Faith That Works
Notes
Transcript
The Danger of Dead Faith
The Danger of Dead Faith
A. Rapport for the time
What is saving faith? Sounds like an extremely easy thing to answer according to scripture but very often mankind can end up making a mockery of Christ. The wrong belief of salvation begins by us thinking that the Christian life is meant to be easy and should never make us uncomfortable. The idea has come from a long time of pastors simply telling people to repeat after me this sinners prayer. Once that is completed you simply raise your hand so that the pastor can see you and now you have been saved. The saving experience will include you filling out a card and going on your way with the knowledge you need to be saved and the name of Jesus for when you will need it again someday. The thing about this type of salvation is what has actually changed?
B. Reading of the text
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!
C. Review of the text
• Trials
• Wisdom from God
• Humility
• Unchanging God
• Don’t deceive yourself
• Goodness of God
• Embracing God’s word because of his Goodness to us
• Living our Faith out —Being a doer of the word-True faith
· Show no partiality
Real faith is only lived out dead faith produces no change in our life
(this is the transformative power of Christ’s grace, urging us to forgive and show mercy. It’s a call to live grace-filled lives that reflect the mercy we’ve received through Jesus.
D. Relevance of the text
Does our faith define us? This passage from James starting in vs. 14 to the end of the end of the chapter is the reason James is so misunderstood. As a reminder James was written before anything that Paul wrote. Also, James is writing to Jewish people who have come to Christ and are now in the middle of persecution.
James has been pointing us to our faith because it is the standard by which everything else in our live pours. Without faith we are left to our own vices and wisdom. The text this morning in James is asking each one of us to evaluate our faith.
T.S. This passage begins with Faith’s Genuine Proof
1. Faith's Genuine Proof
1. Faith's Genuine Proof
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?
What good is it? What advantage does one get if they walk around claiming to have a saving faith but has no works? is that person saved? Is that possible? To go beyond mere knowledge of our Lord to a saving faith and not be changed at all?
Can that faith save him—-word for word translation from the greek would read “Can that kind of faith save?
By the grace of God our salvation is not a mere exercise in our intelligence. Only the redeemed are smart people who have gained an intellect far greater than others. The bible clearly teaches that if our faith was based on our intellect we would mess that up also because we would end up boasting about how smart we are and give no Glory to God at all. Which defeats the purpose of our very being to glorify God in all that we do.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
Pharisees and Sadducees relied on their blood line for their place in the Kingdom. They felt like that made them smarter and more holy than everyone else. Jesus warns them their faith is only real if they bear the fruit of genuine repentance. A life that has been truly transformed by God will look transformed.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 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.
16 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.
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.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
These verses should not shock us. vs. 15-16 give us an example
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?
James is saying we see a need that we can help with yet do nothing. This is not an isolated event. This was the pattern of the Pharisees and Sadducees life during the time of Christ. We know exactly what he is speaking of because it happens when we say one thing and do another. We would say talk is cheap. Easy to say better to do.
Imagine a man who buys a gym membership but never goes to the gym. He can proclaim his commitment to fitness all day long, but without stepping foot inside that gym, he's not going to see any results! Just like his fitness routine, our faith needs action to come to life. James reminds us that faith without works is as good as a gym membership that's never been used!
Think of a student who meticulously studies for a test but refuses to turn in any assignments. Despite his knowledge, he fails the course. In the same way, our faith is like that test preparation; it requires us to show our understanding through our actions. Just studying doesn't get you the grade – you need to put in the work!
There once was a young man who dreamed of being a chef. He collected all the cookbooks and watched every food show, but he never set foot in the kitchen. He thought knowing recipes was enough until friends challenged him with a cook-off! Just like this aspiring chef, our faith needs to be put into action; otherwise, it remains just a dream!
This passage challenges Christians to examine the sincerity of their faith. Highlighting practical outcomes, like feeding and clothing the needy, emphasizes true faith’s impact on real-life situations. With Christ fulfilling God's compassion and service, followers are encouraged to imitate his active love. Consider how true belief naturally extends into good deeds and service, reinforcing the idea that belief alone without action falls short of Christ’s model.
T.S. From Faith’s Genuine proof to faith’s visible evidence.
2. Faith's Visible Evidence
2. Faith's Visible Evidence
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.
A declaration of Faith but without works is dead.
Dead—pertaining to being utterly useless, with the implication of total lack of purport—useless, futile, vain.
James is asking us to look at our hearts and actions. These must align in our life or we don’t understand what active faith looks like. We live this life out daily in the front of family, friends, co-workers. They are looking at us to see if the faith that we declare from our mouth is lived out in our actions.
A great example is for me to tell you we I love you but at the same time I kick you as often as I get the chance. This would lead you to believe that over time although you say you love me that you really don’t because you keep kicking me. That is rational thought, don’t you think? Well our faith is no different. I can’t declare that I’m under the blood of Christ without something radical happening in the way I go about living this life.
Nicodemus learned this from Jesus in John 3.
2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Jesus goes on to say Nicodemus should be able to understand these things because he is a teacher in Israel. Our lives are transformed by the Spirit of God into something we could never be a apart from Christ. In Him, we are justified by a Holy God and being found in him have a righteousness that comes not from ourselves. Our standing before God is based upon our Faith in Christ alone. James is just telling us what Jesus told us “Our lives will be dramatically transformed by his blood payment.
vs. 17
The Letter of James D. Saving Faith Reveals Itself in Works (2:14–26)
we must underscore the point: James is not really contrasting faith and works, as if these were two alternative options in one’s approach to God. He is, rather, contrasting a faith that, because it is inherently defective, produces no works and a faith that, because it is genuine, does result in action.
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.
Evidence of true faith is works. All true believers know this is true. Not one person who truly believes would say we can live how we like as long as we know God. None would agree that us saying this is just the way I am is an excuse to not change to conform to the image of Christ our Savior.
I need you to wake up this morning and hear me. We will know we are saved by the blood of the lamb because of the transformed life that we live. If there is no transformation taking place in our life than we do not have salvation as we say.
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,
6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,
7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.
10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Reflect on how their lives visibly demonstrate Christ’s love, paralleling James’ insistence on faith complementing deeds, thus ensuring it is alive and authentic.
T.S.
3. Faith's Dynamic Challenge
3. Faith's Dynamic Challenge
19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
First part of verse is taken from:
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Demons—fallen angels have the knowledge of who Jesus is and that is not saving faith for them. In fact, they have more knowledge of this than we do since we have never seen Jesus face to face.
MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
Demons are essentially orthodox in their doctrine
29 And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”
30 Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them.
7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”
41 And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.
15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?”
Demons know the fullness of the trinity but they hate it and despise the things of God.
Application:
By turning belief into action, believers can express a vibrant, living faith. Use this to challenge the audience to evaluate the depth and authenticity of their faith, aiming for a life reflecting Christ’s love, pushing beyond static belief to dynamic discipleship.
