Study of James
Lesson # 10
Authentic Faith
Introduction
One of the greatest tragedies of the church today is that some people who profess Christ do not live for Jesus. Many profess Christ & they are baptized recognized as members of the church, but they do not follow nor live for Christ. They do not live pure and righteous lives, nor do they give all they are and have to reach the lost and needy of the world. Are they saved? Do they have a genuine faith? This is the discussion of this passage.
1. Two questions every believer needs to ask himself
a. Can a man have faith without doing good works?
b. Can faith without good works save us?
c. The answer to both of these questions is emphatically “NO”
1) If a person really believes they will act upon what they believe
2) Yet many will profess faith in Jesus & not live for Him, but for the
world & themselves. The only difference between them &
unbelievers is their attendance of Sunday.
d. Note two facts
1) The person says they have faith but does nothing to show that faith. His
faith is only talk.
2) James calls this faith a “dead faith” – James 2:17,20,26
* In vs.14 he calls it an unprofitable faith
* In 1 Cor.15:2 Paul calls it a “vain or empty faith”
* The idea is that it is a faith that profits nothing – absolutely
useless – provides us with nothing
2. These verses are perhaps the best-known & most controversial passages in the NT
a. Martin Luther saw James in direct opposition to Paul’s teaching on justification
by faith – considered James an inferior book.
b. James is merely continuing his discussion of true religion. True religion brings
a proper response – doer & not just a hearer of the word – is concerned
about the needy & living righteously
c. Is James contradicting Paul?
1) Rom.1:5 – the obedience that comes from faith
2) Gal.3:26,27 – sons through faith – baptized have put on Christ
3) Phil.2:12 – work out your salvation
4) Eph.2:9 – were created for good works
5) Rom.6:13 – must present members as instruments of righteousness
6) Rom.8:13 – live after the flesh you will die
7) Rom.7:4 – must bring forth fruit for God
d. Paul’s focus was that obedience to the Law did not earn you salvation
1) Salvation is a gift from God & is never deserved
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2) All man can do is accept the forgiveness offered by God through the
sacrificial death of Jesus.
3. The deadness of faith that has no works – vs.14-17
a. Of what use – what good is it to claim you believe but have no deeds?
1) Uses present tense verbs - says this is a way of life – repeatedly
claiming to believe & continually lacking any evidence of that
belief in deeds
2) Can such faith save him? Will it make any difference when we are
before the throne of judgment? 2 Cor.5:10; Mt.25:33-46
b. Illustration of a non-working non-charitable faith
1) Brother or sister is destitute – Gal.6:10
2) Response – go in peace, be warmed & filled
a) Passive = let someone else warm & feed you
b) Our flippant words – “I am praying for you” “good luck”
3) You are physically able to help but you do not. Your compassion is in
words only.
c. Such faith for all practical purposes is dead, unproductive & useless.
d. Application
1) The point is this: faith, if it does not do good works, is dead. True faith
loves and cares and is compassionate and reaches out to help the
needy.
2) A person can talk about believing in Jesus Christ until he is blue in the
face, but if he is not reaching out and helping the destitute of the
world just like Jesus did, his faith is dead—utterly meaningless.
3) No person really believes in Jesus Christ unless he is following Jesus
Christ and doing the works of love and righteousness which Christ
did.
4) True faith is an operative faith, a faith that really works. Therefore, if
we really believe in Christ, we will follow Christ: we will take all
that we are and have beyond our own needs and give it to meet the
needs of destitute brothers and sisters throughout the world.
5) Mt.19:21-23; Mt.25:41-46; Mk.10:28; Lk.9:23,26,27; 1 Tim.6:17,18
4. The futility of religion without works – vs.18-20
a. Scriptures
1) Mt.7:21-23 – not those who say, but those that do
2) Mk.7:6 – honor with lips, but heart far away – vain worship
3) Titus 1:16 – profess to know but works deny Him
b. How can one show his faith without works?
1) Even demons profess a faith in God – Mt.8:29; Mk.5:7; Lk.4:41
Although they believe & shutter their lifestyle doesn’t change
2) The only way to demonstrate one’s faith is in works of faith
3) Anything less is just useless – meaningless. True faith must have proof;
it must be backed up; you must demonstrate that you believe.
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4) Scriptures
a) Mt.5:16 – let light shine – see good works
b) 1 Pet.2:12 – good works glorify God
5. Examples of productive faith – vs.21-26
a. Abraham – had a working faith by which he was justified
1) Justified – 2 meanings
a) To be vindicated or shown to be right – God vindicated in
declaring him righteous
b) To acquit, to pronounce righteous
2) Offering up Isaac was 30 or 40 years after Abraham was accounted
righteous. He was declared righteous when he took God at His
word & believed that he would be the father of a multitude.
3) Point – faith & action work together & thus faith is made complete.
His works were a product of his faith.
4) Three results from working faith
a) His faith was perfected – matured, to be brought to it’s
intended goal
b) Scripture was fulfilled – as if Gen.15:6 was prophetic
c) Abraham called a friend of God - When we live in obedience
we are God’s friend – Jn.15:14
b. Rahab – a pagan, immoral, Canaanite woman
1) Tradition says she became the wife of Joshua & the mother of many
prophets. She is included in the genealogy of Jesus by Matthew.
2) Her faith demonstrated – she received them & assured their safety by
sending them out another way.
6. Final thought – as body without the spirit is dead so is faith without deeds
a. A body without the spirit or breath is dead. It does not move, act, live, or work.
It is empty, totally useless and worthless. It is a dead body.
b. So it is with faith: faith without works is dead. It does not move, act, live, or
work. Faith without works is empty, totally useless and worthless. It does
not live for Christ, does not follow Him in righteousness or purity nor
work for Him in reaching people and meeting the needs of a destitute
world.