Dead Faith:

Concealed Sin

Did you know it’s possible to have faith and leave God out?

Many people proclaim faith in God, but their actions say otherwise. They speak of God’s word, but lack the wisdom in living holy. Their lives don’t imitate Christ and in times of distress, they are troubled by God’s silence.

What is dead faith?

Dead faith is a self-knowledge of God’s words lacking the qualities of a Spirit-filled life. Here the individual leans on its interpretation of God’s will unaware of the dangers it brings to one’s eternal resting place. Spiritual intelligence can’t stand up against the evil one. We don’t have the strength required to fight Satan.   

In the Epistle of James, we find the Biblical definition of dead faith. Here James points out that faith without works is dead (James 2:20). He emphasized being a doer of God’s word (James 1:22). Words are meaningless until put into action. Action speaks volume in the kingdom of God.

 

One way dead faith enters a believer’s life is through concealed sin. Un-confessed sin is damaging to our spiritual growth. Nothing good comes from hiding sin. Even though God knows we sin our responsibility is to confess our transgression.

Salvation isn’t a free pass.

We must be diligent in our walk with Christ or face eternal consequences. A Christian life is an example of God’s living Spirit manifested through selfless service to God, Christ, and others. A real believer’s life is full of good deeds, helping to spread the good news Christ brings to the faithful.

Unbelievers watch the way Christians behave and this makes it imperative for us to back up our words in action. And a Spirit-filled life radiates a loving, forgiving and compassionate response to life’s difficult terms. Spiritual integrity doesn’t use words for its God’s way of attracting others to a life centered in Christ.    

Holding onto inequity is unwise for we won’t find God’s mercy (Proverbs 28:13). And a life absent of God’s mercy is full of unnecessary pain. Most of our struggles can be traced back to a hidden sin. It shouldn’t surprise us that concealed sin causes us trouble.

A secret sin is an act of disobedience. We are commanded to confess our particular sins (Leviticus 5:4-5). It’s easy to overlook the need of owning up to our sins. We can’t afford to let disobedience rob us of our inheritance with God.

Yes, God has forgiven us, and Christ’s death has taken away sin, but we must be an active participant in our salvation. Remember, God will judge us according to the way we live (Ecclesiastes 12:14). And Christ pointed out the need to look at our sins (Matthew 7:3).

When God saved me, I didn’t understand the value of confessing sins. Salvation was a great revelation and in my spiritual infancy, this worked.

Then one day I had trouble living holy. I couldn’t stop myself from disobeying. My constant prayers and humble approach weren’t paying off, but God was listening. The Lord answered and showed me the way to confess sins. It involved confessing to Christ and asking for the guidance in repenting.

The way this works is simple. One of my biggest stumbling blocks is pride. So when I realize my prideful ways I pause and pray to Christ: “I confess to you Christ, my sin of pride. Forgive me for my trespass. What is my repentance?  Your will always not mine. Amen.” This works for any sin and brings me in line with God’s will. Sometimes I have to wait and listen for the answers. But Christ never leaves me guessing on what I need to do in making amends for my wrongs.   

Our willingness to give God our best effort is crucial to our eternal lives. Christ doesn’t expect us to be perfect, but wants us to strive for spiritual progress. And our admission of wrongful behavior opens the door to Christ’s abundant peace. There is no greater Christian freedom than the one God gives.   

A vibrant faith welcomes self-examination (Haggai 1:5). Concealed sin thrives in darkness blocking Christ’s light. It’s painful looking at our sinful nature but to grow in God’s Spirit, we need to know our misconduct. And confessing our findings makes our faith alive.

We have discussed one way of identifying dead faith. Un- forgiveness, selfish prayers, and judging others are indicators of a faith unfavorable with God. Remember the Pharisees had faith but Christ exposed it as dead. Our hope is secured through a living faith anchored in the body of Christ.

The Eternal Awakening

Every man, woman, and child will experience the eternal awakening. It’s not up for debate. God will judge everyone. The question is where will your eternal destination take place heaven or damnation?

