Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry
What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? James 2:14-16
Many times while meeting in the local churches I have heard "giving charity" being viewed with contempt. As it is works without faith. What is it when you have faith, but no works?
Someone looking from the outside may say that's hypocrisy. You say you love your neighbor as yourself, but is it so when your neighbor is without food? In my part of the country it is common for power outages to occur due to windstorms. If you love your neghbor as yourself would you say "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled"?
As much as disdain the book of James receives in the Local Churches, I can see why. It is exposing. Particularly in chapter 2 where our receiving is based more on reputations than it is in loving your neighbor as yourself.
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For many years I have wondered about a verse in the Psalms that says "with God there is forgiveness that He might be feared". I could never understand that. However, on this matter of receiving people based on reputation it makes sense.
Suppose someone slanders you at work to your boss out of jealousy, envy, etc. As a result of this slander your boss then attacks you unjustly. You might be tempted to become angry and not forgive your boss. But, that is the intended result, to drive a wedge between you and the boss. So the fact that "with you there is forgiveness" will put people in fear who would attempt this kind of slander. Ultimately, the act of slander can now blow up in the face of the slanderer, which puts the fear into them.
The flip side of this is that when we receive people based on reputation, or appearance, then the enemy has no fear of us at all.