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False Faith or Genuine Faith James 2:14-26

The book of James is full of precepts showing us how to mature in our Christian walk. And this week's study is no different. (Precept = is a commandment, instruction, or order intended as an authoritative rule of action.) Ladies, we are embarking on a portion of scripture that has been a hot topic of controversy regarding Faith vs Works. Let's turn in our Bibles to James 2:14-26. You know, the Great Protestant reformer, Martin Luther actually rejected the epistle of James calling it the epistle of straw in his 1522 edition of the New Testament because of its teaching of faith and works. He felt it contradicted the Apostle Paul's teaching of salvation by grace through faith alone. (Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." NKJV) You understand, at the time Luther was surrounded by men who said that good works could save you. He knew that God alone could save through faith alone, and his mission was to tell them. Martin Luther and others thought that James suggested a salvation that is won through human effort rather than by the work of Christ on Calvary; and this is far from the truth as we will see in this study. For one thing, we know that Scripture does not contradict itself, right. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God as it says in 2 Timothy 3:16; therefore, the writings of James and Paul have but one real Author, The Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit cannot contradict Himself. Any interpretation of the Word of God which seems to make God contradict Himself is always a failure on man's part to interpret rightly what God had said. We have to remember that any time we are reading scripture; we must read it in the context to which it was written.

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Paul and James did not contradict each other, but rather they complemented each other.

- Paul's focus was on the unsaved man and how he might get right with God. - James' focus was on the saved person and how he might show his faith and demonstrate the reality of his faith.

Remember James starts out in verse one 'my beloved brethren' and again in verse fourteen he says 'my brethren'. He is talking to his brothers and sisters in Christ. James was a man deeply concerned that those who have faith in Jesus Christ express that faith in an appropriate lifestyle. James teaches that 'Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone; it is always attended by good works'. Paul taught in Ephesians 2:8-9 that we are saved through faith, and not of ourselves by works, but as you read on in verse 10 he states that good works must accompany saving faith. Let's look at that: Ephesians 2:10 "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." NKJV

Notice that not only are we created in Christ Jesus for good works, but that God prepared beforehand those works that we should walk in them. Ladies, the Christian walk is not idle that is why they call it a Walk.

2 Corinthians 5:7 "For we walk by faith, not by sight." NKJV

James 1:22 "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves"(NKJV) Ladies, we need to walk the talk. We need to be open to the opportunities that God sets before us and be faithful to Him. So we have clearly shown that Paul and James are not contradicting each other. Faith brings a person to salvation, and works bring that person to faithfulness. You know, someone has said that 'faith is like calories, you cannot see them, but you can see their results'.

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How true is that! As we live our Christian lives ladies, there should be evidence of our faith resulting in spiritual growth and fruit produced by good works. If we continue to live in our old sinful lifestyle with no change, no repentance of sin, and no results to show a changed life, then we need to re-evaluate our lives because if Christ is truly in you, you will see a changed life, a changed heart, a new person emerge. We should see results and this is what James is saying. Let's read James 2:14-17 "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." NKJV

Now, verse fourteen doesn't say "What is the profit if someone has faith?", but rather "What is the profit if someone says he has faith, but has not works?". James is appealing to those who say they are Christians that they need to walk the talk. If they are truly Christians, their lives should show it through their works. We have faith in a living God, and so if we truly accepted Christ into our hearts then it cannot help but manifest itself outwardly. If the outside manifestations of faith are absent, we have every reason to doubt the existence of faith inside. Let me put a face to what I mean: A man once came to a Pastor to ask for baptism. When asked where he had heard the gospel, he answered that he had never heard the gospel but had seen it. He then went on to relate how he knew a man who had once been an man of violent temper. This man had become a Christian and his whole life had altered. "I want," he said to the Pastor, "the Power that did that for him". Ladies, if we truly have Christ within us and have truly accepted Christ into our hearts then our lives will manifest it through a changed life, through our works for God. We are to be examples to those who are lost. If we profess to believe in Christ, but keep living in sin, then we need to re-evaluate what we really put our faith in. James goes on in James 2:14 to say "Can faith save him?"

