Faith that works: The Living Faith of a Patriach and a Prostitue (James 2:18-26)

Setting the Sails

When Hudson Taylor, the famous missionary, first went to China, it was in a sailing vessel. Very close to the shore of cannibal islands the ship stalled because the wind stopped blowing. It was slowly drifting shoreward unable to go about and the native cannibal’s were eagerly anticipating, well dinner I guess.

The captain came to Mr. Taylor and besought him to pray for the help of God. “I will,” said Taylor, “provided you set your sails to catch the breeze.” The captain declined to make himself a laughing stock by unfurling in a dead calm. Taylor said, “I will not undertake to pray for the vessel unless you will prepare the sails.” And it was done.

The ship was helplessly floating toward a beach with cannibals waiting for them to shipwreck. The situation was dire. The Captain was so afraid he solicited divine help. “Hudson, will you pray for us?” “Yes.” Hudson replied. “But only if you set your sails.” In calm seas? With no wind? My men will laugh at me. They will see me as a fool.” said the captain.

Why did Hudson make the captain set his sails before he would pray, while the sea was calm? In my estimation, he wanted to see the Captain’s faith. How would Hudson know of the Captain believed God would deliver them? The Captain would have to demonstrate his faith by hoisting up the sails, even as the seas were calm. Hudson understood that true living faith always reveals itself with good works of faith.

Charles Spurgeon, a contemporary of Taylor, described the relationship between faith and works as the something “bound up in the same bundle” and “a blessed relationship.” Spurgeon says,

“Faith and obedience are bound up in the same bundle. He that obeys God, trusts God, and he that trusts God, obeys God. He that is without faith is without works; and he that is without works is without faith. Do not oppose faith and good works to one another, for there is a blessed relationship between them; and if you abound in obedience your faith shall grow exceedingly.” Charles Spurgeon

Spurgeon and Taylor capture the point of James’ argument in James 2:14-26.

Living faith will reveal itself through obedient works of love for God and neighbor.

Last week, we thought long and hard on James’ warning about deceptive faith. We asked the question, “What good is your faith if it sends you to hell?” What kind of faith sends you to hell? Deceptive faith! Deceptive faith is the kind of faith that hears the word, but does not remember it by doing the word. It is the kind of faith that believes it has true religion but fails to express love toward orphans and widows. Deceptive faith makes evil distinctions between the rich and the poor. In short, deceptive faith is nominal Christianity, that is, Christian in name only.

One of the major themes James is addressing in his letter is nominal Christianity. Nominal Christianity believes that you can walk down and isle and say a prayer, and then live like a pagan for the rest of your life, believing you and God are just fine. Jesus makes it clear that at his judgment he will separate the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:31-42). The only ones who will enter the kingdom of heaven are those who “do the will of his father.”

New Testament theologian Patrick Schreiner makes James’s point as well when he says,

“Though some claim to have faith, faith is revealed by a person’s works. Works are the tangible expression of faith. They are the clothes on top of the flesh of faith. Mere intellectual assent to God is inadequate. Even the demons believe. What matters is the combination of faith and works.” Patrick Schreiner

James moves his argument forward by using an imaginary antagonist who brings a rebuttal question.

James 2:18 ESV

But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

The person rebutting James seems to believe you can have faith apart from works. The argument goes, “As long as I profess faith, I’m fine. It doesn not matter if I have works. I mean, Paul says we are saved by grave though faith, right? Its not works that save you, right? So as long as I profess faith I am fine.”

James takes issue with this kind of faith. Faith, true living faith, can only be seen by your works. That is what James means when he says, “I will show you my faith by my works. Jame is not at odds with Paul’s view of salvation. Both men believe you are saved by grace through faith. And both men hold that faith will expresses itself in works. Paul, for example, right after he says you are saved through faith, also says,

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

James and Paul were addressing two different situations. Paul was addressing legalism. There were Jews are who were saying one is not truly justified with God unless that add works to their faith. James was addressing the other extreme of Christian nominalism-no works are necessary. Just faith. In James’ eyes, that is nominal faith-faith in name only.

According to James, nominal faith is no different than demonic faith.

James 2:19 ESV

You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

Demons have faith. They believe God exists and they have really good theology. They believe God is one, which is like confessing the shema (Deut 6:4). Demons recognized that Jesus was the Son of God. It was the demons that said,

Mark 1:24 ESV

“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”

The demons even shudder, that is they are fearful of Jesus. In one episode, Jesus confronts a legion of demons in a man,

Matthew 8:29 ESV

And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”

Take a second to ask yourself a question.

What is the difference between your faith and faith of the demons?

