Transformation or Bust – James 1:5-8
May 15, 2016Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Speaker: Jerry Cisar
RC Sproul described pragmatism as the philosophy with the “Made in America” label. The basic tenet of pragmatism is “If it works, it is true.” Conversely, it is generally held that “if it doesn’t work, it isn’t true.” As Americans we breathe this in with every breath so many don’t even think of it as a philosophy, but just as the way things are.
Pragmatism creeps into the church too. We motivate people to pray because “prayer changes things.” Or to “give your life to Jesus, and He will fill your life with meaning, purpose and fulfillment.” But what if you pray and your circumstances don’t get better? Or worse, you give your life to Jesus and you get thrown in jail for it, or ridiculed or mocked because of it? Did faith not work? And if it didn’t work, is it not true?
James is about faith—real faith. James is about faith that turns your world right side up… so you can start walking right side up. How do we keep faith when everything seems to “not work,” or go wrong? How do we keep faith when trials become intense? We will explore what James 1:5-9 says about this. Are you “all out” in your devotion to the Lord? Or, are you trying to see if this “Jesus thing” works? James tells us what to expect in each of these cases.