PROFITABLE FAITH—James 2:14-26
Attention:
Pre- TV ‘Horders’ era—The house on Old Kibbee Rd./packed to the ceiling with boxes—year after year same situation.
Hoarders—So many things which are “profitable” to them that they miss the goodness of life & their purpose.
Entering into a new life requires that they properly assess worth...become Discerners of profitability
& thus
Discerners of reality.
Need:
We have much that is unnecessary/unneeded.
James divided/isolated/separated salvific faith from conceptual faith on the basis of works.
*Saving faith must be distinguished from conceptual faith—by its work.
What distinguishes saving faith & conceptual/philosophical faith?
4 factors that set apart a profitable faith.
Faith that profits enables...
1— A profitable faith enables...
SALVATION(:14)
Explanation:(:14)
:14—“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?”
There is no “profit” or benefit to one’s “faith” if there are no “works” which that “faith” accomplishes. “Works” themselves are those deeds or that business to which faith applies itself or is about doing.
Thus one must question whether ‘workless’ faith is saving faith. That is to seriously question whether it is possible for that type of faith to “save” a person at all.
Of course the answer is obvious....it cannot!
Being saved is all about a new birth... a dynamic shift in understanding & belief that brings new realizations, goals,
“Profit/Use/Good”(See :17)—ofelov—Advantage, profit. Strong—from ofellw (to heap up, i.e. accumulate or benefit); gain:-- advantageth, profit. Used 3X.
“Faith”—pistiv—Strong—Persuasion, i.e. Credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially Reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, Constancy in such profession; by extension, the System of religious (Gospel) truth itself:-- Assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.
“Works/Deeds”—ergon—1) Business, employment, that which any one is occupied—1a) That which one undertakes to do, enterprise, undertaking; 2) Any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind; 3) An act, deed, thing done: the idea of working is emphasized in opp. to that which is less than work. Strong—from a primary (but obsolete) ergw (to work); Toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication, An act:-- Deed, doing, labor, work.
“Save”—swzw—1) To save, keep safe & sound, to rescue from danger or destruction.
Argumentation:
1Cor. 15:1-8—“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received & in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, & that He was buried, & that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, & that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.”
Isa 53:3-11(Acts 8:29-38)—“He is despised & rejected by men, A Man of sorrows & acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, & we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, & afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed & He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison & from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked-- But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, & be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.”
Mk. 16:16—““He who believes & is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
1Pe 2:24-25—“[Jesus]... Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd & Overseer of your souls.”
Jn. 1:12-13—“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
*Jn. 3:16-17—“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
A. GOD’S PURPOSE
1. We receive eternal life as a free gift.
“The gift of God is eternal life thru Jesus Christ our Lord”—Rom. 6:23b
2. We can live a full & meaningful life right now.
“I am come that they might have eternal life, & that they might have it more abundantly” —Jn. 10:10
3. We will spend eternity with Jesus in heaven.
“& if I go & prepare a place for you, I will come again, & receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”—Jn. 14:3
B. OUR NEED
1. We are all sinners
“For all have sinned & fall short of the glory of God.”—Rom. 3:23
2. We cannot save ourselves.
“Not of works, lest any man should boast”—Eph. 2:9
“But your iniquities have made a separation between you & your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.”—Isa. 59:2
3. We deserve death & hell.
“For the wages of sin is death”—Rom. 6:23a
C. GOD’S PROVISION
1. Jesus is God & became man.
“In the beginning was the Word, & the Word was with God, & the Word was God. & the Word was made flesh, & dwelt among us”—Jn. 1:1,14
2. Jesus died for us
“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.”—1Pet. 3:18
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; & the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”—Isa. 53:6
3. Jesus was resurrected
“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, & that He was buried, & that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures”—1Cor. 15:3-4
D. OUR RESPONSE
In Receiving Jesus we do three things simultaneously...
1. Turn away from your sin
“Repent ye therefore, & be converted, that your sins may be blotted out”—Acts 3:19
2. Place your Faith in Jesus
“For by grace are ye saved thru faith; & that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God”—Eph. 2:8
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”—Jn. 3:36
3. Surrender to Jesus as Lord
“He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”—Jn. 5:23b
Illustration:
Rescued miners/Rescue brings a whole new world to all/Profitable for the miners—life/Profitable for the rescuers—able to give resources & gained them the reputation for their product & for caring/Profitable for the mine—Respect for concern of the owners/SALVATION
Application:
?Your Faith enabled SALVATION for you & others?
