Faith and Works
Notes
Transcript
The book of James gives us a good picture of what it means to be a mature and genuine follower of Jesus.
We have learned that there is a difference between happiness and joy and how that if we are living a joy-filled life, it is going to manifest itself as wisdom through the words we use and how we handle hardship that comes.
Today we will cover one of the most controversial topics in the Bible - faith and works.
We will discover how the two of them work together. Christians are saved by faith through grace, but works validate genuine faith.
16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe—and they shudder.
20 Senseless person! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? 21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works in offering Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was made complete, 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
I. Salvation is by Faith ALONE!
I. Salvation is by Faith ALONE!
For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast.