Introduction

A.    Bckgrd: TWO QUESTIONS

1.      Can a man have faith & not do good works?

2.      Can faith without good works save a man?

B.     THE DESTITUTE CHRISTIAN BELIEVER

1.      He claims faith, yet reduces to help the needy

2.      Conclusion: His faith without works is dead

C.    THE TWO MEN OF ARROGANCE

1.      One claims faith; another claims works

2.      Conclusion: One’s faith is shown by works

D.    THE ORTHODOX RELIGIONIST

1.      He believes in one God, but the devils also believe & tremble

2.      Conclusion: Faith without works is an empty faith

E.     THE MAN WHO PROVED HIS FAITH BY WORKS: ABRAHAM

1.      He offered up Isaac

2.      His faith & works were interactive

3.      His faith fulfilled Scripture

4.      Conclusion: His faith & works justified him

F.     THE WOMAN WHO PROVED HER FAITH BY WORKS: RAHAB

1.      She proved her faith by receiving the messengers

2.      Conclusion: A body without the Spirit is dead; so faith without works is dead

Review of last week

If you have a true saving faith in Christ you will not show partiality, for partiality is…

1.      Wrong

a.       Sets one up as judge

b.      Reveals evil thoughts

c.       Discriminates against the poor

d.      Shows a disgraceful attitude & foolish behavior

2.      Warned against showing partiality

a.       It is a sin

b.      And makes one guilty of the whole law & is just a serious as adultery or killing

3.      The motive

a.       We shall be judged

Introduction:

A.       2 Timothy 3:16-17—the word of God equips us for “every good work”

B.       What is faith?

a.       Saved by faith (Eph. 2:8-9); walk by faith (2 Cor. 5:7); without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6);

b.      We exercise our faith in many ways everyday—elevator; my truck starting in the morning, etc..

Illustration:     

1.      Faith is central to all of life. For example, you go to a doctor whose name you cannot pronounce and whose degrees you have never verified. He gives you a prescription you cannot read. You take it to a pharmacist you have never seen before. He gives you a chemical compound you do not understand. Then you go home and take the pill according to the instructions on the bottle. All in trusting, sincere faith!

c.       Many people say they are Christians but do not follow nor live for Jesus Christ.

d.      Are they saved?  Do they have a genuine faith

Verse 14

I.                   Bckgrd: TWO QUESTIONS

A.       Can a man have faith & not do good works?

B.       Can faith without good works save a man?

C.       A person who really believes something does something: he acts on what he believes  Bomb Illus.

D.       The only difference between church attendees & unbelievers is they sometimes get up and go to church.

1.      The man says he has faith.  But it is only what he says; he does nothing to show he really believes in Christ.

2.      His faith is only from his mouth not his daily life—this is a dead faith v.17,20,26

3.      If we really believe in Christ, we will live for Christ & do the works that please Him.  

Verse 15-17

II.                THE DESTITUTE CHRISTIAN BELIEVER

A.       The example is dealing with believers, brothers & sisters in the Lord

B.       He claims faith, yet reduces to help the needy-- V.15-16

1.      Words cannot warm a persons body, nor can words fill a persons stomach

2.      1 JOHN 3:17-18  Do not love in tongue only but in deeds

C.       Conclusion: His faith without works is dead-- V.17

1.      Matthew 25:41-46—We can talk about believing in Jesus till we are blue in the face but if we do not reach out to those in need our faith is dead and unsaving faith

Illustration:

As gloves are to a surgeon’s hands, so are Christians in service for God. It is actually “God’s hand” doing the work. We are but used by him and therefore have nothing to boast of.

Verse 18

III.             THE TWO MEN OF ARROGANCE

A.       Tow imaginary men—One claims faith; another claims works

The one who claims faith

1.      First imaginary man: he believes that God accepts him because he believe in Jesus Christ even if he fails to live for Christ.

2.      He thinks once he believes, is baptized & joined the church – God accepts him & will take him to heaven when he dies.

