False Grace
by: David Servant

In the minds of so many professing Christians, Jesus is Savior but not Lord. a friendly neighbor but not Creator of the Universe. He possesses all love but not all authority. He is our best buddy but not our King of kings and Lord of lords. A jolly good fellow, but not the One before whom every knee shall bow. He is good, but He is not God.

In reality, however, such a Jesus does not exist, and those who are convinced otherwise are the worst kind of idolaters; they have invented a god of their own imagination.

The apostle James repeatedly warned against being deluded by a faith that is void of the works of obedience:

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves....If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless....What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? James 1:22, 26; 2:14

James could not make his point more clear. Faith without works cannot save us. What we believe is revealed by our words and deeds. Moreover, it is possible to deceive our own hearts in this matter and possess a worthless religion.

James continues:

But someone may well say, 'You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?....You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone....For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. James 2:18-20, 24, 26

James points out that even demons possess some degree of faith, and their faith is manifested by actions: they shudder in fear. Yet how many professing believers demonstrate less faith than demons, demonstrating no fear of God?

James challenges anyone to show his faith without works (see 2:18). Works cannot be dissected from true faith. That is why true saving faith always begins with repentance. And that is precisely why Jesus calls to salvation were so often calls to commitment and obedience. Jesus called people to a faith that was obedient, and to the chagrin of many who would divorce works from faith, Jesus often said nothing at all about faith when He called people to salvation. His true followers would show their faith by their works.

Amazingly, Jesus calls to costly commitment are often shamelessly ignored by professing Christians. Or, if they are acknowledged, are explained away as being calls to a deeper relationship that are supposedly addressed, not to the unsaved, but to those who have already received God' saving grace. Yet, sadly, so many of these believers who claim that Jesus calls to costly commitment are addressed to them rather than the unsaved do not heed His calls as they interpret them.

In their minds, they have the option not to respond in obedience, and they never do.