James (W. 5) - James 2:14-26

Blessed Assurance • Sermon • Submitted 6 months ago • Presented 6 months ago

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Real Faith | Faith + Works

Good morning, Harrison Bridge! I’m so grateful to be here with you guys this morning, and hope that you’re ready to get into God’s Word!

We are continuing our study of the book of James, so I want to invite you to turn with me to James 2. Over the last several weeks we have walked through this letter with the aim of identifying markers and habits of authentic faith.

Open up with a recap. Week 1 - We looked at how real faith handles trials in this life. Trials, based on life’s circumstances, reveal God’s kindness to us. They also lead us to endurance.

Week 2 - then James moves onto temptations. He outlines two distinct paths that we can venture this life on: a path of death or a path of life. The path we choose are all about the choices we make as we experience temptations to sin. the good news is that Jesus gives us victory over the temptations we face, and by His grace, we no longer have to be overpowered by sin as long as we rely on His Word and Holy Spirit. So, like James says, walk on the path of life by relying on “the implanted word of truth.”

Week 3-next, James opens upand challenges believers to demonstrate authentic faith by being a doer of the Word and not hearer only.

Week 4 - that led right into last week, where believers are clearly warned not to show partiality toward people!

This week.

this passage deals with the most important question you can answer.

James 2:14 ESV

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?

It reminds me of a time in high school when my mom picked me up from a JV football game on a Thursday night. The baseball team had gone bowling after practice and then a lot of the other 9th graders were going to hang out at the JV game after we got back from bowling.

My mom was going to let me stay for the game to hang out with my friends, and she was always and still is always so gracious to me and my siblings. Well, being a hormonal, too-cool-for school, teenager, I decided I didn’t want to stay for the game. I sent my mom a text on my Envy 2 cell phone, demanding that she drop everything and come pick me up. She and my siblings roll up, and I jump in the car full of attitude.

My mom, we laugh with her, can ask the same question in at least 15 different ways. It’s quite impressive. “How was your day?” “Good? That’s good. Why would you say today is good?” “Would you say that today is a good day or a goooood day?”

That sort of thing.

Well, on this particular night, I was not having it. And, again, my mom with so much love and care for her kids just wanted to know how her son was doing. “Hey, how was bowling? How about practice? How did the test go?” After the third one, I looked at her and said, “how about you stop interrogating me.”

Let’s just say that the ride home was not very pleasant.

I tell you that story because in some ways it feels like James is asking the same question in several different ways here.

This passage is going to feel a little bit like an interrogation.

James asks essentially the same question 5 times in 5 seemingly different ways in the passage we are going to read.

Why does he do that? Like my mom, she cares and loves me.

James is just looking out with compassion toward the people reading his letter. He deeply cares about their faith, and has a sincere desire to see them live out their faith in an authentic way.

So, whats the question James is asking here?

“Can that faith (One without works) save?”

What good is that kind of faith?

Can i show you that faith apart from works is useless?

Because he cares deeply about these believers. Bottom line: Faith in our hearts is shown in the fruit of our lives.

Why does he care that they demonstrate their faith through works of obedience?

Faith in our hearts is shown in the fruit of our lives.

So, let’s read James 2, together and lean into this important question:

James 2:14–26 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. 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? 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? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

1. Do you have faith?

Big question. Don’t miss this.

James 2:14 ESV

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?

What is the gospel?

This is what James is referring to in faith.

Faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only thing that can save you!

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

The Gospel is the news that the Son of God, the One who spoke the universe with one word into

a) Artificial, Dead Faith

James 2:15–17 ESV

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 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? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

b) Authentic, Living Faith

Ephesians 2:8–10 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

we are saved by grace through faith for good works.

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“The grace that does not change my life will not save my soul.” - Charles Spurgeon

the gospel is the root and the works are the fruit.

True faith is visible to God in our hearts, and visible to the world in our habits.

Authentic faith will certainly agree with the creeds and doctrines but it demonstrates itself with deeds and actions.

Instead of being authentic, some of you are choosing to be artificial.

Because the tomb of Jesus is empty, the evidence of living faith in your life should be full.

2. Does Your Faith Show?

“You are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.” - Adrian Rogers

Illustration: prove it. Position is greater than intention. In our house, a phrase we use a lot is “position is greater than intention.” For example, Hailey may ask me to take the trash out. “You got it babe. I’d love nothing more than to serve you in that way.” Great, it’s settled, I need to take the trash off. However, if I continue to sit there on the couch with my feet propped up on the automan, what good was my previous statement to Hailey? Not good at all. Why? Because in three days, I’ll hear her ask, “hey, Hayden, I thought you were going to take the trash off?” At that point, my position of being a bump on a log speaks WAY louder than my intention of taking it off three days earlier. It doesn’t matter how much I declare my love for Hailey. At that moment, it won’t matter how many convincing excuses I make. All that will speak is my actions.

James’ argument, we could say it like, “demonstration of your faith is greater than declaring your faith.” Anyone can say, “I love Jesus! He is risen.” Anyone can put that in a bio on social media, hashtag a church, yet never prove their faith with their actions.” Demonstrating your faith through your actions and works is way greater than just simply declaring your faith.

How can we actually show our faith?

a) Show your faith by willing obedience to all of Gods Word.

James 2:22 ESV

22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;

Focus on the “active” part.

James uses Abraham as an example here. When you look back at Abraham’s life, God spoke to him in Genesis 12, saying, I want you and your wife to move. Just go.

That’s so wild to me bro 😂

No Zillow, nothing. My man just packed up his house and went with no destination in mind.

Genesis 15:6 tells us, watch this, that God counted Abraham as righteous because he believed.

“And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”

Genesis 15:6

This comes right after God promised that he would give Abraham descendants that numbered the stars in the sky.

Remember, Abraham and Sarah didn’t have any children at this point. Yet, Abraham believed the Lord and at that moment, the faith that Abraham possessed was counted to him as righteousness.

For by grace are you saved THROUGH faith.

James doesn’t use that moment in Abraham’s life as the focal point here. Instead, he fast forwards 30 plus years when his son Isaac, his promised son by the way, is around 16 years old. He looks back at Abraham’s work of putting Isaac on the altar.

Why is this important? Abraham was willing to obey EVERYTHING God said. He had faith in the promise on Genesis 15, he had faith in the order in Genesis 12, and now when God audaciously commands Abraham to offer a sacrifice… his son being the sacrifice… Abraham obeys.

We show our faith, demonstrate that we have faith, when we willingly obey ALL of God’s Word.

For some of you in the room, it’s time to obey:

Ephesians 4:32 Matthew 28:18-20 1 Thessalonians 4:3

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

1 Thessalonians 4:3 ESV

3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;

Ephesians 4:32 ESV

32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:29 ESV

29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Hebrews 12:15 ESV

15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;

b) Show your faith by trusting God to handle the results.

Go back to James 2:22.