?Is yours a Profitable Faith?
2— A profitable faith enables...
AID(:15-17)
Explanation:(:15-17)
:15—“If a brother or sister is naked & destitute of daily food,”
James brings the discussion closer to home by moving the “someone”(distance) of :14 to “brother or sister.”(personal). This can either be strict familial siblings—from which picture it draws strength— but more probably these are siblings in Christ. Thus a comparison is made between the strength of the physical familial bond to that of the family bond by Christ.
Christians will always have Christian siblings who have nothing. Christ never promises us possessions & wealth.
2Cor 12:9 “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
These siblings are without proper clothing(“naked”) & have no promise of a meal (“destitute of daily food.”) for any given day.
“Naked/Without clothing”—gumnov—Strong—of uncertain affinity; nude (absolute or relative, literal or figurative):-- naked.
“Destitute/In need of”—leipw—1) To leave, leave behind, forsake, to be left behind; 2) To be wanting, to fail. Strong—a primary verb; To leave, i.e. (intransitively or passively) To fail or be absent:-- Be destitute (wanting), lack.
“Daily”—efhmerov—1) lasting for a day; 2) daily. Strong—For a day ("ephemeral"), i.e. Diurnal:-- daily.
:16—“& one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed & filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?”
If we approach our brother &/or sister in Christ with the attitude that we expect them to depart from us “in peace” merely offering them a pious prayerful blessing—while having means to meet their physical need—& merely mouthing that they should “be warmed & filled” thru some other intercessor, then there is no “profit” in that.
Seeing the real need yet not supplying it is useless & is indeed not the work of saving faith!
“Depart/Go”—upagw—1) To lead under, bring under; 2) To withdraw one's self, to go away, depart. Strong—To lead (oneself) under, i.e. withdraw or retire (as if sinking out of sight), literally or figuratively:-- Depart, get hence, go (a-)way.
“Peace/I wish you well”—eirhnh—1) A state of national tranquillity—1a) Exemption from the rage & havoc of war; 2) Peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord; 3) Security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace & harmony make & keep things safe & prosperous); 4) Of the Messiah's peace—4a) the way that leads to peace (salvation); 5) Of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, & so fearing nothing from God & content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is; 6) The blessed state of devout & upright men after death. Strong—Peace (literally or figuratively); by implication, Prosperity:-- One, peace, quietness, rest, + set at one again.
“Warmed”—yermainw—1) To make warm, to heat; 2) To warm one's self. Used 6X.
“Filled”—cortazw—1) To feed with herbs, grass, hay, to fill, satisfy with food, to fatten—1a) Of animals; 2) To fill or satisfy men; 3) To fulfil or satisfy the desire of any one. Strong—to fodder, i.e. (generally) to gorge (supply food in abundance):-- feed, fill, satisfy.
“Give”—didwmi—1) To give; 2) To give something to someone; 3) To give—3a) To cause, profuse, give forth from one's self—3a1) To give, hand out lots, 3b) To appoint to an office, 3c) To cause to come forth, i.e. as the sea, death & Hell are said to give up the dead who have been engulfed or received by them, 3c) To give one to someone as his own; 4) To grant or permit one. Strong—To give (used in a very wide application, properly, or by implication, literally or figuratively; greatly modified by the connection).
“Things which are Needed/What is necessary/Physical needs”—epithdeiov—1) Fit, suitable, convenient, advantageous; 2) Needful, esp. of the necessities of life. Strong—from epithdev(enough); Serviceable, i.e. (by implication) Requisite:-- Things which are needful. Used 1X.
“Profit/Use/Good”(See :14)—ofelov—Advantage, profit. Strong—from ofellw (to heap up, i.e. accumulate or benefit); Gain:-- Advantage, profit. Used 3X.
:17—“Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
Likewise, if one’s “faith” is thereby without “works,” is thus left alone(“by itself”) & because of this is “dead.”
