Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 2-2-18

Faith Without Works Is Dead James 2:14-26
has never shown by their ac- tions that Jesus is Lord of their
lives.
James 2:25-26 Faith Is Brought To Completion By Works
Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messen- gers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith with- out works is dead also.
Rehab was a prostitue that lived in Jericho, a city the Is- raelites conquered as they en-
tered the Promised Land (Joshua 2). When Israel’s spies came to the city, she hid them and helped them escape. In this way she demonstrated faith in God’s purpose for Is- rael. As a result, she and her family were saved when the city was destroyed. Hebrews 11:31 lists Rehab among the heroes of faith.
The Holy Spirit inspired James to understand that Rahab had come to “believe in and believe” the true God; therefore, she wanted to obey
and serve God no matter what the danger might be to her. God had forgiven her for her sins be- cause of her faith in Him, and by her obedience from love she remained right with God, even though she had not yet been taught the law of Moses. She was saved by her faith, a faith that led her to do God’s saving work.
When true faith achieves God’s purpose in daily activity and reasonable choices, that faith is “brought to completion by works.”
This lesson is about teaching right Christian behavior, and that living faith makes a differ- ence.
James is not the apostle, but James, Jesus’ brother, a leader in the Jerusalem church. He wrote a letter to Jewish Chris- tians who had been scattered about because of persecution. In their hostile environment they let intellectual agreement pass for true faith. James wrote to remind them that genuine faith transforms lives. He wants be- lievers not only to hear the truth, but also to do it.
James 2:14-17 Faith Results In Good Works
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.
True faith transforms our con- duct as well as our thoughts. If our lives remain unchanged, we don’t truly believe in the truths we claim to believe.
By serving and obeying God, we cannot earn our way into heaven, but such ‘works’ show that our commitment to God is real.
James 2:18-19 Show Your Work
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!
A true faith in Jesus Christ will lead a true Christian to re- spond reasonably in love. God is one; that is reality; that fact is true; that is the way God is as one God in three Persons: Fa- ther, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Our choices and works reveal our intellectual beliefs and our true commitments. Making
wrong choices over and over again can indicate a wrong in- tellectual belief or misplaced trust, no matter how much someone says they are a Chris- tian. Doing good works in Jesus’ name will show others our faith.
At first glance, this verse seems to contradict Romans 3:28, ‘a man is justified by faith with the deeds of the law.” However, deeper study shows that the teachings of James and Paul are not at odds.
While it is true that our good works can never earn salvation, true faith always results in a changed life and good works.
Paul speaks against those who try to be saved by works, instead of true faith; James speaks against those who con- fuse mere intellectual assent with true faith. After all, even demons know who Jesus is, but they don’t obey him (2:19). True faith involves a commit- ment of your whole self to God.
James 2:20-24 Faith Without Works
But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abra- ham 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?
God revealed to Abraham that He wanted him to offer Isaac on an altar. God’s request and Abraham’s decision to obey God showed his faith in God, and God saved Isaac from death.
Because Abraham believed in the true God, he believed God and did what God told him to do; therefore, James says Abra- ham was ‘justified’ because of what he DID, and Paul says he was justified because of what he BELIEVED (Romans 4:1-5).
Belief brings us salvation; ac- tive obedience demonstrates that our belief is genuine.
Some have been taught and have thought that all they needed to do was express mere intellectual belief in some facts about Jesus to be right with God forever. But their “faith”
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