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Well, we need to clarify 'faith' here. If we take this out of context and we just read 'Can faith save him?' then we would have to say 'Yes'. A true heart-faith in the finished work of Christ on Calvary saves. Yes faith in Jesus Christ saves. But this is not what James is saying. When we look at the context, James is saying, 'Can a profession of faith save him?' There is a big difference between 'Can faith save' and 'Can a profession of faith save'. Anybody can profess to be a Christian, but if that profession of faith is just lip service, then it is a dead faith. It is not a saving faith. But if that profession of faith is truly a heart changing, life changing experience in the One True God, then and only then is it a true saving faith. The Late Greek scholar Spiros Zodiahties said: 'Faith which implants God's nature in the heart of man is a saving faith, and the faith which does not is not saving faith.' Ladies, we need to stop living sinful lives, repent of our sins and fully give our lives to Jesus Christ. We need to fully trust God in every aspect of our lives and live accordingly. To illustrate the Christian faith in action, James proceeds to give us an example in verses 15-16. James 2:15-16 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Notice the language here. James is talking about a child of God in need here, a brother or sister in Christ. If our physical children or parents were in need, we wouldn't hesitate to help them would we, so how can we hesitate to help our spiritual family. Paul also talks about meeting the needs of our spiritual family in Galatians 6:10 "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." NKJV The Apostle John is also in total agreement with James. He writes in 1 John 3:17-18 "But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." NKJV We cannot possibly claim that we have the love of God in our hearts if we do not manifest it toward our brothers and sisters in Christ. Three times James warns us that 'faith without works is dead'. James 2:17, 20, 26.

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James 2:18 But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. NKJV You can have a fruit tree, but if it doesn't bear fruit it is useless. The same goes for faith. You can profess to have faith, but if your life does not produce fruit then it is useless - it is dead. Your faith should be revealed through your works. James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble! NKJV Just to say you profess that Jesus Christ is God is not enough, even the demons believe. You have to accept Him into your heart, confess your sins, ask Him to help you live according to His will in your life. If you truly ask and believe, your life will reflect it. James 2:20-26 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (NKJV) James uses Abraham and Rehab as examples of people whose faith was proved by their works. Abraham's faith was proven to be a true and living faith by his works. Abraham was called a friend of God. He had an intimate relationship with God; he believed God and walked in communion and fellowship with God, following and living for God. The point is clear in verse 24 as it reads "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only."

Justification is an important doctrine in the Bible. Justification is the act of God whereby He declares the believing sinner righteous on the basis of Christ's finished work on the cross. It is not a process; it is an act. It is not something the sinner does; it is something God does for the sinner when he trusts Christ. It is a once-for-all event. It never changes.

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You can see what James is saying here in verse 24. Just as The great theologian John Calvin wrote, "It is faith alone that justifies, but faith that justifies can never be alone." True saving faith can never be by itself: it always brings life, and life produces good works. The person with dead faith has only an intellectual experience. In his mind, he knows the doctrine of salvation, but he has never submitted himself to God and trusted Christ for salvation. He knows the right words, but he does not back up. Abraham is an example of this. As we see in Romans 4:3 "For what does the Scripture say?”Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." NKJV

Which is a reference to: Genesis 15:6 "And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” NKJV

And then many years after Abraham first believed, James shows us that his faith was tested by God in James 2:21 as he refers to Genesis 22 where Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham's obedience to what God asked him to do was proof that he had a saving faith. Ladies, true faith is a living faith, a faith that works, a faith that stirs a person to live for Christ in obedience to what we are asked to do. You see that his faith and his actions were working together. Abraham was not saved by faith plus works, but by a faith that works. A true saving faith obeys God and proves itself in daily life and works. Titus 3:8 "This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men." NKJV Rahab is James' second illustration of a faith that was proved by her works. We read about Rahab in Joshua 2, 6 . She was a harlot that lived in Jericho and at this time Israel was about to invade their Promised Land and take the city of Jericho. Joshua had sent two spies into the city which is where they met Rahab who ended up risking her life to protect and hide them.

