Christian, It’s Time to Grow Up Part 5: Taming the Tongue

James 2:14-26

James 2:14-26

100 Points to Heaven (Joke)

A man dies and goes to heaven. As usual, St. Peter meets him at the pearly gates.

St. Peter says, “Here’s how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you’ve done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in.”

“Okay” the man says, “I attended church every Sunday”

“That’s good, says St. Peter, “that’s worth two points”

“Two points?” he says. “Well, I gave 10% of all my earnings to the church”

“Well, let’s see,” answers St. Peter, “that’s worth another 2 points. Did you do anything else?”

“Two points? Golly. How about this: I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans.”

“Fantastic, that’s certainly worth a point, ” St. Peter says.

“Hmmm…,” the man says, “I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart.”

“That’s wonderful,” says St. Peter, “that’s worth three points!”

“THREE POINTS!!” the man cries, “At this rate the only way I get into heaven is by the grace of God!”

Peter said, “Come on in!”

I. Faith that Doesn’t Work

a. Something that has confronted Christ’s church from the very beginning is that through history up until the present time, there are many that profess the Christian faith, but that do nothing or very little to show their faith by the way they act. In other words, they profess with their mouths, but not their hearts. They don’t behave and act in the ways that the bible says a Christian should because they are hard hearted and perhaps believe there is a God, but they have never given their life over to God or truly accepted him into their heart.

b. Christians that have professed their faith with both their lips and their heart live under the guidelines provided by 1 Peter 1:14-16

i. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

c. In other words, when we truly give our hearts to the Lord, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, which causes us to choose to live the way God wants us to live.

i. Choose is the key word here. We always have free will and choice.

d. This is not something we are perfect at because we have free will, but it is something we strive to for.

e. a. Understanding how the Holy Spirit works here takes away Martin Luther’s concerns. You see, Luther called this a straw letter and wanted to remove this letter from the cannon of the bible. He had real issues with this passage we are about to study this morning. 

i. Luther did not like what James said about faith and works. It did not go along with his newfound doctrine, “saved by faith alone.” Martin Luther’s revelation of “saved by faith” is the foundation for his split from his former church, the Roman Catholic Church. He thought that the heavy burdens of good deeds that his church was extorting from her members were unnecessary.

ii. We will discuss James doctrine and Paul’s saved by grace alone doctrine today.

iii. What we will study also takes away anyone else’s concerns that try to measure whether they, or someone else is saved by their works.

f. I would say that one of the greatest temptations that we confront is to profess our faith, and not having works to back it up. But the truth is that faith without works is a contradiction in terms because if we have true faith then our actions will be changed by a renewing of the Holy Spirit.

II. Verses 14

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

b. 74% of Americans, down from 82%, say they believe in God.

c. How many of that 74% do you think are living a life for the Lord?

i. Don’t answer that! Don’t point to your spouse!

d. James is not setting faith against works, but instead is discussing two different kinds of faith. The first a dead faith and the second a saving faith. Saving faith is not simply a profession or an empty claim.

e. The question in the verse is can that first kind of faith save you? The answer is no, it cannot. It’s a rhetorical question.

f. If a person claims faith but has no change, have they really accepted Christ in their heart?

g. This was an issue in the old testament as well.

i. Ezra 9:7-8 And it shall be that every one who will be saved and will be able to escape on account of his works, or on account of the faith by which he has believed, 8 will survive the dangers that have been predicted, and will see my salvation in my land and within my borders, which I have sanctified for myself from the beginning.

ii. You can see the deep connection between faith and works here.

iii. Faith is seen as the basis for salvation by the Christian and is the question throughout the book (1:3,6; 2:1: 5:15) with the answer being no.

iv. While some may argue that they have faith and salvation, the absence of change in their life proves they do not really have faith. It is not a valid or real faith.

v. Consider John 15:1–6“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

vi. Those who do not have faith with a change in their works, a change in their lives, are cast into the fire.

vii. Do you live what you profess? Claiming faith is not the same as having it.

h. The point is that many profess faith, but it is easy to say, how many actually believe it live it,  and have come into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ?

i. We are capable of saying many things, but words are cheap.

j. Actually believing and having true faith is hard. Those that actually believe have the fruit of their belief, which is a changed life by the Holy Spirit because they are living a heirs of the kingdom of God.

k. We see this in Ephesians 2:8-10 we are saved by grace, not works (vv. 8–9) yet God has created us for good works (v. 10). Our works don’t save us, but they are necessary to show that salvation has truly occurred.

