TOPIC: FAITH IN ACTION
Text: James 2:14-26
Introduction:
(ILL. Trust Him Fully - An old Methodist preacher once offered this prayer in a meeting: "Lord, help us to trust Thee with our souls." Many voices responded with a hearty, old-fashioned "Amen!" "Lord, help us to trust Thee with our bodies," he continued. Again the response was a vociferous "Amen!" Then with still more warmth he said, "And, Lord, help us to trust Thee with our money." Not an "amen" was heard in the house, except that of an impoverished old lady.)
This morning as we continue our series regarding A Life that Makes a Difference, we will study this truth about faith and works, what is the relationships of this two and how our faith become dynamic and not dead, genuine and not counterfeit or phony?
Let’s open our Bible in James 2:14-26 (read). Let us pray! Our text treat the ever-present problem of those in the church who profess to have saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, yet at the same time show no evidence of sincere devotion to Him and His Word. From our text we can see important truths regarding active faith or genuine faith.
1. THE MEANING OF TRUE FAITH
In Hebrew 11:1 the author gives us what faith is, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Because it is sure and certain it should naturally flows from us actions, which are faith in actions, otherwise it is not genuine faith. (ILL. What Does It Mean to Believe? - Many years ago now, when John G. Paton first went out as a pioneer missionary to the new Hebrides Islands, he found that the natives among whom he began to work had no way of writing their language. He began to learn it and in time began to work on a translation of the Bible for them. Soon he discovered that they had no word for "faith." This was serious, of course, for a person can hardly translate the Bible without it. One day he went on a hunt with one of the natives. They shot a large deer in the course of the hunt, and tying its legs together and supporting it on a pole, laboriously trekked back down the mountain path to Paton’s home near the seashore. As they reached the veranda both men threw the deer down, and the native immediately flopped into one of the deck chairs that stood on the porch exclaiming, "My, it is good to stretch yourself out here and rest." Paton immediately jumped to his feet and recorded the phrase. In his final translation of the New Testament this was the word used to convey the idea of trust, faith, and belief. n" Stretch yourself out on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Act_16:31).)
Saving faith is always a living faith that does not stop with mere confession of Christ as Savior, but also prompts obedience to Him as Savior this faith in action or faith that is evident by our works, our obedience to Him and His Word. Thus obedience is an essential aspect of faith. Only those who obey can believe, and only those who believe can obey v. 24. Romans 1:5, “Through Him and for His name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.” James Faith in Jesus Christ is the only condition God requires for salvation. Faith is not only a profession about Christ, but also an activity coming from the heart of the believer who seeks to follow Christ as Lord and Savior. Faith means firmly believing and trusting in the crucified and risen Christ as our personal Lord and savior. It involves repentance and it includes obedience and personal devotion and attachment to Jesus Christ that express itself in trust, love, gratitude and loyalty. It is a personal activity of sacrifice and self giving directed toward Christ. I want to note that there is no contradiction between Paul and James with regard to the matter of saving faith. Normally Paul emphasizes faith as the means by which we accept Christ as savior (Roma. 3:22). (ILL. Ours to Obey, His to Make Way - A pilot was having trouble bringing his plane down to land. From the control tower, he was given instructions. "But there is a pole there," he objected. The answer came back, "You take care of the instructions; we will take care of the obstructions." So with the child of God. In the Word, he or she has God’s instructions. God will take care of the obstructions. It is ours to obey the instructions from God’s Word.)
2. THE EXAMPLE OF TRUE FAITH
(ILL. Look Over the Wall - Two men was discussing worry; one was blaming God because He didn’t let us know what was going to happen. As they walked along, they came to a pasture where a cow was gazing dreamily over a stone wall. "Do you know why this cow has her head stretched over the wall?" asked one man. "No," said his friend. "I’ll tell you. It’s because she’s not able to see through the stone wall. Imitate her. Quit banging the wall with your head. You won’t break the wall down, but you will break your head. Stand tall, look over, and you’ll be able to see farther on." It’s the same lesson the Lord taught when He told people to look at the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, and consider who cares for them (Mat_6:28). They have less cares than we who can think and reason, but God provides for them, and He will for us, too, if we trust Him, if we have genuine faith in Him.)
1. v. 15-16 – it should be exemplify in our daily life and in our faith & relationships first and foremost to our God that flow in good deeds to others.
2. v. 21 – it was exemplified in the life of Abraham, the father of faith. Abraham’s righteousness came not from “observing the law” (Rom. 3:28), but through faith and obedience, actions working together in love. His willingness to sacrifice Isaac was an expression of his faith in and commitment to God (Gen. 15:6; 22:1). James uses the example of Abraham to demolish the belief that faith can exist without commitment to and love for God (Hebrews 11:8, “By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God’s call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going.” “tumalima”.) The Apostle Paul uses the example of Abraham’s faith to destroy the view that salvation rests on the merit of one’s own deeds rather than on God’s grace (Rom. 4:3; Gal. 3:6).
