Faith with Corresponding Actions

by

Billy Joe Daugherty

"Faith, if not followed by actions, is, by itself, a lifeless thing."

James 2:17 TCNT

Contents

1    Faith Is

2    Faith Without Works Is Dead

3    Biblical Examples of Faith with Corresponding Actions

4    Putting Feet to Your Faith

5    Your Executive Order: "Go!"

Personal Prayer of Commitment.

1

Faith Is ...

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

Faith is now, which means it is alive and powerful. Faith is the realization or the title deed of that which is unseen. Though it is invisible, faith is something we believe and it is settled on the inside of us.

Do you have faith that God is your Father, even though you cannot see Him? Faith is the evidence, or the belief in what God's Word says, about things you have not seen.

Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." So when you hear God's Word, your faith has the potential of increasing. If you are low on faith, increase your Word level.

The Word gives us a revelation of things that are not seen. It tells us who God is and who His Son Jesus Christ is. It tells us what Jesus did for us through His death, burial, and resurrection. This is why we need to increase our Word level and our meditation of it throughout each day.

The spirit of faith is defined by Paul in Second Corinthians 4:13: ’"I believed and therefore I spoke,’ we also believe and therefore speak."

James adds another dimension to our faith—the other side of the coin—in the next chapter.

"For we walk by faith—by believing, speaking, and acting upon the promises of God’s Word—not by sight."

2 Corinthians 5:7

2

Faith Without Works Is Dead

James presents the other side of the faith coin in James 2:14-26. In addition to believing, receiving, and confessing the promises of God, there must be some works or corresponding actions. We could also call it a Spirit-led follow-through or obedience to what God has told you to do.

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,

And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

James 2:14-16

In other words, to simply say, "Be warmed and filled," and not provide the practical needs so the person can be warmed and filled, is of no benefit. There needs to be practical works, a follow-through, or corresponding actions to what you are believing and speaking. This is why we started the Tulsa Dream Center—to put feet to our faith and help the poor in our city in numerous ways. A few of these outreaches, to which we have put corresponding actions to our faith, are:

•    Food and Clothing Distribution

•    Dental Services

•    Medical Services

•    Legal Services

•    Educational Services (Includes after-school tutoring for children as well as a computer training program)

•    Recreational Opportunities

•    Spiritual Enrichment Opportunities

James goes on to say, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (James 2:17). "Works" as used here means corresponding actions, follow-through, or a Spirit-directed response. It is something you do that is in agreement with what you are believing and speaking.

In Galatians Paul says we are saved by faith, not works. James says you cannot be saved without works. James is not talking about the same works that Paul is talking about. Paul is talking about the works of the law. James is talking about the works that correspond with your faith in Jesus Christ, about obeying His voice and doing what He says.

Think about it! God didn't just save us for our lip service. He intended for us to give Him our whole heart—every part of our being—and develop a relationship with Him.

In verses 18 and 19 James says:

But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

"You believe that there is one God.

You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!"

People say, "I believe in God," and James says, "So do the devils!" James is talking about hearing and doing the Word. In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus was talking about the same thing as James: not only hearing the Word, but becoming a doer of it.

But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?

James 2:20,21

James contends that God decreed righteousness into Abraham when he believed God and did what He told him to do. God told Abraham to take his son and offer him as a sacrifice. This was a Spirit-directed response to the word of the Lord. He put corresponding actions with his belief in God.

Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works [corresponding actions or a Spirit-led follow-through] faith was made perfect?

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. [Abraham demonstrates his belief in God by putting action to what God has spoken.]

You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

James 2:22-26

Years ago Sharon and I were youth directors in the church where Kenneth E. Hagin's Campmeetings began. One speaker, Fred Price, told a story about a starving man who had a plate of well-prepared food in front of him. His confession was, "I believe if I eat this food I will not die." There was nothing wrong with his belief system, but there were no works or corresponding actions to his belief. He never touched the food.

A fresh food tray was brought in the second day and the starving man's confession was the same: "I believe if I eat this food I will not die." There was no follow-through to what he believed. Again, he never touched the food.

