ACTIVE LIVING FAITH
James 2:14-26
Faith and Works
V:14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has
faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
A. At first glance this
verse seem to be in contradiction to Paul's epistle.
1. Ephesians 2:8-9
states " 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.
2. To resolve
this, we must understand that our declaration of faith carries with it
the
responsibility to keep God's commands.
3. Jesus said if
you love me, you will keep my commands.
4. The evidence of
our faith is keeping God's commands which will show up
in works
toward our neighbors.
B. We have to deal with this question; can
faith save him?
1. A false claim
of faith cannot save.
2. A true claim of
faith, evidenced by works will save.
LOVE AN ACT OF FAITH
V:15-16. " If a brother or sister is without clothing
and in need of daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed
and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their
body, what use is that?"
A. Verse 15 and 16 clarifies this argument.
1. Standing on
God's second greatest command, "Love your neighbor as yourself"
we would
have to conclude that works is result of true faith.
2. Jesus said,
"the poor will always be with you", giving us the responsibility
of
continuous work.
B. True faith operates with love which prompts us to give to
those in need.
1. True faith does
not neglect the responsibility of the welfare of a neighbor
in need.
2. A false claim of
faith takes the easy way out with just a good sounding
word.
3. True faith
involves letting go of that which you own to help another person,
thereby storing up treasures in heaven.
WORKS THE
EVIDENCE OF FAITH
V:17-18. " Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead,
being by itself.
18 But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have
works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my
works."
A. Salvation come by God's grace through our faith.
1. All believers
have saving faith.
2. I would venture
to say, that not all believers have a working faith.
B. The true issue
here is a dead faith versus a living faith.
1. If I am
satisfied with my salvation without any works, then my faith
is dead.
2. If I gain my
satisfaction by following God's commands
and doing
His works, then
by faith is living.
3. You know you
have an active faith when you find joy is making
sacrifices to
help someone in need.
4. A person with a
living faith is constantly on the giving end, in time and
resources.
BELIEVING IN GOD IS NOT THE EVIDENCE OF FAITH
V:19-20. " You believe that God is one. You do well;
the demons also believe, and shudder.
20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow,
that faith without works is useless? "
A. What James is trying to get us to understand is that believing in God is a prerequisite
A. What James is trying to get us to understand is that believing in God is a prerequisite
to faith
but the not evidence of a living
faith.
1. All through out
Jesus ministry on earth we find demons confronting Jesus with
knowledge of
Him but no faith in Him or His Words.
2. God put us on this earth to glorify Him
with our mouths and works.
3. To His
disciples, Jesus said "Go make disciples, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, Son
and the Holy Spirit.
4. This great
commission is just one of the commands of Jesus that requires us to
use the gifts He has equipped us with to do His
will.
B. We were not saved just to get to heaven.
1. There is work on
earth designed for us
2. Philippians 1:6
states, " being confident of this, that he who began a good work in
you will carry
it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. "
3. Colossians 1:10 states, " And we pray this in order
that you may live a life worthy of
the Lord and may
please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing
in the knowledge
of God, "
ROLE MODELS OF FAITH
V:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he
offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a
result of the works, faith was perfected;."
A. Abraham is an example of working faith.
1. God made Him
wait until he was 99 years old before he was given a son with
Sarah.
2. Isaac was Abraham's pride and joy.
3. Isaac was his long awaited descendant to carry his
name to the next generation.
4. Certainly
Abraham would not want to lose his only son.
B. However, Abraham did not hesitate to make plans to
sacrifice Isaac on the altar
as requested by God.
1. Abraham started
his journey with God by leaving his family and home town
at an age less than 75 years.
2. He did not know
where He was going when he left Ur ,
but he followed God's
commands.
3. Abraham had a 25
plus relationship with God by the time he was requested to
make this
supreme sacrifice of his son.
4. Our faith grows with the work we do for
God.
C. God is in the business of growing us up to be His role
models for the world.
1. 2 Corinthians
9:8 states, " And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so
that
in all
things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every
good
work.
2. The faith of
Abraham serves as a role model for us 4000 years later.
3. We don't serve
God so He can serve us. We serve God so we can serve
others.
ACTIVE WORKING FAITH IS COUNTED
V:23. "And the
Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS
RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God."
A. Alive faith and works go hand in hand. You will not have
one without the other.
1. The definition
of faith is to "believe God".
2. Belief in God
is doing His commands as ordered by Him.
B. To be a friend of God we need an active working faith.
1. We cannot have
better friend than Jesus.
2. He knows our
works and will come to our rescue when we need Him.
3. An Active
working faith guides us in a life of service.
LOVE DRIVES ACTS OF FAITH
V:24. " You see that a man is justified by works and
not by faith alone."
A. Again, verse 24
seems to be a contradiction to Paul's letters.
1. All have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
2. 1 Peter 4:8
states, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a
multitude of
sins. "
B. It is our faith that drives our love.
1. It is our love
that drives our works,
2. We are
constantly in need of forgiveness.
3.Therefor we are
constantly in need of works that covers our sins.
4. Works cannot
save, but works is the evidence of our salvation.
5. A tree is
known by the fruit it bears.
FAITH PRODUCES SALVATION
V:25. " In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also
justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by
another way? "
A. "Rahab is the second example of a working faith that
produced saving
results.
1. Personally, I would
not compare the level of Rahab's faith to Abraham's.
2. Abraham was
operating on faith when He was promise nothing.
B. Rahab was promised that the life of her and her family
would be spared
when the Israel 's
army entered her city if she hid Israel 's
spies.
1. Rahab had
everything to gain and nothing to lose.
2. Rahab had a
knowledge of Israel 's
God and His power.
3. She put her
trust in Israel 's
God.
C. We have a knowledge of the true and living God.
1. We have a
choice to trust God or to trust ourselves.
2. We have a
choice to trust the Word of God or to trust the word of man.
3. We have a
choice to serve God or serve ourselves.
4. We have a
choice to store up treasures in heaven or store them on earth.
ACTIVE FAITH PRODUCES ABUNDANT LIVING
V:26. " For just as the body without the spirit is
dead, so also faith without works is
dead."
A. God intends for us to have life and to have it
abundantly.
1. Abundant life
with God is a life of serve.
2. Jesus said,
"I did not come to be served but to serve".
3. Jesus also said
that greatest among you will be a servant of all.
B. Faith grows through service.
1. We learn what
God will do through us when we reach out and serve.
2. The gifts that
God has provided to each of us are perfected through
service.
3. An athlete
sitting on the sidelines does not know how good he is until
he gets in the
game.
4. Believers don't
know all the good they can do until they
step out and serve.
5. Jesus said
"It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35
SHOW YOUR LOVE BY YOUR
WORKS
Rev M. Mitchell
Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia
Baptist Church
For More lessons, follow me on facebook and visit my blogs,
revmmitchell.com and goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com
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