requisitus

Wikipedia on False advertising: “an act of deliberately misleading a potential client about a product, service or a company in general by reporting false or misrepresenting information or data in advertising or other promotional materials. False advertising is a type of fraud. False advertising is often a crime.”

False advertising is sneaky and there’s a whole class of sneaky behavior that’s designed to move money from one pocket to another under false pretenses. These con games are often just greedy and dishonest, but can sometimes be clever and creative as well.

While nobody likes to be conned, there seems to be enough people out there who are ready to do it. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Ever heard of the “Psychic” Mary Elaine Stevenson? She managed to convince some of her clients to bring her specific items including a spoonful of dirt and cash. After spreading the cash around the room, she’d declare that it was cursed and offer to dispose of it safely.

I am certain that by now you have been hand-picked by the Nigerian Embassy to receive some 30 Million Dollars if you only respond with your mailing address. (No? If you have some time, read this.)

Does the name Frank Abignale mean anything to you? He was a forger, pediatrician (11 months), lawyer (long enough to study for and take 3 bar exams!), university professor (1 semester), stock broker, F.B.I. agent, airline pilot (for two years) and motivational speaker. His adventures were highlights in the Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks movie, “Catch Me If You Can.” He later founded Abagnale & Associates, which advises the business world on fraud, and organizes lecture tours. Abagnale is now a multi-millionaire through his legal fraud detection and avoidance consulting business.

What it all boils down to is people make themselves out to be what they are not in order to get all they can at the expense of others.

But what does this look like in the spiritual realm? What if there’s a person who says they are saved—is there a way to tell? Is it possible to judge, or is “judge-not” another way to turn a blind eye?

In James 2:14-20 we find two intriguing questions: “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?”

If someone says they have fully accepted the truth of the gospel, what evidence proves the faith they claim to have is real? Is stating “I have faith” enough? What is the difference between real and false conversion? James gives us a case study: a brother or sister is naked, destitute and needs food. We also find two out of a three possible responses given. The first answer is “faith alone is dead.” The second answer is “works alone are dead.” The missing third answer is “faith and works together are profitable.” What must be clearly understood is which is requisite (essential, necessary) and which is prerequisite (necessary to carry out a function) pertaining to the subject of true saving faith.

“James is thinking of a possible objector who says, “’Faith is a fine thing; and works are fine things. They are both perfectly genuine manifestations of real religion. But the one man does not necessarily possess both. One man will have faith and another will have works. Well, then, you carry on with your works and I will carry on with my faith; and we are both being truly religious in our own way.’ The objector’s view is that faith and works are alternative expressions of the Christian religion.”[1]

Is feeding and clothing the hungry requisite or prerequisite for our salvation? Look at it this way: faith is connected to one’s response to the gospel henceforth demanding one to proclaim, “this is how I am.” Works prove it. Bonhoeffer would say this is the working out of Act and Being. Abingale was almost busted when he was posing as a pediatrician because his medical expertise (which people were fooled into thinking he had) was called upon in a serious event. He had found a loophole by surrounding himself with Interns and practiced a Socratic approach to doing medicine: when he was called upon, he allowed an Intern to do the actual work, subject to his (**whew!**) approval. It was when there was nobody to call upon and the situation was dire that he decided he could no longer continue the ruse, so he went back to being a pilot (sort of).

In my garden I have planted two rows of lettuce, one head and the other leaf, carrots, peas, cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes and a few other things. I am quite upset about Row 1, because I am quite certain I planted head lettuce. The problem is that instead of those Iceberg type balls the package said I was planting, I am getting Romaine. The package and its contents were not the same. The same applies here: one who says is not, so what he says is not true therefore he is not true. I expect peppers from my peppers, peas from my peas and carrots from my carrots. Someone says “I have faith” should be able to show it! Fruit should be evident in a claimer of faith:

• Repentance—does one continue in the sin he claims to be freed from (Matthew 3:7-9)?
• Glory—does the result of salvation glorify God (Matthew 5:16)?
• Practice—does one say “Lord”, followed by actions demonstrate submission to Him (Matthew 7:16-23)?
• Obedience—does one hear the Word of God and understand (Matthew 13:18-23)?
• Love—does one love Jesus (John 14:21)?
• Pursuant—does one actively seek to be at peace with men and to be set apart (Hebrews 12:14)?
  

