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Faith that Works
- 1st – Verbal faith… vs. 14 -18
- 1st – Faith verses works…
- The key…
- FAITH – the substance of things hoped for – evidence of things not see – Hebrews 11:1
- FAITH – apart from which it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God – Hebrews 11:6
- FAITH in Jesus – the KEY that unlocks the FREE gift of SALVATION to us…
- Ephesians 2:8-9 – “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works [same word], lest anyone should boast.”
- The commands…
- James has spent the better part of TWO chapters telling us HOW to live our lives in Christ…
- He has already given us 15 COMMANDS [imperatives] in regard to our walk…
- But with all these TO DOs the natural question becomes – where does FAITH come in…
- Is it enough to just have FAITH [πίστις] – or must we also have WORKS [ἔργον]!
- The controversy…
- It is worth mentioning that this passage is by FAR the most controversial in James…
- Martin Luther – the Protestant reformer – famously tore this passage out of his Bible…
- Because what James is about to argue is that we must have FAITH and WORKS!
- Which on the surface is a direct contradiction of the writings of the Apostle Paul!
- Romans 3:28 – “Man is justified by faith apart from the works [same word] of the law.”
- But what we are going to find is that these truths are not independent of each other…
- To the contrary – they are immutable TRUTHS that weave together in beautiful harmony!
- The key…
- 2nd – Are words enough… vs. 14
- Can words save…
- What does it profit – my brethren – if someone says he has faith…
- But does not have works – can faith save him!
- James first tackles the value of VERBAL FAITH – what if I SAY I believe in Jesus…
- Is it enough just to SAY the words – can [δύναμαι] that kind of FAITH save!
- A powerful question – if we raise our hands at an alter call – say a prayer…
- If we make a confession of FAITH in Jesus – are we SAVED!
- The obvious answer is YES – the Bible says just that – there in nothing we have to DO!
- Romans 10:9 – “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
- ONLY having VERBAL FAITH…
- The key word here is ONLY – if all we have to hold onto is we SAID we believe…
- James argues that is NOT enough – words on their own CANNOT save!
- To illustrate this he gives us the example of someone who is in NEED!
- Can words save…
- 3rd – EMPTY words… vs. 15-16
- Naked and Hungry…
- If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food…
- And one of you says to them – depart in peace – be warmed and filled…
- But you do not give them the things which are needed for the body – what does it profit!
- The illustration being we see someone who has NEED…
- If we just SAY – DEPART in peace / be WARMED / FILLED [imperatives]…
- The suggestion being – we have FAITH it will happen – we commanded it to!
- As a side note – there is a movement in Christianity called the Word of Faith…
- Teaching if we only have enough FAITH – and SPEAK it – God has to do what we say…
- This flows into what is called the PROSPERITY Gospel – God wants to bless us…
- And the only reason why we are sick / poor – is because we lack FAITH!
- But the assumption is that God HAS TO do what we tell Him too – heal / provide…
- Which contradicts the Bible – we are to OBEY God / not instruct Him!
- John 14:15 – “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
- No POWER…
- When that person who was in NEED leaves – were our words any help…
- The obvious conclusion is we did NOTHING – that person went away naked and hungry…
- There was no POWER in WORDS to change the circumstances of the person in NEED!
- This has great application for our daily lives – WORDS are NOT enough…
- We can say all day that we LOVE our wife – or that we RESPECT our husband…
- We can say that we will obey our parents – or honor our boss…
- But it is not our words that have an impact – it is our ACTIONS that speak loudest!
- Naked and Hungry…
- 4th – DEAD faith… vs 17
- Words with FAITH…
- Thus also faith by itself – if it does not have works – is dead!
- Just as WORDS without ACTION was of no benefit to the man in NEED…
- So also – FAITH without WORKS [a changed life] has not power to SAVE!
- If we SAY we are Christians – but are still acting like the world around us – where is Jesus…
- Our lives after we BELIEVE in Jesus should be DIFFERENT – changed…
- Do we live in willful SIN – ignoring the conviction of the Holy Spirit in our lives…
- Or are we running to Jesus – not overcome by sin – but seeking His GRACE to transform us!
- If we are wondering where our walk with the Lord is – we should EXAMINE ourselves!
- II Corinthians 13:5 – “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you.”
