Faith Proof
James 2:14-26
Trying to win their case some lawyers have been known to ask some incredibly unbelievable questions.
The Massachusetts Bar Association Lawyer’s Journal gave the following example
Question: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse? No
Did you check for blood pressure? No
Did you check for breathing? No
Then is it possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy? No
How can you be sure doctor?
Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
But couldn’t the patient been alive nevertheless?
It is possible that the patient could still be alive and practicing law somewhere.
A body without a brain is dead.
Likewise, faith without works is dead.
Dead faith does nothing.
This morning we are going to look at James’ teaching that there should be something substantial in our lives to back up our claim that we have faith in Jesus Christ.
Living faith should produce actions of faith in my life.
If there are no actions then according to James
My faith is dead, useless, powerless
And if my faith is dead, useless powerless it is not the real thing and I am still bound in my sins and on my way to hell.
Lets read James 2:14-26
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Just like a body without a brain is dead
A Faith without works is dead
So do you have a live faith or a dead faith
Which would really be no faith at all
I. A Live Faith
James here is continuing a series of tests by which his readers can evaluated whether or not their faith is living or dead.
The recipients of this book were Jewish believers who had been dispersed as it says in 1:1
“James a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ to the twelve tribes which were scattered abroad…”
This dispersion possibly came as a result of Stephen’s martyrdom
But more likely due to the persecution under Herod Agrippa I.
This passage contains the composite test
The one that pulls all the rest together
The test of works, or righteous behavior.
That obeys God’s word and manifests a Godly nature
James makes the point very clear throughout this book that a person is not saved by works
In 1:17-18 he has already strongly and clearly asserted that salvation is a gracious gift from God.
“every good gift and every perfect gift is from above”
Works are an evidence of a real live faith.
The phrase “though a man may say” or “if a man claims” is very important
It governs the interpretation of the entire passage.
James does not say that this person actually has faith
But that he claims to have it
One thing that men are good at is pretending to know everything about everything
My wife gets on to me all the time
I seem to know everything
I can usually act like I really know what I’m talking about on just about any subject
She’ll ask me do you really know what you are talking about or just making that up?
When we first started dating I had her fully convinced that I used to be in a polka band
If a man claims to be in a polka band, but can’t play the accordion, can such a claim make him a band member?
“Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person has it?”
Verse 14 says “So if we say we have faith and have no works can faith save him?”
Or can such faith save him?
Even better translated Can that kind of faith save?
James is not disputing the importance of faith
We are saved by grace through what? FAITH!
For many of us faith is a intellectual exercise
We think faith as being a belief or knowledge that we know in our hearts and minds
It is not the facts of the Gospel, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus that saves me
Those facts tell me who Jesus is, the sinless Son of God
Who died to pay for my sins
It’s not those facts that save me
But once I know who Jesus is and what He did for me
Then I can place my faith in Him!
That is what saves me!
Real faith is displayed in action
So again James is not disputing the importance of faith
Rather he is opposing the notion that saving faith can be a mere intellectual exercise void of a commitment to active obedience
James gives us a very practical, easy to understand word picture in verse 15 and 16 to illustrate his point
By comparing faith without works to words of compassion without acts of compassion.
“For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say ‘Good morning friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit’ and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup. Where does that get you?”
Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?
Works - all righteous behavior that conforms to God’s revealed Word
Those works are faith proof and specifically in this passage are referring to acts of compassion.
Verse 17 tells us “Faith if it has no works is dead being by itself”
Faith is made alive in real action towards real people.
Compassion, what do you think about when you think of compassion
Showing love towards someone?
Well it goes beyond that even
The definition of compassion is sympathy for the suffering of others, often including a desire to help.
Compassion involves a desire to help
That is an indicator of faith
Faith in action is not for religious ritual but for following Christ’s law of love.
Jesus didn’t just simply love people he had compassion for them.
One of the problems in churches today is so many people are caught up in what they know and not what they do.
Our works do not create our relationship with God
But they do reflect it
As a Christian you are called to love others in action
Not simply believe that you should love others.
So do you have a live faith?
A live faith is also a …
II. A Working Faith
Verse 18 “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.”
At first glance this verse seems to contradict Romans 3:28 ‘man is justified by faith apart from observing the law”
Sometimes this passage is used to show the Bible has contradictions
Deeper investigation however shows that the teachings of James and Paul are not at odds
While it is true that our good deeds can never earn salvation
True faith always ALWAYS! Results in a changed life and good deeds
Paul speaks against those who try to be saved by deeds instead of true faith
James speaks against those who confuse mere intellectual assent with true faith
True faith involves a commitment of your whole self to God.
Just simple knowledge is not enough, because…
A. Knowledge Leads to Shuddering verse 19-20
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Real faith leads us to believe in a living God
You believe that God is one
Even the demons believe that
Demons are essentially orthodox in their doctrine
Matthew 8:29 the demons that had possessed a man cried out and said “what business do we have with each other, Son of God?”
So they, the demons even believed He was the Son of God
But orthodox doctrine by itself is no proof of saving faith
The demons know the truth about God, Christ and the Spirit
But they HATE that truth and the Trinity
So does your belief in the existence of God lead to shuddering?
Do we tremble in the presence of an Almighty Sovereign God?
Sometimes I feel like we should tremble before God
Fear of His punishment for our unrepentant hearts should cause us to tremble
He is a perfect God, but to tremble in fear is not enough
Faith, true faith brings us comfort from His presence
James is telling us here it is foolish to claim faith without works
Faith without works, without righteous behavior is useless
In verse 20 when he says faith without works is dead he is really saying the faith without the works
James is not contrasting two methods of salvation, faith versus works
Instead he contrasts two kinds of faith
Living faith that saves and dead faith that does not
Instead of just a knowledge this living…
B. Faith Leads to Sacrifice
Abraham’s faith led him to Mount Moriah and to offering his son
Verse 21 “was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?”
