“Faith That Works: A Perfect Match”
James 2:14-26
Do you have a saving faith? Let me put it another way; do you have a faith that works? Listen again to verse 14: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?” Notice: If someone claims; or better yet, if someone claims. James begins with a warning: it’s possible to say we have faith but not have it. We’ve already dealt with the concept of hearing but not doing; now James raises the issue of saying but not doing. Are your lips and life a perfect match? James helps us answer the question.
A perfect match involves, first, a FAITH THAT SAVES. Verse 14 implies that faith can save. James then gives an EXPLANATION OF FAITH. Verse 18 raises a common perspective: “But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”” “We’re all different; I have my thing and you have yours.” James says this is a false DIVISION, that it is not possible to have on without the other. So he throws out a challenge: “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” James is saying “If I can’t tell you have faith by observing your life, then something is wrong”. Faith must be seen to be faith. One person does not specialize in faith and another in works. Faith, like a tree, is known by its fruits. As Jesus taught, a tree “without good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matt. 7:19). Those who speak but fail to act will hear Jesus say, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Mt. 7:23). Faith is obvious and known by what it does; faith and works are partners. We are not saved by deeds but saved for deeds . (1) As C. S. Lewis put it, "Regarding the debate about faith and works: It's like asking which blade in a pair of scissors is most important." (2)
James continues his explanation by pointing to DEMONS as evidence. Verse 19: “You believe that there is one God. Good!” That’s important. But then he stuns us: “Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” Belief alone is not enough. Certainly an important part of faith is to believe in one God – Father , Son, and Holy Spirit. But that is not a full faith. The demons believe in Jesus as well – but in His presence they shudder. It’s important to realize that Jesus never said, “Well said.” Rather, He said “Well done.” Faith is not really faith unless it leads to action and deeds.
So James’ explanation ends with a DILEMMA. If faith has no works, it cannot save us. (17) “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” Something that is dead has no power to save. For example, if I go out to the parking lot after our worship services are over and try to start my car but discover my battery is dead, what happens? There is no power, no life. Or what about his perspective? I’m telling you right now that I can run a 4 minute mile. I can. Do you believe me? ... Why not? ... Is it because you’ve not seen me do it or heard of me doing it? So my words without action are dead. When MUHAMMAD ALI first became a boxing champion, he loudly proclaimed to everyone that he was the king. But once he had established himself as the champ, he no longer needed to tell anyone – they knew by the fruits of his boxing. Similarly, faith without works is dead and cannot save us.
To help clarify the concept, James offers an EXAMPLE OF FAITH to prove his explanation. James points to Abraham. (20-24) “You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 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. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.” Abraham lived A LIFE FULL OF FAITH – his lips and life matched. He not only professed belief in God but acted upon God’s promises – even in the face of offering his son Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham understood that faith involves action.
And Abraham’s life provides us A LESSON OF FAITH. Fruit does not add power to the tree but only displays the power and life of the tree. So Abraham’s faith showed its power and life only through his works. His act of willingness regarding the sacrifice of his son was the fruit, the work, the deed of his faith. It’s why he became a friend of God. Hebrews 11 is filled with a long list of others whose lips and lives were perfect matches as well. Faith that works saves us. That’s why it grieved Jesus when He emphatically said, “Why do you call l me Lord, Lord, and no do the things I say?”
Secondly, James states that a perfect match involves A FAITH THAT SERVES. A faith that works is a faith that benefits others. So James offers some EXAMPLES OF SERVING FAITH. In verses 15-16 James deals again with the concept of faith being WORDS only. “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?” In the face of need, when someone is hurting and crying for help, words without action do not help. In fact, they cause more hurt.
The prophets made this point repeatedly. Isaiah 58:6-7 (NLT) - “No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.” God also spoke emphatically through Amos (5:21-24) - “I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” Jesus was no less harsh (Mt. 23:23-24) “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”
Words do no good if there are no actions to match them. Someone poignantly penned it this way: “I was hungry, and you formed a humanities club and discussed my hunger. I was imprisoned, and you crept off quietly to your chapel in the cellar and prayed for my release. I was naked, and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance. I was sick, and you knelt and thanked God for your health. I was homeless, and you preached to me the spiritual shelter of the love of God. I was lonely, and you left me alone to pray for me. You seem so holy, so close to God, But I’m still very hungry, and lonely, and cold.” (3)
Over against ‘words only’ James provides the example of WORKS. He points to Rahab. In the book of Joshua we learn that this harlot became convinced of the power of God, trusted His promises, and so protected God’s messengers until they could flee from danger. Hebrews lists her as a heroine of the faith. It doesn’t matter who, or what, she was – works flowed from her new-found faith and she was accepted of God. In fact, she became an ancestor of Jesus himself! As young as her faith was, it instantly prompted good works. Once again we see that faith and works are inseparable – as inseparable as sun and sunlight. Faith is the sun and good works are its rays. (4) True faith, like true love, is expressed in action. That’s why Jesus asked Peter that penetrating question three times: “Do You love me? ... Feed my sheep.” If you love me, Peter, it will show in your actions.
