Show Your Faith by Your Works

                            
                                                                  Sunday School Lesson                                            

Lesson: James 2:14-16                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26).

INTRODUCTION.  There are things in life that we automatically associate as a pair: peanut butter and jelly, horse and buggy, hand and glove.  James was trying to make a point in that faith and works are an automatic pair.  Our lesson this week reveals the visible sign that proves faith is real.  It is works of love.  Deeds of love fulfill the claim of faith.
THE PROBLEM OF FAITHLESS FAITH (James 2:14-17)
A. A false claim (James 2:14).  James ended last week’s lesson by stating that whoever shows no mercy when judging will also have no mercy shown to him, for mercy triumphs against judgment (see James 2:13). He continues in our first verse by posing a two-part question: “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?”  The answer is that there is no profit or nothing to be gained.  The first part of this question relates back to verse 13 and mercy which is just another way that James referred to love.  His question was essentially “What good is it my brothers if a man claims to have faith but no deeds?  Can this kind of faith save him?”  The real question becomes is there such a thing as faith that is separated from works, or good deeds?  The “works” James was talking about are expressions of love for God and neighbor that come from true faith.  These are works of mercy, not works of merit.  Note: When someone claims to have faith, what he or she may have is intellectual assent or agreement with a set of Christian teachings, and as such that would be incomplete faith.  True faith transforms our conduct as well as our thoughts.  If our lives remain unchanged, we don’t truly believe the truths we claim to believe.
B. A false profession (James 2:15-16).
1. (vs. 15).  James continued to write “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food.”  He presents an illustration to prove his point that faith must be accompanied by good deeds.  James starts his illustration with a supposition: suppose a brother or sister had no clothing and no food to eat.
2. (vs. 16).  James continued the illustration saying “And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?”  Remember, James is writing to Jewish Christians therefore, in the phrase “And one of you say unto them” James is referring to Christians who see this poor and destitute brother or sister in need and instead of helping, they simply respond saying “Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled.”  All this believer is doing is offering religious sentiments.  Wishing the destitute person to go in peace and get warmth and food on his own.  This is the same thing as seeing a person in need who we can help and all we do is say, “I’ll pray for you.”  This is an illogical response, because if the poor person could get warmth or food, he wouldn’t be in need of those things.  James then condemns the believer’s response by saying “notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body.”  Instead of the Christian giving the needy person the things he needed for warmth and food, he sends him on his way having done nothing to prove his faith in Christ.  So James poses the question again, “what doth it profit?”  In other words, what benefit is there for either the believer or the poor person is no help is given?  Those who claim to love God, to know the Messiah, and yet who are not driven to show grace to others prove their faithlessness.
C. A false separation (James 2:17).  In this verse, based on what he says in the previous verse, James concludes “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”  James was saying that anyone who claims to have faith in Christ and does not show mercy or love as he described in verse 16, that person’s faith is “dead” or non-existent.  That person is separating faith from works or good deeds.  Likewise, Christians today can be trapped in the same kind of separation of faith from works of love.  What makes this kind of faith “dead” is that it is also “alone.”  Just as there can be no genuine compassion without action (see verse 16), there can be no real faith without service to God and the needs of others.  Note:  We cannot earn our salvation by simply serving and obeying God.  Salvation is, and always has been a gift from God by grace (see Ephesians 2:8-9).  But such actions as serving and obeying God demonstrate that our commitment to Him and others is real.  Deeds of loving service are not a substitute for our faith in Christ; it is verification of our faith in Christ. 
III. THE USELESSNESS OF FAITHFLESS FAITH (James 2:18-20) 
A. The impossibility (James 2:18).  In this verse James says “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”  James presents a hypothetical case to prove that it is impossible to demonstrate faith without works of love.  Someone might say that you have faith and I have good deeds: show me your faith without good deeds and I will show you my faith by what I do.  What James is saying here is that a person who simply claims to have faith cannot show something that is only internal.  However, a person can demonstrate his deeds of love by faith.  True faith is shown by what a person does.  It’s similar to the question of whether love that is spoken but has no outward evidence is really love.  The proof of faith and love is seen by its actions.  What a person believes can change, and even be a figment of their imagination.  But good deeds or good works require effort, and over time will show real character and faith.  A faith shown by works of love cannot be faked, at least not for long.
