JESUS’WORKS,

YOUR WORKS

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

26 As the body without the spirit isdead, so faith without deeds is dead.

JAMES 2:14-26

TRUSTING IN THE

ONE WHO’S DONE

EVERYTHING

PLUGGING

IN

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.

DOES JAMES

CONTRADICT

PAUL?

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

Reconciling

paul and james

FRIENDS DON’T

NEED TO BE

RECONCILED.

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.

HORIZONTAL &

VERTICAL

FAITH

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.

END &

BEGINNING OF

SALVATION

James emphasizes the end of salvation and Paul the beginning.

You can’t meet Jesus and not change.

THE

RELIGIOUS &

THE LOST

James emphasizes religious, lazy people, and Paul, lost people. Ritual has become for them routine. Paul is

talking to lost people.

COMPLETE

FAITH &

COMPETING

FAITH

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.

THREE kinds

of faith

DEAD

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.

fruitlessness

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.

DEmonic

FAITH

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

Do these things, and then God will love you, and God will save you, and God

will forgive you.

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.

SAVIOR IN THE

MIRROR

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.

LIKE A

DEMON

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.

RELIGIOUS

PEOPLE DON’T

KNOW HIM, BUT

THE DEMONS DO

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.

THREE ASPECTS

OF DEMONIC FAITH

ITS KNOWLEDGE

DOESN’T

TRANSFORM

Demonic faith has information but not transformation.

IT DOESN’T

LOVE JESUS

Demonic faith knows about Jesus but does not love Jesus.

IT’S

REBELLIOUS

AND NOT

REPENTANT

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.

DYNAMIc

FAITH

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

26 As the body without the spirit isdead, so faith without deeds is dead.

JAMES 2:20-26

The real problem with religion is, “Be a good person and save yourself.”

ABRAHAM

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

OBEDIENCE

Faith is not just what we believe internally, it’s how we behave

externally.

RAHAB

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

26 As the body without the spirit isdead, so faith without deeds is dead.

JAMES 2:24-26

TRUST

As soon as Rahab converted, her life started changing. She wasn’t perfect,

but she was different.

SAVED BY GRACE

THROUGH FAITH,

TO DO GOOD

WORKS

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.

START TRUSTING

JESUS

FAITHWORKS CHRISTIAN CHURCH GLOBAL

Presented By:

Ptr. Alvin GutierrezFCC Main

4PM Afternoon Worship Service April 10, 2016

Website: http://faithworkschristianchurch.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Faithworks-Christian-Church-Global-292363410916567/