Anything “dead” is completely unable to fulfill its purpose as if alive. It is totally ineffective regarding its intent/purpose.
A corpse cannot respond in any way to stimuli which continuously effect the living.
“Dead”(See :20)—nekrov—Strong—from an apparently primary nekuv(a corpse); Dead (literally or figuratively; also as noun):-- Dead.
Argumentation:
Prov. 22:9—“He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor.”
Isa. 58:5-7, 10—“Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth & ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the LORD? “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh?”....“If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday.”
Eph. 2:4-7—“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), & raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
Because of what Christ has done for us, we must supply that which grants life(physical & spiritual) to others!
Mat. 25:31-46—““When the Son of Man comes in His glory, & all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, & He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ‘for I was hungry & you gave Me food; I was thirsty & you gave Me drink; I was a stranger & you took Me in; ‘I was naked & you clothed Me; I was sick & you visited Me; I was in prison & you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry & feed You, or thirsty & give You drink? ‘When did we see You a stranger & take You in, or naked & clothe You? ‘Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, & come to You?’ “And the King will answer & say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil & his angels: ‘for I was hungry & you gave Me no food; I was thirsty & you gave Me no drink; ‘I was a stranger & you did not take Me in, naked & you did not clothe Me, sick & in prison & you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, & did not minister to You?’ “Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.””
Mat. 10:7-8—““And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”
Illustration:
Deer Hunting/Come to a cow in a bottom that is mucky & wet/the cow is stuck & can’t possibly get out/Do you continue on your hunt or try to help?/AID profitable to all involved!
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Team/Backbone is serving meals/Quick to the task/sometimes arriving before Red Cross/Always working in conjunction with others to get the job done efficiently/Always with a chaplain available/AID profitable to all involved
A ministry that AIDs others is a help to our families, friends, neighbors, & ourselves.
Some groups sit on their hands while others work unwilling to get immersed in AID for theological reasons of purity—This leaves those in need still in need!
Application:
?Your Faith enabled AID for you & others?
?Is yours a Profitable Faith?
3— A profitable faith enables...
REVERENCE(:18-19)
Explanation:(:18-19)
:18—“But someone will say, “You have faith, & I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, & I will show you my faith by my works.”
Though James’ rhetoric is true there will always be someone to approach the situation simply declaring that they “have faith”—regardless of any proof thereof—& another has “works,” as if the two can exist separately.
James’ response to such aberrant thought is for those believing such, to “show” their “faith” “without” their “works,” which is defiantly impossible. However on the contrary, he will very tellingly & evidentially show them his “faith” “by” means of his “works”(of faith).
James is saying, ‘I defy you to prove the existence of your faith without works: for of course, you cannot do it.’—James Adamson
‘But a lifeless faith cannot be shown to be alive. The claim of faith is empty where here is no action, & thus no proof of faith is[thereby] possible.—Kurt Richardson
“Have”—ecw—1) To have, i.e. to hold; 2) To have i.e. own, possess; 3) To hold one's self or find one's self so & so, to be in such or such a condition; 4) To hold one's self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to.
“Show me”—deiknuw—1) To show, expose to the eyes; 2) metaph.—2a) To give evidence or proof of a thing, 2b) To show by words or teach.
“By”—ek twn ergwn mou thn—“By/From my works/By what I do”
:19—“You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--& tremble!”
Holding to a fact of knowing that there is “one God” is indeed commendable(“You do well”), but such knowledge is not salvific. Many believe things approaching Christian faith without their actually being Christian faith. Most people believe in a god without him/it being the true God.
In fact, this kind of distanced faith is what “demons” themselves experience. However, even demonic “faith” presses them to go beyond that of those holding that faith without works is viable. This is evidenced in the fact that demonic belief causes them to “tremble” revealing at least a minimal degree of respect for God’s power & presence.
“Believe”2X—pisteuw—1) To think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, Place confidence in: 2) To entrust a thing to one, i.e. his fidelity. Strong—To have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, To entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ):-- Believe(-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with.
“Well/Good”—kalwv—1) Beautifully, finely, excellently, well. Strong—Well (usually morally):-- (In a) good (place), honestly, + recover, (full) well.
