Faith Without Works is Dead
Notes
Transcript
INTRO
INTRO
This morning, we are coming to one of the most difficult passages in the New Testament
And I don’t just mean difficult to understand
But also difficult to preach
Because if I’m honest with you, this is one of those texts that makes me nervous as a preacher
Not because I don’t believe it
Not because I think James got it wrong
But because at first glance this passage seems to challenge the very gospel I preach every single week
The gospel that says sinners are not made right with God by their works
The gospel that says we are not justified by our obedience
The gospel that says we are not accepted by God because we cleaned ourselves up
Tried harder
served more
gave more
obeyed better
or became more religious
The gospel that says we are justified by faith alone in Christ alone
That has been the good news from the beginning
In fact, just a few weeks ago in our missions series, we looked at Genesis 15
We saw Abram standing under the stars, hearing the promise of God
And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
Before Sinai
Before the law
Before circumcision
Before Abraham had done anything that would make him impressive
He believed God
And God counted it to him as righteousness.
Then we went to Galatians 3 where Paul takes that same verse and shows us that this is how anyone is made right with God
Not by works
Not by human effort
Not by religious achievement
But by faith.
God justifies sinners by faith
So that’s the gospel I preach
That’s the gospel we believe
That’s the gospel we sing
That’s the gospel we cling to
TENSION
TENSION
But then we come to James 2
And we come to verse 24
You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
And if you are paying attention, that should make you pause
Because James uses Abraham too
Paul uses Abraham and says, “Justified by faith.”
James uses Abraham and says, “Justified by works.”
So what do we do with that?
Is Paul right?
Is James right?
Are they contradicting each other?
And this matters because justification matters
This is not a small side issue
This is the question underneath every human soul:
How can I be right with God?
Is it by faith alone?
Or is it by faith plus works?
That is the tension of this text
And we need to feel that.
But here is what I want to show you this morning:
Paul and James are not contradicting one another
They are confronting two different errors
Paul is confronting the person who thinks works can save them
James is confronting the person who thinks empty faith can save them
Paul says works cannot earn your salvation
James says true salvation will not be without works
And the Reformers, looking at Scripture and defending the gospel of justification by faith alone, gave us a phrase that captures this so well:
We are saved by faith alone, but saving faith is never alone
That is the big idea this morning
We are saved by faith alone, but saving faith is never alone
Now, before we go further, I want to say this clearly
My task this morning is not just to teach this text
Don’t get me wrong I want to teach it faithfully
But James did not write this merely so we could solve a theological puzzle
He wrote this to wake us up
Remember, James is not writing randomly
James is building an argument.
In chapter 1, he told us not to be hearers of the Word only, but doers of the Word
Then he told us that pure and undefiled religion shows up in real life by caring for the vulnerable and keeping ourselves unstained from the world
Then in chapter 2, he showed us that faith in Jesus cannot coexist with favoritism
And now he brings that whole argument to a head
The big idea of chapter one was:
If the Word is truly in you, it will be seen through you.
And now James in chapter two rephrases it this way:
If faith is truly in you, it will be seen through you.
TRUTH
TRUTH
To help us understand this James gives us three kinds of faith.
1. A faith that does nothing is dead faith
1. A faith that does nothing is dead faith
Look at verse 14…
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
Notice how James says that
He does not say, “What good is it if someone has faith?”
He says, “What good is it if someone says he has faith?”
That matters
James is attacking claimed faith, not true faith
Professed faith
Talk-only faith
The person that says, “I have faith”
But there are no works
No obedience
No mercy
No repentance
No love
No fruit.
And James asks, “Can that faith save him?”
Not can faith save him
Of course faith saves
The question is: can that kind of faith save him?
Can a faith that is only claimed but never seen actually save?
James expects the answer to be no
Then he gives an example
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?
James pictures a brother or sister in need
They don’t have proper clothing
They don’t have daily food
These are basic needs
And someone sees them
Someone notices
Someone is aware
And they say, “Go in peace. Be warmed and filled.”
Which sounds spiritual
It sounds kind
It sounds religious
It sounds like the kind of thing church people say… “man you’re really going through it”
“Praying for you”
“Hope everything works out”
“God bless you”
But then they do nothing
They have the ability to help
They have the resources to act
They have the opportunity to show mercy
And they don’t
And James says, “What good is that?”
