BS:9
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FALSE FAITH
FALSE FAITH
FALSE FAITH
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
17 Thus 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 without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!
20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Faith is a key doctrine in the Christian life.
The sinner is saved by faith.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
), and the believer must walk by faith ().
And the believer must walk by faith
7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
Without faith it is impossible to please God
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6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
and whatever we do apart from faith is sin ().
and whatever we do apart from faith is sin
23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
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Someone has said that faith is not “believing in spite of evidence, but obeying in spite of consequence.”
When you read , you meet men and women who acted on God’s Word, no matter what price they had to pay.
Faith is not some kind of nebulous feeling that we work up; faith is confidence that God’s Word is true, and conviction that acting on that Word will bring His blessing.
In this paragraph, James discussed the relationship between faith and works.
This is an important discussion, for if we are wrong in this matter, we jeopardize our eternal salvation.
What kind of faith really saves a person?
Is it necessary to perform good works in order to be saved?
How can a person tell whether or not he is exercising true saving faith?
James answers these questions by explaining to us that there are three kinds of faith, only one of which is true saving faith.
Dead Faith
Dead Faith
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Even in the early church there were those who claimed they had saving faith, yet did not possess salvation.
Even in the early church there were those who claimed they had saving faith, yet did not possess salvation.
Wherever there is the true, you will find the counterfeit.
Jesus warned,
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
“Not every one that saith unto Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven” ().
People with dead faith substitute words for deeds.
People with dead faith substitute words for deeds.
They know the correct vocabulary for prayer and testimony, and can even quote the right verses from the Bible; but their walk does not measure up to their talk.
They think that their words are as good as works, and they are wrong.
James gave a simple illustration.
A poor believer came into a fellowship, without proper clothing and in need of food.
The person with dead faith noticed the visitor and saw his needs, but he did not do anything to meet the needs.
All he did was say a few pious words! “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed”
But the visitor went away just as hungry and naked as he came in!
Food and clothing are basic needs of every human being, whether he is saved or unsaved.
8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
“And having food and raiment let us be therewith content” ().
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
“Therefore take no thought, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or, ‘What shall we drink?’ or, ‘Wherewithal shall we be clothed?’ … for your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things” ().
Jacob included these basic needs in his prayer to God:
Jacob included these basic needs in his prayer to God:
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on,
“If God will be with me … and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on” ().
As believers, we have an obligation to help meet the needs of people, no matter who they may be.
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” ().
40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me” ().
To help a person in need is an expression of love, and faith works by love ().
The Apostle John emphasized this aspect of good works.
“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and truth” (
17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
, niv).
The priest and Levite in the Parable of the Good Samaritan each had religious training, but neither of them paused to assist the dying man at the side of the road ().
Each of them would defend his faith, yet neither demonstrated that faith in loving works.
The question in should read, “Can that kind of faith save him?”
What kind?
The kind of faith that is never seen in practical works.
The answer is no!
Any declaration of faith that does not result in a changed life and good works is a false declaration.
That kind of faith is dead faith.
17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” ().
The great theologian, John Calvin, wrote, “It is faith alone that justifies, but faith that justifies can never be alone.”
The word alone in simply means “by itself.”
True saving faith can never be by itself: it always brings life, and life produces good works.
The person with dead faith has only an intellectual experience.
In his mind, he knows the doctrines of salvation, but he has never submitted himself to God and trusted Christ for salvation.
He knows the right words, but he does not back up his words with his works.
Faith in Christ brings life (), and where there is life there must be growth and fruit.
Three times in this paragraph, James warns us that “faith without works is dead” (, , ).
Beware of a mere intellectual faith.
No man can come to Christ by faith and remain the same any more than he can come into contact with a 220-volt wire and remain the same.
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” ().
Dead faith is not saving faith.
Dead faith is not saving faith.
Dead faith is counterfeit faith and lulls the person into a false confidence of eternal life.
