On Saturday evening, at the Eastern Hills Wesleyan Church (www.easternhillschurch.org), Pastor Karl Eastlack preached the second in a three-part series on “Both/And.” The first message was Truth and Love. (Truth without love is harsh. Love without truth is cruel.) The message I heard was Faith and Deeds from James 2:14-26. (“It is a kind of good deed to say well, but words are not deeds.” – William Shakespeare)

The nuggets from the message were:

1. Real faith isn’t just something you say. (v. 14)

2. Real faith isn’t just something you feel. (v. 15)

3. Real faith isn’t just something you think. (v. 18)

4. Real faith isn’t just something you believe. (v. 19)

5. Real faith is just something you do.

The examples of Abraham and Rahab that James uses are examples that real faith is “not determined by what I do, but is demonstrated by what I do.”

This controversy or the tension, or some would say Scriptural paradox, between faith and deeds has been around for awhile. In fact, many scholars have felt that Paul and James absolutely contradict each other in this area. I am reminded that my Asbury Seminary professor. Dr. Joseph Wang, wrote his doctoral dissertation (Emory University/Candler) on the consistency of Paul and James on faith and love. He shared with us that when he submitted his topic to the committee, he was told that what he was attempting to do was impossible and was warned as he proceeded that if he failed to make the case, he would not get the degree. Well, the Ph. D. behind his name is the rest of the story.

I plan to go back to the site to pick up the third message in the “Both/And” series. Any guesses on what it may be? Maybe there are some ideas you have to share about additional areas that would fit this theme.

Since it is Valentine’s Day we could add, “Real love is something you do.”