James 2

I'm not sure what happened to yesterdays blog, it has disappeared. I no I published then posted it to facebook, but now it's gone. I hope that some of you were able to read it. I'd love to re-post it, but I haven't figured out how to do that.

***James 2**

Verse 17 "faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by deeds, is dead."

Thank you James for contradicting our Lutheran theology of grace... or does he?

In the summer of 2007 I worked as a program director at camp in northern Michigan. Every week or so I had to run into town to grab something from the hardware/general store which was owned and run by Amish people. They had this verse printed and hung above the cash register... it would always lead us into a theological conversation.

Does this mean that we earn our salvation through our works?

Luther believed that we are justified by grace through faith. James does not disagree with that statement, he is simply stating what he believes faith to be. James believe that if one has faith, others should be able to recognize that faith by the way one lives. A dear friend that has passed on told me how he lived his life, he said "if Christianity became illegal, I would want every one I met to have enough evidence to prosecute me."

What is up for debate is what it means to have faith... how much faith is needed for to be justified? Jesus said that faith the size of a mustard seed is enough. The question I have been pondering recently is this... We all doubt the existence of God, it is a normal part of faith, but hopefully those moments are few, short, and far between. I'm sure atheists doubt their unbelief at times... would God consider those moments of faith? Is that enough faith to be justified?

Only God knows. For most of us, we probably live somewhere in the middle of atheist's doubts and everyone recognizing our faith...

Whether your faith is alive or not is between you and God.