Corresponding Action activates our faith! By James Lantz

      Faith without corresponding action is dead, meaning that it produces no results!  James 2:14 (J.B.Phillips)  Now what use is it, my brothers, for a man to say he “has faith” if his actions do not correspond with it? Could that sort of faith save anyone’s soul?  The moment the spirit of man leaves his body the body is lifeless, so faith without corresponding action is dead also. I remember leading a man in a prayer of repentance and commitment to Christ and afterward’s he asked me is that all I have to do. I said yes, meaning, salvation is a gift that cannot be earned by anything that we do other than believe and confess him as the Lord of our lives.  Rom. 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  Technically, we receive the free gift of eternal life by believing with our heart and confessing Jesus Lordship over our lives. A better way to answer that question would have been, yes, that is all you have to do to begin your relationship with Jesus. Many of us were very naive as to what confessing Jesus as our Lord really meant but God saw our heart and worked with us to bring us to the place where we gladly submit to Jesus Lordship. There are many corresponding actions that we do because we are saved in obedience to our Lord’s commands.  John 8:31&32  .  .  .  If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.  Be baptized in water, be filled with the Holy Spirit, read the word of God, pray, serve in the church where God places you, bring your tithes and offerings to the Lord, put the kingdom of God and his righteousness first place in your life. No way is this an exhaustive list of what we do, (because we are saved) but it is a good place to start. The moment we received Jesus we were empowered to live for him. Depending on how quickly we submit to how things are done in the kingdom of God, will depend on how long we stay in the wilderness. The first generation of Israel, that was delivered from Egypt, turned an eleven day trip into forty years, dying, having never entered into the good things God had prepared for them. Those who are slow to yield (stubborn and rebellious) will receive the Lord’s correction if they really truly are a child of God. There is a spiritual law that when people refuse to receive instruction from the word, refuse to listen to reason, refuse to listen to their authorities, that the one thing that will get them moving is action. (see Pro. 13:24 , 1 Cor. 5:5 , Mk. 11:15 )  If we refuse to hear or listen to what God said in his word it will cause us to be defiled, thereby causing our prayers to go unanswered. (Pro. 28:9 & Hosea 4:6)

     The greek word sozo translated saved in Rom. 10:9 and other places means to save, deliver, protect, heal, preserve, prosper, and to be made whole. This salvation that Jesus purchased for us through his death, suffering, and resurrection is a complete salvation for every aspect of our lives, spirit, soul, and body. Eternal life is granted to everyone who will believe that Jesus is the Christ and give themselves to him.  1 John 5:1  Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him (God) that begat loveth him (Jesus) also that is begotten of him.  Christ is not Jesus last name. Christ means the Messiah, the anointed one and his anointed. All who believe that Jesus is the anointed one that God sent to take away their sins and confess him as their Lord receive eternal life. 1 John 5:12&13  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.  When we come to Christ we would have to believe that we needed saving (that we were a sinner and can not save ourself) or why would we come and ask for salvation.  We would need to be repentant of sin, otherwise we would want to stay in our sins. In order to be saved we have to believe in our heart that Jesus took all of our sins upon himself thus making us righteous in God’s sight. When we confessed the Lordship of Jesus is when we were removed from Satan’s kingdom and immersed into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. Two main corresponding actions required for salvation is to believe from the heart (sincere) and to say that Jesus is the Lord of my life. This is good news! God did not say that we have to confess every sin we had ever committed and be punished in hell for one thousand years before we could be saved. We could not even remember every sin we ever committed. God had Jesus suffer in hell for us so we don’t have to go.  Mt. 12:40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  Acts 2:31  He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.  1 Pet. 3:18  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. These main two corresponding actions exercised in receiving eternal life, believing with the heart and saying with the mouth, are the pattern for receiving any of God’s graces. We receive the baptism in the Holy Ghost, healing, deliverance, protection, prosperity by exercising these same spiritual laws. Corresponding actions that show our faith are required in order to receive God’s grace. God knows when our faith is genuine and accepts us into his family knowing we will do the things that He asks us. Some things that we ask God for require us to stand in faith for some time before it comes to pass. Heb. 