1. Something is happening (Preview to a Vision week 1)
January 10, 2010
A Faith without Works is Dead
About 40 years ago there was a famous tightrope walker named George Blondin. As a publicity stunt he decided to walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope. On the appointed day they stretched a tightrope from one side of Niagara Falls to the other. He got out there and there were crowds lining both the Canadian and American side. Thousands of people showed up to see this unbelievable feat. Blondin walked up to the edge of the tightrope put one foot on the tightrope and stepped out as he began to walk across inch by inch, step by step. When he reached the middle everyone knew that if he’d make one mistake he’d fall off the rope and into the Falls to his death. Blondin did not fall. He got to the other side and the crowd went wild, shouting and cheering. Blondin said, "I’m going to do it again." He got to the other side and the crowds went crazy. Blondin said, "I’m going to do it again but this time I’m going to push a wheel barrow full of dirt." He pushed the wheelbarrow across and made it safely to the other side then he turned around and pushed it back across the other way. On about the tenth time, he pushed the wheelbarrow right in front of a tourist who said, "I believe you could do that all day." Blondin dumped out the dirt and said, "Really? Get in." You think he actually got in?
Sometimes what we say we believe and what we actually believe are not the same thing. That tourist may have truly believed Blondin could push a wheelbarrow across the tightrope in fact he had seen him do it. Yet he did not believe enough to act on it. It is not as if we can blame him though, you would have to be crazy to get in a wheelbarrow like that. It seems that we have gotten to a point where we are comfortable separating belief and action, faith and deed. Often times we look at faith as merely trust, ignoring the fact that faith is also obedience. There is a difference between saying we have faith and really having it. Faith is intimately connected to salvation but how exactly faith works and the role that it plays in the salvation process has become the subject of significant controversy. On one side we have James who talks of faith in chapter 2 verse 14 of his epistle. On the other side there is Paul. Paul indicates throughout his epistles that salvation is not found in works but is received through faith alone. If we look at James 2 however we see that his stance seems to contradict what Paul says. In fact it is primarily for this reason that German scholar known for beginning the reformation says that James is a book of straw and should be removed from the Scriptures all together. But perhaps there is a middle ground a way these two seeming contradictions can be rectified. Look at James 2:
Jas 2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Jas 2:15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. Jas 2:16 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? Jas 2:17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. Jas 2:18 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. Jas 2:19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. Jas 2:20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless ? Jas 2:21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? Jas 2:22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. Jas 2:23 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. Jas 2:24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. Jas 2:25 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? Jas 2:26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
This runs contrary to Paul’s writing in Ephesians 2:8-9 Eph 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— Eph 2:9 not by works, so that no one can boast. Paul says we are saved by faith alone. James says faith alone is dead and cannot save us. This does seem to be a blaring contradiction. We can however find a solution if we look at the context in which they are writing. Paul writes dealing with a different problem then James. Paul is writing to people who are trying to earn there salvation by their good works and are not trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. James was dealing with people who were claiming to have faith and not living out the Christian life. James is not arguing for the entire salvation process but is combating hallow or insincere faith. His effort is not to say faith and works are the means by which you are saved but to show what a saving faith looks like. It is not the works that save us however we do need to work. Paul is fighting legalism James is fighting Christian laxity. These two men would certainly have agreed with each other. They are making different points to fight different issues. If salvation is a tree than both Paul and James indicate that faith is the root. The fruit that tree produces however, is good works. So the works are the fruit that indicates that the roots of the tree are healthy and alive. Just look at how Paul continues Ephesians 2 Eph 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. There is no contradiction.
James sets out to show that true faith and works are inseparable. Good works do not give you eternal life but they do give life to your faith. His point is simple: Faith produces action. Just saying we have faith does not mean that the faith that we have is a faith that saves. Faith without action has no saving value. Note the phrase beginning verse 14. It is not that the man has faith but the man claims to have faith. Ladies if a guy tells you he is a gentleman and then he uses foul language in front of you, fails to hold a door for you, and treats you with disrespect, and tells you all he wants from you is sex what are you likely going to think? He is not a gentleman. The truth is you don’t care what he calls himself, saying he is a gentleman doesn’t mean anything if his actions do not support it. Faith and words without deeds are meaningless.
There is a difference between being a Christian and claiming to be a Christian. Did you know that Larry Flint the publisher of Hustler said he was a Christian? What did it do? Nothing. His claim did not affect his life. He said it and then he kept on printing pornography. In recent surveys taken 4 out of 5 Americans claim to be Christian yet that claim has no effect on we live. Drugs, sex, pornography, adultery, abuse, drunkenness, and greed are primary characteristics of our culture which claims to be 80% Christian? What this shows us is that just because we say it doesn’t make it true.
