14 What good is it, my brothers andsisters, if someone claims to have faithbut has no deeds? Can such faith savethem? 15 Suppose a brother or a sisteris without clothes and daily food.
JAMES 2:14-26
16 If one of you says to them, “Go inpeace; keep warm and well fed,” butdoes nothing about their physicalneeds, what good is it? 17 In the sameway, faith by itself, if it is notaccompanied by action, is dead.
JAMES 2:14-26
18 But someone will say, “You havefaith; I have deeds.” Show me your faithwithout deeds, and I will show you myfaith by my deeds. 19 You believe thatthere is one God. Good! Even thedemons believe that—and shudder.
JAMES 2:14-26
20 You foolish person, do you wantevidence that faith without deeds isuseless? 21 Was not our father Abrahamconsidered righteous for what he didwhen he offered his son Isaac on thealtar?
JAMES 2:14-26
22 You see that his faith and his actionswere working together, and his faithwas made complete by what hedid. 23 And the scripture was fulfilledthat says, “Abraham believed God, andit was credited to him asrighteousness,” and he was called God’sfriend.
JAMES 2:14-26
24 You see that a person is consideredrighteous by what they do and not byfaith alone. 25 In the same way, was noteven Rahab the prostitute consideredrighteous for what she did when shegave lodging to the spies and sent themoff in a different direction?
JAMES 2:14-26
It culminates with Jesus’ work through us to love, and to serve, and to give. Not so that God would love us, but because in Christ he already
has. Not so that God would accept us, but because in Christ he already does.
PAUL JAMESwriting primarily to Gentiles writing primarily to
Christians (Jews)
primarily focused on how we become Christians
primarily focused on what it means to live as a Christian
They’re friends; they get along fine. And Paul’s not afraid to have a conflict with somebody. He does with Peter. It never says that about Paul and James.
They get along fine. We need to look at the relationship that they have.
James emphasizes horizontal faith; Paul, vertical faith. Once you’re connected to
God, God wants to connect you with people so you can love and serve them the
way that he’s loved and served you, and that his love and service for you and in you
would flow through you.
James emphasizes religious, lazy people, and Paul, lost people. Ritual has become for them routine. Paul is
talking to lost people.
James emphasizes works that complete faith; Paul emphasizes works that
compete with faith. There’s a big difference.
Works that compete with faith are religious routines, and traditions, and rituals, or just morality, or spirituality
that compete with faith in the finished work of Jesus. There’s a difference between works that compete with
faith and works that complete faith.
14 What good is it, my brothers andsisters, if someone claims to have faithbut has no deeds? Can such faith savethem? 15 Suppose a brother or a sisteris without clothes and daily food.
JAMES 2:14-17
16 If one of you says to them, “Go inpeace; keep warm and well fed,” butdoes nothing about their physicalneeds, what good is it? 17 In the sameway, faith by itself, if it is notaccompanied by action, is dead.
JAMES 2:14-17
Dead faith is all lip service and no lifestyle. Dead faith is a profession of faith that you do not practice because you do not possess. Dead faith is lip
service, not lifestyle.
Church doesn’t save; Christ saves. Tradition doesn’t save; Christ saves.
Religion doesn’t save; Christ saves. It’s not what you do, it’s not what the
church does, it’s what Jesus does and whether or not you trust him.
You’re rooted in morality, you’re rooted in religion, you’re rooted in
spirituality, you’re rooted in tradition, but you’re not rooted in Christ, so
there’s no life in you, there’s no life through you. The result is, it’s
fruitless. It’s fruitless.
18 But someone will say, “You havefaith; I have deeds.” Show me your faithwithout deeds, and I will show you myfaith by my deeds. 19 You believe thatthere is one God. Good! Even thedemons believe that—and shudder.
JAMES 2:18-19
Religion and Christianity are different, and all religions are works. You work
hard and save yourself. In Christianity, Jesus does all the work, you just trust
him.
These people are having this argument with the faith people. So, the works people are having an argument with
the faith people. And the faith people are faith minus works.
There are versions of this in Christianity. There are whole churches and denominations that basically take one of these options: the faith option
or the works option, and both are demonic.
Some of you have dead faith, and some of you have demonic faith. You know who Jesus is, but you don’t love him. You’re not responding to him. His life
has not overtaken your life.
Demonic faith is rebellious and not repentant. Some of you know who
Jesus is and you disobey and you rebel.
Dead faith does not produce fruitful living. Demonic faith is entirely,
exclusively, continually theological and theoretical. It’s not practical; it’s not
actual.
20 You foolish person, do you wantevidence that faith without deeds isuseless? 21 Was not our father Abrahamconsidered righteous for what he didwhen he offered his son Isaac on thealtar?
JAMES 2:20-26
22 You see that his faith and his actionswere working together, and his faithwas made complete by what hedid. 23 And the scripture was fulfilledthat says, “Abraham believed God, andit was credited to him asrighteousness,” and he was called God’sfriend.
JAMES 2:20-26
24 You see that a person is consideredrighteous by what they do and not byfaith alone. 25 In the same way, was noteven Rahab the prostitute consideredrighteous for what she did when shegave lodging to the spies and sent themoff in a different direction?
JAMES 2:20-26
21 Was not our father Abrahamconsidered righteous for what he didwhen he offered his son Isaac on thealtar? 22 You see that his faith and hisactions were working together, and hisfaith was made complete by what hedid.
JAMES 2:21-23
23 And the scripture was fulfilled thatsays, “Abraham believed God, and itwas credited to him as righteousness,”and he was called God’s friend.
JAMES 2:21-23
24 You see that a person is consideredrighteous by what they do and not byfaith alone. 25 In the same way, was noteven Rahab the prostitute consideredrighteous for what she did when shegave lodging to the spies and sent themoff in a different direction?
JAMES 2:24-26
8 For it is by grace you have beensaved, through faith—and this is notfrom yourselves, it is the gift of God—
9 not by works, so that no one canboast.
EPHESIANS 2:8-10
10 For we are God’shandiwork, created in Christ Jesus todo good works, which God prepared inadvance for us to do.
EPHESIANS 2:8-10
Jesus’ work for you on the cross through the empty tomb. It’s Jesus’ work in you. It’s Jesus’ work through
you. It’s all Jesus’ work.
You’re saved by grace through faith in Christ alone to good works that God has prepared in advance for you to
do. That results in great joy, the greatest joy of all.
Internal devotion to God, which is faith, produces external devotion to God, which is works, because a good
tree bears good fruit.
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