A. We have been hearing a lot during the past year about “FAKE NEWS.”
1. FAKE NEWS is either a news story that has been completely FABRICATED or EMBELLISHED to the point where there is very little TRUTH left in the story.
2. I am always double-checking NEWS STORIES that I see on FACEBOOK or on GOOGLE NEWS to
try to DETERMINE if, indeed, it is REAL.
ILLUSTRATION:
I am very careful in REPOSTING news stories on FACEBOOK and using SERMON ILLUSTRATIONS that are supposed to be REAL—to be TRUE—when, in fact, I can’t PROVE it. If it’s a TRUE STORY I will tell you, if I don’t know for sure I will usually preface it by saying something like: “There’s a story that was told…”
B. In our text, James is COMPARING the differences between REAL FAITH and FAKE FAITH.
1. There’s a lot of RELIGIOUS PHONIES out there—people who SAY they are Christians but certainly
don’t LIVE like it.
2. So, James has set out to show his readers the difference between REAL and COUNTERFEIT Christians—AUTHENTIC believers and FAKE believers.
C. This passage is one of the most CONTROVERSIAL and MISUNDERSTOOD in the book of James.
1. In fact, it is so CONTROVERSIAL that some believe that it directly CONTRADICTS the writings of
the Apostle Paul to the Roman church regarding Christian FAITH.
a. The controversy is whether we are “saved by faith” or “saved by what we do (works)”.
b. Romans 3:28, 4:1-3 (READ) and James 2:20-24 (READ)
COMMENT:
Do you see the PROBLEM? At first glance, it does look like Paul and James are teaching contradictory CONCEPTS. And if that’s the case, they both can’t be TRUE.
ILLUSTRATION:
Martin Luther who left the Catholic Church because of their emphasis on WORKS SALVATION found what he thought was a solution to the PROBLEM between Paul’s and James’ writing. When he read Romans 3:28 he wrote in the margin of his Bible “Sola Fide” which means “Faith Alone.” Then he wrote that the book of James SHOULD NOT be part of the Bible.
D. James’ writings are just as INSPIRED by God as are Paul’s WRITINGS—there are no contradictions.
1. Let’s analyze what Paul and James are teaching:
EXPLAIN GRAPH:
Paul (Romans 3:28) & James (James 2:24)
Problem: “Legalism” “Laxity”
Works: Jewish laws Christian lifestyle
Focus: “Root of salvation” “Fruit of salvation”
(What to do to be saved) (Because I am saved)
Purpose: How to BECOME How to BEHAVE
a Christian as a Christian
2. Paul was dealing with the problem of people seeking to be JUSTIFIED by God—to be SAVED—on the basis of their WORKS of GOODNESS.
a. We cannot EARN our SALVATION by our GOODNESS, or WORK our way into HEAVEN.
b. Ephesians 2:8-9- “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
3. James was dealing with the problem of people who “claim” to have FAITH, and therefore already SAVED, but who exhibit no EVIDENCE of that FAITH in an ACTIVE Christian life.
a. FAITH always requires ACTION.
b. We are not SAVED by our WORKS, but because we are SAVED we involve ourselves in the
WORK of the Lord
c. Ephesians 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.”
COMMENT:
GOOD WORKS are the natural FRUIT of REAL SAVING FAITH in our lives. So, if our lives do not evidence CHRISTIAN SERVICE and GODLY CONDUCT and LOVE for PEOPLE, then we have need to question whether we have REAL FAITH at all, and that is James’ point precisely!
MESSAGE:
I. DEAD FAITH- James 2:14-17 (READ)
A. The first thing we must point out is that this “DEAD FAITH” that James talks about IS NOT FAITH
AT ALL. It is not REAL FAITH—it is FAKE!
1. It’s not James who calls this “FAITH”.
a. In v. 14 James points out that a man “claims to have faith”, but he is asking, “Okay, show
me.”
b. The kind of FAITH that the man claims to have substitutes WORDS FOR DEEDS—TALK FOR ACTION. Yet, TALK IS CHEAP.