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God,  ye might receive the promise.  Eph. 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand (demonic forces) in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.   Satan will bring opposing circumstances against us endeavoring to stop the word of God from coming to pass in our lives. Fighting the good fight of faith is to hold on to (keep believing) what God has said, until it comes to pass. Our thoughts, words, and  actions must correspond with what God said in order for the word of God to be fulfilled in our lives. Paul had lost all hope that he would live through the hurricane, Euroclydon, but God sent his angel to remind Paul that he must stand before Caesar. When Paul’s faith was revived, he stood up in the midst of the whole crew and told them to cheer up (the storm was still raging), no one’s life will be lost, but only the ship. When we believe the word of God we talk what God said and we act like it is so before it comes to pass. Those who are in faith are not afraid to stand up and decree how things are going to turn out because faith knows how it is going to turn out ahead of time. Paul knew that he and everyone on board would live through the storm because he had the word of the Lord on it. Abraham was not afraid to tell his servants, the lad and I will return to you because in his mind God would raise Isaac from the dead.  Gen. 22:5  And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. Abraham had God’s word that he would establish his covenant with Isaac. The scripture says that a man is made righteous by his actions and not by faith alone.  James 2:24 AMP  You see that a man is justified (pronounced righteous before God) through what he does and not alone through faith – through works of obedience as well as by what he believes. Rahab the harlot was accepted as righteous before God by her faith and her actions. She hid the men of God (Israeli spies) and sent them out another way. She also was able to believe God for her family but had to persuade them to come and be with her in order to be saved.  Speaking our faith is the number one action in receiving from God but many times there are other actions that must accompany our faith.  Ps. 91:2  I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.  You can see that the person who is spared, when eleven thousand fall all around him, is believing and confessing his safety. There are some other actions that person is doing as well, he has submitted himself to the Lordship of Jesus and staying close to God, he is refusing to be afraid. I believe this next statement is a word from the Lord for many of you!  “ Some of you will begin to see immediate improvement as soon as you cast your cares upon the Lord and quit worrying.”  Some mistakenly think that they can just pray and that everything is all up to God whether I receive it or not. The first thing we need to know, is it God’s will for me to have this thing. Faith begins where the will of God is known. After we found the scriptures that promise us the thing we desire and have asked God our request, we are to believe that we received them when we prayed. Refuse to doubt that you have not received your request. Let every thought, word, and action affirm that you have received what you have prayed for. Continue to meditate on the promises of God, giving God praise for them. Some answers to prayer require steps of action. Jesus spoke of asking, seeking, and knocking. Bro. Hagin said, in all his years of ministry, the number one reason God’s people were not receiving a financial harvest is because they were not sowing their seed. We are not going to walk in the blessing of the Lord if we don’t do what God has said. The rich young ruler wanted eternal life but he didn’t want Jesus running his schedule and in charge of his income, so he went away sad. Saying no to Jesus is the biggest mistake that anyone can make. Jesus never asked anyone to give up something without giving something much better.  Mark 10:29 & 30  .   .   .  Verily I say unto you (those who have made sacrifices), There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.  Corresponding action that goes with believing and trusting and serving God is being thankful and praising Him. Since we are no longer our own and have been bought with a price being children of God, we don’t have to be our own provider but rather trust in God. The people of this world who are not in the kingdom of God are still under the curse of trying to meet their own needs without God. Those of us in Christ have been redeemed from the curse of the law and our Father takes care of us. Yes, we still work but we are not working for a living but rather working to serve and to have something to give. It may not be spectacular but it is supernatural how God supplies for us as we obey him in the everyday things of life. How great God is as we obey him with our tithes and offerings and watch him increase us. As we serve him he redeems our time making a way for us to accomplish all that we are called to do. The corresponding action of believing is rejoicing! Believing and acting accordingly causes us to be receivers of God’s grace.