Faith Works James 2:14-26
Notes
Transcript
Faith Works
Faith Works
In this passage, James confronts us with the fact that our faith must have works or it is useless/dead. (17, 20, 26)
So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
This can be a little confusing/confounding when we lay him against what Paul teaches in his letters
For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
Faith Works
Faith Works
So, how do we reconcile these two. Are they speaking against one another or in harmony?
After all, they both use Abraham as the way that they justify their arguments.
We need to remember that both Paul and James were writing to specific audiences for a specific purpose.
They were each fighting a battle for the gospel, but on different fronts.
Paul was fighting a battle a against Legalism.
His audience was saying that we do these things to earn God’s love and our salvation.
We are the agents of our own salvation, so lets work real hard and earn it.
Get out your to do lists and get to work.
James was fighting the battle of “easy believism”
Intellectual acknowledgement of the need for Christ without devotion to Christ.
Examples
I don’t want to go to hell, so I will say this prayer or get baptized.
My parents go to church, so I am good.
I know there is a God.
Acknowledgment of Christ without fruit.
What 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.
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.
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 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.
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
It is possible to claim to have faith w/o actually having it.
Words are meaningless if there is no action behind them.
You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
Faith Works
Faith Works
Words can be full of deceit.
We can deceive ourselves, others, but we can never deceive God.
As Followers of Christ, we have to follow him.
We have to do what he does. We need to represent him in this broken world.
If we don’t bear fruit, are we really sure we are his?
Remember we work from grace not for it.
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.
Brother or Sister
One of the community. One in whom we share commonality. WE ARE A FAMILY!
We should take care of one another.
Lack in the basic necessities.
No Food, No Drink, No Clothing, No Shelter
We should provide that for them
We should have mercy on them. We shouldn’t merely pray and hope God will provide.
We should be the ones that provide for them, if you have the capacity to do so.
Mercy on the downtrodden or outcast is evidence of Salvation
Mercy is a reality of the transformation power of the gospel.
“Mercy to the full range of human needs is such an essential mark of being a Christian that it can be used as a test of true faith. Mercy is not optional or an addition to being a Christian. Rather, a life poured out in deeds of mercy is the inevitable sign of true faith.” -Tim Keller
When we minister to the poor brother or sister we are ministering to Jesus.
Christ is in us and when we serve our brothers and sisters we are serving him.
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’
Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’
And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
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.
The Gospel should motivate us to care for the poor and needy.
We are poor and needy and Christ comes to care for us.
We are broken and without hope, Christ comes to minister to us.
We should be compelled by the love shown to us to do the same.
If we aren’t, have we really been transformed?
Our faith needs to be alive, not dead. If the outworking of our faith doesn’t produce works it’s dead.
We fall into the category of “easy believism”. We love the idea of Jesus, but aren’t willing to sacrifice for him.
Jesus is both Lord and Savior. We can’t have one without the other.
We tend to like Savior way better than Lord.
Lord means we give up control. We give up desires. We follow where he leads.
A dead faith is one that has never been made alive. It’s a false faith that doesn’t produce fruit.
In fact “Your faith is nonexistent if there are no deeds”
You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
Belief is easy. Even the demons believe
They believe God is God. They Believe Christ is King. They believe in the Power of the Holy Spirit.
But it is simply knowledge to them. It doesn’t change them.
We can’t simply rely on an intellectual knowledge of God for salvation. We have to have faith in his saving work.
We have to have more than emotion, more than words or thoughts.
FAITH ACTS. FAITH DOES. FAITH OBEYS. FAITH LOVES. FAITH WORKS.
Faith Works
Faith Works
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 alone.
James uses Abraham as the example of one whose faith acts.
That acts of faith are an essential part of actual trust in God.
However, we need to look at this word “righteous.”
There are two types of Righteousness
Positional and Practical. They are both necessary.
Remember us talking about Paul and the difference between his writings and James’.
When Paul writes about Righteousness, he is primarily writing about Positional Righteousness.
Positional Righteousness- Our Standing Before God. Only accomplished through our faith in Christ and His Work.
Here James is writing about not Positional Justification, but Practical Justification
Practical Righteousness- How We Live Before God
How the Spirit is working in us to grow in the likeness of Christ
We can do nothing to change our position, but once our position has been change by God, we need to live it out practically.
Work out our Faith. Through:
Generosity, Love, Mercy, Grace, Taming of the Tongue, Compassion, Not showing Favoritism (all the things James has talked about and more)
Two Types of Works
Works of the Flesh—Not God Honoring—Legalism trying to earn God’s Grace
Works of Faith- Fruit which brings glory to God—Obedience and gratefulness.
Works completed/made perfect—Not perfection, but maturity. Growing in maturity
Faith is matured when we live obediently to God. When we follow his commandments. We we listen to his voice.
We see this when Abraham is asked to offer up Isaac.
His prior obedience enabled him to have a stronger faith in God.
Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
Luther on Faith:
O, this faith is a living, busy, active, powerful thing! It is impossible that it should not be ceaselessly doing that which is good. It does not even ask whether good works should be done; but before the question can be asked, it has done them, and it is constantly engaged in doing them.
You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
When James speaks of faith here. He is speaking about a dead faith.
A belief not in the God of the universe, but one of self reliance.
This is a lifeless intellectual faith that is not salvific in nature.
2 Justifications
Initial- Being made right by the blood of Christ
Final- When we stand before Jesus at the final judgement. Confirmation of the Christian’s Life
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.
Faith Works
Faith Works
Rahab’s story Joshua 2
She laid it all on the line for God’s People
She stands in stark contrast to Abraham
Abraham | Rahab
Father/Patriarch | Prostitute/Gentile
Friend of God | Living amongst the enemy
Great Leader | Common Citizen
Top of Social Order | Bottom
But they both recieved grace b/c of their faith.
They both risked it all to follow God b/c of their faith.
They both were concerned with God’s Glory
Both are mentioned in Hebrews 11 (hall of faith)
Both have direct lineage to Jesus (Rahab being Boaz’s Mother) Boaz David’s Great-Grandfather.
“She is a hero of the faith because she put her life and everything dear to her on the line for the Lord, trusting Him without hesitation, qualification, or reservation.”
True Faith Demands Works.
If there are no Works of Faith the faith is dead.
Dead Faith Can’t Save.