It's Your Move
Faith Without Works Is Dead
Gen 22:1-18
Heb 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested [that is, as the testing of his faith was still in progress], offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises [of God] was ready to sacrifice his only son [of promise];
Heb 11:18 to whom it was said, "THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED." :19 For he considered [it reasonable to believe] that God was able to raise Isaac even from among the dead. [Indeed, in the sense that he was prepared to sacrifice Isaac in obedience to God] Abraham did receive him back [from the dead] figuratively speaking.
1. Abrahams Faith was tested by God - Gen 22:1
2. Abraham Rose up early and didn't delay gathering the wood & the help he needed when God asked him to Offer up his Promise child.
3. On the third day of traveling, Abraham saw the place afar off and Went alone with Isaac and SAID: "I and the Lad will return".
4. Again Abraham SAID: to Isaac "God will provide himself a Lamb for a burt offering".
5. Abraham finished Strong!! He went through with the sacrafice until the Angel of God stopped him.
6. Gen 22:15-18 Then the Messenger of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, "I am taking an oath on my own name, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not refused to give me your son, your only son, 17 I will certainly bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of their enemies' cities. 18 Through your descendant all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."
1. As Children of Faith - We are the children of Abraham. He is called the father of our Faith!! We are Blessed by God!!!! We are called to take possession!!!
Our Reward comes to us today just as Abrahams reward came to him - As a result of our Faith demonstrated in Obedience.
1. This Life is a Faith Test!!
We are the children of a Faith God. Heb. 11:6
Our tests may come often at times, we must remember "This Life is full of opportunities to Grow our Faith.
2. Get the whine out our voice- If we are going to pass some faith tests we have to start by not talking about our hardships and struggles. - Complaining is NOT an attitude of Faith but an Attitude of self pitty and doubt.
If you DOUBT, you do WITHOUT!!! this is easier said than done!!!
3. We Need Endurance: Three days into the journey Abraham stayed steady... when we begin to get tired, if we are not determined to finish strong this is where we will begin to fail.
Isaiah 40:29 He gives strength to the weary and power to the faint.
a. Until you pass the current faith test you cannot graduate to the next level. We need to Stop taking the same test over and over again and get on up to the that next level of the Blessing!!!
Pro 24:10 If you faint when under pressure, you have need of courage.
Jas 2:14 What is the benefit, my fellow believers, if someone claims to have faith but has no [good] works [as evidence]? Can that [kind of] faith save him? [No, a mere claim of faith is not sufficient--genuine faith produces good works.] :15 If a brother or sister is without [adequate] clothing and lacks [enough] food for each day, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace [with my blessing], [keep] warm and feed yourselves," but he does not give them the necessities for the body, what good does that do?
Jas 2:17 So too, faith, if it does not have works [to back it up], is by itself dead [inoperative and ineffective].
Jas 2:18 But someone may say, "You [claim to] have faith and I have [good] works; show me your [alleged] faith without the works [if you can], and I will show you my faith by my works [that is, by what I do]."
Jas 2:19 You believe that God is one; you do well [to believe that]. The demons also believe [that], and shudder and bristle [in awe-filled terror--they have seen His wrath]! :20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish [spiritually shallow] person, that faith without [good] works is useless?
Jas 2:21 Was our father Abraham not [shown to be] justified by works [of obedience which expressed his faith] when he offered Isaac his son on the altar [as a sacrifice to God]? [Gen_22:1-14]
Jas 2:22 You see that [his] faith was working together with his works, and as a result of the works, his faith was completed [reaching its maturity when he expressed his faith through obedience].
Jas 2:23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND THIS [faith] WAS CREDITED TO HIM [by God] AS RIGHTEOUSNESS and AS CONFORMITY TO HIS WILL," and he was called the friend of God.
Jas 2:24 You see that a man (believer) is justified by works and not by faith alone [that is, by acts of obedience a born-again believer reveals his faith].
Jas 2:25 In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works too, when she received the [Hebrew] spies as guests and protected them, and sent them away [to escape] by a different route?
Jas 2:26 For just as the [human] body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works [of obedience] is also dead.