Can that Faith Save You?

James 2:14, 17 “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?…faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”

In courts in America, people that are charged with murder have three basic ways they can plead. They can (1) plead GUILTY and accept the punishment the law calls for; (2) they can plead NOT GUILTY and go through the trial process, or (3) they can plead NOT GUILTY BY REASON OF__________ maybe self-defense, insanity, etc.

If a person pleads not guilty by reason of self-defense their trial takes a different turn. Now the question is not whether or not they killed the deceased person that point is admitted. Now what goes on trial is whether or not it was self-defense.

Romans 3:23 tells us that, “For all have sinned.” Romans 6:23 states that, “the wages of sin is death.” So on the day of Judgment we go on trial for sinning against God. The books will be opened, the witnesses will be sworn in and every thought we have ever had, every idle word spoken and even the secrets of our heart will be revealed. We will be charged with the capital offense of Sin – the penalty, eternal death in the lake of fire. How will you plead?

Will you plead, (1) Guilty and readily accept your punishment in Hell? Will you plead, (2) Not Guilty and go through the embarrassment of a trial and have all of your public and private sins exposed only to be found guilty anyway? Or will you plead option (3) Not Guilty by Reason of Faith in the Atoning Sacrifice of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

Well, if you choose option 3, what goes on trial? Not your sins. What goes on trial now is your faith. Was it real? Was it a SAVING FAITH? Was it a DEAD FAITH? Our salvation is not based on our works, we cannot enter into eternal life own our own. But if we have true saving faith as James speaks of, it will be visible in our life. The light of Christ, the Fruit of the Spirit and the life we live will testify of the living faith that abides in us or the lack of the three will condemn us.

2 Peter 1:10 says, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.”

How will you plead? Will the evidence agree?

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