Crosspoint Baptist Church Blog

Text: James 2:14-17

 

Title: Faith and Works pt. 1

 

Proposition: The faith of believers is validated by the works that accompany it. These works revolve around the themes of holiness and godliness.

 

Intro: As we continue to look in the book of James, we keep seeing the main theme of the book emerge and that is to have a living faith. It is so easy to get caught up in the Christian way of ding things that we begin to substitute genuine faith for a self reliance upon facts. James taught us last week that we have been chosen by God to rich in faith. Remember, this idea of being rich was that of abundance and distinction. The true disciple of Christ is not one who simply talks about faith but it is their distinction in life and they live it out in all they do. Thus, we come to our text today. In this passage we see James do a couple of things. First, he asks 2 questions and second, he gives an analysis of these questions. Let’s take a look at each one and see how our faith ought to produce works.

 

Read Text: James 2 :14-17

 

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

 

Transition:

 

Question 1: What is the advantage to say you have faith but you do not have works?

 

EXEGESIS: James begins to tackle a very fundamental issue when he talks about faith. As mentioned already, the readers had learned that they had been chosen by God to be rich in faith. Faith is essential to having a relationship with God. Hebrews plainly teaches that without faith it is impossible to please God. Paul fought fiercely to defend the truth that faith alone is what is necessary for one to truly be redeemed from sin. In his text, James too, is defending this truth yet unlike Paul who defended it in light of a works based salvation, James is teaching it in light of faith producing works sanctification. This is very important. No where does James say one must do good works to earn favor with God nor does he blur the line of faith and works. Rather, he clarifies the proper place of works in the life of the believer. Rather than works viewed as merit, he views it as fruit. Genuine faith is required for one to truly believe and this faith is granted by God by grace. This genuine faith leads one to producing fruit in their lives. Thus fruit is often called love, joy, peace, and so on. The fruit of genuine faith demonstrates it reality in the life of the one claiming to have faith.

 

APPLICATION: The application is clear for us. We live in a culture that boasts of it faith. Yet, it is clear that the church in many ways has abdicated its responsibility for social justice. The true reformation of the soul has been left to entities that care nothing for the soul. Like the illustration James uses, we simply say yet never invest time or energy or resources into those around us. The world is screaming for redemption and yet we try not to venture out of our Christian bubbles. Do we truly hear them? Do we live out the richness of our faith before a world that desperately needs it? Where is the advantage, James asks, in having a faith that produces no works?

 

ILLUSTRATION: A Master Gardner is validated by the fruit of their garden.

 

Question 2: Is a faith that has no works truly a saving faith?

             

EXEGESIS: On the heels of the first question, James asks another: can a faith that produces no works truly be considered saving faith. This question helps to clarify 2 issues. The first is the issue of saving faith verses blind faith. In verse 19, James argues that even though one may claim to believe in God it makes them no different than the demons. Everyone has faith. The real matter is whether they have saving faith. What’s the difference? The difference is that blind faith simply acknowledges the possibility or reality of something without it making any difference in their lives. Saving faith, on the other hand, is faith that is centered on Jesus Christ because it recognizes faith as a gift of God through grace. This faith only comes through hearing and the hearing is that of God’s word.[1] Saving faith is a faith that changes a person’s life because they have heard God call them and they have responded to this call to repent and believe.

 

The second issue that arises out of this question is that of being verses doing. These 2 ideas compliment one another as long as they are put in the right order. When someone experiences saving faith, they become a new creation in Christ. The Holy Spirit of God begins to dwell in them and leads them to “do” for Christ. To get the order backwards is what Paul fought against. I don’t have to “do” something in order to get God to love me because he has already demonstrated his love for me. Thus, if I claim to know Christ yet there is no fruit being produced in my life, then I must ask my self honestly if I have blind faith or truly saving faith.

 

 

APPLICATION: The application is clear for us today. Do you have a faith that is producing fruit in your life. This fruit is evident by your growing in godliness and holiness which produce those fruits of the Spirit in your life.[2] The illustration given by James teaches us how we can practically live out our faith each day.

 

ILLUSTRATION:

 

1.  
   1. A Stool - to illustrate blind faith from saving faith.
   2. Chris M. in England – living out his faith

 

 

 

Final Analysis: Faith without works is dead. Faith in and of itself is dead. Yet, a faith in a living Savior is itself a living faith. A believer’s validation before a lost world is in the good works produced by genuine faith. These good works demonstrate the work of God and thus, he is glorified in them. Therefore, we ought to strive to produce the works of godliness and holiness in our lives in order to let our light shine in a dark world and to exalt the magnificent God who has made it possible.

 

Conclusion: To conclude this morning, let’s think about what we have talked about this morning:

 

1. Do you have a faith that is producing fruit in your life? If so, how often? What kind?
2. If you see that you do not have a faith producing fruit in your life, what will you do about? Will you cry out to God in repentance and true belief?

 

If we have a saving faith in Christ, there will be times when we do not produce as much fruit as others yet even in these times we consider to be lean, there should be a desire and like a seed underneath the surface, some growth that should be taking place.

 

Yet, if you find yourself saying you have faith yet never desiring to grow in godliness and holiness, then what kind of faith do you really have?