The demons recognized Jesus as the Son of God and that he has the power to send them to hell. Their theology is better than most church goers in the Western Church, and yet James says their belief in God is not sufficient to save them. They do not have the good works of love for God and neighbor. They do not submit to the will of God with joy and gladness. To the person who has mere belief in God, like the demons, James says you are foolish and your faith is useless (James 2:20). A useless faith should cause one to shudder.

Douglas Moo insightfully notes,

“[If] Demons, knowing something of the true God yet lacking true faith, shudder in fear of judgment, [then] so also ought people whose verbal profession is not followed up with actions.” Douglas Moo

James offers his readers two examples of living. One is a patriarch and the other is a prostitute.

The Living Faith of a Patriarch (James 2:21-23)

James 2:21 ESV

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?

James is reaching back to Genesis 22 for his example of living faith. We know he speaking of living faith because he drops the word “justified”in verse 21. He is speaking of genuine living faith, and James connects Abrahams works to his justification-being made right with God. What were his works?

Genesis 22:1–2 ESV

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

I remember having a conversation with a young student at Boyce College. His home church gave him the opportunity to preach one Sunday, and so he chose this text. He went on to labor how he told the congregation of Abraham’s great faith, and that he didn’t believe that Abraham wept and wrestled with the thought of sacrificing his own son as he walked up the the mountain. I said, “You obviously do not have children and you obviously do not feel the weight of what God asked Abraham to do.”

Keep in mind, Abraham and Sarah could not have children. Then God promises they will have an heir, a son of their own. They wait twenty-five years to have that son. Then, after 12-15 years of pouring into his one and only son, God says to take your very son, the one you love, and offer him as a burnt offering.

As if loosing your son was not hard enough, Abraham would also loose the promsie of heirs and the hope of the Messiah. It looked as if God was backing out of his promise, if you stop at verse 2. And maybe someone with dead faith would see God that way. But Abraham had living faith. In verse 3, Abraham obeys God by taking the boy and some wood toward the mountain.

When they get to the base of the mountain, Abraham tells his servants to stay put while he and the boy go up the mountain. Isaac is pretty clever. He realizes they have wood and fire, but they do not have a sacrifice. Abraham reveals his faith when he answers the boy,

Genesis 22:8 ESV

Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

It was not doubt a hard walk for Abraham. I can only speculate how he felt. I am a father of five children. I know my heart would grow heavier with every step. Eventually Abraham arrives at the place God told him about. He binds his son’s hands and places him on the alter. Think back to verse 8. Abraham believed God would provide for the burnt offering. He did not know how, and maybe he believed God would resurrect his son. The point is, Abraham believed God to the point that he raised his knife to slay his son. God stops him and says

Genesis 22:12 ESV

He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

God tested Abraham’s faith to see if it was living faith. How would Abraham who God and us that his faith was living faith? It would be through his works. That is the point James makes in verse 22,

James 2:22 ESV

You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;

James 2:23 ESV

and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.

That is, Abraham was justified by faith. His faith in God was counted to him as righteousness. Paul affirms this in Romans 4:1-11. But why does James say “justified by works.” James’s declaration that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone seems to contradict what Paul says in Rm 3:28,

Romans 3:28 ESV

For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

Once again, keep in mind that Paul was writing about “works of the law,” meaning the Mosaic law, whereas James spoke only of “works,” which has in view good deeds. Mark DeVine notes, James’s references to law are to “the law of freedom” (the gospel; see 2:12) and to “the royal law” (v. 8; Lv 19:18), both of which affirm his assertion that true faith is expressed through good works.

Douglass Moo is also helpful when he says, “When Abraham “put faith in” the Lord, God gave him, then and there, the status of a right relationship with him: before he had done works, before he was circumcised. This is Paul’s point about Abraham (Rom 4:1–17). But the faith of Abraham and God’s verdict of acquittal were “filled up,” given their ultimate significance, when Abraham “perfected” his faith with works. It is after the greatest of those works, cited by James in v. 21, that the angel of the Lord reasserted God’s verdict: “Now I know that you fear God” (Gen 22:12).” In other words, Abraham’s faith was validated or vindicated by his works.

“So good works follow saving faith. Salvation is not gained through works but rather good works are the fruit of saving faith in Jesus Christ.” Mark DeVine

The Living Faith of a Prostitute (James 2:24-26)

With the second example of living faith, James moves from Genesis to Joshua 2 with the story of Rahab. Moses has died. Joshua is commissioned to lead Israel in the conquest of the land of Canaan. Jericho was a fortified city with massive walls. Joshua sends spies into the city to do recon.

Rahab is introduced as a Harlot, or prostitute in Joshua 2:1. The spies enter her house and the ruler of Jericho finds out. So he sent men to her home apprehend the spies. At this point, Rahab has tow options. One she can hand the spies over to the soldiers of Jericho, or she can commit treason by hiding them and sparing their lives. She courageously chose the latter.

Joshua 2:4–6 ESV

But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof.

