James 2:14-26 "The Tell of Two Faiths"

Jeremy Matthews

James • Sermon • Submitted 9 months ago • Presented 7 years ago

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“The Tell of Two Faiths”

James 2:14-26

James, head of the Christian church at Jerusalem wrote his letter mainly with the intention of teaching correct thinking. He knew that thoughts drove actions, and therefore correct thinking would correct bad behavior.

So far, he has taught God “gives generously and without reproach,” so the believer has no reason to not ask God for wisdom and temptation does not come from God, “but each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.” The believer has reason to trust God more than themselves. Also this, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” Believers don’t need to be accountants and keep track of the severity of sins. Instead they are in desperate need of one greater than them.

In the second half of chapter 2, James seeks to correctly teach believers the full understanding of the word faith. Evidently there were some misunderstandings on it’s full meaning. He corrects the half-truth of the false faith, and teaches what a true faith is.

Open to James, chapter 2 and let’s read verses 14-26.

(2:14) “What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?”

Questions engage the minds

James also addresses the recipients as “brethren”, he considers them fellow believers in Christ, they are “saved by faith”

Not questioning the validity of their salvation

Teaching so they think correctly about faith

Here in v.14 he asks, “What use is it...if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?

The topic at hand is the usefulness of a vocal profession of faith only without action.

Notice James writes, “...if someone SAYS he has faith…” and not “...if someone has faith…”

He presents to us an individual that vocally professes to have faith yet there is nothing visible in their life that expresses the claim.

For example, if I were to step out in a road, in front of an oncoming bus, and I say, I trust that bus will hit me if I don’t move, will that vocal profession save me when I don’t move?

Of course not, to be saved, I would actually need to move. Moving, completes my statement of trust.

Through the rest of chapter two James discusses two types of faith, a useful faith, and one that is not. A faith that is living, and one that is dead. The result of his teaching is an understanding of true faith, and false faith, and how to “Tell”, which one might claim

James began asking us to consider a vocal claim only of faith, there is no action that follows. How useful was it in saving me from the bus? It was useless and did not save me. There is more to faith, than just professing.

Consider James illustration of the usefulness of words only.

(2:15-16) 15 “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” 16 and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”

James follows up his engaging question with an illustration, as he commonly does in his letter, he states a point, then illustrates for clarity.

He creates a scene dealing supposedly loved ones and the reader, “a brother or sister”

They are in need, and the reader, whom has love for them, wishes them “peace, be warmed and be filled,”

It is obvious in his illustration, that the reader knows full well the brother or sister is in need of food and clothing, and it’s safe to say James means for the reader to understand that they have available to them the clothing and food the loved ones need for such wishes to be fulfilled, but in verse 16, they are not offered. All that is offered is seemingly kind, well meaning words.

How about these words, how useful are they?

Do they warm their cold body or feed their empty stomach?

What did the words accomplish? Maybe emotionally a good feeling?.

In verse 17, James tells us how useful the well-meaning words, in this illustration are, the unseen good intentions of such words fall flat, as if they are dead.

Only saying you have faith, does not necessarily mean you have it, but most times, it really just isn’t helpful. It’s just words said.

This is the first type of faith James presents us, a faith that is alone, mere words only, and mostly useless.

(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.”

In verse 18, James contrived an imaginary argument to bring his point further along.

There are two individuals, Phil and James. Phil says he has faith, but lives life selfishly. James never mentions he has faith, yet he lives a life rich in fruit of the spirit.

You can see from the illustration, that one let’s his faith show from his actions, the outsider can see James’ faith. But for Phil, the outsider just heard, maybe, some empty words.

For sure, James has faith, even without having to say he does. The fruit of the Spirit is witnessed, and when James does profess he has faith, few would argue.

This does not mean that Phil does not have faith, his faith just isn’t seen, so it becomes arguable whether Phil is saved or not, which is really out of our realm of judgement

We really should take an individual's word for it, when they profess they have faith in Christ, no matter their immediate behavior

After a while, years even, if they are never any better than they were, the gospel might need to be re-introduced to them

Brothers and sisters who have faith, but struggle in sin need help to understand the goodness of God. A correct understanding of God’s grace and goodness will result in a changed life. Let’s not harangue them about their salvation, just insure they believe correctly.

(2:19-20) 19 “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 but are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?”

James shares another illustration, to help define a useless faith. This definition centers around believing the right things, an intellectual type of faith.

“You do well to say you believe in one God, that is a correct theological statement to believe in” it’s so correct that even the demons believe it, and their belief is followed by an action, they shudder! Does their shuddering provide a more useful testimony of God and His greatness than me?

Being in agreement with all the correct theological facts, does not necessarily mean you have faith, the indwelling Spirit will bear fruit, and if there never is any, that faith is dead.

James has provided two examples of useless faiths, one is only professing with words, without any works. The other is believing all the right facts, but bearing no fruit.

In verse 21, James shares real life examples of what a perfected faith, or a complete faith looks like.

(2:21-23) 21 “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son 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 reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.”

