James 1:1
“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.”
The Book of James shows the Christian how to have an effect on those around them. Faith is the key to being an effective Christian. Throughout the book, there are six different types of faith that every Christian needs if their faith is going to be effective.
The first faith you need to be effective is a tested faith. James 1:3 shows that the testing of faith is what makes your faith complete. A faith that is never tested is a faith that is insecure. You will only gain the confidence you need as a Christian when you go through the trials of life and allow your faith to grow. A tested faith gives a stable mind and a single focus that gives direction to where you are going with your faith and the strength to overcome temptation.
The second faith you need to be effective is a displayed faith. James 2:17 makes it evident that faith that is not displayed is a dead faith. Your Christianity will never be effective until you put it on display. There is a certain pressure placed on the Christian to do right when they openly profess their faith. Don’t be ashamed of telling people you are a Christian. It is that display of faith that makes your Christianity more effective.
The third faith you need to be effective is a temperate faith. James 3 shows the importance of controlling what you say. Many Christians have ruined their testimony by not controlling their tongue. You can have faith without temperance, but your faith will have no effect because of the words you say. Control your tongue, and let what you say display the faith that God wants you to have.
The fourth faith you need to be effective is a praying faith. James 4:3 shows the need for a praying faith. A prayerless faith is a powerless faith. If your faith is going to make an impact on those around you, you are going to have to have a prayer life. You cannot be effective without prayer. Prayer is what gives your faith the power to influence the hearts of others. You are wasting your spiritual energies without prayer.
The fifth faith you need to be effective is an expecting faith. James 5:7 shows us that our faith should expect the LORD to return at any time. You should live every day of your life expecting the LORD’s return. The expecting faith causes you to purify your life which results in more influences. An expecting faith is what truly makes the Christian live right and perform the mission of God to reach the lost for Christ.
The sixth faith you need to be effective is a converting faith. The purpose of having the five previous faith’s is so that you can use your effectiveness to convert others. A converting faith will primarily look to lead others to Jesus Christ, but it will also exist to help other Christians grow into what they are supposed to be. The converting faith is the result of combining the other five faiths.
Is your Christianity effective? If your effectiveness is waning, it is because you have let one of these faith’s waver. You will never be an effective Christian until all six faith’s are practiced daily.