III. Verses 15-16

a. If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 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?

b. The analogy here supporting the previous verse has nothing to do with working in a soup kitchen, or sewing mittens for the homeless, or volunteering in some community organization, or doing works for works sake. The illustration that James is making is that when God moves into your heart after you have accepted him as your savior, there will be a change in you.

c. The true Christian doesn’t just spout out what they believe. They actually live what they believe. In this analogy, the person who says “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled” does not really mean what they are saying or they would do something about it.

d. Just like the person that says they are a Christian but hasn’t truly given their heart to the Lord.

e. Instead of a pious prayer like the one in verse 16 which was an empty gesture wish. But really it was a refusal to help. It’s more like go away we hope you find what you need. But not from me.

f. This discredits your entire claim of being a Christian.

g. The change that needs to happen to the Christian does not come because you have to work your way into heaven, but because the Holy Spirit is working in you and through the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin, you change who you are both inside and outside.

IV. Verse 17

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

b. In the original the word is nekra which means lifeless, with no future existence. It means you didn’t have faith in the first place. There is no life in your faith.

i. Again you see the contrast. But it isn’t faith against works. But between dead faith and a truly living faith shown by your fruit.

ii. Some say this is a contradiction with Paul’s writing in Ephesians 2:8-9 where it says we are saved by grace alone. I assure you it is not.

iii. Paul was preaching on the subject of regeneration or saving faith of a new convert while James was speaking of the profession of faith by those already claiming to be Christians.

c. Again, how many Americans if you ask them if they believe in God would say yes, sure, I believe in God. But that belief doesn’t change their lives because believing there is a God and believing in God are two completely different things as we will see in verse 19.

d. Matthew 7:22-23

i. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'

e. How many people will say, but I went to church every week?

i. Billy Sunday said it best, “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile.”

f. Another popular line will probably be, but I was a good person.

g. Or, I never murdered anyone.

h. If you ever encounter people that use these lines on you, and if you witness fairly often they will, there is a great trick that they teach on Way of the Master.

i. Ask the person how many of the 10 commandments they can name.

j. Ask them if they ever lied in their lifetime. Then if they ever stole something, even something small. Then ask if they ever hated anyone and explain 1 John 3:15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. Then ask them if they ever lust after someone in their heart.

k. Then ask if they were to go in front of a judge, how would they be judged?

l. It is a sobering conversation. But one that puts mans sin condition in the proper perspective.

V. Verse 18

a. But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

b. James is insisting in this verse that there cannot be any separation of faith and actions and that both are required of the true believer.

c. He insists on the theological unity of the two.

d. In 2:18 he challenges anyone to be able to claim genuine faith without the authenticating works, and he declares the only way to have genuine faith is to carry it out with deeds.

e. He affirms the necessity of both faith and actions and says he will show the former by the latter.

f. Our works show that we actually believe what we profess.

g. If deeds aren’t present, faith isn’t either.

h. The fruit of true faith has to be present! If you are a true Christian, there has been, is, and always will be a changing taking place in your life that comes from conviction of the Holy Spirit and the Christian growing closer to God.

VI. Verse 19

a. You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

b. As stated when we were looking at verse 17. Many people believe in God, or that there is a God. Just knowing there is a God does not make you a Christian.

c. Reciting the Apostle’s Creed at church is not saving faith.

d. The Shema of Deuteronomy 6:4 which was recited 3 time a day by the Jews and used by Jesus in Mark 12:29 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” They claim faith in God, and James is saying, “Good for you”

e. James was being sarcastic here because the repeated words alone without a change of heart and actions shows your theology is good but your heart is not in it.

f. James is not shy about making this point. Great, you believe in God, so what, so do the demons and they shudder.

g. What James is saying is at least the demons have action, they tremble. You have taken no action!

h. Certainly the demons do not have a plan for salvation, so obviously just believing that there is a God is not good enough.

i. Instead you must have more, a personal relationship with the creator through his son Jesus Christ. Just believing in God or his existence is not enough.

j. When the demons encountered Jesus in Mark 1:24; 3:11, and 5:7, they react. Or better stated shriek!

k. The people addressed in James are even worse off. They are under the judgement for lack of works, or change in their lives.

