TEXT

14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? 17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. 18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” 19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? 21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. 25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

TRUSTING IN THE ONE WHO’S DONE EVERYTHING

God knew that we would rebel. So He devised a plan to pursue us. Christ exited His throne, and entered into human history. He knew the work that He was to accomplish.

John 17:4. I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.

Jesus went to the cross and put Himself in our place and suffered the punishment we deserve, that we might receive salvation. Everything Jesus did is everything that needs to be done. He said this on the cross, breathing out his last in triumphant cry, “It is finished!”

It’s not Jesus plus baptism, a good life, speaking in tongues, trying harder, because Jesus plus anything ruins everything. It’s all Jesus, it’s only Jesus, it’s always Jesus, and Jesus alone. We are not to do anything; we are to trust the one who has done everything. The Bible calls that faith.

PLUGGING IN

Just as you would take dead technology and plug it into its power source so that it would come to life, so we who are spiritually dead by faith have access to the power of the living God and are made spiritually alive.

Jesus’ work for us begins a work in us.

James, a pastor in the city of Jerusalem, is dealing primarily with people who have been going to church and hearing sermons for a long time. He’s going to clarify Jesus’ works and our works.

3 TYPES OF FAITHS

He’s going to speak of faith in three categories. The first two are counterfeits.

DEAD FAITH

He’s writing to religious people.

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Very significant, important question.

We’re saved from Satan, sin, death, hell, torment, and the wrath of God. Being saved is incredibly important. Can this kind of dead faith save you?

He uses a case study, an example. “Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing,” In your neighborhood you notice a kid doesn’t own a coat. It’s cold, raining, and the child is shivering. Or you see a single mom is trying to make ends meet, but she’s fallen short again this month. As a result, she’s distressed because she can’t buy groceries. You don’t do anything.

LIP SERVICE AND NO LIFESTYLE

This is the problem. Religion says a lot of things, it doesn’t do anything. and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”

It’s religious hyperbole. Quote a little verse, give them a little “When God closes a door, He opens a window. He has great things for you. Just trust the Lord. I’ll be praying He gives you a coat.” He already did; it’s at your house!

If you pray, answer the prayer.

Religious people are annoying. but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. Here’s a good question, What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

You know what dead people do? It’s not a trick question. You know what dead faith does? Nothing. Dead faith is all lip service and no lifestyle.

This is like a guy who says, “I love my wife.” Do you talk to her? Do you serve her? Do you live with her? You don’t. “Yes I do, don’t judge my heart.” The problem is your heart has overflowed into your life, and we see it.

FRUITLESSNESS

Some of you have dead faith. You don’t give, you don’t serve, you don’t care, but you believe in God. This is classic lazy, lukewarm, lifeless religion. And some have gotten theological about it and have arguments for why they are fruitless.

You know what? You can be baptized in the church, you can grow up in the church, you can sit in the church every week, close your eyes, and wake up in hell. Because Religion doesn’t save; Christ saves. It’s not what you do, it’s what Jesus does and if you trust him.

A good tree bears what kind of fruit? A bad tree bears what kind of fruit?

Some of you are like that. It’s only a matter of time before Jesus comes back, chops you down, and burns you up because you’re a bad tree and you don’t bear good fruit. You have dead faith. It’s not rooted in Christ. You’re rooted in morality, you’re rooted in religion, so there’s no life in you, there’s no life through you. It’s fruitless.

2. DEMONIC FAITH

James 2:18–19, “Now someone may argue,” You know why? Because theologians and nerds, always like to argue about what they’re not doing. “I’m not doing it because I read the Bible. It said not to do anything.” Using the Bible to excuse your disobedience to the Bible is not rightly using the Bible.

Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” “We believe in pluralism, tolerance, and diversity. That’s your path, this is mine, let’s not judge each other. We’re both right.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.

There are two groups having a little argument in the church. Two thousand years later, these groups still having an argument. We have the works people, and we have the faith people. So, the works-minus-faith people are saying, basically, “You can earn your salvation. It’s not what Jesus does; it’s what you do. Be a good person. Try harder. Pay off your karmic debt. Go to Mecca. Tithe 10 percent. Speak in tongues. Get baptized. Do something.”

Every religion except for Christianity says there is a savior, and you meet them every morning in the mirror. This leads to pride or despair. There’s great uncertainty and anxiety if salvation is accomplished by me.

The faith people are faith minus works. They’re saying, “You know what? We just need to calm down. We don’t need to pray. God’s sovereign; he already takes care of everything. We don’t need to give; God will provide. We don’t need to serve; that would be legalism. We should just trust the Lord, and maybe argue theology, and publish some books, and wait for Jesus to come back. You don’t want to do anything. “You’re not religious, are you? You’re not legalistic, are you? Why are you trying? Don’t you trust Jesus? Why are you helping? Why are you praying? Why are you caring? Why are you serving? That’s not very godly. You look like the Pharisees. Remember those religious guys?”