What good are warm words when someone is cold?
What good are religious phrases when someone is hungry?
What good is claimed compassion that never becomes actual mercy?
So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
James is not saying faith plus works equals salvation
He is saying real faith has works
Living faith produces visible obedience
Dead faith does not
Faith is not alive because works are added to it
Faith produces works because it is alive
A faith that does nothing is dead faith
2. A faith that only knows facts is demonic faith
2. A faith that only knows facts is demonic faith
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.
James imagines someone objecting
They are basically saying, “Why do you have to put faith and works together?
Maybe some people have faith and others have works
Maybe these are just different strengths
Different gifts
Different emphases
And James says, “No.”
You cannot separate faith and works like that
Because faith is invisible until it becomes visible through action
You can claim faith apart from works
You can talk about faith apart from works
You can sing about faith apart from works
But you cannot show faith apart from works
James says: “I will show you my faith by my works.”
Then…
You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
That is a shocking verse… James says,
“You believe orthodox doctrine?”
Good.
“You believe there is one God?”
Good
“You believe true things about God?”
Good
But don’t confuse that with saving faith
Because even the demons believe true things
The demons are not atheists
The demons know God exists
The demons know Jesus is Lord
The demons know judgment is coming
The demons know Scripture is true
But they do not love God
They do not trust God
They do not worship God
They do not submit to God
They do not obey God.
Their knowledge produces fear, not faith
Terror, not trust
Hatred, not worship.
And James is saying:
if your faith is only knowledge, then it is not living faith
It is demonic faith.
You can know true things about God and still not belong to God
You can have Bible knowledge and still have a dead heart
You can know Christian language and still not have living faith
A faith that only knows facts is demonic faith
So what does real faith, living faith look like?
3. A faith that shows itself through obedience is living faith
3. A faith that shows itself through obedience is living faith
Now James gives us two examples.
And this is where we come back to the tension we felt at the beginning.
Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
There it is
Abraham
Justified by works
So what do we do with that?
This is where the vertical and horizontal distinction helps us
Paul and James are using the word “justified” from two different angles
Paul is talking about justification vertically
That is, how a sinner is declared righteous before God
James is talking about justification horizontally
That is, how someone’s faith is shown to be real before others.
Paul is asking,
“How is Abraham made right with God?”
James is asking,
“How do we know Abraham’s faith was real?”
Paul points to Genesis 15.
Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.
James points to Genesis 22
Abraham offers Isaac on the altar.
Genesis 15 is Abraham’s faith counted as righteousness before God
Genesis 22 is Abraham’s faith shown to be real through obedience
Genesis 22 did not create Abraham’s faith
It revealed Abraham’s faith
Isaac on the altar did not earn Abraham’s righteousness
It showed that Abraham’s faith was alive
You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;
That word “completed” means Abraham’s faith reached its intended goal
It came to expression
It became visible
It matured into action
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.
James says Genesis 22 fulfilled Genesis 15
Not fulfilled as in Genesis 15 wasn’t true yet
But fulfilled as in Genesis 22 showed the reality of what Genesis 15 declared
You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
In other words, a person’s faith is shown to be real by works and not by mere claim
Faith alone justifies us before God
but works justify our faith before others
We are declared righteous before God by faith alone
But the faith that declares us righteous before God is never alone
Then James gives a second example.
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?
I love that James uses Abraham and Rahab
Because they could not be more different
Abraham is a man
Rahab is a woman
Abraham is Jewish
Rahab is Gentile
Abraham is a patriarch
Rahab is a prostitute
Abraham is respected
Rahab is morally scandalous
But both had faith
And both had a faith that acted
Abraham’s faith showed itself when he offered Isaac
Rahab’s faith showed itself when she received the spies and risked her life.
She did not merely say, “I believe the God of Israel is the true God.”
She acted
Her faith moved
Her faith obeyed
Her faith became visible.
Then James closes in verse 26
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
A body without breath is dead
It may still look like a body, but there is no life in it
And James says faith without works is like that
It may have the language of faith
It may have the appearance of faith
But if there is no life
no movement
no obedience
no fruit
then James says it is dead
So James is not saying works replace faith
James is not saying works earn salvation
James is not saying faith gets you started and works finish the job
James is saying that…
living faith works
This is why that phrase from the Reformers is so helpful:
We are saved by faith alone, but saving faith is never alone.