“Demons”—daimonion—1) The divine power, deity, divinity; 2) A spirit, a being inferior to God, superior to men; 3) Evil spirits or the messengers & ministers of the devil. From—daimwn—An inferior god or goddess.
“Tremble/Shudder”—frissw—1) To bristle, stiffen stand up; 2) To shudder, to be struck with extreme fear, to be horrified.
Argumentation:
Lev. 10:3—“And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’”....”
Ps. 89:7—“God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.”
Ro 11:16-21—“For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; & if the root is holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off[Israel’s unbelief], & you, being a wild olive tree[Gentiles], were grafted in among them, & with them became a partaker of the root & fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, & you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.”
Heb 12:28-29—“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence & godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.”
Illustration:
Living in Iceland/Any volcanic island/Its power is so tremendous that it must strike fear into the inhabitant/REVERENCE
True trust in Christ naturally yields Reverence.
Teaching a child to use a gun rightly/Never wave it around aimlessly—Never leave the safety off—Never use it while others are in front of you/Cleaning a gun/REVERENCE
Bee Farmer/Never approaches a bee’s nest without proper equipment & knowledge/REVERENCE
Application:
?Your Faith enabled REVERENCE for you & others?
?Is yours a Profitable Faith?
4— A profitable faith enables...
SCRIPTURE(:20-26)
Explanation:(:20-26)
:20—“But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?”
The above is proof enough that “faith without works” is no better than demonic faith—& as such is “dead.”.
James addresses the one considering himself faithful yet having no works as “foolish.” He then offers such a believer some biblical examples of working faith.
“Know/Evidence”—ginwskw—1) To learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel; 2) To know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of; 3) Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man & a woman; 4) To become acquainted with, to know. A knowledge grounded on personal experience.
“Foolish/Vain”—kenov—1) Empty, vain, devoid of truth. Strong—Empty (literally or figuratively):-- empty, (in) Vain.
“Dead”(See :20)—nekrov—Strong—from an apparently primary nekuv(a corpse); Dead (literally or figuratively; also as noun):-- Dead.
OR—“Useless”(WH—Maj.)—argov—1) Free from labor, at leisure; 2) Lazy, shunning the labor which one ought to perform. Idle, involving blameworthiness. Strong—Inactive, i.e. Unemployed; (by implication) lazy, useless:-- Barren, idle, slow.
:21—“Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?”
The biblical events surrounding “Abraham” were familiar to James’ audience. James & they considered “Abraham” as their “father” or ancestor. Thus the audience is Jewish.
“Abraham” had faith in his God but his faith was “justified” by that which he did regarding the command of God to “offer Isaac” “on the altar.” His “faith” would not have been justified had he refused God’s desire. Abraham’s would thus have been faith with no works to justify it, back it up orprove it. His faith would have been the same foolish & dead faith as that of the man in :18-20.
“Justified/Considered righteous”(See :24, 25)—dikaiow—1) To render righteous or such he ought to be; 2) To show, exhibit, evince, one to be righteous, such as he is & wishes himself to be considered; 3) To declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be. Strong—To render (i.e. show or regard as) just or innocent:-- Free, justify(-ier), be righteous.
“Offered”—anaferw—1) To carry or bring up, to lead up—1a) men to a higher place; 2) To put upon the altar, to bring to the altar, to offer; 3) To lift up one's self, to take upon one's self.
“Altar”—yusiasthrion—1) The altar for slaying & burning of victims used of—1a) The altar of whole burnt offerings which stood in the court of the priests in the temple at Jerusalem, 1b) The altar of incense which stood in the sanctuary or the Holy Place, 1c) Any other altar—1c1) metaph., The cross on which Christ suffered an expiatory death: to eat of this altar i.e. to appropriate to one's self the fruits of Christ's expiatory death. Strong—A place of sacrifice, i.e. An altar (special or genitive case, literal or figurative):-- Altar.
:22—“Do you see that faith was working together with his works, & by works faith was made perfect?”
Regarding Abraham’s faith, his personal “faith” was working in tandem with his “works.” In so doing, his conceptual “faith” was transformed into active faith, thus becoming “perfect” or complete as it should be.
