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Big Idea: Genuine Faith Results In Works; False Faith Does Not.
Discussion Questions:
Discussion Questions:
What is faith?
Describe everything you know about faith.
What is living faith?
What is false faith?
What is dead faith?
How do you identify
Introduction
READ
A psychologist once said, “We are not what we say, but we are what we do.
What we do is the real key to our intentions.”
Your behaviour is a reflection of what you truly believe.
What you truly believe will influence your behaviour.
A psychologist once said, “We are not what we say, but we are what we do.
What we do is the real key to our intentions.”
What you truly believe will influence your behaviour.
What you SAY you believe is not the only thing that matters, but what also matter is your act on your words.
What you truly believe will influence your behaviour.
what does matter is you act on your words.
the letter of James would not be considered the inspired word of God.
James will challenge and confront us with a serious disease known as dead faith.
Other phrases that relate to dead faith is false faith; counterfeit faith; fake faith.
Faith That Works Is A Living Faith.
Faith That Is Workless Is A Dead Faith.
Context
James wrote this letter for the purpose of instructing the Christians who were suffering AND correcting Christians for their sinful behaviours.
You may remember in our previous study, we talked about the sin of favouritism.
Favouring and loving one group of people over the other.
James condemns the sin of favouritism because it ultimately fails to love your neighbour as yourself.
This is an example of correcting Christians for their sinful behaviours.
James will be correcting and rebuking the Christians because they fail to live out Practical Christianity.
James is the most practical book in the New Testament that teaches us how to grow in spiritual maturity and to be a healthy Christian.
Practical Christianity teaches us that genuine faith always leads to good works.
In this passage, living faith always results in works (i.e.
obedience, holiness, being a hearer and doers of the word and etc.)
Big Idea: Living Faith Results In Works; Dead Faith Does Not.
The First Point In Our Lesson Is Phrased In A Question:
1. Examine Our Heart: Is My Faith Living?
I believe all of us have been to the clinic to see our doctors.
There are perhaps many reasons why we visit our doctors:
Sick
Checkup
Visiting the clinic for a physical checkup is a good thing.
Similarly, it is always good and healthy to do a spiritual checkup.
It is always good and healthy to do a spiritual checkup.
This is an important and critical question all of us need to ask ourselves and be completely dead honest with ourselves.
Is my faith living?
Is my faith genuine and real?
Or, is it dead?
Is it fake?
Let’s take a look closely at James 2:14-17
2. Dead Faith Is Only A Verbal Claim
Faith - confidently trusting God even though He is unseen.
Living faith is demonstrated in obedient action, love and continuing good works.
James has spoke about faith previously back 1:3, 1:6 and 2:1.
And I want to carefully explain the word “faith” in this specific context.
The way James uses the word faith in this situation is different from the general definition that I gave you.
Faith - confidently trusting God even though He is unseen.
Living faith is demonstrated in obedient action, love and continuing good works.
In this passage, James is concerned about the kind of faith that is JUST a verbal statement without action.
Look closely at verse 14.
This is the kind of faith where a person claims to be a Christian, but he does not obey Jesus at home or at school.
This person says he/she is a follower of Jesus, but this person does not read the Bible, pray for other people, fellowship with other believers, and etc.
This is the kind of faith where the person is ONLY a hearer of the Word, but fails to be a doer of the Word.
If this is the kind of faith that some people want to live by, then James will ask, “What good is it, my brothers.”
What advantage and benefit is there if you only say you have faith or you say you are a Christian, but you do not have works?
And James would ask a rhetorical question: “Can That Faith Save Him?” Can this kind of faith that only makes mere profession yet without works save him?
The answer to that question is an definite: NO!
This kind of faith is dead.
3. Dead Faith Cannot Save You
To compare that kind of faith (or dead faith), James will give us a case study or an illustration if that were the kind of faith that Christians should live out.
Look at verses 15-16.
READ
James give a situation of a Christian who is poorly clothed and does not have his or her daily food.
Poorly Clothed is literally translated as “naked” in Greek, but it is applicable to someone who is inadequately clothed.
If a brother or sister is dressed like that and is starving, then how should Christians respond?
James tells the readers, “If you behave like that, and you simply give them words of compassion without acts of compassion, then WHAT GOOD IS THAT?” What benefit is that?
What advantage is that?
What good is it to simply give words of compassion without acts of compassion?
There is absolutely nothing good that can come out of it.
Blessing someone verbally while failing to help this person is useless.
True acts of compassion means sacrificially giving or buying clothings for and sacrificially offering a meal to this brother or sister.
That’s the comparison that James is making.
Based on that illustration, James makes a conclusion in verse 17.
READ.
That’s the comparison that James is making.
That verse, in other words, means that faith by itself is dead if it does not produce works, obedience, doers of the word.
Profession of faith without acts of faith is a dead faith.
Profession
Profession of faith without acts of faith is a dead faith.
Faith without works
Stating your faith without living our your faith is an empty statement.
Christians often misunderstand the Bible, salvation and faith.
Some people take Paul’s words and think that just mere confession that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead would save them.
But, the word, “confess,” is not just saying some words or a statement.
No, when you are confessing that Jesus is Lord, you are actually declaring your allegiance, obedience, loyalty, and faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the king and master over your life.
Such confession includes repenting from sin, trusting in Christ for salvation, and submitting yourself to Him as Lord.
Since Jesus is Lord and Master of your life, your aim in life is obedience and good works that bring Him glory and honour.
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