The Gospel At Work - James 2:14-26

This past Sunday I preached the rest of James chapter two, verses fourteen through twenty-six. You can listen to the message here. Here are the key sermon notes.

QUESTION (James 2:14)
In other words, “Is faith without works real, saving faith? What if someone’s faith is all talk? Is that genuine, saving faith?”

EXAMPLE (James 2:15-16)
It is…Lip service but no love, Words with not witness, Talk with no transformation

1 John 3:16-18 = By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

“We live sacrificially, not because we feel guilty, but because we have been loved greatly...those who have received mercy extend mercy. Grace in our hearts overflows in goodness from our hands…” -David Platt

ANSWER (James 2:17)
Dead in the Greek means = DEAD
Works or deeds = fruit – acts of Christian love that inevitably accompany a genuine faith

Here is an example of “Dead” faith…
“I was hungry and you formed a humanities club and discussed my hunger. I was imprisoned and you crept off quietly to your chapel in the cellar and prayed for my release. I was naked, and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance. I was sick and you knelt and thanked God for your health. I was homeless and you preached to me the spiritual shelter of the love of God. I was lonely, and you left me alone to pray for me. You seem so holy, so close to God, but I’m still very hungry and lonely and cold.” - taken from “Signs of Life” by David Jeremiah

Real faith produces real fruit!

NO DICHOTOMY (James 2:18)
Saving faith is shown through works. There is no separation between the two.

“Faith is the source of our salvation, but good works are the way we express the reality of our salvation.” David Jeremiah

Jesus said in Matthew 7:16-17 = You will recognize them by their fruit.

It’s not just words…when someone truly embraces the Gospel, there is movement! It’s not just lip service. It’s not just checking the box on a doctrinal statement. It’s not “oh sure, yeah I believe that.” Real faith leads to real Gospel driven compassion and love lived out in community!

QUESTION (James 2:20)

BIBLICAL EVIDENCE (James 2:21-25)

(1) What is justification?
being declared righteous by God through faith, on the basis of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice
to be made right with God, to be in right standing with God through faith, ON THE BASIS of Jesus sacrifice for your sins

(2) Paul
The primary way in which Paul uses the word “justify” with this definition in mind. Consider these passages written by Paul.

Romans 3:21-24; Romans 4:1-3; Galatians 3:6-8
Paul was quoting from Genesis 15:6 which says, "And He believed the LORD, and He counted it to him as righteousness."

(3) James
He uses the word “justify” to emphasize the way in which works demonstrate that someone has truly been justified. In other words, James sees the good works that a person does as evident of true justification by faith as having taken place. So James doesn’t look at Genesis 15:6, but rather looks many years down the road at Genesis 22:9-12 where Abraham was ready to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice in obedience to God.

(4) James & Paul TOGETHER
Together James and Paul give the full dimension of faith.
Paul wrote about INNER saving faith from God’s perspective (the vertical).
James wrote about OUTWARD saving faith from man’s perspective (the horizontal).

(5) Rahab
Why would Rahab risk her life to hide the Israelite spies??
Consider Joshua 2:9-11
She was saved because of her faith in the true and living God AND she saved others because of her faith! In other words, her actions to save others were proof of her saving faith!

In Conclusion…

1) We are not saved by works
Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7

2)We are saved to works
Ephesians 2:10; Titus 3:8

His grace compels us to good works
His mercy compels us to show mercy
His love compels us to love others

3)His Grace → Good Works → His Glory
“The world around us can’t see our inner faith, but it can see the good works that flow from our faith.” - David Jeremiah

Matthew 5:16 = In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

“Good works are the result, not the cause, of God’s being 100 percent for us. If He were not for us because of faith alone, owing to Christ alone, we would be hopelessly unable to do good works, because our works would not magnify His grace but our resolve.” - John Piper