The third day the scene was repeated. The man's confession was right, but he never touched the food. Death was eminent because he took no action to agree with what he believed.

You can say, "I believe" repeatedly, like this starving man, but if there is no follow-through or action, you will be defeated.

3

Biblical Examples of Faith with Corresponding Actions

Noah

Noah heard the word of the Lord: "I'm going to send a flood that will destroy all flesh, but I will save you and your family. I am commanding you to build an ark." Then God gave Noah the dimensions and instructions for building the ark (see Genesis, chapters 6, 7, and 8).

It took over a hundred years for Noah to complete the project. Mercy prevailed during those years as Noah worked on the ark and continued preaching the Word to all who would hear. Noah could have sat on the front porch of his little cabin and said, "When the flood comes, I believe my family will be saved."

Noah's grandfather was Methuselah, who lived longer than any other man. His name meant, "The flood will come when he dies." God put a time clock in the earth. In the year Methuselah was 969 years old, he died. Noah was 600 years old and the flood came.

When it started raining, Noah could have said, "I believe I will not drown." But because he put corresponding action with the word of the Lord, both he and his family were saved while every other living thing on the face of the earth was drowned.

Isaac

We find another illustration of faith that required works or corresponding actions in Genesis 26. In the midst of a famine, the Lord spoke to Isaac:

"Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you.

"Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath I swore to Abraham your father.

"And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;

"Because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws."

So Isaac dwelt in Gerar.

Genesis 26:2-6

Isaac was obedient. James calls it "works." Isaac could have said, "I believe, I believe," and got on a donkey and headed for Egypt. "I believe I am going to get these blessings." But God said, "Stay right where you are."

Verse 12 says, "Then Isaac sowed in that land...." Think about this. It is a land of famine. There is no rain in sight. Isaac knows if he does not plant seed, there won't be anything to eat. God has told him, "Don't go down to Egypt." But how do you plant in a land where everything is powder dry? The skies are blue every day. There is no rain. People are starving and they are leaving. Isaac sees the caravans headed for Egypt. There is only one way Isaac could do this and that was to believe God. Because he believed God, he put corresponding actions in obedience to God and planted his seed even though it was a time of famine in the natural realm.

And [Isaac] reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him.

The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous;

For he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.

Genesis 26:12-14

God blessed Isaac for his obedience in spite of natural circumstances.

The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn

Remember the tenth plague in Egypt where God sent a death angel to destroy the firstborn of every household that did not have blood on its doorposts? Every Hebrew family was to take the blood of a lamb and sprinkle it upon the doorposts of their home. That night the death angel would pass over. The firstborn of every home that did not have the blood on the doorposts would die.

Scripture says, "For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you" (Exodus 12:23).

What if the Israelites didn't put blood on their doorposts but they confessed, "I believe, I believe,

I believe. I believe the death angel will pass over. I believe I will be delivered. I believe, I believe, I believe"? What if two or three of them came together in agreement and said, "Tonight when the death angel passes over, it will not touch our households," yet they did not apply the blood to their doorposts? The firstborn would die no matter how much praying they did if the blood of a sacrificial lamb was not applied to their doorposts.

To put the blood of an animal on the doorposts didn't totally save the Israelites. They had to stay inside until the death angel passed over. Sometimes people halfway obey what they are told to do. Halfway obedience will not bring a full manifestation of God's promises.

Israel's Conflict with the Moabites

In Second Kings 3, Israel decided to go to war against the Moabites who lived in the area which is present-day Jordan. Israel called on Judah and said, "Come and fight with us." These twelve tribes teamed up together and headed down around the Dead Sea. This part of the Dead Sea area is dry, barren, and rocky.

There was no water and the Israelites began to cry out, "We are all going to be delivered into the hands of the Moabites." Finally the king had enough sense to say, "Isn't there a prophet around here who could help us out?" So they found the prophet Elisha and he began to prophesy:

"As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you. [Elisha didn't like the king of Israel because he was a wicked king who didn't honor God, but he liked Jehoshaphat because he honored the Lord.]

