Is It Real?

Intro

I’m excited to be with you guys tonight.

I’ve had a blast getting to know all of you over the past few months. You have been so kind to me and Jessy.

I just want to say that I love the high school age… it’s an exciting season of life. And it’s an important time of life!

You are starting to get a sense of freedom… you can drive, get a car, start to do what you want to do.

You’re making decisions like where to go to school, what career to pursue… who do I want to marry?

There are a lot of questions you are trying to answer right now…

But I would argue there is no more important question for you tonight than this…

IS YOUR FAITH REAL?

I know a lot of you have grown up at the church. I was right there with you.

Born and raised at the church. Went to church every Sunday morning AND night (so I’m better than you), every Wednesday night youth.

And one time I heard someone say in a message that statistics say that the majority of the people in our youth group would leave the church and walk away from the faith within the next 3-5 years…

I laughed at that… at the time. There’s no way… I know my friends! I know these people around me! There is no possible way any of them would leave…

Then one by one… even before high school ended, I saw the majority of my “friends” stop coming to church.

The more freedom they had, the more they chose to be less involved at church, less excited about youth events, and eventually were gone.

So what happened? Why, when given more freedom to do what they wanted, did they walk away?

This isn’t a new concept… the most glaring example of this is Judas Iscariot… lived with Christ for 3 years and then betrays Him to be crucified.

Jesus even says in Matthew 7:21 ““Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.”

So how do we know if our faith is REAL? And how do we know if it’s DEAD? There is no more important question for you to consider tonight.

James can help us… turn to James 2:14-26

We are going to look at the main ideas found in this section of James 2 to see what God has to say through James about Living vs. Dead faith.

From this passage, we are going to look at 2 Evidences of Dead Faith and 1 Example of Real Faith.

2 Evidences of Dead Faith

An Empty Claim

James 2:14 NASB95

What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?

James begins his argument with the main point: What kind of faith saves?

CAN REAL FAITH EXIST WITH NO EVIDENCE?

IS FAITH TRULY INVISIBLE?

So James is speaking to this group of believers… asking them a simple question…

If someone SAYS he is saved by faith alone but has no evidence of it… is that legitimate faith?

The key I want you guys to look at here is the word “SAYS”

This is a profession of faith… identifying with Christianity outwardly.

In 2021, a research study was published that showed 63% of Americans as Christian… that’s 332 million people…

If I asked you guys to raise your hand if you are a Christian, I’m sure 99% of your hands would go up…

But this is a profession that has no proof… no evidence.

Guitar Player — How many of you play guitar? If I told you I was a great guitar player… what are the evidences of that? How could you tell?

I would have calloused fingers! If I claimed to be a great guitar player and had finger tips like marshmallows, would you believe me??

SPORTS — If your coach tells you every day at practice how he thinks you’re one of the best players on the team but you sit the bench at every game… do you believe him?

So James begins with this question and gives us an illustration to make his point.

James 2:15–16 NASB95

If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

James brings up 2 needs — clothes and food. The main 2 needs that every person has.

James puts us into the story… “One of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled’”

But you don’t give them what they actually need!

James asks “What use is that?”

James 2:17 NASB95

Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

What’s James saying?

Works are to faith like oxygen is to your lungs.

Outdoor kitchen — all structures have a frame on the inside that make up the shape and support the structure. Works are the framing of faith. Without it, faith crumbles.

The claim itself holds no value if there’s no ACTION.

You can’t have one without the other…

An Empty Conviction

James 2:19–20 NASB95

You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

Now James goes for the jugular… he confronts not just the one who claims to be a Christian, but also the one who knows the right stuff!

He’s calling out the church kid, the one who grew up at FBC, the one who can answer every question in small groups, who can recite the gospel!

Guess what? That was ME! I’m that church kid… and this verse scared me to death my whole life… I would skip over it whenever I read it.

What is James saying here?

Knowledge isn’t enough.

You may have the best theology and can debate someone all day long… but so can DEMONS… that’s right.

Demons have a great theology… maybe better than some of you.

Matthew 8:29 “And they cried out, saying, “What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?””

Mark 1:24 “saying, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!””

The demons understand and know the Bible better than most Christians… and what’s their response???

v. 19 — they SHUDDER… extremely afraid. Terrified to the point of shaking.

James is saying “Look, you can recite some truth, but you have no other response to who God is. The demons at least are afraid to the point of shaking!”

One of the greatest dangers of being at church every week is that you hear the truth over and over… and sometimes you can get desensitized by it. You hear it over and over, and it makes no impact on you. Changes nothing in your life.

Chris Mueller — “It’s not about what you know, it’s about how you live what you know.”

