Is Your Faith Alive or Dead?
James 2:14-26 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-- and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 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. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Suppose I were to stand before you today and hold up this object (in this case, a piece of chewing gum) and tell you that it is a piece of gum.
„± How would you know that what I am saying is true? You could assume that I am telling the truth because you know that I am generally truthful.
„± You could observe that, as I open the wrapper, the contents appear to hold a piece of gum.
„± If you were close enough, you could smell the gum.
„± If I had enough pieces of gum or you didn¡¦t mind sharing, we could all taste the gum to see that it was indeed gum.
„± The point is that, beyond my statement that this is a piece of gum, you would have to either take my word or test the evidence in order to know for certain what is true.
This is the kind of argument James uses to talk about saving faith in our study today.
This particular passage is the test of a genuine salvation. By describing the difference between faith that is false and faith that is genuine, James helps believers reach a deeper understanding of what it is that God expects of those who claim the name of Jesus.
Matthew 7:21a, ¡§Not everyone who says to me, ¡¥Lord, Lord¡¦ will enter the kingdom of heaven¡¨ .
It is not enough to simply know what it takes to be a Christian ¡V real faith is shown by the way we live and the things we do on an everyday basis.
I. A LOOK AT ¡§DEAD¡¨ FAITH
James 2:14-20 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-- and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
A. ¡§Can a person be saved simply by saying he is a believer?¡¨
B. We have all seen people say that they are Christians when even a passing glance at their lives leads us to believe otherwise.
C. Genuine saving faith is more than just saying that you are a Christian.
D. James uses an illustration in verses fifteen and sixteen.
1. the people in question are believers, not strangers;
2. they have real, long-term needs.
3. God¡¦s going to take care of you. Hang in there!¡¨
4. When needs go unmet in the household of faith, then the church has a serious problem.
5. Before we can ever expect to care for the world, we must first care for our own members.
6. Otherwise, our faith is dead.
v.17 Faith alone, without works, is dead.
1 John 3:18, ¡§My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth¡¨
„± If we say that we are believers, then we ought to be moved with compassion for our brothers and sisters.
Bevil Jarrel ¡V History Coach Jarrel brought history to life.
v. 18 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
„± The evidence of a relationship with Jesus Christ is manifested in the things you do on a daily basis.
o Do you pray regularly?
o Are you drawn to the spiritual things in life?
o Has your motivation changed directions since you became a Christian?
o Are certain behaviors you used to enjoy becoming loathsome now?
o Are behaviors you used to find to be loathsome becoming enjoyable?
o Works are the evidence of saving faith. Without them, there is no saving faith.
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-- and shudder.
When it comes to belief, there is no one more correct than the demons of Hell.
You wouldn¡¦t have to argue one word of doctrine with Satan and his demonic host.
Their esteem of the Bible is probably greater than yours or mine. BUT, the demons of Hell are condemned to the Lake of Fire already, and nothing will change that.
We must have a transforming faith that is produced through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17, ¡§Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.¡¨
The ¡§I-believe-in-God¡¨ faith passes away when we come to personally know Jesus.
II. A LOOK AT ¡§ALIVE¡¨ FAITH
James 2:21-26 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 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. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
A. What a living faith looks like.
1. Through these two examples, James covers every possible excuse and solidifies the necessity of a works-producing-faith.
2. Abraham and Rahab
The illustration from Abraham¡¦s life deals with the challenge from God to go to Mt. Moriah and sacrifice Isaac. It is good for us to remember that Isaac was born when Abraham was 99 and Sarah was 90. It is also good for us to remember God¡¦s promise to Abraham that he would have descendants more numerous than the sand at the seashore. We should probably not forget that Abraham had had a son by Sarah¡¦s servant, Hagar whom she had named Ishmael, and that he was not to be the heir to God¡¦s promise. Do you begin to grasp the seriousness of God¡¦s request? The Bible tells us in Genesis 22 that Abraham took Isaac, carried him to Mt. Moriah, built the altar, tied him up and lay him on the altar, and drew the knife to cut his throat. Were there tears in Abraham¡¦s eyes? Did Isaac struggle to be free from the cords around his ankles and wrists? Did he cry out as he began to see the plan come together? Was there anger in Abraham¡¦s heart, or intense sorrow? Here he had been childless for almost a hundred years when suddenly a child whose name meant ¡§laughter¡¨ brought joy into his home. He had been with Isaac every day of his life, more like a doting grandfather than a father. And now, this.
He had heard God¡¦s voice calling him to go to Canaan. He had seen the plagues God sent on the Egyptians while he and Sarah were in Egypt. He had personally witnessed the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. He had hosted the messengers of God in his own tent. He had spoken as with a friend to God on numerous occasions. And now, this. Was it important that Abraham obey God¡¦s request for the life of Isaac? Friends, Abraham¡¦s salvation was at stake. If Abraham had not carried through at this precise moment in history, I daresay God would have put him on the shelf and the Jewish nation would call someone other than Abraham ¡§Father.¡¨ It was that important. James says that he was justified by his works (v.21). He also goes on to say that faith was made ¡§perfect¡¨ through works. We have already seen that this word, ¡§perfect¡¨ implies completion and maturity. Abraham¡¦s obedience to God was vital to his justification before God.
Genesis 15:6 that says, ¡§And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.¡¨
Abraham¡¦s belief was not merely a confession or and agreement with God: it was a lifestyle that affected the way he did almost everything. It was a living relationship that was forever different.
