James 2:14-26

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Wednesday Gathering Stuff

Saturday, October 28th - Reliance youth "Totally Groovy" Harvest Festival. 5:30 - 8:00pm @ The Allen Home (7024 Road 71 N, Pasco) Dress up in 1970's attire. Bring a shirt to tie dye and your favorite casserole to share.

Review

What is Partiality?

Let 3 students talk about last week.

Pray

Pray that we understand more about the nature of faith.

That we would be confident to ask You for the works that demonstrate our faith.

That our hearts wold change to lovingly obey Your commands to love You and to love one another.

Introduction

A Profession of Faith Vs. An Engaged Faith

James 2:14–17 ESV

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Have you ever told someone that you would help them, but never did? Have you ever ghosted a friend? Have you ever told someone that you would “be praying for them” when they were really hurting but never did. Have you ever just tried to get out of those situations that put you on the line like that?

As Christians, we should be quick to care for our brothers and sisters in need. It’s literally taking care of our body when we do that. When my feet get cold, I put wool socks on. It’s the same with our cold brothers and sisters in Christ.

If we don’t do this, we show that we really don’t have faith. It’s not that the work saves us, but it demonstrates our faith in Christ.

Faith and Works cannot be Separated

James 2:18–20 ESV

18 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. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

How can a dead faith, with no works, be demonstrated? It can’t! Genuine saving faith is demonstrated through our behavior, or our works. Jesus, in the sermon on the mount, demonstrates how fruit helps one identify genuine faith:

Matthew 7:15–20 ESV

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

The fruit, the works, of a person are an indicator of their faith. To recognize that fruit is a grace of God. It helps one recognize a genuine faith from a false faith.

The Faith of Others

James 2:21–25 ESV

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 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. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

How many of you made your clothes from scratch? What about the tools that your clothes were made from? Did you raise the animals for your wool, or find the chemistry to make your own polyester? Did you discover those elements on your own? There is a long history to the clothes that you wear.

There is a long history to your faith too. It’s a good thing to want to make your faith in God your own, but we can’t do that at the expense of the faith of others. The faith that our parents have, for better or worse, is a good example for us as we learn what real faith is. The faith of our friends affects us. The faith of people we look up to affects us. Not even the people who have come before us, but faith in Jesus Christ isn’t something that we ever make, but it’s given to us from God.

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Ephesians 2:8 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Works don’t save us. They demonstrate the gift of faith at work in our lives.

James 2:26 ESV

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

Application

God didn’t place other people, brothers and sisters in Christ, neighbors, friends, enemies, so we can turn them over to someone we believe is more spiritual to help. Sometimes that may be true. But God is using those opportunities to grow you too. Discipleship doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens when we give and receive care. It happens when we lovingly, painfully rebuke someone. Or, when we need to repent.

It’s not the circumstances, or trials we’re in that prove our faith. God may or may not pull you out of the trial that you are facing. It may last hours, days, or years. But, God calls his people to respond faithfully to what is placed before them. It is the response of the heart, exposed through works that proves his faithfulness.

In so many ways, God’s Word is our protection from leading us astray. When we see works in someone who claims Christ that don’t line up with the truth, intentions, and implications of God’s Word, we should confront or flee from that person.

There are righteous believers today where you can see their faith at work. It’s not always extravagant looking! Sometimes it’s the intentional manner they listen. Sometimes it’s their service in things unseen like cleaning the toys in the nursery, caring for a relative struggling with dementia, or bringing a poor young family a supply of groceries for no other reason than to bless them. Our faith should demonstrate works.

The greatest example of faith expressed in works is Jesus’ obedience to His father all the way to the point of death on the cross.

Question

There are an overwhelming number of needs in our world today. What are some practical ways of demonstrating your faith?