Works Are A Response To Our Faith
James 2:14-26
How many of us know someone that honestly believes that they can get to heaven as a result of their good deeds? I think that we all have met someone like that, haven’t we?
I am saddened when I hear about these people. They truly are lost in all senses of the word. They are not necessarily bad people, just lost and confused. What’s even sadder, is the answer is right here, in the word of God! In plain English, Japanese, Hebrew, and hundreds of other languages. Yet, either they have not seen or heard the truth, or they refuse to accept it as truth!
But today’s sermon is not about those people. It is for us Christians. For the ones that think they are set. They already have their bags packed, and they are ready to go! They are just waiting for Jesus to call them, then they will head off to Glory Land!
Let us first off go to the book of Ephesians. Chapter 2, verse 10. We read, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
We are Gods workmanship! We are his artwork! His masterpiece! We must be very special! Salvation is given by only one, the Lord God Almighty! It is his powerful and creative work in us! And since he says we are his works of art, by no means should we treat ourselves or others with malice, disrespect, or as inferior work.
In the book of Matthew 3:8, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance!” John the Baptist is saying a lot here. He says people should live by more than word and rituals. He was telling them that they needed to change their behaviors!
Simply saying you are a Christian, and associating yourself with a church does not mean there is genuine faith.
Our Father sees beyond our words and beyond our religious activities. He looks to see if our conduct backs up by our words. We’ve all heard the saying,” Actions speak much louder than words!” He actually judges our words by the actions that accompany them. Fruits on the trees! I ask you all this morning, Are you walking the walk that you talk?! Are you a Sunday pew warmer, or a true crusader for Christ!?
Are you making a difference as a result of your faith? You see good deeds have never saved anyone. They never will. You can do all the good deeds that you want, that may make you a great philanthropist, but not saved! You are saved by faith alone. Faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
Billy Graham had this to say about faith and works and their relationship to each other: "There really is no conflict between faith and works. In the Christian life they go together like inhaling and exhaling. Faith is taking the Gospel in; works is taking the Gospel out." Actually, what James is saying is: you can’t have one without the other.
The works that you do should be a direct response of your gratitude for your salvation! And for the blessing that he pours into your lives!
When you are truly thankful for something that someone has done for you, you show it! If a brother comes to your home and repairs your plumbing, and charges you nothing, don’t you repay him with kindness?
Don’t you do something nice for him too? Maybe send a card of thanks? Maybe prepare a meal for him, at least a cake? You do this as a response to your gratitude for what he has done for you.
What about when someone actually gives their life for you? Is it enough to just cook a meal for them? Wouldn’t you be overwhelmed with gratitude? And what if they also took all the sins from your entire life and covered them with their own blood, so that God could not see them anymore? They let those around them tom whip, mock, and even spit on them out of love for you. That is what Jesus did for you. And for You. And for You. And for me. Do we show our response of gratitude in our everyday life?
When we see that homeless person on the corner, do we just say, “God, I hope that person finds food and shelter tonight. Amen” Or do we stop and help? Now I know that it is virtually impossible to help all the homeless people, but we can at least point them in the right direction. We can at least pray with them, if they want. We may not be able to give them all that they want, but we can at least be the cold cup of water for them.
Mirages are an interesting phenomenon. They don’t only occur in the mind of a thirsty wanderer. The scientific reasons have to do with a dense layer of hot air rising from ground surface, reflecting the image of distant objects.
The problem with a mirage is that it disappears when you come up close to examine it. It was only a reflection, not the genuine article. There is no fountain of gushing, cool spring water for the thirsty traveler. There is only more heat, frustration and despair. Just like mirages offer empty hope to a desperate traveler, there is a "faith" that never delivers. The deception of a mirage-type faith is perhaps the saddest story of all. So close to the real thing (like the traveler seeing the oasis), yet as far as forever from real, genuine satisfaction.
There are many people in this country who will tell you they are “Christian”. In fact a random sampling of Americans reveals something like 55% of adults who claim to be Christian. The problem is that many are of the mirage faith. If 55% of American adults were actually Christians, this country would be a very different place in which to live!
By living our lives for God, we begin to show his love through the things that we do. In Matthew 5:16 it says, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father In Heaven. Wow.