"But now bring me a musician."

Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him. [Music releases the prophetic anointing, and it releases the flow of the Spirit of God.]

And he [Elisha] said, "Thus says the Lord: ’Make this valley full of ditches.’

"For thus says the Lord: ’You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.’

"And this is a simple matter in the sight of the Lord; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand."

2 Kings 3:14-18

With blue skies above them and no rain in sight, the Israelites dug until the valley was full of ditches as the prophet Elisha directed. By morning the ditches were filled with water.

The Moabites looked on the ditches which were at the edge of Edom. The word "Edom" means reddish. That's where the red stones of Petra are. When the Moabites looked on those ditches, it looked like they were filled with blood. They said, "The Israelites have already been defeated. Let's go down and take the spoils."

So they charged down the hill of the Moab region right into an ambush where Israel was ready for them. In one day Israel got all the water it needed and it had complete victory over the Moabites who were caught totally by surprise. The enemy came right into the camp of the Israelites, and God gave the Israelites the victory.

Here is my point. What would have happened if the Israelites had not dug the ditches? When it rained that water would have washed right into the Dead Sea. They wouldn't have caught any of it. Once it hit that salt area, there was no way it would have been good for anything. But in those ditches the silt would settle and they would be able to drink the water. The ditches were dug when there was no rain—a Spirit-directed response to the Word of the Lord! It was action by faith when there was nothing to see.

If you don't obey, the miracle you need may come but it will flow right past you. You will question, "Why didn't God answer? Why didn't He provide?" He did, but lack of preparation and corresponding actions can stop a miracle.

You have to build the ark before the flood comes. You have to dig the ditches before the water comes down the side of the mountain. That means you must not only believe that God will provide and that God will give you the victory, but you may have to give it a little elbow grease, bend your back, and dig some ditches! Simply put, do what God says!

Naaman

Naaman, commander of the Syrian army, had leprosy. His wife's servant said, "If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy" (2 Kings 5:3). Naaman went to see the prophet. Elisha the prophet sent a word to Naaman through his messenger: "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean" (2 Kings 5:10).

Naaman huffed and puffed, and he walked away angry. Why? He didn't want to do anything. He didn't want to obey God. He didn't want a relationship with God. He just wanted magic, but this deal isn't about sorcery or magic. It's about a relationship with the King of kings and the Lord of lords. It's about walking with Him. It's about hearing His voice and saying, "Yes, Lord, I'll do what You told me to do." The man of God said, "Go dip seven times." Even if the word of the Lord comes to you through a delivery person, obey it.

When Naaman finally agreed to obey the word of the Lord through Elisha, Scripture says, "So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean" (2 Kings 5:14).

When we set our hearts toward God to do what is right, then we are digging the ditches, building the ark, and dipping in the Jordan River. As we obey what God tells us to do, we are set in position to receive an overflow of blessing and our enemies will be defeated right before our faces!

By Faith Moses...

Hebrews 11:23 says, "By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command."

Moses' parents did not fear the Pharaoh's command to kill all the Hebrew male babies, so by faith they hid Moses and protected him.

"By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter" (v. 24). Moses' sister Miriam had told Pharaoh's daughter that she knew someone who could keep baby Moses, so his own mother was paid to keep him. But as far as the public was concerned, this was Pharaoh's grandson. Being raised to know who he was, when the moment came to reveal his true identity, Moses did not compromise.

Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,

Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.

By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.

Hebrews 11:25-29

The favor of God and the anointing of God were upon Moses, and he put corresponding actions to his faith.

Paralyzed Man Carried by Four

In Luke 5, we find the story of the paralyzed man carried by four of his friends into the presence of Jesus so he could be healed.

Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem.

And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him.

Luke 5:17,18

It would take the will of a paralyzed person to let four men carry him to the healing meeting. He did what he could do, and that was either to influence the four to take him to Jesus, or to agree with their suggestion to take him to Jesus.

And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.

When He saw their faith....

