COUNTING IT ALL JOY - PART 1 (36 OF 48)
Scripture: Genesis 29:1-35, Genesis 30:1-24
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Counting It All Joy - Part 1 (36 of 48)
Series: Kingdom Foundations - Genesis
Patrick Edwards
Genesis 29:1-30:24
Introduction
James writes at the beginning of the epistle that bears his name, ''Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.'' Writing in the earliest days of the church, James was concerned about new Jewish converts to Christianity turning the Gospel of Jesus Christ into cheap grace. Cheap grace is simply a term we often use in Christian thought to describe that mindset where we think of Jesus having done all the work of our salvation and thus nothing being required of us. Cheap grace says that it doesn't matter what I do or how I live, for Jesus has done it all.
And Jesus, indeed, has done it all!
James says later in chapter one of his epistle that only the Word of God can save your soul. Our works do not contribute in any way or any measure to our receiving redemption in Christ. However, as you hopefully remember from the summer when we considered James 2, while works do not save us they do testify to our salvation. Our lives prove whether or not we have real faith. Which brings us back to James' initial words for the people of God: ''Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.''
Drawing upon the entire canon of Scripture James shows us how we are saved by grace alone through faith alone, but the rest of our Christian life ought to then be marked by maturing and growing in that grace. In other words, in Christ we are declared to be in the right before our Heavenly Father. But now, we need to start living like it. True faith will lead to a transformed li ...
Series: Kingdom Foundations - Genesis
Patrick Edwards
Genesis 29:1-30:24
Introduction
James writes at the beginning of the epistle that bears his name, ''Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.'' Writing in the earliest days of the church, James was concerned about new Jewish converts to Christianity turning the Gospel of Jesus Christ into cheap grace. Cheap grace is simply a term we often use in Christian thought to describe that mindset where we think of Jesus having done all the work of our salvation and thus nothing being required of us. Cheap grace says that it doesn't matter what I do or how I live, for Jesus has done it all.
And Jesus, indeed, has done it all!
James says later in chapter one of his epistle that only the Word of God can save your soul. Our works do not contribute in any way or any measure to our receiving redemption in Christ. However, as you hopefully remember from the summer when we considered James 2, while works do not save us they do testify to our salvation. Our lives prove whether or not we have real faith. Which brings us back to James' initial words for the people of God: ''Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.''
Drawing upon the entire canon of Scripture James shows us how we are saved by grace alone through faith alone, but the rest of our Christian life ought to then be marked by maturing and growing in that grace. In other words, in Christ we are declared to be in the right before our Heavenly Father. But now, we need to start living like it. True faith will lead to a transformed li ...
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