2. It is no different from what Jesus said in Matthew 7:21- “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he WHO DOES THE WILL of my Father who
is in heaven.”
COMMENT:
Just because a person claims to be a CHRISTIAN doesn’t make him a Christian. Not everybody who WEARS a CROSS around their NECK or has a JESUS FISH on the back of their
CAR, is a BELIEVER.
It’s only by TURNING your LIFE over to God through Christ, SERVING Him, DOING His will, OBEYING His commandments . . . will a person be SAVED.
B. Look at the example James gives.
ILLUSTRATION:
Someone “claims” to have faith, but when they see a brother or sister in Christ who doesn’t even have CLOTHING and FOOD to get through one day, what is their response? “Go, I wish
you well; keep warm and well fed.” . . . . “Good luck to you! I hope you’ll quickly find some RELIEF. I’ll PRAY for you!”
1. James- “LISTEN! Any faith you claim to have that isn’t accompanied by action, is DEAD.”
a. Whatever it is that you’re claiming to have, it’s not REAL. It is not the LIVING, LIFE- CHANGING, MOTIVATING FAITH in Jesus Christ that comes from God!
b. Faith PLUS nothing EQUALS ... NOTHING. Faith without FRUIT is no FAITH at all.
2. This is only an INTELLECTUAL FAITH.
COMMENT:
Such people BELIEVE that Jesus is the Son of God. They CLAIM to have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. However, you don’t see any CHANGES in their LIFE. There’s no SPIRITUAL GROWTH, there’s no REPENTANCE from sin, there’s no CHRISTIAN
SERVICE.
That’s why James asks, “Can that FAITH save him?” – A FAITH that is long on WORDS but short on ACTION? Absolutely not!
II. DEMONIC FAITH- James 2:18-19 (READ)
A. There are those today who confuse REAL FAITH with merely BELIEF. Belief is part of FAITH,
but it is NOT the whole sum of FAITH!
1. That’s why James wants to distinguish mere BELIEF with REAL FAITH.
a. “Okay, so you BELIEVE in God. Good! The demons also believe in God and shudder.”
b. You don’t have to CONVINCE the DEMONS of the EXISTENCE of God.
COMMENT:
They BELIEVE in God. They BELIEVE in the Trinity. They BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. They BELIEVE in the virgin birth. All demons BELIEVE in the death of Christ on the cross for the sins of the whole world and that He rose again on the third day. But are they SAVED? They have no HOPE of SALVATION; their JUDGMENT is certain.
2. Again, there are those who think that when Paul said that “we are saved by faith and not works,”
that one needs to BELIEVE that Jesus is the Son of God and NOTHING MORE.
a. James makes it very clear that merely BELIEVING that Jesus is the Son of God does not SAVE you. If so, then the DEMONS would be SAVED.
b. Jesus- “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily
and follow me”- Luke 9:23.
COMMENT:
It’s not enough just to crowd around Jesus and say, “I believe in you, Jesus.” We have to GIVE our lives to Him and FOLLOW Him wherever He LEADS us.
B. Merely BELIEVING is an INTELLECTUAL FAITH—a DEAD FAITH—it’s just WORDS.
1. However, the DEMONS take it step further than those who have a “DEAD FAITH”.
a. DEMONIC FAITH is INTELLECTUAL and EMOTIONAL—“they tremble in fear.”
COMMENT:
It is entirely possible that a person may be ENLIGHTENED in their MIND, and even STIRRED in their HEART, and STILL be LOST forever! Real SAVING FAITH involves something more, something that can be seen and recognized: A CHANGED LIFE! This is how Jesus can say: “By their FRUITS you shall know them”- Matthew 7:20.
b. Being a Christian involves TRUSTING Christ and subsequently LIVING for Christ—“doing
the will of God.”
2. So, James has introduced us to two kinds of FAKE FAITH that can NEVER save: DEAD FAITH (involving the INTELLECT alone), and DEMONIC FAITH (involving the INTELLECT and EMOTIONS, but stopping there).
