Things We Cannot Do Without

May 11, 2012

James 2:20“How foolish! Can't you see that faith without good deeds is useless? “

There are many things in life we can well do without, but there are at least seven things a Christian simply cannot do without. These are:

1. The Lord Jesus Christ.

Speaking of the heathen nations before Christ, Paul said:

Ephesians 2:12

“In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.

2. Christ’s shed blood.

Hebrews 9:22

“In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.Without shedding of blood is no remission.”

1 Peter 1:18-19

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

3. Christ’s sinlessness.

The Lord Jesus

Hebrews 4:15

“This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin".

Therefore, He could die for our sins.

4. Faith in Christ.

Hebrews 11:6

“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him".

5. Faith-generated works. True faith in Christ inevitably produces good works. As our text reminds us,

James 2:20

How foolish! "Can't you see that faith without good deeds is useless?"

6. True holiness.

Hebrews 12:14

"Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord".

Genuine faith in Christ both receives His imputed holiness and also generates practical holiness in the believer.

7. Heavenly chastisement.

Unconfessed and unforsaken sin in a Christian’s life must receive chastisement from the Father.

Hebrews 12:8

If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.

Without saving faith in the Lord, we have nothing of eternal value, but with Him, we have “all things”

1 Corinthians 3:21

So don't boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you-