A tree is known by it’s fruit… right?

Farrell’s tree — what kind of tree is it? Lemon tree…

James 1:18 “In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.”

WHAT FRUIT are you growing???

What would your friends say about you?

When you are a Christian, your old life is DEAD. You now belong to Christ.

Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;”

You are no longer your own. You live under a new Master.

Ephesians 5:1 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love…”

Ephesians 5:3–5 “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.”

Colossians 3:8 “But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.”

Colossians 3:12–13 “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other,”

Someone who SAYS he has faith… or is a Christian… but you can’t see any evidence in his life… he talks the same as the world, watches the same shows and movies, goes on the same websites, thinks the same, jokes about the same inappropriate things, gossips the same way…

James is saying guess what? IF that’s you, you have DEAD FAITH. It’s WORTHLESS.

What about you?? Where’s the proof??

Do you claim Christ at church and youth group but live differently at school?

Do you know all the answers, yet have no proof any of it has made an impact on your heart?

If I brought each of you up to the front one at a time and put a projector from your head to a screen and we could see everything you said, did, and thought for the past week, how much evidence would we see that you love and follow Christ?Or would we just see what defines a DEAD faith?

How do you talk to your parents? Your siblings? Your friends? What do you look at when no one’s watching?

If we saw the way you really are, would we say, “Yep, he/she loves Christ!”?

You can be the smartest one in small groups, make your parents happy by doing quiet times, be involved in Crew… and still have DEAD FAITH.

Does that knowledge make a difference in the way you live?

Example of Living Faith

Abraham

James 2:21 NASB95

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

James gives Abraham as an example of LIVING FAITH.

This may seem like an obvious one… “Yes James, we know about Abraham and Isaac”

But hold on… yes, God told Abraham to kill his son. Right?

At first glance, you could say, “Hey, Abraham was willing to do what God asked… that must’ve been hard because it was his son. Good for Abraham.”

Why does James use Abraham as an example?

It wasn’t just the fact that God told Abraham to kill his son…

40 years prior to Genesis 22, God gave Abraham a promise in Genesis 12:2–3 “And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.””

After that promise, about 25 years passed and finally Isaac was born… and Abraham was OLD at that point. This was the promise from God!

Now as Abraham is even older… over 100 years old… God tells him to Genesis 22:2 “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.””

What does Abraham do? Does he fight God and remind Him about His promise?

NO… Genesis 22:3 “So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.”

He just obeyed… then he shows his faith even more in verse 5…

Genesis 22:5 “Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.””

Abraham still trusted in God. That even if he killed his son, God would somehow bring him back.

Then Isaac asks about the animal for the offering… Abraham ties him down to the altar…

God stops Abraham and provides a substitute for Isaac.

What does God say about Abraham?

Genesis 22:18 ““In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.””

True Faith WORKS.

It is DEMONSTRATED.

There is EVIDENCE.

It’s not enough to CLAIM to be saved, or to know the right things, the question is does your life show it???

Now… you may not have the opportunity to show your faith like Abraham…

So I want to give you some practical ways you can know if your faith is real.

Here are a few things to look for:

Is My Faith Real?

A Pattern of Obedience

John 14:15 ““If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

Not perfect obedience, but a pattern of living for Him

Not about perfection, it’s about direction.

When you see evidence, thank the Lord and ask for help to continue.

Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

If you belong to Christ, you have the Holy Spirit in you… and He produces these qualities in you when you are filled with the Spirit. Do you see that? Do you depend on the Spirit to do that work in you?

A Pursuit of Righteousness

Matthew 5:6 ““Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

There is a longing desire to be like Christ. To know Him and serve Him.

Are the WORKS that James talks about a JOY for you? Do you love following Him? If you belong to Him, you have that joy.

Philippians 3:8 “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,”

Proverbs 15:9 “The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, But He loves one who pursues righteousness.”

Pursue the Truth — Psalm 119:9–11 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.”

What drives you? Is it a longing desire to know Christ, you just can’t get enough of Him? Do you hate it when you know you’ve failed Him? Done what He hates?

Some of you need to come to grips with the reality that your life doesn’t back up what you claim.

You know what? PLEASE come to grips! Admit it and repent from your sin!

You may be trying to do all fo this on your own… to look a certain way in front of others when you know that your faith isn’t real.

GOD HAS TO SAVE YOU. Only HE can give you a new heart that desires to know Him and bring Him glory.

Submit to Christ as LORD and SAVIOR. You can’t do it on your own. You can come to know Him and have the joy of eternal life TODAY!

Don’t wait.

Is you Faith DEAD or ALIVE?