- Not to say that we never sin – but we do not practice sin…
- I John 3:9 – “Whoever has been born of God does not [continue to] sin…”
- As believers – if we sin – there should be remorse / confession / repentance…
- If there is NO remorse – NO repentance for sin – there is good reason for concern…
- We cannot SAY we are saved and CONTINUE to live in unrepentant SIN!
- Words with FAITH…
- 5th – Faith or works… vs. 18
- One of the other…
- But someone will [indicative] say – you have faith – and I have works…
- Show me faith without works – and I will show you faith by works!
- James anticipates a person might argue – YOU have FAITH – and I have WORKS…
- The suggestion is that we have DIFFERENT gifts – yours is FAITH and mine is WORKS…
- Just because they are different does not mean that one or the other is wrong!
- But James begins to paint the inseparable relationship between FAITH and WORKS…
- He commands [imperative] the person who says this – SHOW their faith without WORKS…
- In contrast he will SHOW them his FAITH – his BY his Works!
- If I told you I could fly – the very next thing you would ask is – show me!
- No amount of words would convince you – unless I took off into the air!
- In the same way it is IMPOSSIBLE to prove we have FAITH apart from WORKS!
- One of the other…
- 1st – Faith verses works…
- 2nd – Emotional faith… vs. 19-20
- 1st – Example of demons… vs. 19
- One God…
- You believe that there is one God. You do well…
- If VERBAL FAITH is not enough to save us…
- What if our FAITH is based on EMOTION – I know in my HEART I am saved…
- Is it enough to have EMOTIONAL FAITH – I really / truly BELIEVE there is ONE God…
- BELIEVE [πιστεύω] from the same root word for FAITH…
- It is NOT enough to ONLY have EMOTIONAL FAITH – without WORKS!
- DEMONS believe…
- Even the demons believe – and tremble!
- DEMONS [δαιμόνιον] – 60x in NT – all but FOUR of the in the Gospels…
- 1/3 of the angels [stars] rebelled with satan [dragon] against God – Revelation 12:4
- As a result God cast them out of heaven – they were banished to the earth…
- But there is a final judgment that awaits these fallen angels – Jude 1:6
- When they will be cast into the Lake of Fire prepared for them – Matthew 25:43
- Demons ALSO believe – have FAITH there is ONE God – but they DO NOT have WORKS…
- They even TREMBLE – have EMOTION in reaction to their FAITH in God…
- But their EMOTIONAL faith in the ONE God CANNOT save them!
- I have to admit this is REALY HARD – it means we CANNOT trust our emotions!
- EMOTION is not enough…
- Because we can be CONVINCED of something – and still be VERY wrong!
- Mormons will famously tell you they have the truth – because of the burning heart…
- Jihadists will willing kill themselves in EMOTIONAL adherence to their FAITH!
- A moving worship service can make us FEEL closer to God – in spite of our WORKS…
- Coming to church JUST because it makes us FEEL better – does not change our heart …
- EMOTION does not bring clarity to TRUTH – it often conceals it!
- Our problem is our heart – we are the problem – we are sinners!
- Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked…”
- One God…
- 2nd – What to know… vs. 20
- But do you want to know – O foolish man – that faith without works is dead!
- For the SECOND time we are told – FAITH without WORKS is DEAD…
- To those who still refuse to see the connection – they are FOOLISH…
- Because we KNOW [γινώσκω] – LEARNED – that FAITH cannot live apart from WORKS!
- We are FOOLS if we hold to VERBAL or EMOTIONAL faith alone – because we are deceived…
- We have convinced ourselves we are SAVED – when we may not be!
- Which has POWERFUL and SOBERING application for our lives / and those we love…
- It is easy to take comfort that someone is going to heaven – because they SAID a prayer…
- Are assure ourselves that someone we love knows Jesus – because of EMOTION…
- But the TRUTH is we have learned that FAITH must also have WORKS!
- 1st – Example of demons… vs. 19
FAITH and WORKS – two sides of the same coin – defining our life Christ!
3rd – True faith… vs. 21-26
1st – Father Abraham… vs. 21-24
Having laid out failure of VERBAL and EMOTIONAL faith alone…
James goes on to give us what TURE FAITH looks like using THREE examples…
The first would be VERY familiar to his Jewish audience – Father Abraham!
HOW Faith…
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar…
You see [indicative] that faith was working together with his works…
And by works faith was made perfect!
Abraham was JUSTIFIED – saved by WORKS – when he offered Isaac his son…
Not by WORKS alone – but by FAITH working TOGETHER with his WORKS…
TOGETHER – [συνεργέω] – cooperation of things to produce a greater combined effect!
