#30 - Devoted Faith | James 2:23-26 | 5 Types of Faith

James takes us beneath behavior.

He’s not just talking about action. He’s talking about affection.

Abraham obeyed — but more than that, he was called God’s friend.

Devoted faith doesn’t just move. It loves.

In this episode, we unpack three truths:

1. Devoted faith flows from security — We don’t obey to earn love, we obey because we are loved.
2. Devoted faith delights in God — Obedience flows from relationship, not obligation.
3. Devoted faith breathes life into works — Love moves, serves, and makes faith visible.

Because redeemed rebels don’t just believe in God— they walk with Him.

WEEK RECAP OF THE FIVE FAITHS:

1. Dead Faith — Talks, but never walks.
2. Demonic Faith — Agrees, but never surrenders.
3. Demonstrated Faith — Obeys, even when it’s hard.
4. Dynamic Faith — Moves, even when it’s risky.
5. Devoted Faith — Loves Jesus and lives secure in Him.

Transcript

Week Recap

James 2:23-26

Abraham: Friend of God

The Three Points

#1 - Devoted Faith Flows from Security

#2 - Devoted Faith Delights in God

#3 - Devoted Faith Breathes Life into Works

The Rebel Close: Do you obey because you have to—or because you love Him?

Outro

SPEAKER_00 0:01

This podcast is for the ones who know that we're rescued, but also know that we're resent, saved by grace, sent to live differently. We're not rebelling against God, we're rebelling against everything that keeps us from Him. We'll talk faith, identity, purpose, leadership, and what it really looks like to follow Jesus in a loud and noisy world. We'll dissect scripture, we'll exposite it, we'll grow, and we'll stretch our faith. Welcome to the Daily Rebel. All right, welcome to day five of the Daily Rebel. As we wrap up the week, we're gonna finish out James chapter 2, 23 through 26. Now, before I dive into the text, I want to remind us what we talked about this week. Monday we talked about how dead faith talks, but it don't walk. Demonic faith agrees, but there's no allegiance. That demonstrated faith obeys and dynamic faith moves. And so they're to wrap up, we're gonna talk about how devoted faith loves. So let's read uh James chapter 2, 23 through 26. And the scripture was fulfilled that says Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God's friend. And you see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, wasn't Rahab the prostitute also justified by works and receiving the messengers and sending them out by a different route. For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. So devoted faith, it doesn't just move, it loves. Um, and so he says it was Abraham believed and was called a friend. So James quotes Genesis 15, 6. Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. That happened long before the altar, once again, long before Isaac, long before the test, God declared Abraham righteousness, righteousness, uh righteous by faith. So that's grace, not earned, not performed, credited, uh, imputed, gifted. And over time, that credited righteousness expressed itself in obedience. So James says scripture was fulfilled, meaning the belief in Genesis 15 was not actually validated in Genesis 22. Faith was not created on the mountain. Um, Genesis 15, it was credited to him. In Genesis 22, um, is when he went up the mountain. It was revealed on the mountain. And then James says something breathtaking. He says he was called God's friend. Friend means trust, closeness, shared loyalty. Abraham didn't just fear God, he walked with him. I got a question. Are you walking with the Lord? You walking through your pastor's sermons? You walking through somebody else's devotion, or are you walking with the Lord? He walked with them. Devoted faith is a relational faith. So let me give y'all three points. Number one, devoted faith flows from security. Devoted faith flows from security. Abraham obeyed because he believed. He and he believed because he trusted. And he trusted because God has already spoken a promise over him. So devoted faith begins with security. You were declared righteous in Christ. You were adopted, accepted, loved. I'm about to preach somebody. Let's go. And we don't obey to earn sonship. We bay because we have sonship or daughtership, if that's a word. We don't perform for friendship. We respond to it. Redeemed rebels, listen, we serve from security, not for significance. We've already been made significant through the cross of Jesus Christ. If you don't feel secure in God's love, obedience will always feel heavy. So, number one, devoted faith flows from security. Number two, write this down. Devoted faith delights in God. Have you ever thought about your faith with the Lord delighting in him? Do you look at him like he's this old man Gandalf sitting in the cloud, ready to hit you with a staff? Or do you delight in God because he's good and he's loving? See, Abraham, he didn't just follow commands, he walked with God. His friendship implies enjoyment, conversation, a shared life. It's how Jesus lived. Jesus was always getting away into the mountains and into the wilderness and by himself to pray to the Father. Um, so it's affection. You don't protect what you merely believe in, you protect what you love. And when love deepens, obedience becomes this natural thing. Obviously, your spirit is fighting that the Holy Spirit is fighting the flesh. But my relationship with Jesus should not be forced, it shouldn't be reluctant, it should be willing. Devoted faith says, you know, I trust his heart, I trust God. And even when I don't understand his hand, we we we we we say I trust him. Uh Redeemed Rebels, look, we don't just submit to his authority, we actually delight in relationship. So number one, again, devoted faith flows from security. Number two, devoted faith delights in God. Again, ask yourself, do you enjoy him? Like John Piper asks, do you desire him? I love when he asks that question. Are you desiring God? So number three is this devoted faith breathes life into works. James closes with the body analogy. A body without the spirit is dead. So faith without works is dead. Works are not the life, they are the evidence of life. We've been talking about that this entire week. It's been an ongoing theme. And when the spirit breathes into a heart, love it moves. Service flows, obedience follows. Devoted faith is not pressured activity, it is this animated loyalty, this allegiance by love. It's love made visible, not perfection. Remember, direction will never be perfect. We needed a perfect son to die upon a broken cross to save imperfect people so that we might have a partnership with the Lord. It's love made visible. Listen, faithful devotion. So listen, Abraham was declared righteous before he proved anything. That's the gospel. You are justified by grace through faith in Christ alone. But that faith, once again, when real, creates devotion. Grace produces gratitude, gratitude produces obedience. We become, again, then we behave. The reason I've been repeating that every episode is because we need to understand that we are loved first and then we love in response. So once again, here we go. Dead faith, it talks, it doesn't walk. Demonic faith agrees, but has no allegiance. Demonstrated faith obeys. Dynamic faith moves, devoted faith loves. And when you truly know you are loved by God, obedience stops feeling like obligation, and it becomes delight, desire, and worship. So let me ask you this: do you obey because you have to or because you love him? Because Redeemed Rebels, listen, we don't just believe in God, we walk with him in a joyful, abundant relationship and faith that loves him back. Now that's a faith that'll live. Thanks for joining us this week for the Daily Rebel. We'll be back Monday with another episode. Love you. Thank you for listening to today's episode. Before you go, if you want to help other people be equipped to be redeemed rebels, give us a follow and share it around with your friends. We'll see you next time.