The faith people are over here saying, “Don’t do anything like those religious people.” And the works people are over here saying, “You don’t need Jesus.”

James says they’re both wrong.

LIKE A DEMON

There are versions of this in Christianity and both are demonic.

Now, there’s an informal third way that exists in our culture, and that is, “I’ll just assume that what I’m doing is good enough. I believe in God. I’m a pretty good person. I’m one of those C students, but you know, He grades on a curve.”

How many of you know someone who thinks they’re a pretty good person?

James says, “You are like a demon.” It’s not very encouraging, is it? That would not be a best-selling book title, You Are Like a Demon. “Oh, yay! “I didn’t know which book to buy, “‘Seven Steps to a Whole New You’ or ‘You’re Like a Demon.’ It’s not saving faith. Demonic faith approaches God the way demons approach God. He says, “Oh, you believe in one God. Congrats, you’re a monotheist.” Even the demons are monotheists. You can have an understanding of Jesus without an affection for Jesus.

RELIGIOUS PEOPLE DON’T KNOW HIM, BUT DEMONS DO

As you read the Gospels there’s a lot of people that don’t know who Jesus is, like His family, His disciples. He calls them dull. The religious people didn’t know.

As you read the gospels, the demons know who Jesus is.

Mark 1:34, But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak.

Luke 4:33–34, Once when he was in the synagogue, a man possessed by a demon an evil spirit cried out, shouting,“Go away! Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are the Holy One of God!”

Luke 4:41, Many were possessed by demons; and the demons came out at his command, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But because they knew he was the Messiah, he rebuked them and refused to let them speak.

3 ASPECTS OF DEMONIC FAITH

HAS INFORMATION BUT NOT TRANSFORMATION

Do demons become Christians? No. Do demons know who Jesus is? Yes. So, they know who Jesus is, and they go to hell. You can know who Jesus is and go to hell because you need more than just information. You need that information to result in your transformation.

Some of you could pass a test. You could score 100 percent along with the demon and be with them forever, because the test is not just fill-in-the-blank—it’s fill in the life. It’s not just what you know; it’s what that knowledge does to transform you.

2. KNOWS ABOUT JESUS BUT DOES NOT LOVE JESUS

“You are the Holy One. You are the Son of God. We know who you are.” They don’t say, “We love you. We’re so glad to meet you. We want to become more like you. We want to follow you.” They don’t love him. Do you love Jesus? Has he changed you? Is he changing you?

3. IS REBELLIOUS AND NOT REPENTANT

“You are the Holy One, the Son of God, and we’re not going to do what you say. We’re not going to bend the knee.”

Some of you know who Jesus is and you disobey. You are like a demon.

Dead faith does not produce fruitful living. Demonic faith is entirely, exclusively, theological and theoretical. It’s not practical; it’s not actual. The demons in the New Testament have a theology of Jesus that is better than a great multitude of Bible college and seminary professors. If the demons were to write a book on Jesus, it would be clearer than some of the junk at the Christian bookstore, because when they talk about Jesus, they actually get it right.

Some of you live in a world of theoretical and theological, and you are using the Scriptures to explain away and defend your fruitless, faithless life.

REAL FAITH THAT’S DYNAMIC

There’s a third way. It’s dynamic faith. How foolish! How many of you think you’re pretty smart? “I don’t know, he’s yelling. “I’m pretty smart. I don’t feel like you should yell at someone as smart as me. Oh yeah, there’s a dumb guy sitting next to me. All right, it’s OK. He needs to yell at that guy.”

Here he’s echoing the Wisdom Literature. A lot of the Bible’s about sin and holiness, but the Wisdom Literature’s about folly and wisdom. He says, “You know what? This is foolish, I want you to be wise.”

You can be a foolish Christian. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?

He’s going to do two case studies, Abraham and Rahab.

Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. I want you to pay careful attention to that word. We’re going to come back to it. Super important. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say:

And he goes back and quotes Genesis. Massive verse of the Bible. It echoes through the whole Bible. It’s a massive, massive concept and theme. And Abraham becomes for us this towering figure of faith. “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” there’s faith He was even called the friend of God. So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

ON THE WAY TO PERFECTION

If you’re here and you’ve done some things you’re ashamed of, the Bible talks about God loving people like you. The real problem with religion is, “Be a good person and save yourself.” You’re like, “I’ve been a bad person, what now?” Rahab was a prostitute. Do you know what it was like to be a prostitute thousands of years ago? No more socially acceptable than today. You think Rahab’s going to die, stand before the holy and righteous God of the universe, and God’s like, “All right, tell me what you did to earn your salvation?” “I was a good prostitute.” Uh, no. If God saves, that’s the most loving, and it’s the most hopeful, and it welcomes the worst sinner, like me.

Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. He says, “You know Rahab? She was a sinner. Everybody knew it. She wasn’t one of God’s people. And then God’s people showed up in town, and God’s people were in danger. They were gonna lose their life, so what Rahab did is she had a conversion, and she identified with God’s people, and she realized that her life was wrong, and she immediately started making some changes.” What he’s saying is as soon as Rahab converted, you could see it. Her life started changing. She wasn’t perfect, but she was different.

Friends, Christians aren’t perfect, but they’re different, and they’re on the path to perfection that ends with the resurrection, which is where they see their perfection.

What Rahab did is she endangered herself by helping God’s people escape. She identified with God’s people, she changed, and she served God’s people and God’s purposes. She didn’t just say, “I trust the Lord. Good luck getting out of town. Good luck!” She said, “I’m here to help. Because God loves me, I love you. Because God served me, I serve you. Because God got me out of the mess I was in, I want to help get you out of the mess you’re in. It’s God’s work for me and in me and through me to your benefit.”

OBEDIENT FAITH

He says, “What about Abraham?” And Abraham’s this great, towering figure of faith. Well, the story of Abraham is that he was to be a father, but he didn’t have a son. And so the promise was given that a son was coming, and the son would come through a miracle. A woman who couldn’t have a baby—she was barren and elderly—would give birth not just to a child, but to a son, a firstborn son, a beloved son, a son of a promise through whom would come a Savior named Jesus. And they waited a long time, and the promise was fulfilled, and the son was born, and he was loved.

As he grew to be a young man, God told Abraham, “I want you to take your son, your only son, your firstborn son, the son of the promise, the son that you waited for, the son that was born by a miracle, and I want you to offer him as a sacrifice to me.” A father would kill his son, all of this foreshadowing the forthcoming of Jesus. The Father would send his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, we would wait a long time for him, and he would be born through a miracle to a woman who was a virgin and not otherwise able to conceive apart from the intervention of God. When born, he would be greatly loved, and he would be the Son of the promise from the line of Abraham. So, all of this points to Jesus.

What the Bible says in Genesis is that they went, and Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac in obedience to the Lord, and that Isaac literally carried the wood on his own back, just like Jesus carried the cross to his place of crucifixion and execution. And in faith, Abraham was going to sacrifice his only son. And God intervened through the angel of the Lord, perhaps even Jesus, and said, “Don’t sacrifice your son. There’s an animal as a substitute. But on the Mountain of the Lord, it will be provided,” meaning there would be another day when the Father would send another Son who would carry different wood, and he instead would substitute himself for the salvation of sinners.

What James is saying, particularly to these Jewish Christians who are in the city of Jerusalem attending this large church, is, “What if Abraham would have said, ‘I have faith, but not works? I trust the Lord; I just don’t do anything?’” Faith is not just what we believe internally, it’s how we behave externally.

Pool Analogy

What he’s saying here is, Rahab trusted the Lord in here and you could see it out there; that Abraham trusted the Lord in here and you could see it out there; that when the Father asked them to jump, they jumped, and he caught them, and he cared for them, and everything was OK. That’s faith.

DOES JAMES CONTRADICT PAUL?

How many of you are armchair theologians? You’ve been looking forward to this week. You’ve been reading ahead. Your question is this: “Does James contradict Paul?”

The denominations have split over it, churches have split over it, books have been written over it, debates have been had regarding it.

We go through books of the Bible. It forces us to deal with things that sometimes we wouldn’t get into.

How many of you have heard this from somebody? They’re like, “I don’t believe the Bible. The Bible has a lot of contradictions.”I’ve asked this for 10 years. Every time somebody comes up, “It has a lot of contradictions.” Oh, big claim. Where? Give me one. “Uh, I don’t know.” OK, you are a contradiction.

The first thing you’ve got to ask is, “Where’s the contradiction?” And then go study it and see if it’s a contradiction. The accusation is made that herein lies a contradiction. James 2:24, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” We just read that. Here’s Paul. Romans 3:28, “One is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” Which is it?

You’re in a doctor’s office. The doctor’s got two rooms where they meet with patients. And you’re, let’s say, out in the waiting room and it’s going to be your turn. And you hear the doctor walk into one room and say, “You need to start jogging. You need to get up and start running. You need to be active.” Doctor walks into the other room, “You need to sit down. You need to stop running. You shouldn’t be active.” Contradiction? No, different patients. All right, this guy’s really heavy, and this guy broke his leg. So, this guy needs to run, and this guy needs to sit down. It’s not a contradiction when you consider the patient. Then the diagnosis makes sense.

James is writing primarily to highly religious people who don’t do anything. Paul’s writing primarily to non-Christians and newly converted Pagans, and they’re all terrified. Different patients, different problems, different treatments. Paul is primarily focused on how we become Christians, and James is primarily focused on what it means to live as a Christian.

