Faith that Works

James 2:14–26 CSB

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe—and they shudder. 20 Senseless person! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? 21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works in offering Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was made complete, 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works in receiving the messengers and sending them out by a different route? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Strong Words

One of the scariest and eye opening things Jesus says is in Matthew 7-

Matthew 7:21–23 CSB

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’

The scary part of this passage is that there will be people who have done some really amazing things in the name of Jesus and who believe themselves to be saved whom Jesus will respond “I never knew you.”

It isn’t your good deeds and church attendance that get you into heaven. That is not the message of James today.

But Jesus points to a group of people who were doing some great things, things celebrated in church life even today, and yet they were not saved.

So these words from James become increasingly more serious if we were to examine our lives to find that perhaps there isn’t any real evidence in us that our faith real is genuine.

James’s goal in this passage is to challenge us to really look at our life with unfiltered eyes

How can we know that we are right with God?

We don’t have to wonder. James is going to help us figure it out today.

There’s not a more important issue for us to get straight.

And so let’s look at what James tells us, and let’s consider what it means for our souls.

Characteristics of Real Faith

1) Real Faith WORKS (14-17)

Question of the genuineness and USEFULNESS of faith that makes no difference in the life of a believer.

James shares another hypothetical story that very well could be true.

A fellow church member comes to you who is in great need, perhaps a time of crisis in their life.

Poorly clothed and not enough to eat.

This isn’t a homeless man on the street or an email from Africa requesting you send $5000 to help a distant relative.

It is a person you know, someone you do life with, and someone who is part of your church family.

The response might not sound like something you or I would say, but when you break down the Greek it can be understood simply as “Brother, I will pray that you will find a warm place to stay tonight and some food to fill your belly.”

A prayer without action. Don’t get be wrong, prayer is important, but how can we as brothers and sisters in Christ stop at prayer when we see someone we love struggling.

Maybe they had to get to work, a practice, a game, a hair appointment. Maybe they needed to cook supper, clean the house, mow the yard, or visit a friend.

James uses the example of compassion and mercy, pointing back to the first part of chapter 2, to make the point about real faith showing in how we live.

This indictment is not lost on Church culture today. Modern Christianity has embraced the cultural attitude of self-centerness and the “to-each-his-own” mentality.

James is confronting a faith that doesn’t move. It doesn’t move our hearts to compassion or our hands to service.

It doesn’t move us to obedience or to submission.

It doesn’t move us to repentance or lead us toward holiness.

Faith that works is a faith that moves:

Faith moves us to serve even when it isn't convenient or costs us greatly.

Faith moves us to follow Jesus even when it is hard or doesn’t make sense.

Faith moves us to deny ourselves even when others are telling us to follow our hearts.

2) Real Faith isn’t HEADY Faith (18-19)

Dean Inserra challenges the idea Cultural Christianity like this:

Self-proclaimed Christians who worship a god that requires no self-sacrifice, no obedience, no submission, and no surrender are not worshiping the God of the Bible, no matter how much they claim they love Jesus. In His own words, Jesus tells us what it looks like to love Him: “If you love me, you will keep my commands” (John 14:15); “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word” (John 14:23). Many people want the good-luck-charm Jesus, not the sacrificial Lamb of God whose death requires action.

James is challenging the belief that we can believe in Jesus and yet it does show in our everyday lives, in obedience to Christ, sacrificial service to others, or in the values we live by.

James asks the tough question: What makes our faith different from the faith of demons?

If we think, speak, act, and live predominantly just like the world, what difference does faith actually make?

True faith is a dying and rising faith

Romans 6:3–4 NLT

Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

Romans 6:12–14 CSB

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. And do not offer any partsJ of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.

J. D. Greear stated that: surveys show that more than 50% of people in the U.S. have prayed a sinner’s prayer and think they’re going to heaven because of it, even though there is no detectable difference in their lifestyles from those outside of the church. Thus … so many people are assured of a salvation they give no evidence of possessing on the basis of a prayer ritual they didn’t understand.²

3) Real Faith BEARS real FRUIT (20-25)

James shares two stories of faith that produced real fruit, both of which are in the OT, before Christ.

Abraham was a good guy and God promises him a son who would be the father of a great nation of people.

Issac was born years later as a fulfillment of that promise.

But God called Abraham to sacrifice Issac on an alter in order to prove his commitment to God.

When Abraham brought Issac to the mountain to sacrifice him, God intervened, saving Issac and providing a ram in his place.

James points to this as an example of real faith in God.

Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Issac wasn’t what justified or saved him, but it showed the depth and genuineness of his faith.

Abraham’s faith was active ALONGSIDE his works.

I could say I am a runner, but if you never see me running then I am not a runner.

True faith produces real fruit.

The story of Rehab is intentionally chosen I believe to show that even someone whose life doesn’t fit the mold of a “good person” is saved BY FAITH, but that faith will produce fruit that displays trust in God.

Although her faith was like that of Abraham, she was unlike the patriarch in almost every other way. She had been a pagan; she was a woman; and she was a prostitute.

Nevertheless, she chose to become identified with the people of Israel, a decision based on faith (cf. Josh 2:8–13; Heb 11:31). Far from being dead or worthless, her faith moved her to risk her life to protect the spies. As a result, “even” (kai) the prostitute was declared righteous.

James does not give approval to Rahab’s former life; it is her living faith, seen against the background of her previous immorality, he commends.

vs 24 is not in conflict with Paul’s declaration in Ephesians 2:1-8

Ephesians 2:1–8 CSB

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—

Actually, James wrote this letter before Paul, and was a mentor of Paul’s, who likely made a huge impact on Paul that shows up in his own letters.

Paul likely has James’s words in mind when he wrote eph 2:10

Ephesians 2:10 CSB

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

4) Real Faith LIVES, FOREVER (26)

James uses the image of a dead body to illustrate his point in this closing statement.

Just like a body is dead without a spirit, faith without works is also dead.

Real faith is a living, breathing faith.

It grows, develops, matures, and perseveres.

Faith that never grows, never matures, and doesn’t show in a growing communion with Christ is likely not real faith.

Maybe your kid walked an isle at VBS and got baptized at 9 or 10 year old, but what does his or her life show 10, 15, 20 or more year later?

Real faith Lives.

Real faith perseveres.

If someone’s faith does not persevere then it was never actually alive.

Closing

If the gospel is true, it is worth us giving up everything for.

It is the ONLY place hope, joy, and peace can truly be found.

But it isn’t something to toy around with or to only be halfway in on.

Either it is real and your REALLY believe it and it REALLY makes a difference in your life, or you are deceived.

Don’t be deceived!

Our only hope in life and death is Christ Plus nothing else.