in Jesus is faith that is action-packed, and our faith is completed by how we live Christ’s Royal Law toward those around us. 

This reminds me of another newer adage – You complete me. As we live out the love, grace and mercy of Christ, we are being completed by Him. We are not saved, but sanctified – blessed, purified and made holy – by what we do with what we believe. It is not debatable, but simple Truth:

The body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead – lifeless; empty.

smcs / 12/31/2019

BASHIRAH, THE GLAD TIDINGS CAMEL

Merry Christmas everyone! 
I am sharing one of the Christmas stories I've written and illustrated, complete with a whimsical song young and old seem to enjoy. It is copyrighted but not published yet, and I hope you will enjoy and share it freely.

This is actually the first in a series of 8 children's Christmas stories I wrote for my grandchildren, and it premiered at my family Christmas gathering in 2008. I just finished the illustrations this year so it was time to share it again.

Bashira, the Glad Tidings Camel, is excited to take you along on his journey to Bethlehem. May the Lord Jesus, the reason for this amazing holiday, grant you peace and joy this Christmas.

With much Aloha!  Sue Sargis

So goes a verse in the well-known poem we sing at Christmas, “Do You Hear What I Hear?” written in 1962 by Noel Regney and his wife, Gloria Shayne as a plea for peace and a return to human civility, sanity and dignity during turbulent time in America. It’s a song that could have been written again in this time of world history. The wealthy get wealthier, all the while fearful of the next stock market crash, while the poor get poorer. How should we live, especially those of us who know the amazing grace of God and the gift Jesus brought to earth over 2000 years ago?

It’s a haunting question, especially at Christmas when giving is clearly on our minds, and oh how the hype can crowd out the true spirit of giving. Does the subtle fear of not having enough cause a hoarding spirit to prevail? James 5:1-3 warns us from the grave to love people and love God out of compassionate, giving hearts, or corruption and corrosion will eventually consume us.

Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.

Woe! What a strong indictment. Corrosion happens to silver when something comes in contact with it that breaks down its composition. There is no known natural substance that can destroy gold, but James is not speaking of the natural. His indictment is about the heart and the spirit with which we relate to one another in this world. In Matthew 6:19 Jesus tells us…

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

And previously in James’s dissertation (4:1-3) he says:  When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

What and where exactly is my treasure, and how am I preventing spiritual corrosion? Where is my heart?

I checked out a website, globalrichlist.com, which shows one's personal rank in wealth in our world today. You put in the country you live in and your annual income – that’s all. No gimmicks. I learned that my meager social security benefit puts me in the TOP 3.20% RICHEST people in the world! OUCH! But it isn’t about our world wealth status, is it?

The Rich Young Ruler (Matthew 19:16-20) wasn’t living a nonspiritual life simply because he HAD wealth – but rather because he chose his self-sufficiency over following Jesus. Treasuring Jesus, most of all, changes the trajectory of our heart and causes us to see, with the eyes of our heart, how to live out a life of blessing toward others on this earth. His instruction, rejected by the man who asked Jesus what good things he needed to do to inherit eternal life, was this:

“If you would be complete, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure {a storehouse of precious things} in heaven; and come, follow Me.” The man went away, scripture says, sorrowful because he had much wealth.

Caring for one another and following Jesus are treasures seated in heaven, rather than here on earth where corrosion robs us of the pure joy of partnering with Jesus for the sake of bringing the Kingdom of Heaven here to this earth.

There is another story about the condition of the hear which Jesus reflects on…

Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Being wealthy is realizing the abundance in my life, living with the mindset of gratitude, giving freely and graciously rather than keeping, for myself, what I might consider meager finances, compared to the rich young ruler.

This holy Christmas season as I contemplate the life of Jesus – born in a humble manger, died a sinner’s death on a Cross so I might be free – will I live my life out of a hoarding spirit or out of my redeemed heart? One choice buries my treasures on earth where corrosion destroys even gold, the other is deposited in Heaven’s vast storehouse from which God’s blessings continually flow. For where my treasure is, there will my heart be also…

Said the King to the people everywhere, “Listen to what I say. The Child, the Child, sleeping in the night, He will bring us goodness and light.”

Jesus spoke to the people and said, "I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life.  John 8:12

smcs // 12/16/2019

HERE IS JESUS

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning; through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5

Here is Jesus for all mankind to see and to know – intricately, majestically SEE; succinctly, intimately KNOW.

Here is Jesus – THE WORD, with God; the Word, GOD

Here is Jesus – from the BEGINNING, through whom all things were made. You, me, the earth and all its fullness. Without Him NOTHING was made that has been made. Animals, fish, plants, trees – every living thing CREATED by Him.

Here is Jesus – LIFE that ushers in LIGHT for all mankind. Illuminating the darkness, enlightening our vision so we can KNOW the hope He gives to all who would believe.

Here is Jesus – darkness cannot hide Him, crush Him, overcome Him.  because darkness can never overcome true LIGHT, true LIFE.

Here is Jesus – born as man in a humble manger,

died a sinner’s death so we could have eternal life,

seated at the right hand of the Father 

            interceding for you and for me,

                 soon and coming King!

Here is Jesus – come home.

May the Hope, Joy, Light, Life and Peace of Jesus be yours this Holy Christmas Season,

Merry Christmas,
Sue McCary Sargis (2019)