READING 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their wrongdoings against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
DEAD FAITH James 2:14-26 What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
18 But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” 19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to acknowledge, you foolish person, that faith without works is useless? 21 Was our father Abraham not justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
There is a faith in God, Christ, Scripture and the Gospel that does not save. 17, 20, 26 à “Dead Faith”
Inevitably, people with dead faith always substitute words for deeds. • They want you to believe that they are what they say. • But we must understand that we are what we do. • True faith will always be seen in works. • Dead faith will not be seen at all. What we see from this passage is that there is a faith in God and even in Christ that does not save.
Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “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.” (Matthew 5:16)
And later in the same sermon, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) • In other words, it is not the sayers, it is the doers. • Trust not in what people say, trust in what they do.
In John 8 we find graphic illustration of this kind of faith. John 8:30-32 “As he was saying these things, many believed in him." 31So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word—that is in obedience—you are truly my disciples, 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free… from bondage to sin and death and hell and judgment...all implied.”
In other words, they said they believed and Jesus said your belief is not sufficient unless it involves a new birth—a transformation—which leads to a life of obedience. Valid saving faith has always been verified by fruit. And a false dead faith is indicated by the absence of righteous actions.
There is an impression that a simple knowledge of the gospel is equal to acceptance of saving faith. …knowing the truth equals redemption. James will not permit any such deception to go unchallenged.
People who believe the facts of the gospel—but don’t make conclusive commitment to serve the Lord Jesus Christ— must be confronted with a reality.
In fact, James is a series of tests by which you can evaluate whether your faith is living dead faith. • The first test was the test of trials. Remember in chapter 1 verses 2 through 13? • The second was the test of temptation, where you place the blame in temptation was an indicator of living faith or dead faith. • The third was the response to the Word that comes at the end of chapter 1. • And then we have been looking in chapter 2 at the test of your response to the poor and the needy.
Now, in the second chapter and verses 14 through 20, he brings up the test of works. By “works” James means action and behavior. Behavior which is obedient to God's Word and manifests a godly nature.
How we then, proves who we are.
This is the climax of James’ argument. • It pulls all the other “tests” together. • Every other test is a righteous work.
I must say that heaven is a free gift. • There is no way that you could earn it. • There is no way that you could ever deserve it.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
The Bible clearly says that heaven is a free gift: Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. we receive this free gift through faith.
So, there is a kind of faith that saves. • And there is another kind of faith that does not save. o James calls it “dead faith”. Now it's clear that many people possess that kind of faith. I say it’s clear—because James brings it up.
Key Illustration There are things that look like faith, but only one kind of faith that can open the door to heaven.
James begins this section by describing what saving faith is NOT. 1. Empty Confession (14) What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
If someone says he has faith...for the sake of argument, a man comes along, he makes that claim. • "I have faith, I believe. I believe in God. I believe in Christ." • He confesses to believe in the death of Christ. • He may even confess to believe in the resurrection of Christ.
First Question: What good is such a claim if a person doesn’t have good works? • …righteous deeds as the pattern of his life what good is such faith? • The answer is that it’s not good at all.
2nd Question: “Can that faith save him?” • The way that the question is asked in Greek here leaves only one answer: NO • That faith can’t save him can it?
Dead faith SAYS, but never DOES • In John 15, Jesus said, "Take the branch that has no fruit, cut it down, tie it up and throw it in the fire." • That fruitless branch, I believe, represents a Judas disciple • —somebody who is outwardly attached but there's no life flow and therefore there's no product.
If salvation is a new birth… • If salvation is a transformation… • If salvation is a total change… • then it must demonstrate itself in the behavior consistent with that new nature. If I am a new person, there will be new factors in my conduct.
Now somebody's going to say… “Well, wait a minute. Isn't James in conflict with Paul?”
This is the typical argument. If we accept what James says that we have to have works, aren't we denying what Paul said when he said faith alone, faith alone, grace alone, grace alone, and if you add any works to grace, you have messed up grace? Doesn't Paul say we are saved simply and only and totally by grace? Romans 11:16 à But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
Galatians 2:16 à …yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
So Paul says not works, and James says “works.” Aren’t James and Paul in conflict here?
I would say that James and Paul are not standing face to face in conflict here. Rather, they are standing back-to-back fighting two different, but common, enemies.
Paul was facing the common enemy of legalism. • Jews were used to a set of rules. If they did well enough, they could enter eternal life because of their works.
James was facing the exact opposite. • Jews had received the message of grace. They had been freed from the bondage of trying to be good enough to get into heaven.
Is it possible that some of these Jews used their freedom as an excuse for an unrestrained lifestyle? • Since works don’t get me into heaven, then there really is no use for works. o “I’ve been saved. So what if I live a lifestyle that clashes with my faith?”
Paul is fighting those people who want salvation to be by works. James is fighting those people who want a salvation that doesn't demand anything.
Paul is saying salvation is only by grace. James is saying that salvation only by grace produces works.