James says: “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” I can’t tell you how many times in witnessing to people I have to use this verse. There are so many religious people out there, so many confessing a belief in God, but no actions of repentance and demonstration of true belief!

“Even fallen angels affirm the oneness of God and tremble at its implications. Demons are essentially orthodox in their doctrine, but orthodox doctrine by itself is no proof of saving faith. They know the truth about God, Christ, and the Spirit, but hate it and them.”[2]

Here’s something scary: Matthew 25:31–46. This is the “Sheep and Goats” passage. Here are some features we cannot disregard:

Faith and works go together, works flowing out of faith.

The basis of the King’s judgment is Himself—do His subjects make action of their faith in Him toward the world in which they live?

Ethics is rooted through God’s work by Christ Jesus in salvation! "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Eph 2:8-10). We are saved by faith, His workmanship in Christ for the purpose of good works! Richard Baxter wrote, “Think what the soul of man is made for, and should be used to, even to love, obey, and glorify our Maker; and then you will see what sin is, which disables and perverts it.—How excellent, and high, and holy a work are we created for and called to! And should we defile the temple of God? And serve the devil in filthiness and folly, when we should receive, and serve, and magnify our Creator?”

Zaccheus is an amazing proof-case of this teaching. His behavior reflected his belief. What is more, it not only affected his community, but I am sure they expected to hold him to his profession! This is scary because in this world we commonly run across backsliders or those who cry “hypocrisy!”—either way, there seems to be an instilled knowledge that faith and works are to go together.

Warning: legalism looms. We must be careful to go about becrying the sins of others while not attending to our own. We must come alongside people, not bear down upon them with the gospel. Often in witnessing and using the law people realize that though they claim themselves “good” are quickly dethroned when they confess to having told a lie. Just this last week a fellow I was talking with at the gas station told me, “I see where you are going with those and I don’t want to go there” and he turned to leave. Others jump right in and when their goodness is dethroned and sin is exposed, they answer my questions with, “well, what about you?” It is tempting to say, “no, not me,” but the reality is they need to understand that not only are we in the same boat when it comes to sin, only one of us may be saved from the power of sin, one day to be delivered from the presence of it. Someone used the illustration of a pointing hand: while we may point one finger out at someone else and their faults, there are three more pointing back!

Another danger looms nearby and that is hopelessness. We realize the Christian lives in the presence of sin, but no longer under its power and everything in the heart should desire to be fully delivered from it; however, for some despair creeps in when one falls the deception that sin is everywhere and there is no escape. This is why I love Paul’s words to Timothy, “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” (1 Tim 4:12)

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” (Titus 2:11-14).

John MacArthur is quoted as saying, “Salvation does not produce immediate perfection, but a new direction. The new disposition that hates sin, loves the Lord, and seeks to know Him and obey His will, begins to manifest itself in behavior.”

An old boatman painted the word "faith" on one oar of his boat and "works" on the other. He was asked his reason for this. In answer, he slipped the oar with "faith" into the water and rowed. The boat, of course, made a very tight circle. Returning to the dock, the boatman then said, "Now, let's try 'works' without 'faith' and see what happens." The oar marked "works" was put in place and the boatman began rowing with just the "works" oar. Again the boat went into a tight circle but in the opposite direction. When the boatman again returned to the wharf, he interpreted his experiment in these strong and convincing words, "You see, to make a passage across the lake, one needs both oars working simultaneously in order to keep the boat in a straight and narrow way. If one does not have the use of both oars, he makes no progress either across the lake nor as a Christian.

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[1]The Letters of James and Peter. Edited by Barclay, William, lecturer in the University of Glasgow. The Daily study Bible series, Rev. ed. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 2000, c1976.

[2]MacArthur, John. James : Guildelines for a Happy Christian Life. MacArthur Bible studies, Page 45. Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group, 2001.