The Marriage of Faith & Works

First15 Devotional

First15

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 9 June 2023

⏱️ 9 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In today’s devotional, we’re going to look together at the marriage of faith and works. One of my greatest struggles is working with God rather than for God. God cares deeply about our work, our impact in this life, but not because he needs us to serve him or work for him, but because he wants to work with us. He wants to give us a picture of his goodness and love at work in the lives of others, and he wants to deepen our relationship with him by identifying and empowering us in our unique calling.

May we gain revelation today that would stick, that would transform our understanding and deepen our experience of the connection, the relationship between faith and works.

Our Scripture for today comes from James 2:26, and today's worship is

For Your Splendor by Christy Nockles.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	In today's verse 15 podcast, we're going to look together at the marriage of faith and works.
0:10.0	One of my greatest struggles is working with God rather than for God.
0:15.0	God cares deeply about our work, our impact in this life.
0:19.0	Not because He needs us to serve Him or work for Him, but because He wants to work with us.
0:25.0	He wants to give us a picture of His goodness and love at work in the lives of others.
0:31.0	And He wants to deepen our relationship with Him by identifying and empowering us in our unique calling.
0:39.0	May we gain revelation today that would stick, that would transform our understanding and deepen our experience of the connection, the relationship between faith and works.
0:52.0	Welcome to the first 15 podcast.
0:59.0	Work typically has a negative connotation in my mind.
1:02.0	I associate work with something I have to do, but don't feel like doing.
1:08.0	I separate out work from play or fun, but with God, the word work couldn't be more different.
1:16.0	Work is designed to be the expression of our abundant life-giving relationship with our Heavenly Father.
1:23.0	God doesn't call us to work out of obligation or to earn His love, but to live our lives in response to His love.
1:31.0	It's for this reason that Scripture is clear about God's intention for the marriage of faith and works.
1:39.0	James 2.26 says, for as the body apart from the Spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
1:48.0	What is our faith if it doesn't produce action?
1:52.0	What is the nature of our relationship with God if it doesn't cause us to live differently?
1:58.0	Often we have a misunderstanding about what it is God would have us do if we would truly submit our life fully to Him.
2:07.0	And our misunderstanding veils our heart from receiving the fullness of life and enjoyment of the work God intends for us.
2:16.0	Often we believe if we were really to hand over our life to God in faith, He would call us to do a lot of things we don't want to do.
2:26.0	Maybe we believe He calls us to a foreign mission field to make little to no money or simply to live our lives awkwardly and intrusively.
2:36.0	If you only remember one thing today, remember this, God will only ever lead you to a life perfectly, uniquely and wonderfully designed to bring you and others around you to utmost fulfillment, purpose, passion, and joy.
	...

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