Sometimes people with dead faith try to make it look alive. They go to church sometimes, leave a bible around the house, and decorate with Christian icons. There are some people who feel that speaking loudly can be a substitute for action. Their hands may be paralyzed so they do nothing but that does not seem to affect their mouths. Some people in the absence of action talk. A faith that is talked about is not the same as a faith that is lived. Some of us live like faith and works are independent entities and can exist without each other. James responds, show me your faith. How can you show your faith without acting on it? Faith can only be seen if it affects the actions of the person who possess it. The proclamation of faith means nothing. In order for faith to be real, alive and saving it must be visible. James says show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my faith by what I do.
What will happen to the man who says he has faith but does nothing about it? Can such a faith save him? This question is posed in such a way as to expect a negative response. True saving faith requires an accompaniment of deeds. Real faith must essentially prove itself by the deeds it produces. Perhaps it is best to understand like this: these works are not the cause of our salvation but the natural results of it. When we experience the grace of God and truly believe and have faith in Him these good deeds are the natural bi-product. Without these deeds then the only logical conclusion is that our faith in the grace of God is incomplete.
If we look at verses 15 and 16 James gives us an example. In saying to your brother or sister who is in dire need of clothes and has no food, “go keep warm and well fed” what have we really done for them? Our concern does not feed the hungry. Our emotional response does not give rest to the weary or give clothes to those who are cold.
Just look at the faith hall of fame in Hebrews 11. Abel’s faith was seen in his offering, something he did. Noah’s faith was seen in the fact that he built an ark before it ever started raining. Abraham’s faith was seen when he was called to go to an unknown land and Abraham packed up his family and left. Abraham was again showing his faith in taking his son up to the mountain, tying him on the altar and even raising the knife to kill him. Isaac’s faith was seen in his blessing his sons. Moses’ parent’s faith was seen in hiding him from the Egyptians. Moses faith was seen in refusing to be known as the son of Pharoah’s daughter, and in leaving Egypt. Israel’s faith was seen when they passed through the red sea. Rahab’s faith was seen when she hid the spies from her own people. Are you noticing anything here? The people mentioned in the faith hall of fame are noted for what their faith led them to do.
God uses all kinds of people just look at the difference between two people in the faith hall of fame: Abraham is a man. Rahab is a woman. Abraham is a Jew. Rahab is a Gentile. Abraham is a patriarch. Rahab is a prostitute. Abraham is a somebody. Rahab is a nobody. Abraham is a major character in the Bible. Rahab is a minor character. They really have nothing in common. What this shows us is that it doesn’t matter who you are. It doesn’t matter where you came from. Your gender, your nationality, your age, your education level, your value in society these are not important to God. What He is concerned with is the one thing these two people have in common: their faith in God.
Faith without works is dead. It is not enough to say you are a Christian unless you are willing to live like Christ. A crippled boy was hurrying to catch a train. While he was carrying gifts under his arm, he was struggling with his crutches. Suddenly, a man bumped into him. The boy fell and the gifts he was carrying scattered all over the place. The man paused and scolded the boy for getting in his way before walking off. Another gentleman, seeing the youngster’s distress, quickly picked up the scattered gifts and slipped a dollar bill into his pocket, saying, "I’m sorry! I hope this makes up for your trouble." The child who couldn’t remember being shown such kindness, called after him, "Mister, thank you! And sir, are you Jesus?" "No," replied the man, "but I am one of His followers." People don’t see Jesus in who we say we are. They seem in what we do. Our faith is our greatest testimony to the kingdom of God but we must live out that faith. Our faith comes from showing the world Jesus in how we live our lives. When they look at us they should see a little glimpse of Him. That is what it means to have a faith that is alive. It is a faith that cares for the lost and hurting people of the world. Not just in how we pray but in how we live. What if we lived how we prayed? Can you imagine what that would like? What if instead of just praying that God would save the lost people of the world we set out to help reach the world with the love of God? What if instead of just thanking God for the cross we picked ours up and carried it? Faith comes from living our lives in such a way that we resemble Jesus in what we do. If our faith doesn’t lead us to live like Him then our faith is dead. Let us therefore encourage other to live out our faith, to never be satisfied with words, but to act on what we believe. We can be a church alive if we will only live out our faith. When we live our faith reaching people for Jesus isn’t difficult. Getting them to come to church with us wont be a challenge. When we live out our faith people will be drawn to us naturally. Let us live in such a way to capture the attention of the world. Let us live our faith.
