Sermon Tone Analysis

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​ ESVWhat good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?

Can that faith save him?

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.

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James 2

James 18-2

​ ESVBut 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.

You believe that God is one; you do well.

Even the demons believe—and shudder!

Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

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​ ESVWas not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?

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

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

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?

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Pray

Pray

Okay, let’s recap on last week.

Last week we talked and said - James throws a fireball of a text at us here with that demonstrates the idea that faith without works is dead.

Last week James showed that faith without works is useless.

Remember the illustration James used?

You have a brother or sister who’s hungry and naked and you see them then you tell them “hey, you need to get warm!

Why don’t you go drink some hot coco!

It’s cold out so I’d put on some clothes cover up that naked body!

Oh, and your children that are like starving over there in the corner - why don’t you feed them some baby food.

I’d do that if I were you!

God bless you, just let God’s blessings poor over you abundantly brother in Christ.”

What good is that?

That type of faith - that isn’t faith at all - is useless.

It does not receive the blessing of being used by God to help others in need and others don’t receive the blessing that would be offered by it.

Remember true faith is believing God and obeying God.

And this type of faith James speaks of does not obey.

It has no love for God that flows out into love for others.

So that was last week (v.14-17) we learned from God’s word that faith without works is useless.

Now tonight we add to that the second ingredient proves dead faith...

1. Faith w/o Works Cannot Save Us

I have only one point tonight so high five your neighbor!

Faith without works cannot save us.

It’s mentioned in a couple of places, but the argument is in 17-25, so let’s read this.

Faith without works cannot save us.

It’s mentioned in a couple of places, but the argument is in 17-25, so let’s read this.

“So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

But someone will say, ’You have faith and I have works.’”

Okay, so how popular are superhero movies?

What’s your fav.?

So my all-time fav.

hero movie is LOTR.

Everybody this is your chance to roll your eyes.

Go ahead - no judgment here.

Now I want you to think for a moment about Gandalf, Frodo, Legolas, Gimili and Aragorn.

What are they without Sauran, Saruman, Orcs, Goblins, Smeagle, and the ring of power?

The LOTR trilogy is epic - but without the enemy well, these characters are just people.

So what James has just done is interjected a bad guy.

The ring of power is found here in (v.18).

Now, I can see myself, If I’d written this letter I would have probably had someone in mind - like say - Micky Miser.

I’m not saying that James is passive-aggressive, but I am saying that hypothetically speaking there could have been a guy in the church who was saying that faith and works are two separate things and shouldn’t be tied together in any way.”

I don’t know him personally, but if James is passive-aggressive, this brother is actually in the church that this letter will be written to.

All right?

He’s like, “Let’s just say hypothetically speaking there was a guy who would say that faith and works are two separate things and shouldn’t be tied together in any way.”

So what James has just done is he’s added a bad guy in the form of an argument.

It’s a form of argument where he would say, “Someone would say.

I don’t know, maybe Micky.

Somebody here would say...You have faith and I have works.”

And so the following (v.18b-25) is his attempt to beat the bad guy.

“Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

You believe that God is one; you do well.

Even the demons believe—and shudder!

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?

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

You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith [that is] alone.

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?”

So this bad guy, this antagonist James has introduced into the argument is saying, “Now faith and works are separate.

They’re just two different things.

If you get those things too close together, it’s dangerous.

Like lighting a bottle rocket inside the house.

So you have works, James, but I just have faith that the Lord will save me.”

That’s the argument.

So here’s James’ argument against such an idea.

The first one is this.

“Okay, you have faith.

That’s great.

Show me.

Show me.”

Now, I’ve taken this demonstration from a altar call that Steve Morrow did years ago and adapted it to this passage.

So all of us in here are sitting in chairs.

There’s an aspect of faith for you sitting down, correct?

And we know not all chairs are made alike.

If you’ve seen the Patriot with Mel Gibson you know what I’m talking about.

Some chairs are rickety and have not chance of actually holding you.

They are holding together with band-aids and grandma’s prayers.

I’m not sitting in that chair.

But then we have these chairs.

I have no problem sitting in these chairs.