James recounts the story of Abraham found in Genesis 22, when God spoke to him, telling him to offer his only son as a burnt offering. Abraham was obedient, and right before he followed through, God stopped him. Abraham heard God, trusted Him and was obedient.

His faith in God caused him to be obedient. And as 23 says, “he believed, and it was credited him as righteousness”

Isaiah 41:8 “But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, Descendant of Abraham My friend.”

God saw Abraham as His friend, because of Abraham’s faith

(2:24) “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

When taken in context, we see that James is commenting on the type of faith Abraham had. Up until now, he has gone to great lengths to explain to us a false view of faith.

Having faith just because it feels right, or to satisfy our emotions, is a dead faith, or a vain faith

Having a faith just based on truthful facts, or being able agree to a specific set of truths, is a dead faith

But now, with Abraham, James gives us an example of a perfected faith, a true saving faith. With Abraham, he believed God, how do we know?

He professed his belief, he heard God speak, he believed the facts he knew about God, and obediently took his son to the altar, all the way to the point just before death.

Abraham’s faith justifies him before God, his work justifies his faith before man, for we saw his faith lived out in his life.

His faith bore fruit

Notice James calls Abraham’s faith a perfected faith. This is not really a flawless faith, but a completed faith.

Faith in this conversation is best understood by the word trust.

For example, if I say I trust my son to drive my vehicle, I am saying that I know he is capable of driving it responsibly. But this is only half of my trust, a claim that I trust. My claim on trust is not complete until I give him the keys and let him drive.

Why did I give him the keys when he asked, was it because I needed to prove I trusted him, or was it because I trusted him.

The trust I have in my son to drive my vehicle, is what allowed me to hand him the keys when he asked.

This is what was seen with Abraham, and here shortly with Rahab. They don’t “work” to prove their faith/trust in God. It’s their faith/trust in God that drives their work.

Faith begets works. The Spirit bears fruit.

(2:25) “In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?”

Again James shares another example of a useful faith, a saving faith. This time he recounts the story of Rahab from Joshua chapter 2. When she, a resident of Jericho, harbored the Israelite spies in her house, then sent them one way, to safety, and the Jericho soldiers in the opposite direction.

While the spies were with her, she professed her belief in their God, declared Him the one true God then proceeded to protect His people and honor Him in her actions. She ended up in the genealogy of Jesus as well. She had a faith perfected, or complete, how do we know?

Her faith justified her before God, her work justifies her faith before man, for we saw her faith lived out in her life.

Her faith bore fruit

(2:26) “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”

James finishes up with a final statement comparing a dead spiritless body, with a dead workless faith.

A false faith is a faith based on only emotions, or only basic truths, or only empty words. But a perfected faith, a completed faith is based on a personal, willful decision to trust.

In the first two described faiths neither individual had this, or at least we were not told they did. Under the circumstances given, a vocal profession of faith without action was useless, and an agreeance on factual theological truths was useless. However, the examples set before us, in Abraham and Rahab reflect two individuals who had complete trust in God, they he decided He was trustworthy and trusted Him by honoring Him with their actions.

Paul teaches the same kind of faith, a living faith that that purifies the heart and works by love. He would agree with James teaching here, true faith is living and gives life, its not dead and lifeless.

Consider our scripture reading from Paul, Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as 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 so that we would walk in them.”

A faith that saves, from Paul’s teaching, is a faith that results in good works. Not even our own, but works that God has already prepared for us to do.

The good works that result from our saved lives are not for our glory. They are not so we can boast, but they are to result in the glorification of God, through our savior Christ.

James is not writing a disciplinary report to coax believers into a life of good works to prove to God they are saved. Instead he is warning individuals not to trust in a false sense of faith for salvation but understand faith correctly and honestly seek a life changing faith in Christ. That is a faith that saves!

To understand James we should not leave his work with this idea of two faiths which we can judge ourselves and each other by. Instead, we should understand what faith really is. Faith is a complete willful trust in Christ to save you from your sin.

Jesus says to Martha in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.” And then he asks her, “Do you believe this?” It is asked to us as well.

Jesus doesn’t say He resurrects people, He says H is the resurrection. When the dead arise again, it is in Him. He was asking Martha and us to believe in Him, that he is trustworthy, willing and capable of the truth in His statement. Are they empty words? Are they the correct theological statements?

There are over 150 verses that teach clearly the believer is saved by faith alone. And we just read where James, in words that are frequently used to combat faith alone, instead teaches the same thing.

Will you bow your head with me?

If you have never put your full trust in the person of Christ, or maybe after studying these verses by James, you realized you might be hanging on to a partial or false idea of faith, you should go to God in prayer, and tell Him. Believe God is worthy of your trust and believe God is able to save you from your sin in Christ. Trust that Jesus is worthy of the task. Understand you have a need for forgiveness of sins, agree Christ is the son of God, who died to pay for all sins, and resurrected to defeat death. And believe that trusting in Jesus, His righteous life is imparted to you, your sin, past present and future is forgiven and in Christ you have a right standing before God, as His child. Trust in Jesus.

Dear Father help us to trust in your son Jesus, and seal in our hearts the assurance of our own personal salvation in Jesus. Help us to know in Christ we are yours.