Faith Without Works Is Dead — Joshua Daniel

Welcome to the Lord's Challenge with Joshua Daniel. The Layman's Evangelical Fellowship International is a ministry reaching people from all walks of life since 1935. After a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ at the age of 16, Joshua Daniel has been declaring the marvelous deliverance from sin, which is freely given to all those who turn to the loving Savior.

Wherever this message has gone out, broken relationships have been restored, sickness healed, ill-gotten money returned, and thieves turned into givers. We now invite you to watch and receive the invaluable blessing that God has for you.

Faith Without Works Is Dead

Now let us come to the truth of.

God. In James, the second chapter, please. 19 and 20. Thou believest that there is one God, Thou doest well. The devils also believe and tremble. No, O vain man, that faith without works is dead. Dead faith.

Faith Challenged by Ministry Needs

You know, all of us say I get a feeling, oh, I don't have enough money. How can I do that? Recently, my faith was greatly challenged. We were up on the 12th floor of a residential complex, and when we had a service, our weekly service up there on the 12th floor, all kinds of people, of course, were welcome, and so they would use the lifts, and we were billed heavily for the lifts.

We were glad to play, but this was Calcutta, a city of tears, a city of magnificence and squalor. Such a huge city, and of course, Mother Teresa made her mark in that city, saying we will help the people to die in dignity.

Well, some of the things which Mother Teresa says are very challenging. She went out and took up people who would simply die in the gutter and try to give them a certain amount of dignity and quiet so that they should die in better surroundings, but is that our mission?

The Abundant Life as the Mission of the Church

Our mission is not to make people die in dignity, but to live the abundant life. That is our mission. Pick up the person out of the gutter most and turn him into a person who is like a rock, steady as a rock, and as a faithful disciple of Jesus, doing great things for Jesus.

You know, my dear friends, my glory will I not give to another. You know, we like to have the feeling I am doing this, I am doing that. Fortunately, I never had money, and there would be no excuse whatever for me to think I am doing this, I am doing that.

It would be sheer foolishness. I am doing too little because my faith is too small. Some people have no such convictions, and they read the scriptures. They don't have the honesty to say, I am this vain man.

I am vain. I don't have this faith. So, here was a coveted piece of property in Calcutta, and it belonged to the Salvation Army. That was their social work center, and they said that is up for sale. And what was it like?

A hundred million rupees. It's not just a million. Oh, where did we have that kind of money? But it was a challenge to my faith. I said to their bosses here in London, look, commercial interests are after your building, but we want to turn it into a soul-winning center, and commercial people are not interested in any such thing.

And some Muslim fanatics wanted to grab it, and it was moreover in that locality where their fanaticism was thriving. And of course, I was duly warned, this piece of property is amidst dangerous people.

I am not going to be frightened at such things. And therefore, I said, Lord, you have got to give it. But in the meantime, one of the Salvation Army men gave it away to Muslims, to some commercial interests.

So, the top bosses went to court to get rid of them, and then they called for offers. And you know, I said, the Salvation Army, I have always loved the Salvation Army. The founders were such excellent people, and still there are some very godly, sacrificing people amongst them.

So, I said, let's give not only the prize, but let us add to it a heavy donation to lift this poor Salvation Army, which we did, and that place became ours. So, my dear friends, faith has its challenges.

Faith Expressed Through Christian Service

Now, there's room for more people, there's a lot of work to be done, and the right kind of crew to be formed and to be gathered to accomplish great things for Jesus. You know, faith, you know, you can live in a place.

I wonder what your feelings were as you walked into this book's place. Beautiful books, a cacophony of voices and sounds, anything but the gospel. My dear friends, they are watching our crew who works hard in this place, and I'm sure that their idea of Christian work is changing.

I don't know how you conducted yourself as you walked out, but do so with a smile, you know, because I see a lot of grim faces, grotesque expressions outside this door, and their lives are grim, and their problems are great, and if we are not going to in any way help them.

You know, the children's camp that takes place, the disadvantaged children, children from broken homes, taken out for a camp in the summer, it is an act of faith. I praise God for that. Now there is the need for young teenagers, a teenager's camp.

You know, actually, there should be enough workers. The next camp, it will be in the Beulah Gardens, about 40 acres, with plenty of room for people to go alone and pray, which many people do, and about 7 ,000 or 8 ,000 young people, and some of them traveling three and a half days from almost the Chinese border, one way, losing their university classes.

You know, friends, hunger, for God's word, has seized in both Europe and Britain, partly because it's a kind of bland, powerless words, but you put the fruit of the spirit into this scenario, and you will see what will happen.

The hunger springs up, I say, when people say, oh, people don't want God, I say, now listen, they are living in a vacuum, and they have got so many miseries, of which they cannot tell anybody else. You mean to tell me they don't want God?

Only the Christian example has turned them off. Christians are great for fighting over little things, absurd little things, over little things. Now, let's turn to the 22nd chapter of Genesis. You know, the Lord says to Abraham here, because you have obeyed me, 22nd chapter, and the 16th verse, and said, by myself have I sworn, said the Lord, for because thou has done this thing, and thou has not withheld thy son, thine only son, that in blessing, I will bless you, and in multiplying, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashell, and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.

Abraham's Obedience and Justification by Works

So, what a blessing there came by Abraham's offer, of offering of Isaac. Was not Abraham our father justified by works? You know, that takes us into a very big question. Salvation is not by works. So, don't mistake this.

Salvation by Faith, Not by Works

So, the heathen, you know, the notorious boxing champion, world heavyweight champion of America was asked, when he became Muhammad Ali, or whatever, why did you change your name, and so on? How are you saved?

He said, by good works. Saved by good works. How many of us? Certainly, I wouldn't have been saved by any good works, because I was not capable of good works. Oh, saved by good works. What killing all non-believers is also a great work, good work.

So, you killed 20 people by bombing a market? You have done a great good work. You'll become a martyr, and you will be greeted in heaven by 20 virgins. Oh, sorry, 70, isn't it? I'm sorry. Now, what kind of thinking is that?

What kind of thinking is that? Here, the Bible says, by faith are you saved. By faith are you saved. Faith in the blood of Jesus. Faith in the cross of Jesus. You know, I've had some, a Catholic person in Detroit told me, a young man who is turning to Christ, told me, you know what we do?

We go through the mass. We just, nobody seems to set his heart on what is being said. We just go through the motions, and we feel that's it. It's required that we should attend, and we do so. But the word of God, no, we don't have the word of God.

So, I see a lot of Catholics turning to the word of God. My dear people, this is a day of opportunity, and some people have labeled it as a day when nobody wants the gospel. No, this is the day of opportunity when faith has to transcend this horrible atmosphere around us of gloom, of hopelessness, of fear.

Peace and Strength Through Faith

You know, people have got all kinds of fears, and peace I give unto you. Peace I leave with you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. So, the peace of the Lord, faith and strength that comes from God should be yours and mine.

A Prayer for Greater Faith

Let us pray. Give me faith, dear Lord. Oh, my father, at such a time, we dare not be without faith. Faith in the word of God, faith in the name of Jesus, faith in his blood, faith in his resurrection, the faith of our Lord Jesus.

Lord, help that our words should reflect this faith. Our demeanor, the way we carry ourselves must speak of faith, faith not in ourselves, faith not to be pleasers of men, but to be pleasers of God. So, give to us faith, oh Lord.

Shall I ever be able to come anywhere near the faith of Abraham? You called him the friend of God, friend of God. Please give us new faith. Our faith is too small. Forgive us, we beg you. In Jesus' holy name, amen.

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