B. The futility (James 2:19).  Now James attempts to show the uselessness or futility of having a correct belief separated from correct actions.  He wrote “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”  James makes his point that one can have a correct belief in something, but without the proper actions the belief is futile.  In essence James was saying “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that---and shudder in fear.”  The term “devils” refers to demons.  These unseen forces of evil know that there is only one God (see Mark 1:24; 3:11; Acts 16:17), yet no one would consider them to be saved because of their actions.  By interjecting the subject of demons into his argument, James seems to be saying that those with dead faith are more ignorant of reality than the demons.  The demons believe there is a God, but are smart enough to tremble at what lies ahead for them, for their faith is not saving faith---it bears no good fruit.  Note:  An example of this would be when the sons of the priest Sceva started using Jesus’ name to cast out demons, but the demons overcame them recognizing that Jesus and Paul were genuine, but the sons of Sceva were not real servants of God (see Acts 19:15).  If demons have a correct belief of what the message of salvation is and still are workers of evil, no one would conclude that they are saved.  Therefore, James proved that correct belief without correct actions or works is useless.
C. The rebuke (James 2:20).  James continued to say in this verse “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”  In other words, James was saying to his readers, “You foolish (vain) people, do you need evidence that faith without works is useless (dead)?”  The only kind of person who would consider that one can have faith without works is “vain” or foolish, and devoted to selfish living.  The word “vain” here should be seen in the sense of vanity as used in Ecclesiastes 1:2, “all is vanity.”  In this sense vanity means something that appears to be real but isn’t.  So the “vain” man is empty.  Therefore the person who thinks he is righteous before God while being wicked and unloving is empty, senseless, and lacks both knowledge and righteousness.    
IV. THE REFUTATION OF FAITHLESS FAITH (James 2:21-26)      
A. The faithful man Abraham (James 2:21-22). 
1. (vs. 21).  To further make his point that faith without works is dead, James gave some concrete examples his readers would be familiar with.  The first example is given in this verse.  James said “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?”  James’ claim that Abraham was “justified (considered righteous) by works” might seem to be contradictory to what Paul taught about faith and works, as well as Genesis 15:6 where it is said about Abraham: “And he believed in the Lord; and he (the Lord) counted it to him for righteousness.”  However, there is no contradiction with Paul or Genesis 15:6.  The “works” James is talking about here refers to deeds of love.  What Paul referred to in Romans 4:1-5 and Galatians 3:6 was regarding keeping the law.  In those verses Paul was proving that Abraham was not saved by becoming an Israelite (by being circumcised).  He was declared right with God before he was circumcised (see Genesis 15:6; 17:9-14).  On the other hand, James was proving something entirely different, that Abraham’s faith was a working faith.  He was willing to show his faith by offering his son Isaac.  Abraham’s righteousness with God came through faith and was fulfilled or completed by his work of love for God.  Note:   At first glance this verse seems to contradict Romans 3:28, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”  If we look deeper we will find that James and Paul are not at odds.  While it is true that our good deeds can never earn salvation, true faith always results in a changed life and good deeds.  Paul speaks against those who try to be saved by their works instead of true faith in Christ.  James, on the other hand speaks against those who confuse simple agreement with true faith.  After all, even demons know who Jesus is, but they don’t obey Him.  True faith involves a commitment of a person’s whole self to God.    
2. (vs. 22).  Still discussing Abraham, James here asked “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?”  The word “wrought” means to “go together” or “work together.”  In the phrase “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works” James was saying to his readers, “can’t you see that Abraham’s faith and his actions were working together?”  In other words, Abraham’s works and faith worked together and “by works was faith made perfect?”  The word “perfect” means complete.  Works or deeds of love complete our faith.