III. DYNAMIC FAITH- James 2:20-26 (READ)
A. What kind of FAITH is REAL and DYNAMIC?
1. We know that Paul said that “faith is based upon the Word of God”- Romans 10:17.
2. Hebrews 11:1ff said that “faith is believing in the unseen God and then acting upon that belief”
3. James points out that DYNAMIC FAITH involves the WHOLE PERSON:
a. DEAD FAITH touches only the INTELLECT.
b. DEMONIC FAITH touches the MIND and the EMOTIONS.
c. DYNAMIC FAITH involves the INTELLECT, the EMOTIONS, and the WILL of man.
COMMENT:
The MIND understands the TRUTH. The HEART desires and REJOICES in the TRUTH. And the WILL acts upon the TRUTH.
Real, SAVING-FAITH leads to ACTION. It changes the WHOLE LIFE. If your life is not CHANGED, it’s NOT that you have FAITH but lack WORKS — you can’t have REAL FAITH at all!
B. To illustrate, James refers to two well-known persons in the Bible: ABRAHAM and RAHAB.
1. You could not find two more different persons!
a. Abraham was the father of the Jews . . . Rahab was a Gentile!
b. Abraham was a GODLY MAN . . . Rahab was a PROSTITUTE!
c. Abraham was the FRIEND of God . . . Rahab had belonged to the ENEMIES of God!
2. What did they have in common? Both had FAITH in God and ACTED upon that FAITH.
a. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son because God asked him to, but was spared.
b. Rahab put her own life on the line to hide and protect the men that God sent out to spy out the
promised land.
COMMENT:
They didn’t just say we BELIEVE everything you say God, and did NOTHING. They acted upon that FAITH. Because of that DYNAMIC FAITH, even a PROSTITUTE was JUSTIFIED and considered RIGHTEOUS before God.
CONCLUSION:
A. Again, there is nothing that we can do to SAVE ourselves apart from Jesus Christ.
1. We can’t be GOOD enough nor can we WORK HARD enough to SAVE ourselves. We are SAVED by GRACE through FAITH in Jesus as the Son of God, period.
2. However, FAITH is not BELIEF ONLY.
a. BELIEF is part of FAITH, but so is REPENTANCE (a changed life), CONFESSION of our BELIEF that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and BAPTISM (immersion into the blood of Christ).
b. However, those who think that FAITH is merely BELIEF ONLY misunderstand the role that BAPTISM plays in one’s FAITH.
COMMENT:
They consider BAPTISM a WORK of MAN, and, therefore, believe that since we are not SAVED by our WORKS then BAPTISM is not necessary for SALVATION.
B. Baptism is part of our FAITH and it is not a WORK of man, but a WORK of God.
1. Colossians 2:12- “Having been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.”
a. When we are BAPTIZED into Christ, it is not our WORK that SAVES us but God’s WORK, his POWER through our OBEDIENT FAITH in the DEATH, BURIAL, and RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ.
b. Furthermore, BAPTISM is just as much a WORK of God as is our BELIEF. John 6:29- “Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to BELIEVE in the One He has sent.’”
COMMENT:
Our BELIEF and our BAPTISM is the WORKING of God that SAVE us. You cannot be SAVED without both “BELIEF and BAPTISM.”
2. Mark 16:16- “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be
condemned.”
a. It takes both BELIEF in Jesus as the Son of God and BAPTISM into his death to SAVE us. But if you don’t have BELIEF in Jesus as the Christ, then your BAPTISM means nothing.
b. 2 Peter 3:21- “This water (water that Noah and his family were saved through while on the ark) symbolizes baptism that now SAVES you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
COMMENT:
THE WATER ITSELF DOESN’T SAVE US. There is no POWER in the WATER! The POWER is only in the BLOOD of Christ.
We are saved by our FAITH in the WORKING of God in the RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ through the means of BELIEF and BAPTISM.
Being DUNKED in the BAPTISTERY without BELIEF is the same as taking a BATH—having the FILTH removed from your body. There is no WORKING of God—you are still LOST.
But BELIEVING that Jesus is the Son of God and being IMMERSED into the WATERY GRAVE of BAPTISM through FAITH in the WORKING of God by the RESURRECTION of Jesus
Christ, we are SAVED!