Why did Rahab risk her life and the life of her family for her enemy? Israel was coming to destory her city and conquer her people? Why did she hide the spies? In her own words, she says,

Joshua 2:8–11 ESV

Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.

She believed in Yahweh. She believed in God, the Lord is one-the Shema. She so believed that God is one, that she not only hid the spies, but delivers them from the soldiers and gives them a plan of escape.

Rahab believed God. She feared Yahweh. How do we know she feared Yahweh. By her works. She showed hospitality to the spies. She hid them from the soldiers. She ensured they escaped. And she hung a red scarlet cord in her window, trusting that she would be delviered from the destruction.

The writer of Hebrews says,

Hebrews 11:31 ESV

By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

By faith she did not perish because she hid the spies. Her faith was revealed by her works.

James ends this section with this axiom that sums up everything he is arguing about faith and works.

James 2:26 ESV

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Kent Hughes poignantly reiterates Jame’s point when eh says,

“Faith without action, even if embalmed in a beautifully profound creedal statement, is a decaying corpse.” Kent Hughes

There are two things the patriarch and the prostitute have in common when it comes to living faith.

Living faith sells out entirely to trusting the Lord.

Both Abraham and Rahab put everything on the line when they trusted God. Abraham completely trusted God with the life of his one and only son, his legacy, his progeny, his future inheritance. Abraham’s faith trusted that God was good and right and faithful and able to do everything he promised he would do, even if it meant great loss at the sacrifice of his son.

Rahab sold out to with absolute trust the moment she committed to house the spies. She put her life and the life of her family in the hands of the sovereign Lord, and she completely trusted in his deliverance when she put the red cord in her window. Living faith is sold out faith. There is no on foot on the dock and one foot on the boat. You are either all in or all out, and your actions will prove if your faith is living.

The second thing they both have in common is,

The living faith of patriarch and the prostitute leads to Jesus, the author and protector of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

Jesus’s linage runs through both the patriarch and the prostitute. God used the faith of Abraham and Rahab to bring the Messiah, our Savior, Jesus, into the world so that sinners could put their faith in him for the forgiveness of sins.

Scripture is clear, friends, salvation from Gods’ wrath is by faith alone in Christ alone. Just as Abraham trusted God to deliver Isaac from the alter and Rahab trusted God to deliver her from the conquest of Jericho, you must trust Jesus to deliver you from God’s wrath for your sin.

Acts 16:31 (ESV)

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved...”

John 1:12 ESV

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

Acts 13:39 ESV

and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

You must have living faith. You must believe God. Salvation is by faith alone. However, As Kent Hughes rightly puts its.

“Salvation is by faith that is not alone.” Kent Hughes

Hughes once again is helpful. He brings up the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. Everyone who is listed had living faith the revealed itself with works. Ponder their faith and works:

By faith able offered a better sacrifice (Hebrews 11:4)

By faith Noah built the ark to save his family (Hebrews 11:7)

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob (Hebrews 11:20)

By faith Joseph spoke (Hebrews 11:22)

By faith Moses chose to be mistreated along with his people (Hebrews 11:24-25)

By faith Israel crossed the Red Sea on dry land (Hebrews 11:29)

And who is a better example than these but Jesus himself. By faith

Hebrews 12:2 (ESV)

Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

By faith

1 Peter 2:23 ESV

When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

Jesus sold out to the Father and entrusted Him with everything, even raising him from the dead. And God deliver Jesus from death by raising him from the dead.

And if you will put your faith in him, his work on the cross, and his resurrection, God promises to deliver you as well. God can be trusted with your eternity.

God is not simply a hearer of the word, he is a doer of the word. God does not simply talk about the plight of widows and orphans, he is a husband to widows and a father to the fatherless. God does make distinctions among people. For goodness sake, he delivered Rahab with the same love and faithfulness as he delivered Abraham. Even more, he used the faith of a prostitute with the faith of a patriarch to bing the Messiah who saves both Jew and Gentile! You can trust God when he says by faith you are saved, and you have been created in Christ Jesus to do good works (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Had the captain of the ship not raised the sail, they would have perished at the hands of cannibals. The captain proved his faith in God to provide wind was genuine when he laid down his pride when he commanded his men to hoist the sail in calm seas.

If you profess Jesus as your Lord, if you have living faith, your faith will not be alone. Your faith will have good works the validate your faith as genuine.

While Hudson was engaged in prayer, there was a knock at the door of his stateroom. “Who is there?” The captain’s voice responded, “Are you still praying for wind?” “Yes.” “Well,” said the captain, “you’d better stop praying, for we have more wind than we can manage.”

By faith Hudson prayed. By faith the captain lifted the sails. By faith the all the crew were delivered from the cannibals.

Living faith will reveal itself through obedient works of love for God and neighbor.