Living or Dead faith?

James 2:14-26

Living or Dead faith?

Sunday, September 11, 2022

Pastoral Prayer

Remembering 9/11

Our community: many who feel hopeless

Marshall Creek Baptist: Search for a pastor

IMB: James & Sonya Herron, evangelism & discipleship

Our church: as we consider faith this morning.

Introduction

Cultural belief? What is true belief?

As the letter of James progresses, we continue to notice that with each address of my brothers, there is a subject shift. And that is no different with our text this morning. James 2:14 makes a subject change from partiality to looking at faith, in particular comparing dead faith and living faith. (Read James 2:14-26)

Main Idea: True faith is active with good works and obedience, but faith without these is dead.

Faith is more than empty words

Faith is more than right doctrine

Faith is to be justified by works

Faith and its gracious invitation

Faith is more than empty words

Empty words without action are without value, they are pointless. And yet they are way too common. One such example of such empty words is used by James in James 2:15-16 which says….

A brother or sister here is in great need. It says they are poorly clothed or without clothing as the NIV translates this. They are left without the basic dignity of right clothing, potentially having none or no more than their undergarments here. In the illustration, it also says that this brother or sister is lacking in daily food. That is, they do not have enough supplies to meet their daily needs. But notice where James is going with this, he says “and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body.” Real people, real need, and yet the response is nothing more than empty wishes and words.

Pull off the lenses through which we see our society in the here and now and put on a pair of lenses that allows us to see as the original audience of this letter would have had. There are no hotels, there are no food banks, there are no social security checks, even as small as they might be, there are no welfare checks, there aren’t any of those things in place. Therefore, the vulnerable are truly helpless apart from the help of neighbors around them.

And while the Jewish law called for workers of the field to leave parts for the needy, the less fortunate, these Christians aren’t in Jerusalem anymore. They might be crying for Auntie Em, but they aren’t able to live as if they are still under the old law of their own land. As Christians though, they are still to carry out God’s love and mercy towards others in light of the mercy and grace they have received in Christ.

But what good is it to say, go in peace, be warmed and filled with no action? You tell them to be warmed without providing them clothing? You tell them to be filled without giving them food? You tell them to go in peace while they remain in great need and turmoil. These words prove to be empty and void of any love. And yet, the illustration here in verses 15-16 is not about the call to love neighbor directly. They are pointing to a much deeper reality, the reality that if these empty words are no good, how much more so empty faith? That is faith without works.

To say we have faith without any works is no good. It is not saving faith, in fact we see in verse 17 that faith by itself is dead.

By using the phrase it is dead faith is not to be mistaken. To say that faith is dead is not saying that there is dead faith and living faith, but as long as you have either faith you are good. To say that that faith is dead is saying that it really is no faith at all.

Faith is to be a deep seated trust in the work of God through Jesus Christ and his finished saving work. And that faith is to lead us to act upon it, that is to act upon the things God calls his new creation to join him in. Listen to how J.I. Packer puts this. He says, “Faith cannot be defined in subjective terms, as a confident and optimistic mindset, or in passive terms, as acquiescent orthodoxy or confidence in God without commitment to God. Faith is an object-oriented response, shaped by that which is trusted, namely God himself, God’s promises, and Jesus Christ, all as set forth in the Scriptures. And faith is a whole-souled response, involving mind, heart, will, and affection.”

Faith according to James and the Bible demands a visible, whole response to the work of Christ. Faith is not merely a personal, internal thing as many today like to make it out to be. Faith by itself that is supposedly internalized is no real faith at all. Some might be tempted to argue John 3:16 here, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

But here is the thing we are forgetting when we want to refer to this verse, its context. For even in this conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus is teaching him that one must be born again. Faith is not without works, it is not meant to just be an empty phrase one makes a claim of. There is to be evidence of that faith. In the context of John 3, that teaches of one being born again. In James 2:14-17 it is in the context of faith without works is useless, that it is no good, that it can’t save.

Faith that is nothing more than mere words is no faith at all. It does no good, and it can’t save. We need to see that faith demands that works go with it as evidence of our faith. That our faith bears fruit that is seen and made visible.

Faith is more than right doctrine

Faith is more than empty words, and faith is more than right doctrine as well. Look at verses 18-20 with me. In these 3 verses, we find the argument progressing. From faith by itself is dead, we see that it is anticipated that one will make the distinction between one having faith and the other having works. We see this in verse 18 and the phrasing, “But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.”