RECONCILING PAUL & JAMES

1. FRIENDS DON’T NEED TO BE RECONCILED

In Galatians 1, Paul says, “Yeah, I took a long trip to go see James in Jerusalem.” You only travel a long way to go meet with somebody you get along with and you’re friends with. Galatians 2, Paul says, “When I became a Christian, I felt like I was supposed to be a Pastor. I needed somebody to examine me, and approve me, and lay hands over me, and commission me. So I went to Jerusalem to meet with James.”

James is Paul’s Pastor.

Throughout Acts, Paul makes long journeys to Jerusalem to meet with James. They’re friends.And Paul’s not afraid to have a conflict with somebody. He does with Peter.“I put my finger in Peter’s chest because I told him he was a racist and he wasn’t acting in accordance with the gospel.”

It never says that about Paul and James. They meet all the time, so that Paul can report to James what God is doing, and so James could give some counsel and wisdom. So, don’t just look at the words they say. Look at the relationship that they have.

2. JAMES EMPHASIZED HORIZONTAL & PAUL VERTICAL FAITH

Paul’s is, “How do you get in right relationship with God?” And then James’ focus is, “And once you’re in right relationship with God, how does that affect community, relationships, loving people, serving people, and helping people?” Once you’re connected to God, God wants to connect you with people so you can love and serve them the way that he’s loved and served you.

3. JAMES EMPHASIZES END & PAUL BEGINNING OF SALVATION

So, Paul is saying, “You start your relationship solely by trusting in all that Jesus has done,” and James is saying, “And 40 years later, when you’re looking back on it, you see that your life changed.

If you come to me and you ask me, “Pastor Ty, how do I know if I’m a Christian?” I’m going to ask you two questions: “Do you know Jesus?” And the second question will be, “What has he done in your life?”

You can’t meet Jesus and not change.

4. JAMES EMPHASIZED RELIGIOUS, LAZY & PAUL THE LOST

Religious people: “I was in a Bible study years ago. I got all my questions answered, put the book down. Yeah, I go twice a month.”They’re just indifferent. Ritual has become routine.

If you’ve been a Christian, you can forget what it’s like to live in terror.

I had a gal in my youth ministry. Every week, she would freak out, asking to become a Christian. Imagine, men, every day you come home from work and your wife is like, “Will you marry me?” “We have been married 37 times.” “But I feel like we got unmarried today.” “Look, we’re married, all right? We’re good.”

“I did something wrong this week. Now he hates me and I’m going to hell. I need to come back and get saved again. “No you don’t. Jesus is a groom who loves His bride. He’s not filing for divorce. Take a deep breath.

5. JAMES EMPHASIZED COMPLETE & PAUL COMPETING FAITH

There’s a difference between works that compete with faith and works that complete faith. I didn’t just marry Rachel, I live with her. That completes our covenant.

James 2:22 “You see that faith was active along with his works and faith was completed by his works.”

They’re talking about different kinds of faith.

Let’s just put the two texts up there where everybody freaks out. James 2:26, of course written by James, and then Ephesians 2:8–10, written by Paul. And almost all the Christians I’ve ever met quote Ephesians 2:8–9 skip verse 10. James 2:26.“Faith apart from works is dead.” Faith, then works. You don’t work your way into faith. Your faith works itself out in your life.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Not works that you’re trying to make yourself a Christian, but works that show that you belong to Christ.

“Boy, you’ve really changed.” “Yep, Jesus is working on me, and He’s working through me. I’m not changing because I have to but because I want to.”

You’re saved by grace through faith in Christ alone to good works that God has prepared in advance for you. That results in the greatest joy of all.

Internal devotion , which is faith, produces external devotion to God, which is works, because a good tree bears good fruit.

CONCLUSION

There’s nothing you can do to fix yourself and please God.

You need to stop whatever you’re doing and trust in Jesus.

God has prepared good works for you to do.

There are people for you to love.

There are people for you to talk to about Jesus.

There are things for you to learn.

There are ways for you to grow.

There are desires that need to be changed.

There is generosity for you to share.

There’s a kingdom for you to serve.

There is a mission for you to be a part of.

Love for Jesus and His people, and love for the world compels us to action. It’s the same love that got Jesus off His throne. It’s not us, it’s Christ in us, the hope of glory.

Now you know why you’re here, why you were born, why you have the experiences you do, and the gifts that you do, and the opportunities, because He has good works prepared in advance for you.

Here’s the good news: he doesn’t need you, but he loves you just like a good dad allows the children he loves to participate with him in the things that he does. Our Loving Father loves to have His kids go to work with Him.

AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND

Related Media

Related Sermons

Earn an accredited degree from Redemption Seminary with Logos.