This teaching of James, , is probably his most famous, yet most controversial teachings , and it might be one the most debated teachings in the Bible. James is teaching us “Faith without Works is Dead” Meaning someone who claims to have faith in Christ, yet doesn’t live their life in faith , is a fake, just like that guy dressed in a gorilla suite, he was a fraud, well someone who claims to be a Christian, yet never acts like a Christian is a fraud. Remember ealier James taught “Be a Doer of the Word and Not Just a Hearer of the Word”
Remember what Jesus said “Somebody who is a doer of the Word, is like a wise man who builds his house on the Rock” but “Someone who doesn’t actually apply the Word of God to their lives is a foolish man who builds his hous on the sand”
Now the great theologian Martin Luther, who you may remember as the leader of the Reformation Movement, the founder of the Luthern Church, he hated this teaching by James so much, that He proposed the book of James be removed from the Bible. He called the book of James “an epistle of straw” So why are guys like Luther and others so opposed to James teaching here? Because some misinterpret this teaching to mean that works saves you. Not only is this not true, this is a total misinterpretation of James is saying here
Some even claim James and Paul are in contradiction with one another, but I will demonstrate they are not….
Well you might say, if we are not saved by works, then why is our faith dead without works? Lets dive into this teaching….
Faith Without Works?
14What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16and 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? 17Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
James begins by questioning if someone claims to have faith, yet shows not signs of their faith, are they really saved? James gives a good example here, suppose you see one of your brothers or sisters in need, now notice this a brother or sister, this is a member of the Church, imagine if there is a member of the Church, and they have no food, they are in desperate need, and you do nothing to help them, what kind of faith is this?
You tell them a good word about Jesus , but you don’t do anything to help them, did you really help them? Is this what Jesus really wants from us? To just be words and no action?
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? 1 John 3:17
Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:13
Jesus said:
35for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
37“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ (Matthew 25)
Just Believe
18But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without [f]your works, and I will show you my faith by [g]my works. 19You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is [h]dead?
There are many Christians who will just save , we just Believe in Jesus and do nothing, but the real question is , is this true faith? If you truly believe who Jesus is, but don’t do anything Jesus tells you what to do, do you really have faith in him? Consider what Jesus said “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15) It’s easy for us to just say we just believe in Jesus,
James uses the example here “Even the demons believe, and tremble” The demons believe and know Jesus is the Son of God, you see this throughout the gospels, however does that mean they are saved? Of course not, they have never repented , they have never submitted to Jesus as Lord.
“What do You want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have You come here to torture us before the appointed time?” (Matthew 8:29)
“What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24)
23And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was [j]accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. (James 23-24)
James then uses Abraham as an example of being saved by His faith, the Apostle Paul also uses Abraham alot as an example of saving faith. Abraham believed God and it was credited to him. However what did Abrham do then? He responded to Gods calling, He left his homeland and pursue the promise land , which we call Israel today, Abraham was obedient to God in whatever he asked him to do, this is real faith.
Consider what Jesus says
Known by Your Fruits:
16You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Matthew 7:16-20
Jesus said We will be known by our fruits,
Going back to the Apostle Paul here
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. Ephesians 2:8-9
The Apostle Paul says we saved By Grace Through Faith in Christ, not by anything we do. Its a gift of God, not by our works, by the works of Christ on the cross, so none of us can boast or brag.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
However as we are Born Again in Christ, as we are filled with the Holy Spirit, God is working through us. If the Holy Spirit is living inside of you, then you should see evidence of the Holy Spirit living inside of you….consider the fruits of the Holy Spirit
Conclusion:
- Faith Without Works is Dead- Don’t be a hypocritical Christian
- If we truly believe , then our lives should reflect this- even the demons believe
- Abraham is a model of our faith
- You will be known by Your Fruits- Your actions (works)
- Fruits of The Holy Spirit
Faith and works are bound up in the same bundle. He that obeys God trusts God; and he that trusts God obeys God. He that is without faith is without works; and he that is without works is without faith. Charles Spurgeon
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
As a Christian, when you truly put your faith in Christ, you will recieve the Holy Spirit, which the Spirit will give you gifts, which these Gifts will enable you to produce works, but all this comes back to grace by faith in Christ
The true works are of Christ, who died for your sins on the cross, and rose again on the 3rd day to give you eternal life, put your faith in Christ alone and Christ will work through you, Amen!
Unashamed of Jesus 