INTRODUCTION

 

1. Faith is certainly an essential element in the Christian life:

   a. Without faith, it is impossible to please God - Heb 11:6

   b. The Christian is saved by faith - Eph 2:8

   c. The Christian is to walk (live) by faith - 2 Cor 5:7

   d. Whatever we do apart from faith is described as sin - Rom 14:23

 

2. It is important to realize, however, that there are different kinds of faith, but only one that can be truly called "saving faith"

 

3. In James 2:14-26, we find James discussing the different kinds of faith, with an emphasis upon that faith which works to the saving of the soul.

 

I. DEAD FAITH (2:14-18)

 

A. THIS KIND OF FAITH...

 

1. Substitutes words for deeds (consider James' example)

a. People with this kind of faith:

1) Know the correct vocabulary for prayer and sound doctrine

2) Can even quote the right verses from the Bible

b. But their "walk" does not measure up to their "talk"!

c. James uses the illustration of telling a person who has come to you with a need that you will pray for them, and God bless you, He will take care of you.  Yet the needs of that person could have been met by the Christian they asked.

 

2. It is only an INTELLECTUAL faith

a. In one's mind, he or she knows the doctrine of salvation

b. But they have never really submitted themselves to God and placed their trust in Jesus for their salvation

c. They know the right "words", but they do not back up their words with their "works"!  Quite frankly, they can’t, because they are yet dead in their sins. 

 

B. CAN THIS KIND OF FAITH SAVE?

1. NO!  Three times in this passage, James emphasizes that "faith, if it hath not works, is dead" - James 2:17,20,26

2. Any declaration of faith that does not result in a changed life and good works is a false declaration:  A DEAD FAITH!

3. Dead faith is a counterfeit faith and lulls the person into a false confidence of eternal life.

 

C. DO WE HAVE THIS KIND OF FAITH?

1. We do, if our WALK does not measure up to our TALK!

2. We do, if our WORKS do not measure up to our WORDS!

3. James sums up his argument in this part of the text in verse 18.  Many have wrestled with this verse.  Whom is James referring to?  Is he speaking to a particular person?  Those questions are important but I the main thing is to understand what James is saying here.  I see it as a challenge.  One man put what James is saying in this verse this way:

“You claim to have ‘faith’ and I claim to have ‘works,’ actions, behavior.  I can prove the existence and quality of my ‘faith’ by my ‘works’ (actions and behavior), but I defy you to prove to me the existence and/or quality of your ‘faith.’  For I do not believe that without works you can possibly have any genuine faith.

 

4. We need to beware of mere intellectual faith.  As Warren Wiersbe has said: "No man can come to Christ by faith and remain the same, anymore than if he came into contact with a 220-volt wire and remained the same." (compare this to 1 John 5:12 says, He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.)

 

II. DEMONIC FAITH (2:19)

 

A. PERHAPS TO SHOCK ANY COMPLACENT READERS, JAMES REMINDS US THAT EVEN "DEMONS" HAVE A KIND OF FAITH!

1. They believe in God (no atheists or agnostics here!)

2. They even believe in the deity of Christ - cf. Mk 3:11-12 And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. And he straitly charged them that they should not make him

known.

3. They also believe in the existence of a place of condemnation - cf. Lk 8:31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.

4. And they believe Jesus will be the Judge! - Matt. 8:28-29 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

5. Note what Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:1 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils (demons).”  And also in 2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

6. Some of you probably read about the Holist/New Age get together that is taking place yesterday and today at the Legion Hall. If you did not read this let me read it to you.  READ.  Now this demon worship has been around a long time, but here we have it coming right into Potter County.  And did you note who was behind bringing it to Potter County - a woman preacher.  God’s Word makes it clear that women are not to be preachers, and here is one who has bought the lie of the Devil Himself and shows by her actions that she cannot be saved!  Such people may convince themselves that they are right with God, but God’s Word, God’s Law, declares them guilty.

 

B. WHAT KIND OF FAITH DO "DEMONS" HAVE?

1. We saw that the man with "dead faith" was "touched only in his intellect"

2. The demons are "touched also in their emotions" (note that they "believe and tremble")

3. This is one step above a "dead faith" - it involves both INTELLECT and EMOTIONS

 

C. CAN THIS KIND OF FAITH SAVE?

1. NO!  A person can be enlightened in their mind and even stirred in their heart and still be lost forever!

2. True saving faith involves something more, something that can be seen and recognized:  a changed life! (READ: James 2:18  James must have been from Missouri, the “show Me” state. )

3. Being a Christian involves trusting Christ and living for Christ!  The living for Christ is a result of having been changed by Christ when you trusted Him!

a. You first RECEIVE the life...

b. Then you REVEAL the life!

