SF684 - HOW TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE FOREVER FAITH - DEVELOPING A FAITH THAT WORKS (James 2 14-26)

How To Know If You Have Forever Faith

Developing a Faith That Works

James 2:14-26

Introduction

This is the most controversial and misunderstood passage in the book of James.

The entire New Testament teaches that we are saved by faith alone.

(Ephesians 2:8 NIV)  "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith.."

(Romans 1:17 NIV)  "… The righteous will live by faith.""

Some think that James and Paul are disagreeing about salvation.  (21, 24)

Paul was fighting the problem of legalism

James is fighting laxity

They both use the same Word "Works" to Refer to Different Things…

Man is saved by faith alone.  But the faith that saves is never alone!

James tells of two types of Phoney Faith and one Forever Faith…

1A.      Worthless Faith  (14-17)

1B.       Worthless Faith has Profession without Performance  (14)

He claims to have faith

There are a lot of people who claim to be Christians.

Ø      George Gallup says that 50 million Americans say "I'm born again

(Matthew 7:21 NIV)  ""Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

"Can such faith save him?  What value is this kind of faith?"

Ø      Nothing.  Talk is cheap.

2B.       Worthless Faith has Concern without Commitment  (15-17)

Charlie Brown and Linus are inside all bundled up and Snoopy's out in the cold shivering in front of an empty dog food bowl. Charlie and Linus are having a discussion on how sad it is that Snoopy is hungry and cold.  "He's cold and hungry.  We ought to do something about it."  They walk outside and say to Snoopy, "Be of good cheer, Snoopy."

Concern waits for someone else to take the lead; Commitment takes the iniative

I John 3:17 "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?"

Concern counts the cost; Commitment calculates the gain.

Ø      The rich young ruler counted the cost

Ø      Paul calculated the gain

(Philippians 3:8 NIV)  "What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ"

Concern discusses the problem; Commitment deals with the problem

I John 3:14 says that one of the proofs of salvation is that we love other Christians.

If I don't feel like helping other Christians I don't have a sick faith, I have a dead faith.

2A.      Wasted Faith  (18-19)

1B.       Wasted Faith Focuses on What You Know not Who you Are  (18)

More concerned with lip service than life service

More concerned with what you say than what you show

Somebody said, "Faith is like calories.  You can't see them but you can sure see the results

(2 Corinthians 5:17 NCV)  "If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new!"

2B.       Wasted Faith is Concerned with Doctrine not Devotion  (19)

Some People have no more Faith than the Devil

Ø      That Jesus is the Son of God

(Matthew 8:29 NIV)  ""What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?""

Ø      That Jesus is Holy

(Mark 1:24 NIV)  ""What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!""

Ø      That Jesus is the Messiah

(Luke 4:41 NIV)  "Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ."

Ø      They know God and fear God but they do not love God

"shudder" = the skin crawls.

Do you Love Jesus Christ

3A.      Working Faith  (20-26)

1B.       A Faith that Works is God-Centered  (20-24)

What Abraham believed in Genesis 15

(Genesis 15:4, 6 NIV)  "Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir."  {6} Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness."

Determined how he behaved in Genesis 22

(Genesis 22:9-10 NIV)  "… Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. {10} Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son."

2B.       A Faith that Works is Others-Serving  (25)

From man's point of view: Rahab had nothing to gain and everything to loose

But God had other plans for her

(Joshua 6:25 NIV)  "But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho--and she lives among the Israelites to this day."

(Matthew 1:5-6 NIV)  "Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, {6} and Jesse the father of King David….,"

3B.       A Faith that Works is Life-Giving  (26)

(John 10:10 NCV)  "A thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I came to give life--life in all its fullness."

Application

Get in the Wheelbarrow

About 35 years ago there was a famous tight rope walker named George Blondin who, for a publicity stunt, decided he would walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope.  On the appointed day they stretched a tightrope from one side of Niagara Falls to the other.  He got out there and there were crowds lining both the Canadian and American side.  Thousands of people showed up to see this unbelievable feat.

Blondin walked up to the edge of the tightrope, put one foot on the tightrope and put another foot out and began to walk across -- inch by inch, step by step.  He got out in the middle and everybody knew that if he'd make one mistake in balance he'd fall off the rope and into the Falls and obviously be killed.  Blondin got to the other side and the crowd went wild, shouting and cheering.  Blondin said, "I'm going to do it again."  He got to the other side and the crowds went crazy

 Blondin said, "I'm going to do it again but this time I'm going to bush a wheel barrow full of dirt."  He pushes the wheel barrow across.  He got to the other side.  He did this nine or ten times.

On about the tenth time, he pushed the wheel barrow right in front of a tourist who said, "I believe you could do that all day."  Blondin dumped out the dirt and said, "Get into the wheel barrow." 

2 Corinthians 13:5 "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith."

Ø      In the light of what James says, am I really a Christian?

Ø      Is my life style any different at all from unbelievers?

How To Know If You Have Forever Faith

Developing a Faith That Works

May 11, 1997 a.m. - James 2:14-26
Tim McGhee

1A.      ______________________________ Faith  (14-17)

1B.       Worthless Faith has _________________  (14)

 (Matthew 7:21 NIV)  ""Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

2B.       Worthless Faith has __________ without Commitment  (15-17)

I John 3:17 "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?"

(Philippians 3:8 NIV)  "What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ"

I John 3:14 says that one of the proofs of salvation is that we love other Christians.

2A.      _____________________ Faith  (18-19)

1B.       Wasted Faith Focuses on ___________ not Who you Are  (18)

(2 Corinthians 5:17 NCV)  "If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new!"

2B.       Wasted Faith is Concerned with __________ not Devotion  (19)

(Matthew 8:29 NIV)  ""What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?""

(Mark 1:24 NIV)  ""What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!""

(Luke 4:41 NIV)  "Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ."

3A.      __________________________ Faith  (20-26)

1B.       A Faith that Works is God-_________  (20-24)

2B.       A Faith that Works is ________________  (25)

3B.       A Faith that Works is ______________  (26)

(John 10:10 NCV)  "A thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I came to give life--life in all its fullness."