What good is faith without works?
What good is faith without works?
James 2:14-26
Pastor Durwin
November 3, 2019
Intro:
- Overview of vv1-13
- The call to love your neighbor as yourself (v8)
- Favoring people because of their wealth or status is sin and is evil.
- To be guilty of one sin is the same of being guilty of all sin.
vv1-7: partiality toward rich = judging with evil thoughts (v4)
vv8-13: partiality is sin; being guilty of one sin is to be a transgressor of the law; to be guilty of one sin is to be guilty of whole law
Faith without works (vv14-26)
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- What good is it if someone says he has faith, but does not have works?
- A critical question:
- Can that faith save him? (v14)
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- James gives four “illustrations” to drive home the answer to this question (vv15-25).
- He answers the question in v17, v20, and v26.
- All talk, no action (vv15-17)
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- Illustration #1 is a person in need of clothing and food.
- If we say, “Be warmed and filled,” yet do nothing to help provide, we’ve really done nothing.
- Illustration #1 is a person in need of clothing and food.
- In v17 James answers his “saving faith” question from v14: “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
- Demons (vv18-19)
- Illustration #2: Even the demons believe
- James says if two people are going to argue about faith OR works, we need to change the argument.
- It’s not faith OR works, it’s faith AND works.
- “Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (v18)
- Saving faith (v14) is always demonstrated by faithful works.
- You believe God is one (Deut. 6:4 - “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”)
- Even the demons believe that – and shudder!
- Gospels record instances where Jesus cast out demons and the demons knew exactly who he was.
- Mark 1:24 – Capernaum synagogue: “the Holy One of God”
- Mark 5:7 – Legion of demons: “son of the Most High God”
- Gospels record instances where Jesus cast out demons and the demons knew exactly who he was.
- James says our faith is to be demonstrated by our works; we cannot simply say, “Oh, I believe!” if there is no action to back up our belief.
- It’s not faith OR works, it’s faith AND works.
- James says if two people are going to argue about faith OR works, we need to change the argument.
- Abraham (vv20-24)
- Illustration #3: Abraham
- James answers his question from v14 for a second time in v20: faith apart from works is useless.
- The first of two Old Testament characters: Abraham
- Abraham justified by works when he offered Isaac on the altar
- His faith was active along with his works
- His faith was completed by his works
- Verse 24: “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”
- Not salvation by works.
- Not in conflict with Ephesians 2:8-10
- Salvation is not a result of works; rather works are a result of our salvation!
- The first of two Old Testament characters: Abraham
- Rahab (v25)
- Illustration #4: Rahab (great, great grandmother to King David in Matt 1 genealogy)
- She was justified by her works
- Received the messengers and sent them out another way (Two Israelite spies, Joshua 2)
Close:
- Verse 26 James answers his question from v14 for the third time: “faith apart from works is dead.”
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- The spirit is the life of the body.
- Works are the life of faith.