B. The fulfillment of faith (James 2:23).  James concluded his example of Abraham by saying “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”  The “Scripture” that James says was “fulfilled” is Genesis 15:6 combined with Genesis 22:12-17; II Chronicles 20:7 and Isaiah 41:8.  The word “imputed” means “to recon” or “to count.”  The Scriptures said that “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness.”  Abraham had faith in God and that faith or belief was “imputed” or counted for righteousness.  The fact that Abraham believed God is seen in that he was willing to sacrifice Isaac believing that God would raise him from the dead (see Hebrews 11:19).  So, we see that Abraham was declared right, or justified with God in Genesis 15:6, but his faith was completed by his work of love shown for God as he was willing to sacrifice his only son Isaac.  Since Abraham’s faith and deeds worked together, James said that he was “called the Friend of God.”  Abraham was justified by what he did and became God’s friend by his obedience.  Note:   Just as Abraham believed God and was justified (found not guilty), those of us who believe in Jesus are also justified.  This is a promise that awaits completion.  Once our lives are filled with works of love because of our faith, our justification will be complete, and we will have been saved by our works that verified our faith.  That does not mean that our works earned us salvation.  It means that God saves us by making us good or righteous and delivering us from death.  The process is all in God’s hand and is totally by grace (see Ephesians 2:8-10).
C. Justification by complete faith (James 2:24).  Having provided undeniable evidence, James here says “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”  The only conclusion James’ readers could come to was that a man is considered “justified” or righteous by both “works” or good deeds, and “faith” or belief in Christ.  Faith and works are inseparable.  The person who believes works (does good deeds) and he who truly works (does good deeds) believes.  Saving faith in Christ changes a person’s character causing him to do deeds of mercy and love.  False professions of faith include right beliefs, but not the trusting faith of the heart which changes the character and results in deeds of mercy and love.  Note:  We must remember that even though we have been justified (found not guilty and made righteous) by Christ, we will still face the judgment seat of Christ (see Romans 14:10).  In that judgment, we will be rewarded or lose rewards based on the works or good deeds we have done (see Romans 2:6, 10; II Corinthians 5:10).  Our place at that judgment will confirm what James was teaching, faith and works go together.  You can’t have one without the other.
D. An example of complete faith (James 2:25).  In this verse, James gives another example.  He said “Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?”  Rahab was not a Jew but a Canaanite who lived in Jericho during the time of Joshua.  She was also a prostitute.  Her story was a perfect example for James to use to prove the unity of faith and works.  As a Canaanite, she was doomed to death.  Just as all sinners are under a death penalty, so were Rahab and all the Canaanites who were idol worshippers.  By using the term “Likewise” James was saying that Rahab’s justification was just like Abraham’s.  Rahab, the “harlot” or prostitute was “justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?”   This prostitute of Jericho was “justified” or made righteous by her “works” or deeds.  Those works or deeds were identified as performed “when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?”  What confirmed her salvation were her actions when she hid the Israelite spies and then helped them to escape Jericho (see Joshua 2:1, 4-5, 15-16, 21).  If she had simply said to the Israelite spies that she believed in God and done nothing to help them, she would not have been delivered (see Joshua 2:7-11).  Her deed of loving-kindness resulted in the Israelites also showing her a deed of loving-kindness (see Joshua 2:12-14; 3:24-25).  Rahab demonstrated her faith with the right actions, and the Israelites recognized genuine faith.  She demonstrated faith in God’s purpose for Israel, and that faith accompanied by her good deeds done to the spies resulted in her and her family being saved from destruction.  It should be noted here that Rahab is listed among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11:31, and also became an ancestor of Jesus, for she is found in the genealogy of Jesus (see Matthew 1:5).
E. A final illustration (James 2:26).  In our final verse James says “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”  Here James uses the body as a final illustration of how faith and works go together.  The phrase “as the body without the spirit is dead” compares a faithless faith with a body after the spirit has left it.  It is no longer alive.  A person’s spirit is life.  The deeds of mercy that people of faith do are the very life of the gospel message.  A believer without works of love and mercy is like a dead body.  He has not truly been begotten by the word of truth (see James 1:18).  Thus he has not received life.  That person must repent and live out his faith by his deeds (see Isaiah 1:16-17), then his justification will be complete when he stands before the judgment seat of Christ.   
                          
V. Conclusion.  We must be careful when judging faith in others for a couple of reasons.  First, it takes time for real faith to show itself.  As a tree needs time to produce fruit, so it may be the same with a professing believer.  Second, not all works or good deeds are done in public and therefore may be invisible to others.  Christians are not supposed to blow their own horn, thereby bringing attention to their good deeds.  Then again, many deeds by their very nature are in the open for all to see.  The important thing is to be sure we are trusting Christ for salvation and doing good deeds because of it.  Our lesson has taught us that faith and works go hand in hand.  They are an inseparable team.  Unproductive faith is useless and does not save.  May faith and works be evident in our lives to bring about change in others.