The result of this lifestyle is found in the final clause of verse twenty-three: ¡§. . . and he was called the Friend of God.¡¨
As to Rahab she was a harlot, a paid prostitute. While this may have been acceptable in many cultures of the day, it was not the kind of thing that God wanted his people to be involved in. God has always maintained that the proper context for a sexual relationship is between one man and one woman in the confines of marriage. The Jews had no call for temple prostitutes or sexual slaves in their religious practices. The fact that Rahab was a prostitute amplifies the remarkable nature of her faith. She was not a Jew. She welcomed the spies into her home. We all remember the story of the scarlet thread hanging our her window that spared her and her family from the conquest of Jericho after the walls fell. Rahab found a kinship with the Jewish people that eventually led to her marriage to Salmon, a descendant of Judah. Through this marriage they had a son named Boaz. Boaz married Ruth, a Moabite woman, and had a son with her named Obed. Obed had a son named Jesse, and Jesse had a son named David, the second king of Israel. The conquest of Jericho was a feat that only God could accomplish. Rahab became a part of God¡¦s plan as she aided the spies in their reconnaissance mission. It was her actions that justified her and her faith before God.
James compares the relationship of faith and works with the spirit or breath in a living body. Take away the works and the faith is dead. Take away the spirit and the body is dead. A person can give the appearance of life by many signs, but life itself is made manifest in the works that go along with living. They are inseparable.
Do you remember my piece of chewing gum from the beginning of this message? We considered the reality of the gum, the visible indicators of its existence.
Did you know that you can do the same kind of examination of your faith?
Ephesians 2:8-10 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Our motive for anything good that we do is no longer to try to obtain God¡¦s approval, but a tribute of gratitude to him for all that he has done for us.
Does your life demonstrate the that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?
„± What evidence is there in your life that you are what you claim to be?
Matthew 7:20 ¡§Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.¡¨
„± I have tried to convince you that there is a stick of chewing gum in my hand this morning.
Has God convinced that you are his child this morning? Only the works produced by a living faith will tell.
It was an unusually cold day for the month of May. Spring had arrived and everything was alive with color. But a cold front from the north had brought winter’s chill back to Indiana. I sat with two friends in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town squire. The food and the company were both especially good that day. As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street. There,
walking into town, was a man who appeared to be caring all his worldly goods on his back. He was carrying, a well-worn sign that read "I’ll work for food." My heart sank. I brought him to the attention of my friends and noticed that others around us had stopped eating to focus on him.
Heads moved in a mixture of sadness and disbelief. We continued with our meal, but his image lingered in my mind. We finished our meal and went our separate ways. I had errands to do and quickly set to accomplish them. I glanced toward the town square, looking somewhat halfheartedly for the strange visitor. I was fearful, knowing that seeing him again would call some response. I drove through town and saw nothing of him. I made some purchases at a store and got back into my car. Deep within me, the spirit of God kept speaking to me: "don’t go back to the office until you’ve at least driven once more around the square." And so with some hesitancy, I headed back into town. As I turned the square’s third corner, I saw him. He was standing on the steps of the storefront church, going through his sack. I stopped and looked, feeling both compelled to speak to him, yet wanting to drive on. The empty parking space on the corner seemed to be a sign from god: an invitation to park. I pulled in, got out and approached the town’s visitor. Looking for the pastor? I asked. Not really, he replied, just resting. Have you eaten today? Oh, I ate something early this morning. Would you like to have lunch with me? Do you have some work I could do for you? No work, I replied. I commute here to work from the city, but I would like to! Take you to lunch. Sure he replied with a smile. As he began to gather his things, I asked him some surface questions. Where you headed? St. Louis. Where you from? Oh, all over; mostly Florida. I knew I had met someone unusual. We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left earlier. His face was weathered slightly beyond his 38 years. His eyes were dark and clear, and he spoke with an eloquence and articulation that was startling. He removed his jacket to reveal a bright red T-shirt that said, "Jesus is the never ending story." Then Daniel’s story began to unfold. He had seen rough times earl in life. He’d made some wrong choices and reaped the consequences. Fourteen years earlier, while backpacking across the country, he had stopped on the beach in Daytona. He tried to hire on with some men who were putting up a big tent and some equipment. A concert, he thought. He was hired, but the tent would not house a concert but revival services, and in those services he saw life more clearly. He gave his life over to God. Nothing’s been the same since, he said, I felt the lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now. Ever think of stopping? I asked. Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me. But god has given me this calling. I give out bibles. That’s what’s in my sack. I work to buy food and bibles, and I give them out when the spirit leads. I sat amazed. My homeless friend was not homeless. He was on a mission and lived this way by choice. The question burned inside for a minute and then I asked: what’s it like? What? To walk into town carrying all your things on your back and to show you a sign? Oh, it was humiliating at first. People would stare and make comments. Once someone tossed a piece of half-eaten bread and made a gesture that certainly didn’t make me feel welcome. But then it became humbling to realize that God was using me to touch lives and change people’s concepts of other folks like me. My concept was changing, too. We finished our dessert and gathered his things. Just outside the door, he paused. He turned and said," come ye blessed of my father and inherit the kingdom I’ve prepared for you. For when I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in." I felt as if we were on holy ground. Could you use another bible? I asked.