There's no debate here. • There's no argument here, there's no tension here. It is not a face-to-face disagreement. It is a back-to-back defense against two different attackers.
Paul is defending himself against legalistic salvation. • James is defending himself against an immoral approach… o …You can believe and have no change in your life and still be saved.
So the first description of dead faith is that it is an empty confession. • It is a confession of Jesus Christ without any change in your life. Finishing the verse from Paul. Ephesians 2:8-10 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
2. False Compassion (16) And here he moves specifically to the absence of deeds. If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food…
This is a person who is destitute of the necessities of life, doesn't have enough clothes. • This is in the present tense—indicating a continual situation. • The person does not have enough clothes to stay warm. • “…in need of daily food” à literally means starving to death. • This is a very desperate and serious condition.
The person is cold and hungry. Verse 16: …and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, (a common Jewish phrase) be warmed and be filled,” (aren’t you generous…) yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?
“…be warm and filled” are two interesting words. Both are in the passive or middle voice. In either case, you leave and “…do not give them what is necessary for their body …” And, as all of us would, James asks, “…what good is that?”
There was a story about a Russian queen from several centuries ago. • She was taken to the theater to see a drama and wept her way through the entire drama. • From beginning to end it was sad. • And she really got into the spirit of the drama and she cried through the whole thing.
It was a very cold and wintry night in St. Petersburg. • And she had left her coachman out there where he belonged. o He didn't belong with her class. • When she came back to her coach after the play, the queen found him frozen to death. According to her biographer she shed not a tear.
It's amazing how people can cry over fiction and not cry over reality. • Have you noticed that? • People can watch a movie or even hear a song and weep. • But see a destitute person and be absolutely indifferent.
In our world, we have so much fantasy we can spend all of our emotions on fantasy and have none left for reality. • I mean we have all seen so many disasters portrayed on television that we've pretty well emptied our emotions. • And real life just doesn't seem so bad, does it.
James says if you have that kind of false compassion… • At best says, “I hope you can find some food and clothing, my friend, go in peace, I wish you well…” • But you don't give them what they need, what good is that kind of faith?
James 2:17 In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. A redeemed soul will act as the Redeemer would act
Jesus explains this in a parable in Matthew 25 Matthew 25:31-34 à “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Why? Why do you enter the kingdom—because you believed? No. Matthew 25:35-36à For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ When, when did we do this??? Matthew 25:40à And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’
Again, a redeemed person will act as the Redeemer acted.
Finally… 3. Shallow Conviction (18-19) In these next verses, James describes a typical argument he might have with one of these people. James 2:18 But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” Faith is invisible. • It is like the wind. • You can’t really see the wind, but you can definitely see the effects of the wind.
James says here, show me your faith. • The point is you can’t. • You can’t see faith. • You can only see what true, saving faith does. True faith is always accompanied by action
But…but…I believe in God…I believe in ONE God. This is the point of verse 19. James 2:19 à You believe that God is one. You do well
James is quoting here from the OT. From Deut. 6—the Shema This is something that Jewish people constantly quoted and prided themselves in believing.
“…so, you’re orthodox…good…” “… the demons also believe, and shudder.”
Demon faith • Even demons and the Devil himself have that kind of faith. • Demons are orthodox
Remember Jesus, when he casts the demons out of the man—into the heard of pigs… Matthew 8:29 And they (the demons) cried out, saying, “What business do You have with us, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”
Demons have an orthodox eschatology, orthodox Christology • Demons know what the Bible says. • They know what is coming (“Have You come here to torment us before the time?”) They know what is coming and they shake with fear.
As far as factual doctrine is concerned, demons are monotheists. • They all know and believe that there is one true God. They are also very much aware that Scripture is God’s word, that Jesus is God’s Son and that salvation is by grace, through faith…
They all understand that Jesus died, was buried, and raised to atone for the sins of the world. • They know that He ascended to heaven and is now at His Father’s right hand. • They also believe that there is a literal heaven and literal hell. • They have a clearer understanding of the end time and millennium than does the most devoted Bible scholar. Demons are more orthodox in their understanding of scripture than you or me. • But all of that knowledge, as divinely and eternally significant as it is, cannot save them. • They know the truth about God, Christ and the Holy Spirit and they hate it all and hate them.
What is James saying here? • You believe the Bible? You believe that God exists? • Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross so that He would pay the penalty for the sins of all who trust in Jesus? GOOD.
The demons believe all those things. • But at least the demons have enough sense to shudder at God’s truth.
Mere intellectual knowledge of all of these truths will not save you from hell. • We must test ourselves here. • We must examine the faith that we say we have.
2nd Corinthians 13:5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test? à Empty Confession à False Compassion à Shallow Conviction • No one is saved by works. • But no one is saved without becoming a new creation.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. We all have a long way to go. But, when I accepted Christ, the old Joey died.
What do dead things do? 2 Corinthians 4:16 … we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day.
We’re all in his process. • But a new creation produces new things.
New believers produce things like… • repentance, submission, obedience… • Love toward God, love toward others • and all the other works that the Spirit of God will produce.