True Faith
Notes
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Secular -
Secular -
A Christian man went on a safari
When he was there, he found a huge lion. The man didn't have a gun and there was no way he could outrun the lion. So, he did the only thing he could do. He got on his knees and prayed "Dear God, I was always a good Christian. Will you perform a miracle and give this lion some christian feelings".
That moment, the clouds parted and a beam of light came from above and touched the lion's heart. The lion raised his paws to the heavens and loudly prayed "Thank you Lord for this meal I'm about to receive."
True Faith always has works associated with it.
Historical/Cultural Context -
Historical/Cultural Context -
The book of James was written by the half-brother of Jesus. The Son of Joseph and Mary. Written in the early 40s. He wrote to primarily Jews who were Christians, as at this time it was so early in the spread of Christianity that it had not been widely adopted by non-jews, also known as Gentiles. James encouraged his readers to live consistent Christian lives in the midst of persecution for their faith in Christ.
Biblical Text -
Biblical Text -
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!
But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
-[Prayer]-
-[Prayer]-
Life Principle - True Faith Coupled With Works Overflows With God’s Love In Meeting Other’s Needs
Life Principle - True Faith Coupled With Works Overflows With God’s Love In Meeting Other’s Needs
Life Point- True Faith Meets Needs
Life Point- True Faith Meets Needs
Exegetical -
Exegetical -
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Homiletical -
Homiletical -
Have you ever met anyone that has a big talk, but there is absolutely no action behind it?
Sure, there are lots of these kinds of people in the world.
You ever met someone who can talk a good Christian talk but their actions tell you otherwise?
Yup, there are plenty of people out there too. Some of them are even in full-time ministry across the country, even across the globe.
Our scripture starts by asking a simple question, which can have a very verbose answer.
“What good is faith if it has nothing tangible to back it up?”
Jesus said:
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Notice that in Jesus’ world those that are His are salt and they are light.
Notice I didn’t say they are salty nor lit. Don’t get that confused
Salt today, is pure salt. But during this time they didn’t have pure salt. It was usually mixed in with other minerals or rock. Most often salt and lime were intertwined. So when humidity would happen the salt would leach out, leaving behind whatever it was mixed with, lime.
So the salt, that you would buy during this time, could lose its’ saltiness, its’ flavor.
What is the purpose of salt?
Salt is a seasoning, it makes things taste good. What else is salt used for today?
For a number of things, the first thing that comes to mind is salting roads in the winter to keep them from icing up.
So salt has a purpose. It adds flavor, or does a work.
How about light?
You need light to see in the pitch black. Without light you could stub your toes on something in the dark, though if you’re like me it doesn’t even have to be in the dark.
You wouldn’t light something and then cover it up right? Because to do so would defeat the purpose of the light. Being so you can see what is around you.
Light has a job, it has a work that it accomplishes.
So too does the true Christian.
True Christians are moved by faith to do true works.
Jesus said, “that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.”
For Jesus, works are just apart of living in True Faith.
James now gives us some examples to look at:
If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Just as the fruit of the Spirit isn’t something that is worked up in us, neither are true works, which for the Christian is true acts of worship, so is faith.
Faith is a natural outpouring of our lives in Christ.
When we look at faith, it is impossible to look at it apart from works.
We call Hebrews 11 the “Faith Hall of Fame.” In it Paul gives us a number of examples of faith, we won’ look at them all but here is a portion:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:
who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.
They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—
of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,
God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
This chapter of Hebrews is fantastic and a bit intimidating. You see faith will motivate your actions, which God will empower for His service.
I don’t know about you, but I want to see true faith today, like that of the Old Testament saints and the New Testament Apostles!
You got someone who is sick?
Go pray for them, if they get miraculously well praise God!
If they don’t, then praise God. His ways are Higher than our ways.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
A lot of people won’t even pray for healing. They will pray for comfort, or blessing but not healing. That would mean stepping out in faith.
You know that person who you come into contact with daily, weekly, monthly, even yearly? Do they know you are a Christian?
Don’t lose your salt or your light. Tell them about Jesus. That is a step of faith.
Nike has a slogan, “ Just Do It.” Christians need that slogan too. Stop rationalizing why you don’t do the right thing by telling people about Jesus and “Just Do It!”
What is the worst that could happen?
“Well pastor, they might say no.”
AND? So what if they do! That is between them and God. You did what you were supposed to do and stepped out in faith. “Just Do It!”
Life Point - True Faith Coupled With Works Overflows With God’s Love
Life Point - True Faith Coupled With Works Overflows With God’s Love
Exegetical -
Exegetical -
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!
But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Homiletical -
Homiletical -
In this section James hits 3 types of people
1) Those that think they’re saved because they said a prayer, but they have no fruit and show no righteous works.
2) Those that think they are good because they volunteer or do “good things” for others. The problem here is the same problem as the last group. They think they’re saved but they aren’t.
3) The third group is the group that are saved. They are the Christians. Salvation by faith alone in Christ alone which shows itself through the fruit of the Spirit which manifests itself in good works.
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Just doing good works alone won’t get you into heaven.
Just believing that there is one God, will not get you into heaven.
Good works are a natural outflow of the one who is saved.
Good works come after salvation, not before. Why?
Because before you are saved all of your works have a selfish component to them. They are not out of true altruism. They are out of your selfishness.
But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.
After you are saved and the more you become like Jesus the more good works you will end up doing, not because you have to or because you need to earn anything, but because God’s love flows out of you naturally.
The same is true of the fruit of the spirit. There is one fruit with multiple tastes all mixed together. That fruit is produced in us as we come near to Him. We just looked at that.
A dead faith, is no faith at all. A dead faith is exactly that, it is dead. A dead faith needs to be removed and a true and living faith needs to be embraced.
The hardest thing for us to do is to realize that we don’t really know God. That our “faith,” as we call it, is dead.
You know what the problem with self-deception is? You don’t know you’re deceived!
So how does someone overcome that?
By asking God to show them if they are self-deceived and trust me, if you seek Him about that, He will answer you.
Don’t leave here today, whether here physically or online, being self-deceived.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?
Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Illustration -
Illustration -
An old Scotsman operated a little rowboat for transporting passengers. One day a passenger noticed that the good old man had carved on one oar the word “Faith,” and on the other oar the word “Works.” Curiosity led him to ask the meaning of this. The old man, being a well-balanced Christian and glad of the opportunity for testimony, said, “I will show you.”
So saying, he dropped one oar and plied the other called Works, and they just went around in circles. Then he dropped that oar and began to ply the oar called Faith, and the little boat just went around in circles again—this time the other way around, but still in a circle.
After this demonstration the old man picked up Faith and Works and plying both oars together, sped swiftly over the water, explaining to his inquiring passenger, “You see, that is the way it is in the Christian life. Dead works without faith are useless, and “faith without works is dead” also, getting you nowhere. But faith and works pulling together make for safety, progress, and blessing.”
Life Principle– True Faith Coupled With Works Overflows With God’s Love In Meeting Other’s Needs
Life Principle– True Faith Coupled With Works Overflows With God’s Love In Meeting Other’s Needs
Call to Action – altar call….
Call to Action – altar call….