James 2:14-26 Bible Study – Faith Without Works is Dead
Here is a powerpoint of the sharing. Scroll below for the written study.
It may be hard to imagine now, but a long time ago I had more hair on my head. As a boy, I was very blond. My hair was almost white it was so blond. I come from a large family, with 7 brothers and sisters (8 of us total). My older sibling all had dark hair.
So they did the logical thing. They did what most brothers and sisters would do. They teased me that I was adopted. Of course, they did this when my parents weren’t around to correct them.
I asked the question, “Am I really adopted? Was I born into this family?” Now that I am older, I realize it didn’t matter either way. Adoption is just as good and real as being born into the family. In fact, my younger sister is adopted.
But as a child, it was a crisis. Did I really belong or was I a pretender? That was an important question I needed answered.
Today we are going to look at a far more important question. The question is, “Is my faith real?” Or put another way, “Am I really saved?”
This is probably the most important question you can ever ask.
In the book of James, he gives several tests for determining genuine faith. The first is in chapter 1. If you persevere under trials, you receive the crown of life. Perseverance in the face of trials proves the sincerity of one’s faith.
In the passage today, he gives another test. Good works. Fruit.
As we go through this passage today, let us consider that question, “Is my faith real?”
James 2:14-26 – What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So 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 apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
I. What is James saying? – Doctrine
Question – What uses is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith, but has no works?
Thesis – Faith without works is dead
A. Compare/contrast with justification by faith
A cursory comparison of Paul’s teachings with James seems to show a contradiction.
Romans 3:28 – For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
See also – Galatians 2:16, Romans 3:28, Romans 4:5
Paul says we are justified by faith and James says that faith without works is dead. Ask your neighbor, “Who is right?”
The answer is “both.” These are two sides of the coin. They are emphasizing different things because their audiences have different struggles.
Paul was writing to churches that were heavily influenced by the Judaizers. These were people who taught that faith in Jesus was not enough for salvation. A person had to also keep the law.
James was writing to people who evidently went too far in the other direction and said they had faith, but without life change.
They were correcting two different errors related to salvation.
Paul was correcting the fallacy of works-based salvation, the idea that you can work your way into heaven.
James was correcting the fallacy of “easy-believism,” the idea that just saying a prayer or raising a hand or making a profession guarantees salvation and no repentance or life change is necessary.
They were correcting different misconceptions and therefore emphasizing different points.
Take this as an example. You are counseling a Christian young man who is fit and healthy. He exercises daily. His physical checkup comes back perfect. Yet he is constantly worried about his health. This worry causes him to buy more and more health-related items, exercise equipment, nutrition drinks, etc. What would you counsel him?
I would probably share verses about trusting in God and remind him that his life is not in his hands. God cares for him and has a plan for Him. He needs to have faith. He needs to rest in God. Doing things cannot guarantee a longer life.
Now take a young man who smokes, drinks, and is morbidly obese. He, on the other hand, is not worried at all. He says, “God is in control. Everything in His time. Until His time for me is up, I am immortal.” Would you counsel him the same way? Would you say, “Don’t worry. Trust in God.”
I would tell him that he needs to take responsibility. If he has faith in God, he should obey him by giving up smoking and drinking and losing weight.
If you were to hear my words to the two people, you might think they were contradictory. They are a difference of emphasis based on context.
James’ point is not that faith is unnecessary or that through works one can earn salvation. His point is that real faith will result in a changed life. A person who is genuinely saved will bear fruit.
Jesus taught the same thing.
Matthew 7:17 – So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
The root of the tree is faith in Christ. As the root connects to Christ, the tree is nourished. The nourishment strengthens the whole tree and results in fruit.
You could try to put a tree trunk without roots and stick it in the ground. You could then try to tie fruit to the branches. That tree might look good for a short time. But soon it will rot and wither.
Matthew 7:21 – Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
There is a warning for us here in this passage. No one should rely on a past decision they made responding to an altar call or praying the salvation prayer. Many people will wrongly trust in a previous decision that did not change how they lived. Jesus warned against this.
In other places, Paul taught the same thing.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 – Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Such “were some of you.” When the Holy Spirit comes into someone’s heart, they are born again. They are regenerated (Titus 3:5). They are changed. That does not mean a believer is perfect, but it does mean that they are being sanctified.
“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am” – John Newton
William Booth is the founder of Salvation Army. This is what he said about the relationship of faith and works.
