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November 3, 2019

What good is faith without works?

Preacher: Durwin Kicker
Passage: James 2:14-26

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)

    • What good is it if someone says he has faith, but does not have works?

 

  • A critical question:
  • Can that faith save him? (v14)

 

    • 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)

 

 

    • 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.

 

  • 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”
      • 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.

 

 

  • 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!

 

 

  • 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.”

 

    • The spirit is the life of the body.
    • Works are the life of faith.

 

« James: Listening vs. Doing Mathew Leonard – Guest Speaker »

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