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Rahab heard about the Israelite's God and she believed as we see in Joshua 2:11. She didn't just believe, but she acted on that and risked her life to protect the Jewish spies, and she further risked her life by sharing the good news of deliverance with the members of her family. Abraham and Rahab are very different people. Abraham was a Hebrew, the father of the Israelites a faithful follower of God. Rahab was a heathen Canaanite and as such she belonged to a group of people who incurred the wrath and punishment of God. What was said of Abraham who was at one end of the spectrum was also said of Rahab who was at the other end. They were both justified by an active faith. Their works were evidence of their faith. One indication of the standing Rahab received as a result of her faith is that she was one of only four women listed in the genealogy of Joseph, the husband of Mary of whom Jesus was born (Matthew 1:4,5)

Ladies, saving faith takes the whole person - not just part. - the mind understands the truth

- the heart desires the truth

- the will acts upon the truth

We all need to examine our lives individually to make sure that we possess the true saving faith. 2 Corinthians 13:5 "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed you are disqualified." NKJV

As you examine your life, ask with the psalmist: Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." NKJV

Satan is the master deceiver and he doesn't want you to walk in faith as Abraham and Rahab. He wants to lull you into a false faith. Ask God to reveal in your life areas you need to mature in. If you truly seek God to know Him personally and to do what He says, if you truly live in obedience to the scripture then your life will reveal it.

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Examine your lives, do you desire to do good works as unto the Lord, do you seek to grow and mature or are you satisfied to stay just where you are?

Do people see Christ in your life or are you a closet Christian?

Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." NKJV

We are to let our light shine before men, not for men. We are to do good works to bring honor and glory to our Father in Heaven not for our own personal gain. In closing I would like to read you a story that was sent to me about a person who found themselves inspired by a conversation they had heard on a ham radio.

'3900 Saturdays' A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those Lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it: ------------- I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whom-ever he was talking with something about 'a thousand marbles..' I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say.... ------------ ' Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It's too bad you missed your daughter's 'dance recital' he continued. 'Let me tell you something that has helped me keep my own priorities.' And that's when he began to explain his theory of a 'thousand marbles.' ------------ 'You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years. -----------

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'Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now, stick with me, Tom, I'm getting to the important part. ------------ It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail', he went on, 'and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays.' 'I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1000 marbles I took them home and put them inside a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear.' ------------ 'Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. --------------

There's nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight .' ------------ 'Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time.. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time.' --------- 'It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. This is a 75 Year old Man, K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning! ---------- You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter

----------- Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. 'C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast.' 'What brought this on?' she asked with a smile. 'Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. And hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles

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Ladies, the marbles are running out, but it is not too late to live your life to the fullest for Christ. It is not too late to ask Jesus Christ into your heart – it is the most important thing you need to do; it will affect you throughout all eternity. Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 says “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose

under heaven: 2 A time to be born, And a time to die;” (NKJV)

God knows when your marbles are going to run out, it could be today or it could be years down the road. The thing is „We Don‟t Know‟. Therefore, we need to live every day to the glory of God! We will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and be held accountable for what we did with the opportunities that God has given us. I want to hear a long with everyone of you, „Well done good and faithful servant‟. I have enjoyed studying God‟s word with you and look forward to being with you again as we continue our study on the Book of James.

Until then,

God bless

To view this study and archives on the book of James go to: http://thestudyofthebookofjames.blogspot.com/

For other Bible studies and inspirational articles go to: Empowered Bible Study Ministries

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