Now let’s look at 1 timothy 6:18-19, “ Command them to do good. To be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and be willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life!”
Paul was telling Timothy here to deal with any possible problem by teaching that having riches carries with it carries a great responsibilities! Simply put: If you have money you must be generous! You are by no means to be arrogant about having riches or what you can do with the riches. The father has blessed you with these riches! He also says that you should not put your hope into the money, rather, put your hope in God for security.
Even if you do not have earthly riches or material wealth, you can be rich in deeds! No matter how we are, we always have something to share with someone! Even if it is just a cold cup of water! Or the love of God!
Matthew 6 1-4 reads, “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ in before men, to be seen by them. If you do you will have no reward in from your father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as hypocrites do I the synagogues and on the streets to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have already received their reward in full! But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing! So that your giving may be in secret. Then your father who sees what is done in secret will reward you!”
James gives us an example. Suppose someone comes to you and asks you for something to eat because they are hungry. Instead of feeding the person, you tell them about God’s riches and His supply. You give them example after example of how God met people’s needs throughout scripture from Genesis to Revelation. You tell them about how God fed the Israelites manna from heaven while they traveled in the desert. You tell them how He fed Elijah by ravens at the brook. You tell them how He fed the widow at Zeraphath. You tell them how Jesus fed 5,000 men not counting women and children with five loaves and two small fish. You say that God can meet your every need and then you pray for them and close the door. James asks the question, What good was all that right information to the person who came to your door because they are still hungry?! The person didn’t need a sermon but a sandwich.
The Coca Cola Company says’ that their drink is the Real Thing. There are many different religions that claim to be the real thing. Many of these religions offer you religion without a relationship. They offer you a crown without a cross. They offer you salvation without a savior. They offer you peace without the Prince of Peace. They offer you comfort without commitment. There are many religions that offer you a faith but not the Real Faith.
He refers to hypocrites here as those who did good for a good appearance only! Not out of compassion or other good motives. They may have been good actions, but they have no substance! They are hollow and in no way impress God. They will not be rewarded by God, they have been rewarded by man already! But God does reward those that do good deeds out of faith and in response to his love!
Jesus said do not let the left hand know what the right hand is doing. He is actually stressing for us not to do good deeds with mixed reasons. We are to do them strictly out of the pleasure of giving. As a response to the love of God! We should by no means expect anything in return any time that we do good deeds. You should do these deeds out of sacrificial love! A love that is ‘for you, not me!’
Now of course we all know that it is so much easier to do what is right when we gain recognition or praise for it. Jesus is saying that we should expect nothing in return. He is saying that our motives should be completely unselfish!
That is why he says to do them in secret. Or t do them quietly. The next t9ime you are doing something for someone else, ask yourself, “if no one ever knew that I was doing this, would I still be doing it?” That should keep you on the straight and narrow!
Romans 3:20 teaches us about God’s law. It says,” Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law, rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.”
We learn about the 2 different functions of God’s law here.
It shows us where we go wrong. The law shows us that we are sinners, and we need to come to Christ for mercy! He died for our sins. He was our atonement.
The moral code that is revealed can serve to guide our actions by holding up God’s moral standards.
We cannot earn our salvation by keeping the law. Only 1 person has ever been through life and kept the laws, Jesus. By keeping the law the best we can , we please God. When our lives conform to his will for our lives, he is pleased.
As I wind down this message, I would like for all of us to look at James 1:25 together. We read, “Bu the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not for getting for what he has heard, but doing-it he will be blessed in what he does!”
While It is abnormal that a law could give us freedom, God’s law both; points out the sin within us and it gives us the opportunity for us to ask for forgiveness! As Christians, we are saved by Grace, not by our works. We are set free from sin’s control by our salvation!
You see as believers, we are free to live as God created us to live. Not to live as we please, we are to obey God!
Our closing scripture says it all. 1st Peter 2:16 says, “Live as free men. But do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil. Live as servants of God!!!!”
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, again we thank you for your message today. Please help us to put what you teach us into action! Help us to do good works as a response to your eternal love. Help us to spread your love to others both by being examples and by carrying it to them. May all the glory and honor be yours. In Jesus name we pray. amen
