Faith Without Works Is Dead

Speaker: Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines

September 16, 2024

in Spritual Growth

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Sept. 15, 2023
Readings: Isaiah 50:4-9
James 2:1-5, 8-10, 14-18
Mark 9:14-29

17th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2024

The lesson today requires us to read the previous verses in order to get the whole context of the message, and understand why there was commotion going on regarding the events that were taking place. Too often we just read scriptures without allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal things to us. Prior to this reading was the Transfiguration where Jesus’ garments turned so white it glowed. With Him were Moses, the Lawgiver and Elijah the Prophet. Christ was receiving counsel from these two men. When this event ended, Peter said, “we should build three tabernacles for you, Moses and Elijah.” Like most of us when we see or experience something good, we do not want to leave the place. But Jesus was not going to stay in the mountain because His Mission was to go into the world. There were those who were mocking the disciples because they could not cast out the demon from a little boy, so the Scribes were trying to discourage the people to not believe in the disciples. When Jesus came to the crowd, the father of the boy approached Him and said that his son has an evil spirit in him. Jesus was disappointed that the disciples could not cast out the evil spirit, when they have been given the authority to do so. Christ came to redeem the world and to destroy the works of the enemy. On the cross, He said. “It is finished.” But should we put the blame on the disciples alone when we ourselves today are not practicing what God has told us to do?

Jesus then said, “bring the child to me.” On his way, the demon inside the boy knew who Christ was. The enemy recognized Christ and caused the boy to fall and have convulsion. Jesus said, “leave the boy and never return to him!” The demon left him and Jesus took the boy by the hand.

Scriptures tell us that it’s not important if we are Jews or Gentiles, it’s the faith in us that’s important. God is not partial. He is not after any one particular group because He died for all mankind. “How long do I have to do with you,” was what He told His disciples when they were not doing that which was supposed to be done when they were trained to do it.
James 2:20 But are you willing to acknowledge, you foolish person, that faith without works is useless? Romans 9:20 On the contrary, who are you, you foolish person, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?

God does not make mistakes. But what is happening today especially with the “gender” issue, where people aren’t satisfied with what they were born with and want to change their gender, it’s like saying, God made a mistake. Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” God gave us gifts to be witnesses. The mind has to be renewed because we have been indoctrinated with the world system. We have been deceived by the enemy into believing we need to have certain things to attain success. We are God’s workmanship in Christ Jesus. We were prepared for good works. Our faith should be in Christ and not in the world system. We have been blessed to be a blessing to others. Faith without works is dead. We have been given faith not to just feel good about ourselves but to share this to the world. God sent Christ to redeem the world. We have been appointed to be sons of God. While we wait for the coming of Christ, we are to be busy building His Kingdom. Our mission is to be fruitful and multiply, subdue evil and rule. But we have become slaves to the system. We are being dictated by the world. But the day will come when we will no longer be slaves when we do God’s work and see the system change. We cannot just stay in the blaze of glory, we are to go out into the darkness and change it into light.