It was the FAITH of Abraham that worked TOGETHER with his WORKS to justify him…
Neither had enough power on their own – he could not WORK for salvation…
Neither was his FAITH alone enough – but TOGETHER they justified the Father of Faith!
When Abraham offered up of Isaac – it PERFECTED [τελειόω] COMPLETED his faith!
We see then that a man is justified by FAITH – that is SEEN through his WORKS!
We know a fruit tree is alive – if there is fruit on its branches…
In the same way we know there is TRUE FAITH in Jesus – if there is FRUIT…
If there is no FRUIT / WORKS coming from a believers life – then there is no FAITH…
The FRUIT / WORKS are the proof that the FAITH is TRUE!
WHEN faith…
Do not miss WHEN the FAITH of ABRAHAM produced good WORKS…
Genesis 15:6 – Abraham was 85 and had no children!
God told Abraham his decedents would be – as the stars in the heavens…
Just as you cannot count the stars [TEN billion – trillion] so would his children be!
Abraham BELIEVED the Lord – and God counted it to him as RIGHTEOUSNESS!
Genesis 22:2 – God told Abraham to offer up his ONLY child as a sacrifice…
Abraham was 85 years old when God declared him RIGHTEOUS by FAITH…
When he offered up Isaac – WORKS – he was between 115-137!
That means there was up to 50 years before the fruit was seen!
And the Scripture was fulfilled which says – Abraham believed God…
And it was accounted to him for righteousness. And he was called the friend of God…
You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith on!
If we plant a seed – we do not expect to harvest FRUIT a week later!
FRUIT takes time to grow and develop – but a healthy tree will ALWAYS bear FRUIT!
If we have TRUE FAITH in Jesus – there WILL be good FRUIT coming from our lives…
But not all FRUIT is immediate – it might take years for the FRUIT to come out…
That should be VERY encouraging to us – because we might ask – where is the FRUIT…
When will my husband / wife change and show the FRUIT of their FAITH…
The answer is we do not see the heart – but we pray – and wait for FRUIT to come!
2nd – Rahab the harlot… vs. 25
Rahab had FAITH…
Likewise – was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works…
When she received the messengers and sent them out another way!
Rahab had FAITH – she is one of only TWO women mentioned in the Hall of FAITH!
Hebrews 11:31 – “By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.”
Rahab was a harlot – she had a VERY sinful and sorted past…
But she believed – had FAITH in the ONE God of Israel – to save her from judgment!
Rahab had WORKS…
Rahab is listed here WITH Abraham as an example of what FAITH looks like…
All of Jericho was TERRIFIED of the ONE God of Israel – but ONLY Rahab was SAVED…
She did not just have FAITH in God – she showed her faith by her WORKS…
She was willing to RECEIVE and SEND away the spies – and was JUSTIFIED [passive] …
By living out her FAITH with good WORKS – it COMPLETED her FAITH!
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ – Matthew 1:5
Rahab would go on to marry Salmon – and have a son named Boaz [married Ruth] …
She would become the great grandmother of King David – a descendant of Jesus!
But she was a HARLOT [πόρνη] – porn – in THE genealogy of Jesus!
Which tells us that FAITH that WORKS has the power to transform ANYONE!
No matter what our PAST – as we have TRUE FAITH in Jesus – it will produce FRUIT…
That is the amazing POWER of the Gospel – the ability to make SINNERS into SAINTS!
Which means to matter how bad someone might be today – there is hope for tomorrow…
When FAITH – in due time – WORKS in their lives to transform them!
Galatians 2:20 – “It is no longer I who live – but Christ lives in me…”
3rd – The body… vs. 26
Inseparable…
For as the body without the spirit is dead – so faith without works is dead also…
There are two possible ways to interpret this final example…
If a physical body does not have AIR [πνεῦμα] – then it will DIE…
But it could also be – if we do not have the Spirit of God – then we are DEAD…
Speaking of our need for the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT to give us SPIRITUAL LIFE!
Either way the point is simple – they are inseparable…
In the same way FAITH and WORKS are INSEPARABLE – we MUST have FRUIT…
We cannot WORK our way into Heaven – James is NOT trying to argue that…
But also cannot just think VERBAL / EMOTIONAL FAITH is enough either…
TRUE FAITH will ALWAYS produce GOOD WORKS – a life transformed by Jesus!
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