.  Living Hope Fellowship Church....Sermons by the Pastor 

WORKS OF GOD

by Pastor Kevin Badgley

James 2:17 says, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”  Faith by itself is dead.  Verse 22 says, “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?”  In other words, works are the finished product of faith. 

Verse 24 says, “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”  He did not say that works saved or sanctified; he said they justified.  Works prove rightness.  Verse 26 says, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” 

The body without the spirit is dead.  A church body without the Spirit is also dead.  James 1:22 says, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”  It is possible to be a hearer, and even a speaker of faith, and not be a doer. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”  You cannot get yourself into any position to receive the grace of God, but after receiving God’s grace, He expects you to use His power to become more like His Son.  We have to be transformed, and there will be activity of faith during those changes. 

In Isaiah 43:12 God said, “. . . ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.”  God sends some really limited individuals out there to represent Him!  We represent Him by the manifestation of the works of God.  There are works that you can perform, and there are works that the Holy Ghost can perform through you which you could not do before; that is the dividing line.  We need to yield over to the Spirit of the Lord and do everything the first church did.

God has placed within us the Spirit of His Son that He might destroy the works of the devil (see 1 John 3:8).  Before we got saved we did the works of the devil naturally.  We were born in a sinful world, and we have a sinful nature, so it is easy to sin.  God has called us to be holy, so something has to convert us over that we might obtain holiness.  That is found in the baptism of the Holy Ghost, because the Holy Ghost works the works of God in man in this world. 

Jesus healed the man who was sick of the palsy.  Matthew 9:8 says, “But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.”  Don’t think that you are going to obtain what Jesus did without the baptism of the Holy Ghost!  If we could, we would have become greater than our Master, and that isn’t possible.  However, Matthew 10:25 says, “It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord.”  God wants His people to do what Jesus did, so that the world may know who Jesus is. 

God checks the thoughts and intents of our hearts.  You can know someone’s intention by their works.  John 6:28 says, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?”  Look at the key words here.  Verse 29 says, “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”  Jesus took them from doing in the natural to believing.  It is the work of God in you when He saves your soul, heals you, or fills you with the Holy Ghost. 

The people who asked, “What must we do to work the works of God?” sounded sanctified, but John 6:26 says, “Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.”  Thousands of people were fed that day.  Some of them were getting filled in their soul, and they didn’t worry about their body, because God would take care of that, and He did!  However, others only followed Jesus because they were fed miraculously.  They wanted to forcibly make Jesus their earthly king, but He slipped away to pray. 

God is looking for people that want Him, not just what He can do for them.  He told us the priority, the order of importance, in Matthew 6:33 – “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  Total dependency on God happens when our works have ceased, and there is nothing more that we can do for ourselves.  The works of men can be blocked or hindered by the devil, but all hell can’t stop one single thing of the works of God!  That is why we need to make the transition.  

            When Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John saw a need, they could produce the results, because it wasn’t them doing it.  God was working in them!  God checks your motivation!  When you get to fasting and praying He comes along and asks what you are doing it for.  You will go to searching your heart.  Why am I doing this?  Where am I?  Am I floating, or am I seeking after God?  Seek His face to find out what your real purpose in life is.  What will we do with our opportunity in God?  If we really want God to move, we need to cease from our own works and let Him work through us. 

            Many are caught up with their own failures and limitations, unable to see the limitless power and life in Jesus.  They are diverted by being so self focused.  God can wipe away your “storm” in a heartbeat.  It isn’t about what we can do, but about what can happen if we will let go and let God work!