A Living Faith

Opening

Good morning everyone,

As always, it is a great privilege to be with you all here this morning. Let me open us in a word of prayer.

[INSERT PRAYER HERE]

As many of you are aware, we will be continuing our reading of the book of James, the letter from James to the Jewish Christians of the Dispersion.

And the theme we find in James is followers of Jesus are to be affected by their faith. Not just hearers of the word of God but also doers of the word of God.

This is James’ call for his brothers and sisters, for them to live wise lives, lives reflective of the gospel that they have received.

Last time, we saw James address the way in which the Jewish Christians are to treat the poor and the needy that come into the midst of their gathering.

How they are not to make distinctions based on outward appearance or seek to curry favor from those that are rich in the eyes of the world.

Instead, they are to show mercy and compassion, to love their neighbors just as God has loved them in their need. Rather than seek favor from man, they are to look to God and God alone.

You see, Apostle James doesn’t want God’s people to live double lives, he wants them to be whole, perfect, and complete!

To be rid of the flaws in character that come from keeping parts of themselves separate from the effect of the gospel and, in doing so, become more and more like Jesus.

Yet James’ instructions aren’t just given because he wants us to be more Christ-like. He gives them because it is a matter of life and death.

With that, let’s look at today’s passage.

If you have your Bibles with you, I invite you to turn with me to James chapter 2, verses 14 to 26. Again, that is the book of James, its second chapter, from verse 14 till the end of verse 26.

James 2:14–26

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

We start here in verse 14, with this question placed before you. “What good is it for someone to claim faith but exhibit no deeds?”

This scenario is given where there is someone who needs clothes and food. James asks his audience the question “What good is it?” to pray and give blessings, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” while not providing clothes or food.

“What good is it?”

The implication is that this is of no good, it is not enough. Before the blessing, this person was in need of clothing and food. After the blessing, that person is still in need of clothing and food.

The need is unfulfilled!

This is, to James, something that is significantly wrong. Something is incredibly wrong with the faith of someone who only says “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” and does not provide clothes or food.

You can see for yourself just how wrong James considers it:

James 2:17

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

James calls this faith dead! Useless and dead!

No! It is of no good if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds! Their faith is dead!

Verses 14 to 17 are a warning. Do not confuse faith professed with faith practiced. In other words, don’t mistake just saying “I have faith” with faith that results in action!

By itself, faith professed, does not save.

For the person who says “I have faith” will also be moved by that faith. They will not just be hearers of the word of God, they will be doers of the word of God.

And this is something about faith that James understands, something that you and I need to understand.

It is a living faith that saves!

Let me repeat that: It is a living faith that saves!

Let’s not miss that frightening statement from verse 14, the one pretending to be a question.

James 2:14

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?

A faith that makes claims but is without deeds, can that faith save?

Again, we have the implied answer! No! That faith cannot save!

Faith without action is dead and a dead faith cannot and will not save you.

I’ll repeat this as well. Faith without action is dead and a dead faith cannot and will not save you.

James 2:17–19

17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

We see here that James quickly moves into an exchange between himself and a person who disagrees with him. The disagreeing man tells him “You have your deeds, I have my faith.”

“Will your deeds save you or will my faith save me?” is what is being said.

This is a very real situation. You, having come to Christ, did not receive your salvation because you earned it. This is absolutely true!

And James does not dispute this fact that salvation is a supernatural work of God. But James does dispute something.

Look at his response:

“Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

Firstly, faith is not just knowledge of what is and is not true, it goes further! Just knowing something isn’t enough to save you!

Believing that there is one God does not save you!

James makes it clear, the demons know even more than you do that the God of the Bible is the God of heaven and earth and this knowledge does not save them!

In fact, it makes them shudder. They tremble in fear because their knowledge of who God is does not change their behavior!

Secondly, the error in the argument made against James is separating faith and works. The error is thinking that saving faith can be divorced from merciful works! Action and works aren’t something additional to living faith!

Let me ask a quick question. How many of you are breathing right now. All of you right?

How do you check if someone is alive? You check their pulse and whether they are breathing!