Notice here that James has consistently been arguing that faith without works is useless, not the other way around. So when he anticipates the objection, he isn’t anticipating the objection that someone is going to come to his defense. He writes in a way to show us that there is an attempt of distinction between the one with faith and the one with works, yet as long as they have one, then they are in good shape for being right with God.

This is simply not true. James debunks this idea in saying in the second half of verse 18, “Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” James’ point here is that the two are inseparable. That they go together like apples in an apple tree, like grapes in a vineyard. No apples, no apple tree. No grapes, no vineyard. Therefore one cannot have faith if works are not present.

But, to help take us even deeper into the issue, James challenges not just the lack of works, but their boastful claim. In verse 19a we read, “You believe that God is one; you do well.” While some wonder what follows if James is being sarcastic here, saying, “You believe that God is one, so what! Big Deal! Who Cares! But I am doubtful that James means any sarcasm here.

The reason for that is that this statement, that God is one, is what is known as the Great Shema from Deuteronomy 6:5. The Great Shema would have been recited by the Jews twice daily, morning and evening. This statement that God is one would have pressed back on the dominant worldview of polytheism, that there are multiple gods. In this worldview, there was the attempt to worship multiple gods in hopes of keeping them all appeased and providing for you, your city, and your nation.

So this claim is crucial in reminding God’s people that there is but one God, YHWH himself. And to believe this is at the very basic of Christian doctrine and essential for all who are to come to saving faith in Jesus. So James is not mocking them in how he uses this.

Instead, James is glad they have a right belief that God is one, but their right belief isn’t enough. It isn’t enough to simply have head knowledge and a right belief if those beliefs aren’t acted upon. For this is the reason that James adds there in the second half of verse 19, “Even the demons believe—and shudder!”

One can know their Bibles inside and out, understand all the right, essential doctrines, landing in the right spot with each, and yet be no more a child of God than Satan himself. Keep in mind, Satan knew the Scriptures when he tempted Adam and Eve. He knew the Scriptures when he tested Jesus, though I might add his exegesis was terrible. He rather was great at pulling verses out of context and using them carelessly. But, nonetheless, he knew the Bible, and so did the demons.

It was the demons who often recognized Jesus first and cried out when they saw him. They recognized Jesus as the Son of God. They feared the coming judgment that they were to endure from the hand of Jesus when he brought the kingdom of God about. In other words, they shuddered at the expectation of coming judgment. And yet, with this knowledge, with this fear of coming judgment, the demons here do not have faith. They do not repent, turning from the authority of Satan to the authority of the King of glory. Their head knowledge, their right doctrine in God being one proves to be no faith at all.

In his book The Unsaved Christian, Dean Inserra tells a story from his childhood. He writes, “As a kid, I heard an illustration that has stuck with me over the years. A speaker had us measure the distance between our heads and our literal hearts—the left side of our heads to the middle of the left side of our chests. For most people it’s about eighteen inches. As we wrapped up, the speaker said, ‘Some of you are going to miss heaven by eighteen inches’…Belief in God without the Christ of the cross is a deficient faith—even demons have that! But a life transformed by true gospel understanding will result in a heart of worship and a desire to follow God. Knowledge alone does not equate to saving faith.”

Head knowledge that doesn’t get into the heart is dead faith. It doesn’t save. Saving faith leads to both a transformed heart and mind. Our minds are to be opened to the Scriptures, but then lead to a transformation of allegiances, desires, and ultimately actions.

Friend, just because you know your Bible, don’t place your confidence of faith in such knowledge. Instead, show me your faith by your works. Show how God has actually transformed the desires of your heart rather than just your intellect. And I have to admit, sometimes this one is super hard. For this is where I would say that I face the most temptation as a student of the Bible, as one who wants to have correct doctrine and to deeply study the things of God.

But again, that pursuit of knowledge, while good, can’t be the end goal. Worship is the end goal to borrow from John Piper. Piper writes, “The Bible itself shows that our ultimate goal in reading the Bible is that God’s infinite worth and beauty would be exalted in the everlasting, white-hot worship of the blood-bought bride of Christ from every people, language, tribe, and nation. In other words, each time we pick up the Bible to read, we should intend that reading would lead to this end.”

And this would include the study of theology whether reading a book about systematic and covenant theology or a book talking about the Holy Spirit. All of it should aim to lead us to a white-hot worship of God. That is an intense worship. A showing of worth to God. That means as we study the Bible and the things of God, its goal should be to lead us to a greater delight in God, a deeper trust in him. As we study the Bible and the things of God, it might lead us to a time of prayer of thanksgiving for all that he has done, a time of confession and repentance for the evils of our own heart and actions, to a time of simple adoration of adoring who God is and what he has done.