Luke 5:19,20

You can see faith. With four little Jewish faces looking down through a hole in the roof, Jesus saw their faith. Their faith ripped a hole in the roof!

When He saw their faith, He said to him, "Man, your sins are forgiven you."

And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

Luke 5:20,21

I always get tickled thinking about this story. In my hometown, many people who never got upset about the forgiveness of sins got upset when people were healed. In this scripture, the people weren't so bothered about people getting healed, but they were upset about Jesus forgiving them.

Jesus is the Forgiver as well as the Healer. He can do both. He was dealing with this all-important issue of forgiveness of sins. He said to the people:

"Why are you reasoning in your hearts?

"Which is easier, to say, ’Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ’Rise up and walk’? [In other words, "What difference does it make whether I say you are forgiven or you are healed?"]

"But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"—He said to the man who was paralyzed, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."

Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today!"

Luke 5:22-26

4

Putting Feet to Your Faith

"Strange Things" in Our Day

It is strange when people see you act on the Word of God because you love God with all of your heart. It is strange to people in the world when you are in a movie house and you get up and leave when vile language is spoken or when lewd pictures are shown. If someone offers you a drink at a restaurant or at a party and you say, "No thank you, I will have water," it is strange to people in the world.

So what does this have to do with faith? If you believe in a holy God, you won't just believe His Word in your heart, you will believe it with your actions also. When you are in an environment that is wrong, illegal, or immoral, you won't say, "I've got a quiet faith in God." No! You will get out of that environment. If you are working for a company that is immoral, illegal, or unethical in its practices, because your faith is so precious that you don't want to compromise it with the spirit of the world, you will change jobs. Your faith requires corresponding actions.

If you are in an immoral sexual relationship and you love God, you will walk out of that relationship and bring ungodliness to an end. Faith applies to every area of your life.

Adding "Works" to a Good Confession

At Victory, we are strong on having a good confession, saying the right things that agree with God's Word, and believing God's Word above all other reports. When we read the Word, there is clear revelation all through the Bible that there must be a follow-through, a Spirit-directed response, corresponding actions, or obedience to what God is telling us to do.

There are people confessing that God is going to meet their needs, but they don't have a job. They need to get a job. God is a God of provision, but He said, "If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat" (2 Thessalonians 3:10). God's prosperity will bypass you if you do not act on what He has spoken.

Proverbs 13:22 talks about a transfer of wealth from sinners to the righteous. Are you in a position where God could transfer it to you? A lot of people say, "Yeah, just drop it on me!" God is not going to drop it on someone who is doing nothing. He is looking for people who are using what they have been given. He will take prosperity from the one who is wasting it and give it to the one who is faithful and busy about His business.

Taking Your Faith Out of Neutral!

Every time you read the Bible, it is an act of your faith that you believe there is a God and you believe the Bible is His message to you. Going to church is an act of faith. When you go to the place where the church is meeting and you worship God, that is an act of your faith. When you lift your hands, clap, dance, shout, and sing, those are acts of faith.

Maybe you are waiting for your ship to come in, and the Lord says, "There has never been one sent out." It comes in when one goes out. Sometimes people are waiting on God to serve (as in tennis) into their court, but the Lord says, "It's your turn."

Many times we think God is not in a hurry, but sometimes I think He may be saying the same thing about us. "They must not be that desperate for the miraculous to happen because they are inactive. They are willing to be caught in neutral rather than to put their faith and corresponding actions in gear and move ahead."

The Woman with the Issue of Blood Puts Her Faith in Gear!

The woman with the issue of blood could have sat in her house and said, "Lord, I am believing You for a healing miracle. I know You are the God of miracles, and I believe that I can be healed." Day after day she could have sat waiting on God, but something got inside of her. She heard that Jesus was coming through her town and she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well" (Mark 5:28). The Bible says she pressed through the crowd that day to touch Jesus' clothes. I believe this action came to her from the Spirit of the living God.

God will give you an action to take, a step to take, something that gets you in motion, and when you do it, it is an act of your faith.