That is James 2
We are saved by faith alone but saving faith is never alone
So now the question becomes:
What does that look like in us?
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
James has shown us three kinds of faith
A faith that does nothing is dead faith
A faith that only knows facts is demonic faith
A faith that shows itself through obedience is living faith
So the application is not complicated
Which one describes you?
Do you have a faith that does nothing?
Not do you desire to show mercy
Do you show mercy?
Not do you desire to serve
Do you serve?
Not do you desire to give
Do you give?
Not do you desire to obey
Do you obey?
Not do you desire to repent?
Do you repent?
Because James is clear
Desires alone are not evidence
Works are.
No one sees your desire
They see your works
Your desire does not clothe the needy
Your desire does not feed the hungry
Your desire does not reconcile with your spouse
Your desire does not disciple your children
Your desire does not serve the church
Your desire does not confess sin
Your desire does not obey Jesus
I am not saying desires do not matter
God often begins by awakening desire in us
But desire alone is not evidence of living faith
Desire that never becomes obedience can become a very spiritual-sounding excuse
James will not let us hide there
Or maybe the question for some of us is this:
Do you have a faith that only knows facts?
You know what the Bible says about forgiveness
but you will not forgive
You know what the Bible says about anger
but you keep excusing your temper
You know what the Bible says about purity
but you keep feeding secret sin
You know what the Bible says about generosity
but you keep your hands closed
You know what the Bible says about church
but you stay disconnected
You know what the Bible says about prayer
but you do not pray
You know what the Bible says about repentance
but you keep delaying it
James says that kind of faith should not comfort us
It should concern us
Because even demons believe true things
So here is the question:
Is your faith alive?
Not perfect
Not flawless
But alive
Living faith can be weak
Living faith can struggle
Living faith can stumble
But living faith does not make peace with staying dead
Living faith repents
it moves
it gets back up
it follows Jesus
One of this greatest litmus test for living faith is thinking about those around you…
If your spouse judged your faith only by what they see at home, would they see living faith
If your kids judged your faith by your patience, your words, your priorities, your repentance, would they see living faith?
If your coworkers judged your faith by how you work, how you speak, how you treat people, would they see living faith?
Again…
Not perfect faith
But living faith
Faith that repents
Faith that loves
Faith that serves
Faith that gives
Faith that obeys
Faith that follows Jesus.
And if this text exposes you this morning, do not run from that
That is mercy
It is mercy for God to show us the difference between living faith and dead faith
But hear me clearly
The answer is not to leave this room and start stacking up good works so God will accept you
That is not the gospel.
Remember you are not justified before God by your obedience.
You are justified before God by Christ’s obedience
His perfect life
His sacrificial death
His resurrection from the grave
His righteousness counted to you by faith.
Some of you this morning need to be justified vertically
You need to be made right with God
And that will not happen by trying harder
It happens by coming to Jesus with empty hands
Trust Christ
Rest in Christ
Receive Christ
Be justified by faith alone
But for many of us, this text is calling us to stop hiding behind a useless faith
Stop hiding behind good intentions
Stop hiding behind future plans
Stop hiding behind theological knowledge
Stop hiding behind religious language
If faith is truly in you, it will be seen through you
So repent
Obey
Move toward need
Serve the church
Give generously
Forgive quickly
Confess honestly
Fight sin seriously
Follow Jesus visibly
Not to become saved but because living faith works
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
This text is hard
It is hard to understand at first glance
And it is hard to receive once we do understand it
But Paul and James are not enemies
They are standing back to back, fighting two different errors.
Paul says, “Do not trust your works to save you.”
James says, “Do not trust a faith that has no works.”
So church, hear the comfort and the conviction
The comfort is this:
You can be right with God today through faith in Jesus Christ
Not by your works
Not by your record
Not by your obedience.
By Christ alone.
But the conviction is this:
If that faith is real, it will not stay hidden
Because dead faith does nothing
Demonic faith only knows facts
But living faith follows Jesus.
So may God give us living faith
Faith that rests in Christ alone and faith that rises to obey.
Because we are saved by faith alone but saving faith is never alone
