Go! And… Live a Faith That Works
There is a story told of a tightrope walker who stretched a rope across Niagara Falls. Crowds gathered as he walked across with incredible skill. Then he took a wheelbarrow and pushed it across. The people cheered. He asked them, “Do you believe I can do it again with a person in the wheelbarrow?”
“Yes!” they shouted.
“Who will volunteer?”
Silence.
Everybody believed—but nobody had faith.
Church, as we continue our Go! And… series, today the Lord is calling us to examine the difference between a belief that agrees with God in the mind, and a faith that trusts God with the whole life. A faith that sits in the wheelbarrow. A faith that works.
Today we come to two verses that many people think contradict one another. But Scripture never contradicts Scripture—only our shallow understanding contradicts itself. So let us look deeply at two key passages.
James 2:24 (NLT): “So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.”
Romans 3:28 (NLT): “So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.”
At first glance, James seems to say the opposite of Paul. Paul says we are saved by faith apart from works. James says we are “shown to be right with God” by what we do.
So which is it?
Both.
Absolutely both.
Perfectly both.
And the Gospel shines brightest when we understand how these Scriptures fit together.
1. Go! And… Understand the Relationship Between Faith and Works
Paul and James are addressing two different problems.
Paul addresses legalism—people who think they can earn salvation through works of the law.
Greek word: ergon nomou—“works of the law,” referring to religious duties, rituals, and attempts to justify oneself.
James addresses dead, empty, useless profession—people who say they “have faith” but show no evidence of transformation.
Greek word: nekra pistis—“dead faith.”
Paul says: “You cannot save yourself.”
James says: “The faith that saves you will change you.”
Paul speaks of root.
James speaks of fruit.
Paul speaks of justification before God.
James speaks of justification before men—the visible evidence of salvation.
Ephesians 2:8–10 (NLT): “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 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.”
Grace saves.
Faith receives.
Works reveal.
Paul Keller wrote, “We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.”
Keller captures the whole tension beautifully. Genuine faith is a living seed—if it is living, it grows. If it never grows, it was never alive.
2. Go! And… Recognise True Saving Faith
James uses two powerful illustrations in his argument: Abraham and Rahab.
Abraham – Faith that acts
James 2:21–22 (NLT): “Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.”
When Abraham raised the knife over Isaac, he was not earning salvation. He was demonstrating the salvation he already had.
The Greek phrase is sunergei he pistis—“faith working together with actions.”
It’s where we get the English word “synergy.”
Faith and obedience cooperate.
Rahab – Faith that risks
James 2:25 (NLT): “Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road.”
Her faith moved her to action that could have cost her life.
Faith always leads to obedience—even when risky.
Matthew 7:17–20 (NLT): “A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”
Jesus teaches exactly what James teaches.
Fruit does not create the tree.
Fruit reveals the tree.
John Piper once said, “Faith is the root of salvation, love is the fruit of salvation.”
Commentary: This is precisely James’s point. The visible fruit proves the invisible root.
3. Go! And… Reject Dead Faith and Embrace Living Faith
James 2:19 (NLT):
“You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.”
Demons have good theology.
Demons believe correct doctrine.
Demons know Jesus is Lord.
But demons are not saved.
Why?
Because saving faith is more than intellectual agreement.
Saving faith involves the whole self—mind, heart, and will.
Greek: pistis includes trust, surrender, reliance, obedience.
A faith that does not move the hands, feet, lips, calendar, bank account, relationships, and priorities—
is not faith at all.
The Burning House
Imagine your house is on fire.
A firefighter bursts in and says, “Follow me—I can save you!”
You reply, “I believe you.”
And you sit down on the sofa.
You would perish—not because the firefighter lacked power,
but because you refused to respond.
Faith responds.
Faith follows.
Faith moves.
Galatians 5:6 (NLT): “For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.”
R.T. Kendall wrote, “Faith that does not lead to obedience is not faith—it is presumption.”
Kendall is right. Many presume upon God’s mercy while rejecting His Lordship. That is not salvation; it is spiritual self-deception.
4. Go! And… Rest Only in the Finished Work of Jesus Christ
Here is the beauty of the Gospel:
Works cannot save you.
But Jesus can.
Romans 3:28 is a thunderclap: “We are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.”
Why?
Because Christ obeyed the law perfectly.
Christ fulfilled every righteous requirement.
Christ died the death we deserve.
Christ rose, conquering sin and death.
When Jesus cried “It is finished!”
—He paid our debt in full.
Charles Stanley once wrote, “We obey not to be loved by God but because we already are.”
Commentary: That is the heartbeat of a Gospel-shaped life. Love fuels obedience. Grace fuels transformation.
Titus 3:5 (NLT): “He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.”
Salvation is a divine gift—not a human achievement.
5. Go! And… Live Out the Gospel in a Watching World
The 21st century does not need more Christians who say they know Jesus.
It needs Christians who show they know Jesus.
James challenges a generation whose “faith” is little more than attending church and saying Christian-sounding words.
Paul challenges a generation trying to earn God’s approval through religious activity.
Both agree:
We are saved by grace, through faith, for works.
A faith that works is a faith that displays Jesus in:
• how we forgive
• how we speak
• how we give
• how we love
• how we serve
• how we endure suffering
• how we treat the poor
• how we treat the stranger
• how we respond to injustice
• how we handle temptation
Our lives become the visible testimony that Jesus Christ is alive.
Max Lucado said, “People don’t want to hear what Jesus can do. They want to see it.”
That hits the heart of James’s message. Faith on display becomes a living sermon to the world.
The Gospel Call:
My friends, there is no salvation without Christ.
Jesus Christ—the eternal Son of God—
took on flesh, lived sinlessly, died sacrificially, and rose victoriously.
He bore our sin.
He endured our judgement.
He conquered our grave.
He now offers forgiveness, cleansing, righteousness, and eternal life to whoever repents and believes.
Not a dead faith.
Not a ceremonial faith.
Not a cultural faith.
A saving faith.
A surrendered faith.
A living faith that transforms the whole life.
Invitation to Salvation
If today the Holy Spirit is stirring you, calling you, awakening you—
respond with real faith.
• Repent of sin.
• Renounce self-trust.
• Throw your whole weight upon Christ.
• Trust in His finished work.
• Surrender to His Lordship.
Do not be like the crowd at Niagara Falls.
Do not say you believe but refuse to get in the wheelbarrow.
Step into Christ’s arms of grace.
He will save you.
He will forgive you.
He will make you new.
Pray in your heart:
“Lord Jesus, I turn from my sin. I trust You alone. I surrender to You as my Saviour and Lord. Make my faith alive. Transform my heart. I give myself to You completely. Amen.”
Call to Action for Believers
Church—Go! And…
• Let your faith be visible.
• Let your faith be active.
• Let your faith be loving.
• Let your faith be courageous.
• Let your faith be obedient.
• Let your faith be fruitful.
Show the world the reality of Jesus through your works.
Not to earn salvation—but because salvation has changed you.
Benediction / Exhortation:
May the Lord make your faith alive,
your witness bold,
your obedience joyful,
and your works fruitful.
May you shine the light of Jesus Christ in every place He sends you.
Go in the grace, love, and power of our risen Lord.
Amen.
