The Proof of Faith
James 2:14-26
* To establish a historical event is to depend on two principles; a) evidence. Evidence is all we have left of past events because we cannot recreate them and, b) determine what is probable, not what is possible. All kinds of things are ‘possible’, but generally, the probable is accepted as the established facts.
* In the matter of faith, we can view evidence, but there also must be proof. Proof is something which can be recreated and authentic faith recreates almost daily those spiritual things which points people to Christ.
* Tonight, I am keenly aware of my call to this congregation to a spiritual reawakening or ‘revival’ and as I have been listening, praying, & studying for the weeks to come, my heart is more convicted than ever that revival in this place is desperately needed. As I have studied our text for tonight, it seems to me that the Americanized view of faith is an obstacle to God pouring out His Spirit on His people.
* From our text, let’s consider 5 snapshots James gives us about ‘faith’ with our minds open to what our Lord had in mind for HIS people of FAITH!
1. The Examination of faith – A trip to the doctor will, in most cases, results in an examination. In order to treat ‘whatever’ is wrong with you or to discover there is NOTHING wrong with you, He must check out some things in your body. An examination reveals your health as well as you sickness. (Reread verse 14) Can you hear the almost sarcastic question? What good is it? Is it a saving faith? We do not work to receive our faith; we work to reveal our faith. We do not work for our faith, we faith from our faith. Notice how many times faith and works are mentioned in our text and conclude with me that “faith & works” are partners in the life of an authentic believer (and neither one is a ‘silent partner’).
* Medical professional routinely express thanksgiving for the design of the human body. If there is a problem with your knee which cannot be diagnosed, do you know what the doctor is likely to do? He is likely to compare your hurting knee to your good knee to understand how the nuances of your anatomy. To properly examine our faith, we must have a healthy faith to compare it with. Have you ever considered comparing your faith with someone whom we know possessed a healthy faith? It’s rather humbling to walk through the hall of faith and compare your own faith to that of Abraham, Sarah, Noah, Moses, Joshua, and Enoch. How does my faith stack up against these men of God? Jesus said, “If we have faith only the size of a mustard seed, we can move mountains.”
* I submit that a follow up to the examination is;
2. The Expectation of faith – Authentic faith leads to faithful works, every time! In short, this is the clear expectation of faith. A faith with no works was not even on the grid in the first century. People ‘of faith’ lived their lives like people ‘with faith’ who did things ‘by faith.’ Faith was not an abstract concept; it was & is a life-altering truth. To read verses 15 & 16 is to be reminded of 1 John 3:17.
* What are these or at least some of these expectations? Let’s read verse 15-17. I submit that too often the concept for the believer ‘today’ is that we are exempt from helping and caring for others. Practically speaking, when someone has a physical need, it does very little good to say, “God bless you.” Jesus had much to say about helping those who needed help. In fact, Jesus had more to say about reaching out to those in physical need (the poor) than He did about most other topics. He came to bring eternal security to the soul but also, help to the body. Followers of Jesus are expected to be more generous, compassionate, caring, and giving than all others. In fact, these attributes in our lives are there to build a foundation for sharing the love, forgiveness, & the life found in Christ. This is sometimes a forgotten result of salvation.
* Does authentic faith really make a difference? According to Jesus it does. He expects our faith to control our lives. Candidly, if our faith does not control our lives and who we are, James says, “Your faith is dead.” The expectation of faith is that spiritual, eternal, & even life-giving works become the norm and not the exception.
3. The Explanation of faith – Look at verses 18-21 to hear James’ take on a person who claims to have faith, but has nothing to show for it. The state of Missouri is known as the “Show Me” state which basically is the theme of the Christian life. We can ‘say’ we have faith but the question is, “Does our walk match our talk?” James asks this rhetorical question, “If you have no works to match your faith, then how will people ever know about this faith which saves?” The conclusion is that they will never know. James further states that they will never know because we refuse to learn the spiritual principle which says, “If you think you have faith, but you have no accompanying work, it is useless, empty, & vain.” I submit that because of the freedom upon which we practice our religion that the uniqueness of what Christ has called us to be has largely been lost or forgotten. Authentic faith makes a huge impact on the life of the one who possesses & expresses that faith. This faith controls life. We leave nets, change jobs, forsake sin, and live for Him. The change is big.
4. The Examples of faith – Nothing helps us learn like a “real life” example. Verses 21-25 give us examples of faith from the lives of Abraham & Rahab. First, consider how this text levels the playing field for all people by mentioning these two people in the same sentence. Abraham is the father of the Hebrew nation. He is the one who God called to leave his home country, his relatives, and all he knew. He is the one that is revered, even today, as a spiritual patriarch among God’s chosen people. Rehab, on the other hand, was a prostitute who offered protection to God’s spies in Jericho. Now here these two are being mentioned in the same sentence. Why? Because authentic faith is just as needed and is just as powerful for the recognized spiritual leaders as is for those perceived to be spiritual ‘lacking.’ In both cases, they began with a faith in God. This was their starting point. It was not the end of their faith (well, if it was the ‘end’, it was the front end), but rather it was the beginning of their faith. The faith of Abraham and Rahab demanded good and godly works, just like our faith does today. The standard has never once been lowered. (Revisit Hebrews 11 and confirm all these)
5. The Exposing of faith – Verse 26 serves as one of the most sobering verses in all scripture for the person who claims to have faith. It simply says, “Without the works from salvation, faith is useless and dead!” We can make this very personal by saying it this way, “Without the works which result from my salvation, my faith is useless and dead!” Faith is not simply something you say, feel, think, or believe; faith is something you do. For two years I worked with a funeral home. In those 2 years, I probably made 150 pickups. Most people will say, “How can you do that? How can you deal with the dead like that?” Listen, I have never had one deceased person to gripe about anything. Not one has ever even spoken to me. Not one. Why? Because their spirit and soul had made the journey into eternity and all that was left was the shell of their former self. For a person to claim to have faith and there are no godly or righteous works to back it up, the Bible says, it is like a corpse. It is just a shell of what our Lord died for.
* 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves, test yourself, & prove yourself; are you even in the faith? Is Jesus in you? Unless He is, you will fail the test.” Paul wrote also to the Colossians, “Christ in you is the hope of glory.” The hope of people getting to glory is that Christ living in you becomes a reality so others can see your faith & acquire that faith.
* I end with Ephesians 2:8-10, let this truth burn in your heart today!