Whoa Whoa Whoa stop the press what did that say?
Justified by works??? A contradiction blatantly
Well for several reasons James cannot mean that Abraham was constituted righteous before God because of his good works
James already stressed that salvation is a gracious gift
Even in this passage verse 23 James quotes Genesis 15:6 which forcefully claims that God credited righteousness to Abraham solely on the basis of his faith, and
The work that James said justified Abraham was his offering up of his son Isaac, an event that occurred many years after he first exercised faith and was declared righteous before God.
Instead, Abraham’s offering of Isaac demonstrated the genuineness of his faith and the reality of his justification before God.
So this passage in no way contradicts any teaching
But firmly supports the claim of faith proof is in the works with this practical illustration from the life of Abraham
Salvation is determined by faith alone
And demonstrated by faithfulness to obey God’s will alone
Faith leads to sacrifice and in this sacrifice we see that
C. Faith Leads to Justification
Verse 24 can be read this way “Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful works”
Another great practical illustration used here is Rahab the harlot the great-great- grandmother of David
Remember she hid the Jewish spies as they went into Jericho
The O.T. records the content of her faith which was the basis of her justification before God.
She demonstrated the reality of her saving faith alone when, at great personal risk she protected the messengers of God
When the spies left, they went out a different way, over the wall with a rope.
But they were not the only ones that went a different way that day. Rahab was a new creature God had saved her
And physically saved her and her family from destruction.
She was different, and is even mentioned in Hebrews 11 the faith hall of fame
The person who thinks that he/she can get saved and
Go live that same lifestyle that they were living before they got saved is a fool
No one has to change their life before they come to Jesus
But coming to Jesus will change their life
And cause them to leave their past behind
I recently met a new friend we’ll call Mike
Mike told me his testimony
Mike believed he was saved
Was going through life as a saved man, but not really on fire for God
Things that should have negatively affected him, his friends behavior, his environment , didn’t
He just ignored those things and went on
One day his dad called him and told him he wanted him to go to Promise Keepers with him
Mike told him dad I’d love to go, but I just got this new job and I really don’t have the funds right now , so thanks but no thanks
A couple days later his dad called again and told him again he wanted him to go with him.
He would pay for him to go, Mike just had to say yes
Mike said sorry dad, but this new job I wont be able to take off, so no thanks
What Mike didn’t know was that his dad had been on his knees for those two days praying for Mike to go
God was really laying on his heart to take his son with him
Mike’s boss was a heathen, pagan man that laughed at Christians
He was from Indianapolis and thought this whole Bible belt thing was a joke and that people that believed in a God that didn’t even exist were a bunch of idiots
Mike’s dad called his boss, told him he wanted to take Mike to this thing and that it would make him a better worker, husband, father
Mike’s boss came to him on the floor and told him I just got off the phone with your father and he said he wants to take you to some conference that would make you a better worker
And so I’ve talked to so and so to cover for you on Friday and you will have to cover for him on Monday
Mike couldn’t believe it
So they go, and right before they get off the bus his pastor says he knows this is not for everyone, and Mike thought yeah I know, its not for me this is a waste of time
The pastor wanted everyone to pray for God to open them up for whatever He wanted them to receive from this conference.
Mike mockingly prayed yeah yeah , open me Lord
They went in and sat down and the first thing they did
80,000 men sang together How Great Thou Art
And Mike says he heard it, an audible voice
He would swear in a court of law that he heard it
The voice said “HOW DARE YOU MOCK ME”
God was speaking to his heart
Mike was mocking God with his non-genuine faith
He was not saved, he had no works to authenticate to prove his faith
Are there works- righteous behaviors, in your life that are proof of your faith?
Yeah I go to church that is plenty of proof
Every time the door opens
A magazine article states that based upon an average 71 year life span
You will spend
23 years sleeping (8 hours a day)
17 years working
11 years in leisure activities
6 years in a vehicle
3 years eating
2 years getting dressed
And lets say you come to church Sunday morning and night and Wednesday night average 3 hours a week
You will spend a whopping total of
6 months in church
Is that all you’re going on?
It is so much more than that
Is your faith the real thing?
There are many different flavors of faith available
Is your faith the real thing?
Diet Coke - says Coke, but without the guilt this is like the person that says they are saved, but lives however they want
Diet Caff. Free - says Coke, no guilt and no power, same as Diet Coke but lives however they want ,and no power of the Spirit
Coke Zero - really needs no explanation
Cherry Coke - Coke plus something this is a popular one today, this is salvation plus something, whether it is baptism, church membership , whatever, this is when people take this passage of faith and works to far, and say that your works do not only prove your salvation, but are a requirement for salvation
Coke Classic - The Real Thing, and this is the best way to drink a Coke
Is your faith the Real thing?
Is there any faith proof in your life
Are you fully relying on God
Resting your whole weight on Him?
If so ,what evidence can you see in your own life that you have true faith?
What evidence can others see?
Is it the real thing?
If you examine yourself and find that there is no true faith
Then come forward this morning and place you whole weight on Jesus
Take Him as your Savior
Place you complete faith in Him
If you examine yourself and find that there is true faith
But it is not evidenced in your life
Then I would challenge you to come and seek God’s forgiveness
And give over total control of your life to Him
Two of the easiest ways that you can evidence faith are through baptism
And getting involved in church
If you have been saved but have never been baptized
Then I would challenge you to come forward this morning and declare that you desire to be baptized
Maybe God is calling you to get more involved in this church by becoming a member
And showing evidence of your faith by taking an active part in this body
Please make that commitment today.
