Tag: Faith

Faith That Shows Through Actions

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JEFF TURNER

The second chapter of James raises a question that some people struggle with. James 2:21 asks if Abraham was made right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar. A few verses later, James says that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. At first glance, this might seem to suggest that salvation comes through what we do.

However, the wider message of the Bible makes it clear that salvation is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches that we are saved by grace through faith, not by works, so no one can take credit for it. This teaching appears throughout the New Testament and aligns with what the prophet Habakkuk wrote: “The just shall live by faith.”

So what did James mean? The key lies in understanding that James is not contradicting the message of salvation by grace. Instead, he is showing that real faith produces visible results. Abraham’s willingness to obey God, even in offering his son, revealed the depth of his faith. His actions were evidence of an inward change. His acts were the result of his faith.

The way we live proves whether our faith is genuine. True faith will always lead to faithful living.

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to desire and to work for His good pleasure.

Philippians 2:12-13

The Good News of the Christian Faith

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AMY TURNER

At the centre of Christianity is a message called the gospel, which simply means good news. This message is not just positive or uplifting; it is true. The heart of this news is that Jesus Christ gave His life for our sins. His sacrifice was not something anyone could earn or achieve, but it was freely given through God’s grace.

This gift of forgiveness and salvation is not meant to be kept private. Christians are called to share it with others. In the New Testament, Jesus gives a clear instruction: “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15).

The Christian faith, then, is both a gift received and a message to be shared. It reminds believers of the hope they have in Christ and calls them to pass that hope on to others.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Romans 1:16

Joseph’s Faith in God’s Promise

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JEFF TURNER

Joseph faced many hardships in his life. He was betrayed by his own brothers, sold into slavery, wrongly accused by his master, and left in prison. Through all of this, he held onto his trust in God. Yet, when the New Testament speaks of Joseph’s faith, it does not focus on these events. Instead, Hebrews 11:22 highlights something he did at the end of his life. He gave instructions about his burial.

Before he died, Joseph asked that his bones be taken to Canaan when God’s people eventually left Egypt. At the time, Canaan was not in their hands. But Joseph believed it would be, because God had promised it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Joseph’s request showed his deep confidence that God would keep His word, even if the fulfilment was far off.

Joseph had no way of knowing when or how this would happen. Many years would pass before the Israelites left Egypt and even more before they entered the promised land. But Joseph was so sure of God’s promise that he wanted to be buried there.

This quiet act, asking to be buried in a land not yet theirs, shows us a faith that looked far into the future. It was not based on what he could see, but on what God had promised.

For we walk by faith, not by sight

2 Corinthians 5:7

Preaching That Reaches the Conscience

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JEFF TURNER

The purpose of preaching goes beyond simply speaking words from the Bible. According to 2 Corinthians 4, true preaching involves presenting the truth in a way that speaks to every person’s conscience, while being mindful that it is done before God.

This means that the preacher’s role is to clearly share what God has revealed in Scripture. The goal is not only to speak the message but to help people understand it. When the Bible is taught with care and clarity, it connects with something already placed in every human being. I’m speaking of their conscience.

Romans 2 explains that God has written His law on every heart. This inner moral sense reacts to what is right and wrong. Even someone who does not believe in God still has this inner law and responds to truth when it is spoken clearly and faithfully.

When Scripture is taught properly, it agrees with the law already present in the heart. Even those outside the faith can sometimes feel the truth of what they hear. Preaching should never twist or water down God’s word, but present it honestly, allowing the conscience to be stirred and truth to be recognised.

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Romans 10:17

Faith When Hope Seems Gone

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AMY TURNER

In Mark 5:35–36, we read how messengers told Jairus that his daughter had died and suggested there was no reason to trouble Jesus any further. On the way to Jairus’s home, Jesus had been delayed by a woman seeking healing. This interruption might have seemed to cost the girl her life. Yet Jesus turned to the grieving father and said, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

This moment shows that God’s mercy is not limited. His care for one person does not take away from another. Even when it appears too late, God is still able to work. In John 11:40, Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” Faith in Him means trusting that delays and difficulties do not limit His power.

Faith is not about ignoring reality but about trusting God’s ability beyond it.

And looking at them, Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19:26