Everyday Faith: The Proof of Allegiance Recap: Allegiance in a Divided World We've seen that James is writing to followers of Jesus in a time of cultural upheaval, offering a “Third Way” that isn't about fighting the culture or joining it, but about practicing allegiance to King Jesus."Faith" in the first century was not just a private belief, but a public declaration of loyalty. Today, James gets direct about what true, living allegiance looks like, as opposed to what he calls “dead allegiance.” Halloween on the Green True Allegiance Works James 2:14–17 (ESV, adapted) 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has allegiance but does not have works? Can that allegiance save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also allegiance by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. The main idea is simple: Allegiance and “works” are inseparable. It's not allegiance + works; it's that true allegiance is works in action. “Works” here means our actions and good deeds in everyday life—in the "real world." I Have Questions Message The Problem: A Divided Life The proof of our allegiance is found in the way we live. Following Jesus isn't about having a “spiritual side” and a "real-life side"; it's about a single, integrated life. Many of us have been formed to believe our “allegiance” (faith) and our "work" (everyday life) can run on parallel tracks. “One of the greatest challenges for modern followers of Jesus isn’t unbelief — it’s bifurcation, the splitting of life into sacred and secular.” This shows up in the gap between what we say and what we do: We say Jesus is Lord, but our careers set the pace. We say we trust God, but we make decisions out of fear. We say the church is a family, but we treat it like a product. James's point: Allegiance that never makes contact with the real world isn't allegiance at all. It's dead. True Allegiance is Visible James 2:18 (ESV) But someone will say, “You have allegiance and I have works.” Show me your allegiance apart from your works, and I will show you my allegiance by my works. True allegiance will demonstrate itself in tangible, visible ways. James gives two powerful examples: Abraham (v. 21): He demonstrated his allegiance through a costly action—his willingness to offer up Isaac. His loyalty wasn't just a theory; it was visible. Rahab (v. 25): She demonstrated her allegiance by a risky action—hiding the Israelite spies, endangering her own life. Her loyalty was real and tangible. The Central Question: What does my allegiance look like? Would someone be able to look at my life and observe my true loyalty by the way I live? The Gospel Makes Us Whole Why do we live divided lives? We split our lives into “sacred” and "secular" because deep down, we're afraid of what it would cost if Jesus were Lord over all of it. We want to retain control. The Gospel is the announcement that the One we're afraid to surrender to has already surrendered Himself for us. Jesus lived an integrated life: Before we ever showed allegiance to Him, He showed allegiance to us by stepping into the ordinary, messy parts of life. His life was a perfect, single “yes” to the Father. The cross is the power that changes us: On the cross, Jesus absorbed the consequences of our divided lives. In exchange, he gave us His wholeness and His Spirit. “The Gospel doesn’t just save us for eternity; it reintegrates us for today. It invites us to live a single, whole life of allegiance — not divided, not compartmentalized, but fully alive to God in every ordinary moment.” So What? Living an Integrated Life If our “allegiance” and our "everyday life" cannot function on separate tracks, we must ask an honest question: Where in my life am I still divided? At work, where ambition or fear shapes my choices? At home, in how I speak to my family? In how I think about money, politics, or rest? The Gospel doesn't come to shame us; it comes to make us whole. The invitation this week: Take one part of your life that’s been running on its own track and quietly bring it back under His reign. Pray a simple prayer: "Jesus, I want you to be Lord here, too." “That’s the beauty of allegiance: It’s not about adding a spiritual layer to your life. It’s about letting every part of your life belong to the One who gave His for you.”