“Faith and works should travel side by side, step answering to step, like the legs of men walking. First faith, and then works and then faith again, and then works again–until they can scarcely distinguish which is the one and which is the other.” – William Booth
B. Supporting evidence #1 – Common Sense – Words are less important than actions (15-18)
James answers his question with an illustration. A needy brother or sister comes to you for help. He lacks even the most basic human needs, clothing and food. Perhaps you feel genuinely sorry for this person. You genuinely hope that someone else will help him. You even pronounce a blessing. “Go in peace, be warmed and well fed.” Then you send them on their way and perhaps even say “I will be praying for you.” Maybe you even recite a Scripture verse to comfort them.
Wow! You are so spiritual! Your words sound so holy! But you did not help this person. James asks another question, “What use is that?” Of course, the answer is none. It is no use at all. The words are empty. Your blessing may as well be a curse for all it helps the person. The person who treats his brother or sister like this is a hypocrite. He pretends care. He may even trick himself into thinking he truly cares for this person. But actions speak louder than words. His lack of action proves his lack of real love for this person.
Illustration: Let me give another illustration. As you know, I am married. My wife’s name is Christy. When I marry Christy, I tell her, “I will love you until I die.” But I don’t stop there, every morning when I wake up, I turn to Christy, “I love you!” But there is no action. Christy asks me to help watch the boys, “I am busy.” Christy asks me to help with the dishes, “I am tired.” Christy wants to spend time with me, “I am watching TV.” Christy is discouraged and wants to talk about it, “Don’t be so emotional.” I get home from work, “Where’s my dinner.” I eat dinner, “Why is it cold?” Christy asks how is my day, “fine.” Finally it is time to sleep. Me: “I love you!” How does Christy feel? Does she feel that my love is real? Of course not. If I acted like that, I’m pretty sure that every time I say, “I love you” she would just feel annoyed. This love is dead. I may say that I love her, but in reality I don’t.
A profession of faith or a statement, “I believe in God” does not necessarily indicate saving faith. There are over 2 billion people in the world who claim to be Christian. Are they all Christians? James would say to look at the fruit.
This teaching is very applicable to me. Perhaps some of you are like me. I grew up in a Christian family. I prayed a sinner’s prayer when I was five years old. Most of my friends and people around me were Christian.
As I entered my teen years, I asked myself many times, “Am I really saved? Is my faith real?”
James is saying that unless there is fruit, it is dead.
James 2:18 – But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
Verse 18 shows us the proper perspective we should have on the faith/works issue. Instead of getting into an argument where one believer says he has great faith and another believer focuses only on his own works, the believer should show out his faith BY his works. In fact, there is no other way we can show our faith except by works.
Faith, by nature, is invisible and intangible. That means it can’t be seen or touched. You might say you have faith, but that is impossible for others to know unless you show it by works. How can you yourself even be sure that you have faith if you are not living it out?
Jeremiah 17:9 – The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
Our hearts are sinful. It is easy to trick ourselves into thinking we are saved if we aren’t by quoting doctrines like justification by faith and, once saved, always saved. James is giving us a tangible test to confirm if our faith is dead dogma or alive and breathing in our everyday life. Faith that is alive transforms the heart. That results in a change in attitude and behavior.
C. Supporting evidence #2 – Negative example – Demons (19)
James goes to a second piece of evidence to support his thesis that faith without works is dead.
James 2:19 – You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
There are some kinds of belief that don’t save. The demons believe God. This is probably a reference to Deuteronomy 6:4, “Here O Israel, the Lord our God is One.” Satan and demons have mostly orthodox doctrines. They believe in the Trinity. They certainly know God created the world. They believe in the judgment to come (Luke 8:31).
But they are not saved. They hate God with all their hearts and fight against Him with every breath even though they know He is real and the Judge. They fail in the second part of the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:5, which commands us to “love the Lord our God with all of our hearts, souls, and minds.”
Demons believe God, but they do not listen to Him. So although they believe God, they do not believe in God.
Demons are like a patient with lung cancer who goes to see the doctor. The doctor says, “Stop smoking and come in for treatment or you will die.” The patient believes, but he doesn’t listen. He keeps smoking and he can’t be bothered with treatment. An intellectual belief will not save him.
Head knowledge or having the right doctrine doesn’t save. Agreement with a list of facts about God is not enough.
Acts 16:31 – And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.