Contained within the Bible is God’s truth, warnings and realities of our lives beyond the flesh. Everything we need to know about our spiritual resting place is in God’s book. The Bible is the blueprint of God’s master plan. Here is where you will find the correct and direct path to God’s kingdom. 

God’s mighty wrath is tough to grasp. The Lord’s love is unconditional, but His judgment is swift, just and righteous. We are commanded to fear God.

Why should we fear God?

The answer is in the way God dealt with our ancient ancestors.

God closed the Garden of Eden’s gate from Adam and Eve for disobeying His command. (Genesis 3: 23-24). And in Noah’s generation He wiped out the population for wickedness (Genesis 7: 1-24).

These two truths are prime examples of the way God hands out His penalty for disobedience. They are severe and should be feared. Remember Christ told us to fear the One who can kill both the body and soul (Matthew 10:28).

The fear of God isn’t meant to make us afraid of Him.

“Wait a minute, I thought fear is a natural instinct to stay away from an injurious experience.”

That is a human definition.  But, God isn’t a man. He is the creator, alpha, omega and the beginning and end.

  

Christ is where we find God’s wisdom and understand good from evil (Genesis 3:22). This provides us proof to draw closer to God and fear the results from disobedience. So, fearing God isn’t fleeing from Him, but knowing the outcome of our defiance has fatal consequences.

Humanity’s eternal destination isn’t a theory. Theories have no weight or depth and disproved. They are not reliable and are changed to meet the needs of the collective agreements among those involved. Science can’t explain the mysteries of God.

God never changes, is always faithful and lives inside our spirits. The bloodshed of Christ’s, His Resurrection and Ascension into heaven is real. God makes His presence, indisputable, undeniable and everlasting. 

The Holy Spirit, a remarkable union between God and us, is the entry into heaven. Nothing in the world can offer matches God’s incredible presence. The overwhelming love, serenity and spiritual energy God releases is a profound awareness of His sovereignty.

Faith is crucial in our Christian walk. Without it, we can’t become God-conscious. But the Bible warns us about the improper use of its purpose. Apostle James preached on dead faith. He emphasized faith in action by being doers of the word. (James 1:21-27; 2:14-26)

Quoting scripture is not enough. Knowledge of Christ is a good start, but it won’t be enough for finding the wisdom to live with Him. The way to be a doer is to exert our efforts in applying the commands of God’s word. We have to react to life’s terms in a holy way so others can witness Christ’s way of dealing with a hostile world.

An excellent example of a living faith comes from the Apostle Peter (2 Peter 1:5-11). Here Disciple Peter listed seven Christian principles to stay active in faith and grow in our walk with Christ. They are Christ’s commands and lead to unshakable faith. Besides their fruits, they help keep us renewed in God’s spirit.

John the Baptist pointed out the urgency of repenting (Matthew 3:2). And repentance allows Christ to cleanse our souls. Here John shows repentance as a crucial action in entering God’s house.

Repentance goes beyond words. It begins with confession and ends in making amends to God for the sin we commit. Even though God has forgiven us through Christ, it doesn’t mean we have a free ride. The Lord is watching the Christian action we take in turning away from sin.

Real repentance is a change in sinful behavior. Once we admit to God the evilness we did in front of Him, then we have to make corrections. The key to changing our sinful nature is self-discipline, perseverance and reliance on Christ’s strength for the courage to live holy. If we don’t repent, then, we can’t expect to receive God’s mercy.

I struggle in my walk with Christ. Sometimes I leave Christ out and make unwise decisions. This is the subtle way pride works in my life and feeds other sinful desires. Here is where the evil one is working hard to take root and keep me away from God. The way out of this wicked cycle is seeking Christ daily. 

 

My reactions to sin, glorifying God and abiding in Christ are proportionate to my final resting place. The Holy Spirit allows me to know the right steps to take in staying in God’s favor.  Whether I’m active or complacent in faith, my fate is in God’s judgment.

The Bible has many other scriptures explaining the right way of following God’s will. Christ is our intercessor. We will have to stand before God and let Him decide our destiny.