James 2:14-25

V 14-17

James is going to put forth the argument that faith is not excluded from works, but rather it is made evident by them

He is not arguing about the origin of our faith or the saving effect of it

Rather he is going to put forth that if we truly do have faith that saves us, then it will overtake our being

Faith that is genuine is transformative

For James, the person who has faith yet lives as if they don’t is not of the saving faith in Christ

i.e. Musician

If i say i’m a musician but I have no idea how to read sheet music and every time i touch an instrument it sounds terrible, you’d question how true it was

Or if I said I was brilliant with a high IQ but every time a test comes around I have the lowest grade in the class you’d question it

Or if I said I’m a good driver and you look at my driving record and its full of tickets and violations, would you believe me?

James’s argument is that if we claim to be Christian, then we have a transformed heart. And If we have that transformed heart, then we should have clear evidence of our faith in how we live

Poor man example

James is saying words alone cannot point towardsa regenerative heart

Why?

Words can lie. Actions can’t

We can claim to belong to Christ the way we can claim to belong to anything. Yet if we do not love God, we will not follow his commands and obey him

In the example he gives, this poor man needs assistance and needs someone to step in to help him. To claim faith without works is the acknowledgment of what is needed yet doing nothing about it

V 18-26

These two are not mutually exclusive claims. James is arguing against the people who claim that you cannot look at both works and faith

The argument then is that faith is not caused by works, but made evident by them

James gives the “Sarcastic Clap” at those who merely acknowledge God and claim to have faith

For this is not an accomplishment. James argues that this is as powerful and effective as the mere belief that the demons have.

Faith is made evident by works and that is seen in Abraham

remember, James is writing to Jews in Jerusalem. They would have all identified with the Jewish origin of Abraham.

James claims that even the father of Israel, Abraham, was considered righteous because his actions proved his righteousness

He wen to go sacrifice Isaac and was willing to follow through with his sacrifice as his faith was tested

Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac