Good evening all,

Please find attached the Bible study outline for the topic “Grace, Faith, and Works, the next in this quarter’s series on The Foundation of the Christian Faith.  The main text is Ephesians 2:1-10 and the key learning points are:

1.     The sin of Adam and Eve made every man a sinner thereby bringing death and eternal damnation; but God’s grace through the death of His Son brought salvation to all that believe and receive.  

2.     Faith in God’s begotten Son is the only way man can access this salvation – which is freely given and is not to be boasted about.

3.     Our “good works” are not a pre-requisite for obtaining this salvation; however, as the redeemed of the Lord, we’re to bring forth fruits (works) that prove that there’s a change of heart from our old ways – fruits consistent with our new life in Christ.

Regards

Brethren,

Our journey in the Epistle of James brings us, this Sunday, to a pertinent question: Of what use is my claim to salvation by faith in Christ, yet all I ever do in response to legitimate needs of fellow believers is, ‘I will be praying for you…’?

This question is part of the challenge from James 2:14-26 that we show a visible connection between our faith and our works. See attached outline for your further reference.

Key Learnings:
1. We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ apart from any effort of our own. Saving faith is God’s means to justify the believer and spur him on to love others and live in a way that does good works.

2. Our actions must match what we believe. Works or actions are the fruit of a faith that saves, not the basis for our salvation. If my faith does not move me to do good works, it is of no use to anyone and contrary to God’s purposes. Faith that does nothing is worth nothing. What we believe must show in what we do (what we do is the evidence of what we believe). Any “faith” that doesn’t lead to works is dead; in other words, it is no faith at all.

3. As Noah, Abraham, Moses, and others before us have shown, obedience to the word of God based on who we believe God is and has promised, is the connection between faith and works.

‘Faith that is all talk and no action is dead’ (James 2:26).