FAITH AND DEEDS
Scripture References : James 2 : 14 - 16 / Matthew 25 : 14 - 30 ; 34 - 46
James 2, Verse 14 :"What good is it brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such a faith save him?"
A lot of people might use verses such as this to support their argument that the Bible is full of contradictions. In Romans for example(and in many other places), Paul says that salvation is of faith, yet here James is talking about works(deeds).
A friend of mine is always telling me that the Bible contradicts itself and I suppose he might quote this apparent difference in opinion between James and Paul in his defense.
The Bible contains no such contradictions and the writings of James and Paul do not prove any difference of opinion or doctrine.
James also preaches justification through faith. Chapter 2, verse 1 of the book of James says,
"My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord...", and in chapter 1, verse 18, "He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created."
Romans, chapter 10, verse 17 says that "...faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ..." So we can clearly see that both Paul and James preach salvation through faith and by hearing the word of Christ.
James says faith first and then works, not the other way round. Indeed he is saying that true faith is a faith that WORKS, i.e. it results in action, and if a man claims to have faith but his life points to the contrary then is it really true faith. People will know what kind of person we are by the fruit that is produced.
Matthew 7:16-20
16 You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You need never confuse grapevines with thorn bushes or figs with thistles. 17 Different kinds of fruit trees can quickly be identified by examining their fruit. 18 A variety that produces delicious fruit never produces an inedible kind. And a tree producing an inedible kind can’t produce what is good. 19 So the trees having the inedible fruit are chopped down and thrown on the fire. 20 Yes, the way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit produced.
The Living Bible
True faith results in action. In 1 Thessalonians, chapter 1, verse 3, Paul writes, "We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith..." N.I.V.
James 2, verse 15+16:"Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.If one of you says to him, ’Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed’, but does nothing about his physical needs, what good
is it?" N.I.V.
Actions speak louder than words is what James is saying. We find this same principle in John’s
first epistle, chapter 3, verses 17 and 18, " If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."
Jesus loved with actions and in truth. He spent a considerable amount of time teaching and instructing the people but he didn’t stop there, he didn’t just love with words but he displayed his love by feeding the poor, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf.
He didn’t just say to people, "I’ll be going to the cross soon to die for your sins, that’s all you really need so I am not going to help you here, right now, at this very moment." No, Jesus was filled with compassion when he saw suffering and he reached out to those in need.
In the same way it’s not enough for us to point people to the cross and tell them that’s all they need. We have to reach out to them in their suffering, in their pain. We need to be filled with compassion and reach out to those in need. We’ll find that people will be much more receptive to the message of the cross when they see God’s love working in our lives.
A good example of the compassion that Jesus had can be found in the feeding of the five thousand.
We read in the gospel of Mark, chapter 6, verse 34, "When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things." N.I.V.
The disciples wanted to send the people away, a bit like the person in the book of James, chapter 2, verses 15 and 16, when he/she said, ".....Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed..."
Jesus however wasn’t just concerned with the people’s spiritual needs but he wanted to provide for their material needs too. This was a remote place and it was late in the day, the people were probably tired and weak, some had most likely traveled a long way to see and hear Jesus.
Jesus didn’t say, "... Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed..." He was going to help them. His divine love resulted in action.
Isn’t this exactly what James is saying in chapter 2, verse 17 as a conclusion to his argument in verses 15 and 16,
"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead." N.I.V.
Let’s just quickly turn to Galatians, chapter 6, verses 9 and 10, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." N.I.V.
Note that Paul says in verse 10, "Therefore as we have opportunity..." We have plenty here in our community, people who are crying out for help.
Recently I have been liaising with a community worker asking how we can help the most impoverished in this area. It’s so important that we reach out to those in our community in a practical way and there are so many different ways that we can do it.
In chapter 2, verse 18, James goes on to talk about two different kinds of people. The first has faith without works, the second has lot’s of works but no faith.
James contrasts himself with both saying, "...one of you has faith, the other works. I will show you my faith by the things I do."
When we first believed, God had already prepared good works for us to do, we can read this in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, chapter 2, verses 8-10,
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no-one can boast..."
This is the starting point of our Christian lives, salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus-Christ and his finished work and not by works. However we need to ask ourselves this question, "What was God’s purpose in saving us?" Well let’s look now at Ephesians 2, verse 10, and we find the answer, Paul says,
"For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Are we seeking to do the works God has prepared for us in advance to do or are we too busy doing our own thing?
In the book of James it goes on to talk about Abraham and how he demonstrated his faith by what he did,
James 2, verses 20 + 21
"You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?"
In Genesis, chapter 15, verse 6, God declares Abraham as righteous because he believed God’s promise of a son. What James is saying here is that the kind of inward faith Abraham demonstrated inevitably results in an outward manifestation.
When Abraham’s faith was tested, he did not disobey God but he was prepared to offer Isaac as a sacrifice believing that God had the power to raise him up from the dead. His faith was not a dead faith but his was faith that was accompanied by action.
James says in chapter 2, verse 22, "You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did." N.I.V.
What an amazing statement, "...his faith was made complete by what he did." Let me read to you a commentary on James, chapter 2, verses 22-24 from ’The Bible Speaks Today - The Message Of James’ by Alec Motyer.
1. Faith promotes works(22a): works are not an exercise by themselves. Faith co-operates with them as a senior partner with a junior. James says that faith was active along with his works(22), lit. ’was working with’, ’was a fellow-worker with’. The verb is synergeo, Rom. 8:28; 1Cor.16:16; 2 Cor.6:1; cf.synergos, ’fellow-worker’, Rom.16:3,9,21; 1 Cor. 3:9; etc. The relationship never assumes equality of co-working. A superior today often refers to his subordinates as colleagues: they are together in the work but not equal in the work.
2. Faith needs works(22b): by engaging in the activity of ’works’ faith grows to maturity. Faith was completed. Cf. E. H. Plumptre, ’...the very form of the statement implies that faith existed prior to the works by which it was made perfect.’ The verb (teleioo) means ’to complete’(a period of time, Lk.2:43; a task, Jn. 4:34), to ’come to maturity/perfection’, e.g. Phil. 3:12; Heb. 2:10; 10:1; etc.
3. Faith precedes works(23). Faith is the first and basic reality in Abraham’s relationship with God.
4. Verse 24, "You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone." It is in this sense that works have their essential part to play. A faith with no results is a demonic and bare affirmation(Ch.2,verse 19, "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder."). Results(works) prove the living reality of faith and bring assurance that the believer has entered into the benefits (righteousness, friendship) promised.
James gives another example in the person of Rahab and sums everything up by saying,
James 2, verse 26
"As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."
That’s the statement to end all statements and it’s the point he’s been making throughout this passage of scripture that faith without results is dead.
Let’s turn our attention now to some verses from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 25, verses 14-30 and 34-46:
Matthew 25:14-30
14 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.15 "And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.16 "Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.17 "And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.18 "But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.19 "After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.20 "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ’Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’21 "His lord said to him, ’Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’22 "He also who had received two talents came and said, ’Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’23 "His lord said to him, ’Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’24 "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ’Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.25 ’And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’26 "But his lord answered and said to him, ’You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.27 ’So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.28 ’Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.29 ’For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.30 ’And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982
Matthew 25:34-46
34 "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:35 ’for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;36 ’I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ’Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?38 ’When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?39 ’Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’40 "And the King will answer and 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.’41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ’Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:42 ’for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;43 ’I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’44 "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, and did not minister to You?’45 "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.’46 "And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.
This is a well known passage of scripture. Many of us will be familiar with the story, how those with 5 and 2 talents went away and invested their talents so that they would earn more.
Do you often ask yourself how they invested their talents, what they actually did to make them grow? I believe the explanation can be found in verses 35 - 40.
I believe God is calling us to open our eyes to the needs and the suffering of the people around us, to reach out in whatever way we can both materially and spiritually.
Let me read an extract to you from the book, ’God’s Heart For The Poor’ by Philippa Stroud,
"Christians often tell me they aren’t in touch with the poor and I’ll reply, ’Think of those who haunt the fringes of our churches - the lonely, the sick, the disabled, those with hidden eating disorders, those who don’t feel loved, those who are going nowhere!’ Once your eyes are opened it’s not difficult to find damaged and hurting people.
With many we know, from single mothers to single older men, their poverty of spirit far exceeds their material poverty. Sexual abuse victims and people with eating disorders live in their own dark prisons. Addictions and sin keep men and women captive. I pray for myself, and for those working with me, that God would give us salve to put on our eyes, so that we might see with his compassion.
Having seen we can’t escape. Jesus taught his disciples to care for the poor in the same way he did....This thing is not optional. You can’t escape the fact that God tells his people throughout the Bible to help the poor. His heart for them permeates the whole of Scripture."
The challenge for me and you is this, ’what will we do with the talents God has given us, will we bury them or will we go out and produce more?’ Put your faith to work today!!!
AMEN.