Was there magic in Jesus' clothing? No! The anointing was in Jesus' body, but the faith was in the woman. Jesus identified it because when she touched His clothes, Scripture says, "Immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, ’Who touched My clothes?’" (Mark 5:30). The disciples said, "Master, they are all touching You."

This woman, realizing she had been identified, fell down and worshiped Jesus. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction" (Mark 5:34).

This woman did something. She moved in response to the Spirit's direction, putting corresponding actions with what she was believing and speaking. She put feet to her faith!

The power of God is moving all through the earth. Many times people say, "We're waiting on the Spirit." God said, "In the last days ... I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh" (Acts 2:17). The Spirit of God is within you. Smith Wigglesworth said, "If the Spirit doesn't move, we move the Spirit." In other words, there is something inside of us that acts and stirs up our faith. Why? God has been on "ready" since He created the universe. He is ready for people who will look to Him and respond to Him.

When Jesus walked through the crowd the day the woman with the issue of blood reached out and touched His garment, the power that healed her could have healed everyone in the crowd. What was the difference? She acted on her faith. In that moment she drew the power of God into her body. She believed, she spoke, and she acted.

Faith with Works Releases the Miraculous!

An act of faith, combined with corresponding actions, will release the miraculous. In Luke 5, Jesus used Simon Peter's boat as His platform for teaching the multitudes. When He completed His teaching, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch" (v. 4). Simon answered, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net" (v. 5).

When Simon let down the net, though he had caught nothing the previous night, the net filled with so many fish it almost sunk the boat. Peter was so overwhelmed at what happened, Jesus said to him, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men" (v. 10). Verse 11 says, "When they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him."

Jesus required that Peter act by faith when his natural reasoning indicated it was not a good idea. His corresponding action brought miracles.

5

Your Executive Order: "Go!"

Although faith believes for the salvation of the lost, corresponding actions must be added for unbelievers to be brought into the Kingdom of God.

In Mark 16:15-18, Jesus gave an Executive Order to every believer:

"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

"He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

"And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

"They will take up serpents; if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

If you are wondering why there have been no signs and wonders in your life, it could be because you have been believing and confessing only. It's time to put feet to your faith, go where sinners are, and share the good news of Jesus Christ! Verses 19 and 20 say:

So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.

Quit waiting on God! The ball is in your court. The Executive Order has been given, and along with it, power and authority have been given to you to carry out God's Order. As you are obedient, not only will unbelievers be saved, but all the good things that have been stored up for you will come pouring into your life!

Personal Prayer of Commitment

Father, thank You for Your Word, which is our Guide or Standard for living a productive, meaningful life.

I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son, and I also believe He was crucified, buried, and resurrected to provide a way of exchange for new converts—a way to exchange our unrighteousness for His righteousness; a way to exchange our sickness and disease for His health, wholeness, and well-being; a way to exchange our poverty spiritually, mentally, physically, socially, and financially for His prosperity in all of these areas.

I renounce every work of sin, and I receive You now, Jesus, as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for providing new life for me with Your shed blood! You looked upon lost mankind with great love and value to pay that kind of a price for us to be saved! Thank You, Lord Jesus!

Thank You for empowering me with Your Spirit so I will be an effective witness to the lost, pulling them from the realm of darkness into Your

Kingdom of Light, Love, and Life, Jesus!

Today is a new beginning for me, in Jesus' name.

Signature ________

Date ________

BILLY JOE DAUGHERTY is founder and pastor of Victory Christian Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Victory has a Christian school, Bible Institute and Missions Training Center. Other Victory outreaches include taking the gospel via radio and television to North America, along with shortwave radio and television to other nations, plus the distribution of books, tapes, and videos. He and his wife, Sharon, minister God’s healing, saving, and delivering power as a team. Their family works alongside them in the ministry.

Table of Contents

1 Faith Is

2 Faith Without Works Is Dead

3 Biblical Examples of Faith with Corresponding Actions

4 Putting Feet to Your Faith

5 Your Executive Order: "Go!"

Personal Prayer of Commitment.