The Point of the Point

James 2:16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and they completely miss the point you are trying to make? They seem to be tracking you, and then all of a sudden you wonder, where did that come from? How did they get there!

But there is something even worse than this. I was in a conversation and the person I was talking to took part of what I said and thought that was the point I was making, when that part of the conversation was just an illustration of the larger, more important point. The illustration was just that, an illustration. The main point was the main point!

Our text today contains one of those illustrations of the point being made. And yet, many people read this text and think the point James is making is that we feed the poor. Feeding the poor might be a good thing, but it is just an illustration of the larger point.

The point being made in the text has to do with the kind of faith that is efficacious faith, the kind of faith that actually sustains a relationship with the Creator of the Universe. There are different kinds of faith, some that create no changes in behavior and those that do change behavior. Christian faith is in the category of behavior changing faith.

Many people trust things, beliefs, leaders, or movements to bring them to a goal. They believe their coach at the local gym when they say that if they do these specific exercises they will meet their goals. The coach sounds as if they know what they are doing, so them must. Right? They speak with the jargon of the trade, so they must be speaking science. Right?

The reality is that many people speak authoritatively about many things without the slightest basis for what they are saying. But they are good at blowing smoke to cover up their ignorance. Politicians seem to be the best at it, maybe only slightly less than famous people on news programs. “Just read the script.”

Back to our text. James is illustrating the point that there is a certain kind of faith in Jesus that actually changes our relationship with him for the better. And that kind of faith not only says, “I believe in you,” but also changes what we see and do. We see someone in need and we meet the need, not just say we care, but actually care for someone.

Our society is fragmented today so we don’t know the actual needs of those around us. We live in our bubbles and are unaware of how to actually help someone, or even what their actual need really is. We see the sign-holders on the street corners asking for money, but we don’t have any way of evaluating in our money will actually help that individual.

I think we have a responsibility to do actions that come from our trust in Jesus that actually make a difference in eternal matters. If the Holy Spirit prompts, then we must obey. The kind of faith that saves is the kind of faith that response to the Holy Spirit.

But that is the problem. We don’t spend enough time listening and learning the voice of the Holy Spirit. This is hard work. It is much easier to just throw some money at the problem. And sometimes where the money is thrown won’t solve the problem, it only makes things worse. Thus the Federal debt!

Our trust in Jesus must change the way we live. If it doesn’t, then our ‘faith’ is useless. And if this is you, go get a different faith! Trust someone else for your salvation. Chances are, you are already trusting someone or something else.