3.      "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. (Matthew 7:21 NKJV)

PASTOR CHUCK SMITH

Now, countless people have made the mistake of going forward and saying the sinner's prayer and then going out and living the same old kind of life, doing the same kind of things. They say, "Oh yeah, I was saved. I went forward and said the sinner's prayer." No, no. The sinner's prayer is not going to save you. It is a living faith in Jesus Christ that brings about actual changes in your life and the proof is in the works: The proof of your faith. Your works have to be in accordance, in harmony with what you are declaring to be true

The one who claims works

1.      The second imaginary man claims to have works—God accepts because he does good works and lives a good life.

2.      He believes the important thing to God is to be religious and do all the good that he can.

3.      "Many will say to Me in that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' (Matthew 7:22 NKJV)

B.       Conclusion: One’s faith is shown by works

1.      You profess to have faith but where is your proof, true faith must be backed up by living works.

2.      Your faith is not seen; all I have is your word, there is no change in your life.

3.      But you can see my faith by my works the change in my life Matthew 5:16.

Verse’s 19-20

IV.             THE ORTHODOX RELIGIONIST

A.       He believes in one God, but the devils also believe & tremble

1.      I believe in God." Big deal. Who doesn't, except some fool. The Bible says in Psalm 14:1, "The fool is the one who says there is no God. So you say you believe in God?" It only proves one thing, you're not a fool. But it doesn't save you.

2.      Even the devils believe in God and they probably believe more firmly in Him than you do. They said to Jesus, "We know who you are, you're the holy one of God." So you might say, "I believe Jesus is the holy one of God." So what.

3.      Have you submitted your life to His lordship, are you doing His works, are you obeying His commands? Jesus said, "Not all you who say 'Lord, Lord,' are going to enter the kingdom of heaven but he who does the will of the Father." James is telling you the same thing. It isn't saying I have faith. It is demonstrating it with a life in harmony with what I am declaring that I believe.

B.       Conclusion: Faith without works is an empty faith

1.      There is a difference between intellectual faith, & a true saving faith

2.      No man can come to Christ and remain the same no more than he can come into contact with a 220-volt wire and remain the same!

Verse’s 21-24

V.                THE MAN WHO PROVED HIS FAITH BY WORKS: ABRAHAM

A.       He offered up Isaac v.21

1.      Abraham proved he was justified by what he did—by his works

2.      Abraham’s faith was proven to be a true and living faith by his works.

B.       His faith & works were interactive v.22

1.      His faith was acted out and proven by his works, his faith cooperated with his works

2.      His faith was shown to be a complete faith, a true and living faith completes and finishes its course.

C.       His faith fulfilled Scripture v.23

And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:6 NKJV)

1.      God pronounced Abraham justified and saved thirty years before this event.

D.       Conclusion: His faith & works justified him v.24

1.      When Abraham offered up his son Isaac he was proving his faith in God

2.      He had faith that God would, if necessary, raise Isaac from the dead to keep His promise "Through Isaac shall thy seed be called."  So his works were in keeping with his faith.

E.        Abraham was called “the friend of God”—he had an intimate relationship with God

VI.             THE WOMAN WHO PROVED HER FAITH BY WORKS: RAHAB

A.       She proved her faith by receiving the messengers

1.      When the spies for Israel were being hunted down by the Jericho soldiers, she hid them

2.      Whey should she betray her country and protect the Israelite spies? Because she believed in God and His promises

She said to the spies…

"I know that the LORD has given you the land [of promise]  for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. (Joshua 2:9,11 NKJV)

She believed in God, therefore, she acted.  She put her faith to work, the conclusion says this…

B.       A body without the spirit is dead; so faith without works is dead.

1.      Faith without works is like a dead body in a morgue.

2.      Faith is the root, and the root produces the kind of fruit that the root itself is.

3.      Can a apple tree bring forth oranges?  Can a peach tree bear watermelon?

4.      Jesus said by their fruit you shall know them.

5.      What kind of root do you have in you?

6.      Do you have a root of saving faith or a false faith?

1.      A man who claims to have faith without works is like a man who puts all his effort into building the foundation of a house and never builds anything on it. 

2.      A man who displays great works but claims no faith is like a man who builds a house on sand without any foundation.

wheel barrel—elevator—Brittany jumping to me—throwing out a lifesaver, but you need to grab it.