Is your breathing an addition to your living? Is breathing something extra that you are doing? No, breathing is a function of living! If you want to continue to live, you need to continue to breathe!

And so when we look at works the way that James looks at works, we see that works are as breath to those that follow Christ Jesus.

The action following faith proves that it is a living faith! And this is not a new reality about faith, this is the way God has ordained living faith since the very beginning.

Look at verses 20 to 24:

James 2:20–24

20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

To the Jewish Christians, James calls up their patriarch Abraham and we find that Abraham was considered righteous because of the interaction of his faith and action.

Abraham’s faith was alive, it led him to obey God, to offer his son Isaac on that mountain where God’s goodness and grace provided a substitute in Isaac’s place.

Through the cooperation of his faith and his work, Abraham's faith was made complete, it was able to fulfill its purpose.

Living faith is shown! By its very nature, living faith is demonstrated through action!

When James writes in verse 24, “not by faith alone,” he is referring to a faith that is dead with no ability to save because to James, it is a living faith that saves! A living faith that takes action!

Verse 25, just like Abraham, Rahab the prostitute was considered righteous because of her faith and her actions. These figures that find themselves honored in the line of David stand before God through a living faith!

It wasn’t a faith without action that saved them. It was a faith completed by action!

And in the same way, faith without action cannot save you.

You cannot simply say “I believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection” and then carry on with your life as if nothing has changed.

Action apart from faith cannot save you. You can’t earn your way to heaven, your actions that come out of a personal standard of righteousness will fall short of God’s perfection.

Only a faith accompanied by action, a living faith, can save.

Which brings us to an incredibly important question.

Do you have a living faith?

A faith that compels you to not just be hearers of the word of God, but also doers of the word of God?

Do you have the faith that can and will save you? A living faith?

Consider this carefully, because you are not meant to be dead.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, you are meant to be alive.

Your body is not without a spirit, you are meant to be the dwelling place of the Spirit of the living God.

While you and I were still enemies of Christ, he looked and saw you in your disregard and opposition to him and still he reached out to you.

While you and I were dead in our sin, Jesus Christ, the word of God who was with God and was God in the beginning, embraced death so that he could pull you out of death and into life.

On a wooden cross, Jesus placed himself under the punishment you rightfully deserved and bought forgiveness for all your wrongdoing, every single sin you have and will ever commit.

And in glory, Christ rose from the grave, to give you life in abundance.

Do you see? You aren’t supposed to be like you were before, only the dead are comfortable in their coffins.

My brothers and sisters, you are meant to be living children of God with a living faith!

…And James tells you upfront how this is meant to look.

The book of James gives instruction after instruction on the way Christians should live, the ways that Christians should relate to those around them.

The verses right before today's passage spoke on how the Jewish Christians were to treat the poor and the needy that came into the midst of their gathering.

How they were not to make distinctions based on outward appearance or seek to curry favor from those that are rich in the eyes of the world.

We see here in James that works of mercy are the natural and fullest expression of living faith.

Acts of love and goodness. Acts of Charity. Providing. This is James’ understanding of living faith.

Are you a husband or a wife? Are you a father or a mother? A son or a daughter?

Be gentle, merciful and compassionate to your spouse, your children, your parents! Be merciful and compassionate to your neighbor.

None of that is easy, we are not an easily lovable people because our unmet needs cause the cracks and flaws in our character to widen and out of us comes sin.

So as we close up our time here, continue to fix your eyes on Jesus and remember what he has done for you. How he loved you to make you lovable and how he redeemed you from the pit.

In that same way, look upon your neighbor, those that God has placed around you, and be both hearers and doers of the word of God.

Live as living children of God with a living faith. Be whole and complete.

Let me close us in a word of prayer.

[INSERT PRAYER HERE]

May God bless you all and we hope to see you all next Sunday.

You are all dismissed.

Citation

Davids, Peter H. The Epistle of James: A Commentary on the Greek Text. New International Greek Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1982.

Moo, Douglas J. The Letter of James. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000.

The New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011.