  

D. DO WE HAVE THIS KIND OF DEMONIC FAITH?

1. We do, if we just BELIEVE the right things and FEEL the right things

2. We do, if our service to God does not go beyond...

a. Intellectually adhering to the right doctrines

b. Emotional experiences while attending services

 

III. DYNAMIC FAITH (20-26)

 

A. WHAT KIND OF FAITH IS THIS?

1. We know from other passages that such faith is based upon the Word of God - cf. Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

2. Dynamic faith involves the WHOLE MAN

a. DEAD faith touches only the intellect

b. DEMONIC faith involves both the mind and the emotions

c. DYNAMIC faith involves the intellect, the emotions, AND the WILL!

1) The MIND understands the truth

2) The HEART desires and rejoices in the truth

3) The WILL acts upon the truth

3. True, saving faith, then, LEADS TO ACTION

a. It is not intellectual contemplation

b. It is not emotionalism

c. It is that which involves the will and always leads to obedience in doing good works

 

B. TO ILLUSTRATE, JAMES REFERS TO TWO WELL-KNOW PERSONS IN THE BIBLE:  ABRAHAM & RAHAB

1. You could not find two more different persons!

a. Abraham was the father of the Jews; Rahab was a Gentile!

b. Abraham was a godly man; Rahab had been a sinful woman, a harlot!

c. Abraham was the friend of God; Rahab had belonged to the enemies of God!

2. What did they have in common?  Both exercised saving faith in God!

a. Abraham demonstrated his saving faith by his works - 20-24  Abraham proved that his faith was genuine when he was willing to offer his son of promise, Isaac, as a sacrifice as God instructed him to do.  The works did not come first; his faith in God came first, but was proven genuine by his works.  The word “justified” can mean “to be vindicated, to be shown to be right.” Abraham’s faith was vindicated by his works.

 

b. Rahab demonstrated her saving faith by her works - 25-26  Again, Rahab had genuine faith before she decided to help the spies.  She proved the genuineness of her faith by her works - saving the spies, bring herself and family into her home at the time of the destruction of Jericho, hanging a red line out her window on the wall. 

 

3. We learn from this passage that:

a. Faith without works is a DEAD faith - 20,26  In verse 26 James uses the illustration of the spirit not being with the dead body of a person, so to one who says they have faith with the works really doesn’t have saving faith.

b. That "faith only" (the only time this phrase is found in the Scriptures) cannot justify one - 24

c. That PERFECT faith necessitates works - 22

 

CONCLUSION

 

1. It is important that each professing Christian examine his or her own heart and life, and make sure that they possess true saving faith, which is a dynamic faith

 

2. Satan is the great deceiver; one of his devices is imitation

a. If he can convince a person that counterfeit faith is true faith...

b. ...then he has that person in his power!

 

3. Here are some questions we can ask ourselves as we examine our faith:

  

Ø   Was there a time when I honestly realized I was a sinner and admitted this to myself and to God?

Ø   Was there a time when my heart stirred me to flee from the wrath to come?  Have I ever been seriously worked up over my sins?

Ø   Do I truly understand the gospel, that Christ died for MY sins and then rose again?  Do I understand and confess that I cannot save myself?

Ø   Did I sincerely repent of my sins, making the decision to turn from them?  Do I now hate sin and fear God?  Or do I secretly love sin and want to enjoy it?

Ø   Has there been a change in my life?  Do I maintain good works, or are my good works occasional and weak?  Do I seek to grow in the things of the Lord?  Can others tell that I have been with Jesus?

Ø   Do I have a desire to share Christ with others?  Or am I ashamed of Him?

Ø   Do I enjoy the fellowship of God's people?  Is worship a delight to me?

Ø   Am I ready for the Lord's return?  Or will I be ashamed when He comes for me?

 

4. To be sure, not every Christian has the same degree of faith; those who have had more time to grow should be stronger in faith

 

5. But for the most part, this spiritual inventory can assist a person in determining his or her true standing before God

 

May our prayer be similar to that of the Psalmist's:

 

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

                                              -- Psalms 139:23-24