VII. Verses 20-26

a. James uses Abraham and Rahab as an example in the last verses to drive his point home.

i. Let’s compare the two. Abraham, a Hebrew and covenant leader, exemplifies long-term obedience to God, while Rahab, a Gentile prostitute from Jericho, demonstrates faith through her actions despite limited knowledge of God. But both are seen as righteous through their works.

b. “But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?”

i. They fail to recognize or realize, the original word is gnonai where there faith actually stands making them fools.

ii. Faith without works is useless and empty. The word useless in Greek is arge.The “a” negates the root word ergon which means work. Without work. That faith is worthless or without work.

c. The theme of the book of James can be summed up using the Greek word pistis, which means a life of faith.

d. James emphasizes that faith is a stance of belief and trust toward God.

e. James also emphasizes that genuine faith is "working faith" that includes a belief in God by which one endures trials, asks for wisdom, resists temptation, controls their tongue, looks after orphans and widows in their distress, keeps themselves unpolluted by the world, avoids favoritism, loves one's neighbor as oneself, gives physical necessities to the poor and, lives their life as a doer of the word.

f. Abraham was well respected. His faith was without question.

g. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? Verses 22 and 23 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God.

h. “working with his works”. From the original sunergeo meaning synergism. Working together. Faith creates works, works perfect faith.

i. The true faith that Abraham had gave him the courage to offer Isaac up to God as a sacrifice.

j. Had Abraham not truly believed in God, there is no way that he would have given up the son that he waited a lifetime for as an offering.

k. To me, this is the best of all of James illustrations to make his point.

l. Think about it. Faith without works is dead. Can you truly imagine the faith that Abraham had to have in this situation? It is the example of examples of faith. Abraham did not just have faith, he put his faith into action.

m. James used the word erga, which refers to moral actions flowing naturally from genuine faith, so that the faith and deeds are not a two single but separate actions but are in unity.

n. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

o. As we have just learned, faith and works have to become one in the true believers life.

p. Abraham’s faith was made complete or perfect.

q. James explained it to us as persevering or finishing the work so that we would mature.

i. We have to act out our faith to bring our relationship to God to completion.

ii. The result was Abraham being called a friend of God.

r. Again, its important to note that James and Paul do not contradict each other. The late great Jack Hayford summarized it like this. “Paul emphasizes that faith is not religious deeds without a born-again heart; James stresses that faith is not a born-again heart without deeds. Neither would agree to the validity of an empty creedal faith.”

s. The person that thinks they will earn their way to heaven by their works is wrong.

t. The Christian is not saved by his works. Instead, works are the byproduct of the believer’s faith.

u. The person that does good deeds for the sake of being good, and not because they were led by the Holy Spirit because of a relationship with Jesus Christ is like that person Billy Sunday said that by being in a garage did not make them an automobile.

v. The good that comes from the Christian comes from Him who lives inside him.

w. Newsflash, there is not one good among us, not one. Romans 3:10

x. James uses one final analogy here

y. In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

z. Joshua 2 tells the story of Rahab

i. Again Rahab was in many ways the antithesis of Abraham making James point that this applies to everyone.

aa. In chapter 6:22-25 you can see how Rahab was rewarded. And we read

i. In Joshua 2 it says “Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the harlot’s house and bring the woman and all she has out of there, as you have sworn to her.” 23 So the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brothers and all she had; they also brought out all her relatives and placed them outside the camp of Israel. 24 They burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only the silver and gold, and articles of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. 25 However, Rahab the harlot and her father’s household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, for she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.”

bb. Rahab was justified and considered righteous.

i. James is making his point that this applies to everyone and God can use anyone for his purpose.

ii. She became a Jewish hero!

iii. She confessed her faith in Joshua 2:11and then acted out her faith.

cc. Rahab was rewarded because she believed what she had heard about God and his people and put her faith into action by helping God’s people escape.

dd. Had she mearly heard about God but not truly believed, she would not have taken these actions and would have been destroyed like everyone else.

ee. James used yet another example of faith and works being tied together to produce fruit.

ff. Again we see, the true believer will produce fruit!

gg. For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

i. James points out for the fifth time that faith without works is dead but adds a powerful powerful analogy saying its just as dead as the body without the spirit.

VIII. Applications

a. Are you actions congruent with your beliefs?

b. Do you have evidence that backs up your faith?

c. Is your heart open to God to allow him to move in your life and change you?

d. Are your faith and your works acting as one?