“Working Together”—sunergew—1) To work together, help in work, be partner in labour; 2) To put forth power together with & thereby to assist. Strong—To be a fellow-worker, i.e. Co-operate:-- Help (work) with, work(-er) together.
“Works/Actions”(thruout)—ergon
“Perfect/Complete”—teleiow—1) To make perfect, complete—1a) To carry through completely, to accomplish, finish, bring to an end; 2) To complete (perfect)—2a) Add what is yet wanting in order to render a thing full, 2b) To be found perfect; 3) To bring to the end (goal) proposed; 4) To accomplish. Strong—To complete, i.e. (literally) accomplish, or (figuratively) consummate (in character):-- consecrate, finish, fulfil, make) perfect.
:23—“And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, & it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.”
The “Scripture” itself was “fulfilled” by Abraham’s faith because he “believed God”—he acted upon it—& its perfection is what prompted God to bring it to his personal “account” as “righteousness.” In the meaning of James, the activity of Abraham’s faith carried him to be declared “righteous” before God.
“Abraham believed God, & it was accounted to him for righteousness.” From Gen. 15:6
His righteousness placed him in a unique—& so all who are faithful— position as God’s “friend.”
This perfection is what God is looking for in all men.
“And he was called the friend of God.”
From: 2Chron. 20:7, Isa. 41:8
Jn. 15:13-14—Jesus applies this same term to Himself—““Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”
“Fulfilled”—plhrow—1) To make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full—1a) To cause to abound, to furnish or supply liberally—1a1) I abound, I am liberally supplied; 2) To render full, i.e. to complete. Strong—To make replete, i.e. (literally) To cram (a net), level up (a hollow), or (figuratively) To furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence), satisfy, execute (an office), finish (a period or task), verify (or coincide with a prediction), etc.:-- Accomplish, X after, (be) complete, end, expire, fill (up), fulfil, (be, make) full (come), fully preach, perfect, supply.
“Accounted/credited”—logizomai—1) To reckon, count, compute, calculate, count over—1a) To take into account, to make an account of—1a1) metaph. To pass to one's account, to impute, 1a2) a thing is reckoned as or to be something, i.e. as availing for or equivalent to something, as having the like force & weight, 1b) To number among, reckon with, 1c) To reckon or account; 2) To reckon inward, count up or weigh the reasons, to deliberate; 3) By reckoning up all the reasons, to gather or infer. This word refers to facts not suppositions. Strong—To take an inventory, i.e. Estimate (literally or figuratively):-- Conclude, (ac-)count (of), + despise, esteem, impute, lay, number, reason, reckon, suppose, think (on).
“Righteousness”—dikaiosunh—1) in a broad sense: State of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God—1a) The doctrine concerning the way in which man may attain a state approved of God, 1b) Integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, & acting; 2) in a narrower sense, Justice or the virtue which gives each his due. Strong—Equity (of character or act); specially (Christian) justification:-- Righteousness.
“Friend”—filov—Strong—properly, Dear, i.e. A friend; actively, Fond, i.e. Friendly (still as a noun, an associate, neighbor, etc.):-- Friend.
:24—“You see then that a man is justified by works, & not by faith only.”
Thus James has made his point, that Christians are “justified” by ‘working’ faith & not ‘conceptual’ faith. When we say that we are ‘saved by faith alone’ we are right because we cannot ‘work our way to heaven.‘ Yet the other side of the faith coin is that true, saving faith compels us to act at God’s bidding, not our own.
“Justified”(See :21, 25)—dikaiow—1) To render righteous or such he ought to be; 2) To show, exhibit, evince, one to be righteous, such as he is & wishes himself to be considered; 3) To declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be. Strong—To render (i.e. show or regard as) just or innocent:-- Free, justify(-ier), be righteous.
“Only”—monon—Only, alone, but. Strong—Merely:-- Alone, but, only.
:25—“Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers & sent them out another way?”
James poses a rhetorical question, surrounding Rahab’s faith, to the one apprehensive about dead vs. active faith.
In like manner as Abraham, Rahab too was “justified by works seeing as her faith had compelled her to openly “receive” the Israelite “messengers”(spies), hide them, lie to protect them, & send them in the opposite direction of the pursuing soldiers(Joshua 2).