As Paul eloquently said (1st Cor. 13), it doesn’t matter if you have a faith that can move mountains; without love – without actions – you’re but a noisy, clanging cymbal. To the Galatians he wrote (5:6 & 6:10 ) – “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love…Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” The apostle John explained it (1 Jn, 3:17-18, 23-24): “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth… And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them”.
For an EXPERIENCE OF SERVING FAITH, we turn to the Protestant Reformation. It began in 1517, and produced virtually no church-sent missionaries until two Moravians, Leonard Dober and David Nitschmann, were commissioned on August 18, 1732, in an unforgettable service in which 100 hymns were sung. The two soon left Herrnhut for Copenhagen, seeking passage to the islands. But Copenhagen proved unfriendly, and the two men were pelted with obstacles. One disappointment followed another, and much opposition arose to their mission. No one would help them. No ship would take them. Their morale sank. At that critical moment, Numbers 23:19 turned up in their daily devotional book: “Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Inspired by these words, Dober and Nitschmann determined to persevere, believing that God would fulfill what he had started through them. A handful of people in Copenhagen began helping them, and the tide of public opinion turned. Two royal chaplains lent their support, and even the Queen of Denmark encouraged them. Princess Charlotte contributed financially. A court official secured passage for them on a Dutch ship, and on October 8, 1732, they sailed for the West Indies, opening the modern era of missions. The Lord had spoken to them, and they had believed that He would make it good. (5) A perfect match involves faith that saves and serves.
What about your experience of saving faith? You say you believe in Jesus Christ, that He is your Savior and Lord; what fruit has it produced in your life? You say you believe Jesus is coming again; what action has it produced in your life? You say you believe in heaven and hell; what impact has it had on your relationship with non-Christians? You say you believe in the sanctity of life; how has it influenced your political views, your giving, and your serving? You say you are concerned over the rampant, misguided sexuality in our country; what action have you taken? You say you believe that, through Jesus, Christians are the most compassionate of all people; where has it born fruit in your life? You say you are concerned for the hungry and homeless; what have you done? A perfect match involves faith that saves and serves.
Is it any wonder that James says, then, that this faith that works is a FAITH THAT SURVIVES. He makes it very clear that without works, faith is dead. (17 & 26) “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead…. As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” There is A REJECTION. Here’s a question: would you MARRY A MANNEQUIN? Why not? Because there is no life in a mannequin. There’s no one and nothing to respond to your love. Why would God want mannequins in His Kingdom? According to James faith without works is a mannequin – it has no soul or breath or life. It is dead. Isn’t that the message of Jesus parable of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25? Faith without works is dead – so Jesus says to those whose faith did not produce action, “Depart from me.”
But there is also A RECEPTION. To those whose faith did produce action, Jesus says, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” As Revelation makes clear, our deeds, our works, will follow us into glory. That’s why faith is what saves and survives.
And the Good News is that JESUS IS READY TO EMPOWER US TO MATCH OUR LIPS AND LIVES. As Warren Wiersbe pointed out, no one can truly come to Christ and remain the same any more than she can come into contact with a 220-volt wire and remain the same. (6) John wrote (1 Jn. 5:12 GNT) “The testimony is this: God has given us eternal life, and this life has its source in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has this life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” And this life is what derives us to action. Paul write (Eph. 2:10 NLT) “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Titus 3:8) “This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.” (Ga. 5:25) “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
His name is John. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He is brilliant; kind of esoteric, and very bright. He became a Christian while attending college. Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the students, but are not sure how to go about it. One day John decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started so John starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely packed and he can’t find a seat. By now people are feeling a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. John gets closer and closer to the pulpit and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats right down on the carpet. (Although perfectly acceptable at a college fellowship, it had never happened in this church before!) By now the people were extremely uptight, and the air was filled with thick tension. About this time, from the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way towards John. The deacon is in his eighties, with silver-gray hair, a three-piece suit, and a pocket watch. He’s a godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane as he moves towards John. It takes a long time for the man to reach John, even as the tension grows even thicker. The church is now utterly silent except for the clicking of the man’s cane. All eyes are focused on him. Finally he’s standing next to John. He drops his cane to the floor and with great difficulty lowers himself and sits down next to John. When the minister gains control he says, “What I’m about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget.” (7) Old man, young John - a perfect match. Faith and works – a perfect match. “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?” Do you have a saving faith?
(1) Barclay's Daily Study Bible (NT).
(2) Source unknown
(3) Illustrations for Biblical Preaching, Edited by Michael P. Green, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI 49516, #474
(4) Ibid, #473
(5) Morgan, R. J. (2000). Nelson’s complete book of stories, illustrations, and quotes (electronic ed., pp. 286–287). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
(6) Warren Wiersbe, Be Mature, Victor Books, © 1978 by SP Publications,
p. 78
(7) From Rowland C. Croucher via Clergy/Leaders’ Mail –list, No. 619