3. v. 25 – it was also exemplified in the life of Rahab, a woman who is considering immoral woman but was saved because she not only believe but she shows her faith in her actions by saving the spy and in turn she and her family was saved by God and become the descendants of Jesus, Mat 1:5, “Salmon had Boaz (his mother was Rahab), Boaz had Obed (Ruth was the mother), Obed had Jesse…” Heb 11:31, “By an act of faith, Rahab, the Jericho harlot, welcomed the spies and escaped the destruction that came on those who refused to trust God.” Now compared all these to the faith that the devil shows, v. 19.
3. THE NECESSITY OF TRUE FAITH
(ILL. Faith, a Necessity - Faith is a daily necessity whether one is getting married, taking a job, struggling with an illness, or overcoming a handicap. And faith in God is the cornerstone of all other faiths. As one psychiatrist says, "When I learn a patient has no faith in God, I dismiss the case. There is nothing to build on.") Genuine faith is necessary for without it then everything we do become useless. (ILL. Faith and Obedience - Ralph Erskine, that eminent Scotch divine of the seventeenth century, put the relation of faith and works in a most revealing way when he wrote, "True faith is never alone, but still joined with Gospel-obedience: ’As ye have received, so walk.’ He that would separate faith from obedience endeavors to walk with one foot, which is impossible. Faith and works, faith and holiness, are the two feet by which a man walks in Christ; when the Spirit of Christ promotes the one, He promotes the other also. If a man should try to go upon one foot, he could not walk but only hop, which would be impossible for him to continue long. Neither can obedience be consistent without faith, and such consistency will be the measure of the Gospel-walk.") We are not better than the devil v. 19 and a non-believer, if our faith is not real or genuine. Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith no one can please God.” Remember Jesus when healing people, he is always that they are healed because of their faith or the faith of their love ones. Faith is necessary to please God.
4. THE EFFECT OF TRUE FAITH
Pure and genuine faith will inevitably produce deeds of love to God that flow to others (ILL. # 5 – Lawrence of Arabia). Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” It operates in complete trust with God. (ILL. Operative Faith - A Christian farmer was constantly jeered at by a non-Christian because he would not work on Sunday, went to church, and gave his tithes to the Lord’s work. At the end of a poor harvest season the non-Christian said to him, "Where is your God? He has certainly failed you, hasn’t He?" "Oh, no," the Christian said, "my God does not close His books at the end of the harvest season.") True saving faith is so vital that it cannot help but express itself in godly action and devotion to Jesus Christ. Deeds without faith are dead faith. Faith without deeds is also dead faith. Genuine faith always manifests itself in obedience to God and compassionate deeds done for needy people (v.22). James calls attention to the fact that true faith must be an active and enduring faith that shapes our very existence. James is not saying that faith and actions saves us. This separates faith from deeds, James contends instead for faith at work or faith in action. Thus, faith and deeds can never be separated; the latter flows naturally from the former (Gal. 5:6, “For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love.”) Faith comes first and it should result in our actions. Faith without works or stepping out is not faith at all. That is why James express that faith without deeds for brothers or others is worthless faith. But instead he pointed out that faith should be evident in the good deeds or “works” which refers to the obligations to God and fellow humans that are commanded in scripture and that proceed from a sincere faith, a pure heart, the grace of God and the desire to please Christ. Not only true faith affect our obedience to God and the love to others by our good deeds but it also affect us: v. 24 – Justification/ Righteousness / divine friendship; v. 25c – We will consider righteous by God; v. 26 – Life & Victory I John 5:4, “Every God-begotten person conquers the world’s ways. The conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith.” If your faith doesn’t affect you and your commitment to God & others then is genuine!
It has an effect not only to us but first and foremost to our relationships to our God, to others and even to our enemies, and to all the people around us. See how the faith of Abraham has an effect on us, that because of His faith we too become Abraham’s descendants Gal 3:7, “You should realize, then, that the real descendants of Abraham are the people who have faith”. See how the Faith of Rahab has an effect on us; she is the “ninuno” ng ating Panginoong Jesus.
Conclusion:
(ILL. Cost of the Step of Faith - An old, low-caste woman in India was once asked the cost of a temple being built. She turned to the missionary in surprise and said, "Why, we do not know! It is for our god. We do not count the cost!" She could certainly have put many followers of Christ to shame. Before we take the step of faith we want to know the cost.)