James also informs us that the spies were more than spies. They were “messengers” to divulge the current plan of God to mankind thru the Israelites.
“Justified/Considered righteous”(See :21, 24)—dikaiow—1) To render righteous or such he ought to be; 2) To show, exhibit, evince, one to be righteous, such as he is & wishes himself to be considered; 3) To declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be. Strong—To render (i.e. show or regard as) just or innocent:-- Free, justify(-ier), be righteous.
“Received/Gave lodging to”—upodecomai—To receive as a guest. Strong—To admit under one's roof, i.e. Entertain hospitably:-- Receive. used 4X.
“Messengers/Spies”—aggelov—A messenger, envoy, one who is sent, an angel, a messenger from God.
:26—“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
Thus James concludes uncontrovertibly that just as the “body” which is “without the spirit” is universally recognized as “dead,” “so” also is “faith without works.”
The spirit more than animates the body, it is the very essence of all that a person is. This is why , when we die & our spirit goes to heaven, we will still possess all our feeling, knowledge, understanding & will be recognized as the unique individual we are.
“Body”—swma—1) The body both of men or animals; 2) The bodies of planets & of stars (heavenly bodies); 3) Is used of a (large or small) number of men closely united into one society, or family as it were; a social, ethical, mystical body—3a) So in the NT of the church; 4) That which casts a shadow as distinguished from the shadow itself.
“Spirit”—pneuma—2) The spirit, i.e. the vital principal by which the body is animated—2a) The rational spirit, the power by which the human being feels, thinks, decides—2b) The soul; 3) A spirit, i.e. a simple essence, devoid of all or at least all grosser matter, & possessed of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, & acting—3a) A life giving spirit, 3b) A human soul that has left the body,3c) A spirit higher than man but lower than God, i.e. an angel—3c1) Used of demons, or evil spirits, who were conceived as inhabiting the bodies of men, 3c2) The spiritual nature of Christ, higher than the highest angels & equal to God, the divine nature of Christ; 4) The disposition or influence which fills & governs the soul of any one—4a) the efficient source of any power, affection, emotion, desire, etc.; 5) A movement of air (a gentle blast). Strong—A current of air, i.e. Breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, A spirit, i.e. (human) The rational soul, (by implication) Vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) An angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit:-- Ghost, life, spirit(-ual, -ually), mind.
Argumentation:
Mk. 7:5-13—“Then the Pharisees & scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” He answered & said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men--the washing of pitchers & cups, & many other such things you do.” He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father & your mother’; &, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.‘ “But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”--’ (that is, a gift to God), “then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, “making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.””
Lk. 8:19-21—“Then His mother & brothers came to Him, & could not approach Him because of the crowd. And it was told Him by some, who said, “Your mother & Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.” But He answered & said to them, “My mother & My brothers are these who hear the word of God & do it.””
Rom. 10:17—“So then faith comes by hearing, & hearing by the word of God.”
Eph 6:14-17—“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, & having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, & the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;”
Heb 4:12—“For the word of God is living & powerful, & sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul & spirit, & of joints & marrow, & is a discerner of the thoughts & intents of the heart.”
Deut. 4:2—““You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.”
Prov. 30:5-6—“Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, & you be found a liar.”
There is a vast difference between fulfilling(as did Jesus) & heeding(as do we) the word of God &—adding to or taking away from the word of God....One takes God at His word recognizing its end; whereas the other(s) highjack & usurp the word for fleshly intent.
Illustration:
Grocery list/Different members of the family want certain things/Complie the list/Take it to the store/Promptly disregard it/SCRIPTURE
If Scripture is enabled(put to work) then God’s work is accomplished.
Hyundai dealerships giving away free iPad with every car sold/Digital Owner’s manual that is very involved/Detailed instructions, so there will be no doubt about the car nor any feature neglected/They want the owners to put the word to work/SCRIPTURE
Application:
?Your Faith enabled SCRIPTURE for you & others?
?Is yours a Profitable Faith?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Hoarders
Action:
A profitable faith enables...
1—SALVATION(:14)
2—AID(:15-17)
3—REVERENCE(:18-19)
4—SCRIPTURE(:20-26)
Presented 11/28/2010pm to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