Friend, is your Bible reading, Bible studies, and Sunday Mornings doing that? For the person of faith, this is the goal, the worship of God. And that worship of God is what will lead us to not have faith by itself, but good works to flow out of us. That right worship of God will lead us to a faith that is justified by works, which is where we turn in our third and final point this morning.

Faith is to be justified by works

Some still may object to this idea of the necessity of faith and works together, and James anticipates this by asking in verse 20, “Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?”

And with that, James turns to consider two key Old Testament figures and their example of faith and works. He first starts with Abraham in verses 21-23, which says….

To help that sink in, let’s read that again….

James does write that Abraham was justified by works. Likewise, there in verse 25, it is added…

Both Abraham and Rahab who are in the family line that leads to King Jesus were justified by works. But wait, you might be saying, didn’t the Apostle Paul in Romans 4:2, “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.”? Indeed he did.

The problem is, we look at these two statements as if they are saying the same thing. Yes, they both use the phrase justified. However, they are being used by both James and Paul in different settings and for different purposes. Paul uses justification in Romans to talk about how that faith and faith alone saves us, which he is correct. We are indeed saved by grace alone through faith and faith alone in Christ alone to the glory of God alone.

We are saved by faith. But we have miss understood that faith if we think it is just a verbal profession. Faith is never meant to be something internalized that is never made visible. Why? Because the gospel doesn’t only bring us to faith, it continues to transform us. Listen to what Jeff Vanderstelt writes in his book Gospel Fluency, “The gospel doesn’t just bring about forgiveness of sins and save us from hell. The gospel of Jesus Christ empowers us to live a whole new life today by the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead.”

Faith leads to action, to works. And those works justify our faith, and our faith justifies us before God in a right, legal standing of innocence. Our works are the evidence of our faith and they are the outworking of our faith.

J.C. Ryle, the English, Anglican Bishop of Liverpool wrote, "God, who has given them grace and a new heart, and a new nature, has deprived them of all excuse if they do not live for his praise...A man who professes to be a true Christian, while he sits still, content with a very low degree of sanctification, and coolly tells you he 'can do nothing,' is a very pitiable sight and a very ignorant man...The Word of God always addresses its precepts to believers as accountable and responsible beings. If the Savior of sinners gives us renewing grace, and calls us by his Spirit, we may be sure that he expects us to use our grace."

The grace of the gospel is to be used more than simply us escaping hell. It is to be used in us living out our faith in doing the good works of God for the glory of God in light of our faith. For do we not read this from King Jesus himself in Matthew 5:14-16? “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

This is why James can write in verse 22, “You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works.” Our works aren’t what saves us, for salvation is not earned. But a life filled with faith acts out that faith in these good works. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. But because Abraham believed God, he was willing to sacrifice his own son in obedience to what God instructed him to do. Why? Because he believed God, his faith led to his obedience.

Likewise with Rahab, she believed God; therefore she gladly received and hid the spies in accordance with her belief. For she believed God alone was the true God and worthy of risking her life to further God’s plan.

So may we as James tells us in verse 24 see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. For one’s works give clear evidence of their faith. This is one reason even in Membership Interviews, the question is asked of someone who has already professed faith in Jesus, “since coming to faith in Jesus, tell me how the LORD has been at work in your life?”

We ask this because true faith is to be lived out and made visible. It is to bring about change. And while this does not weed out all who are not truly the sheep and the lambs of God, it certainly ensures that we are laboring to make sure we are not affirming someone with a faith that is no good, useless, and dead to the best of our abilities as we exercise the keys of the Kingdom as we have been instructed in Matthew 16.

This matter of us being justified by works is also a reason we need to live the Christian life in close proximity with others. For if we remain unknown, how are others going to see if our faith is genuine, if our faith is being lived out? How are we to be encouraged in how God’s work is being made evident if we fail to draw near to each other? How are we to have the kindness of a rebuke when our faith and works aren’t lining up? For it is in the kindness of the rebuke that we will hopefully be restored and stirred to carry on and press all the more into the gospel and the hope we have in Christ Jesus.

The call to works though isn’t merely a call to labor for social justice. While that is part of it, note what Abraham did in light of his faith, was willing to offer his own son to the LORD. The call to faith and works is the call to believe God and to obey.

Faith and its invitation

(Faith in Christ, the Beloved Son of God) GOSPEL!!!

Non-Christian

Invitation for them to taste this faith, to come to it.

Christian

To remember this true call to faith and to rightly respond.