Believe in the Lord. One must place their faith in Jesus and submit to Him as Lord in order to be saved.
D. Supporting evidence # 3 – Positive examples – Abraham (20-24) and Rahab (25-26)
Abraham
James continues to give examples proving his thesis that “faith without works is dead.” This time he uses the well-known “father of faith” to prove his point.
Paul uses Abraham as an example of faith.
Romans 4:2-3 – For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”
Paul was a theologian. Doctrinely speaking, justification is by faith alone. James focused on practical Christian living. Practically speaking, genuine faith will show itself through action.
If Abraham claimed to have faith, but did not obey God’s commands, there would be reason to doubt the sincerity of his faith.
Which came first, Abraham’s faith or his sacrifice of Isaac?
His faith came first. The sacrifice was an outward demonstration of that faith. The text says that his faith was “completed” by his works and that this “fulfilled” Scripture.
A faith that does not result in works is an incomplete, unfulfilled faith. It is dead.
The statement in Genesis 15 that Abraham was credited with righteousness was fulfilled in Genesis 22 when Abraham obeyed God’s command.
Abraham is the father of faith. Scripture makes it clear in Genesis 15:6 that he was credited with righteousness because of faith. James quotes this too. Abraham was given a test by God to sacrifice his son. He passed the test, proving that his faith was living and active. James is again arguing that a mental assent does not save anyone. The father of faith lived out his faith and we should too.
Rahab
James gives one final example proving that real faith is accompanied by works. His example is from the life of Rahab. She was a resident of Jericho, the famous one whose walls came tumbling down. This was a city that the Israelites were attacking as they entered the Promised Land.
She met the Jewish spies and protected them. In return for this, her life and the lives of her family were spared.
Was she justified by faith or works?
Here is Rahab’s statement of faith.
Joshua 2:9-11 – I know that the Lᴏʀᴅ has given you the land. We have heard how the Lᴏʀᴅ dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt. The Lᴏʀᴅ your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.
This is an amazing statement of faith. It shows that something had changed in her heart. But imagine if after saying this, she reported the spies to the government and then went right back into idolatry again. The statement of faith would have proven to be empty. What good is a faith that doesn’t change one’s actions or affect their choices?
Rahab’s family was saved because she took action on her faith. Her actions proved her loyalty to Jehovah. That is what James means when he says that she was “justified by works.”
Faith and works are two sides of the same coin. Without faith, Rahab would never have risked her life for strangers. And without her deeds of protection, her professed faith would have been empty.
II. Why is James saying it? – Application
So let’s review. James key point is that faith without works is dead. Another way to say it is that faith that is not lived out is empty words.
He proved this through four examples.
A. The example of the person who says nice words to someone in need, but doesn’t help.
B. The demons who have intellectual knowledge about God, but do not submit to him.
C. Abraham, the father of faith, who lived it his faith in obedience to God’s commands.
D. Rahab, a sinner of sinners, who showed her faith was genuine by taking action to serve Jehovah and give up her country’s idols.
Why does James teach this?
It is not so that we can go around judging others and doubting their salvation.
The verse directly preceding this passage says, “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” It is a warning.
What is the application? It is not primarily that we should “do” good works. James is not saying, “Be better. Work your way into heaven.”
The application is to perform a self-evaluation. Many of James’ readers and many professing Christians in the church today are committing the fatal mistake of “easy-believism.” Some pray a prayer or raise their hand at an altar call and then walk away thinking, “I am going to heaven now. I accepted Jesus,” and live the same as they did before.
• What about the woman who prays a prayer as a seven-year old? Then she grows up and lives the same way as everyone else. Is she saved?
• What about the man who raises his hand at an alter call, but then doesn’t have time to go to church or read the Bible. When confronted with his sin, he says, “God is a forgiving God” and keeps on doing it. Is he saved?
• What about the woman who grew up in a Christian family and always went to church. She can never remember not believing. But though she knows a lot, she doesn’t do a lot of it. In fact, she has a secret sin that she is holding on it. Is she saved?
• What about the man who grows up in a so-called Christian nation like Germany. He goes to church twice a year. He calls himself a Christian. But he makes fun of the church. He believes in evolution. Is he saved?
I do not have the answers. The lesson from the passage today is that they should ask that question. They should evaluate their faith. You should evaluate your faith. One of the most important questions you can ever ask is, “Is my faith real?” That question can be uncomfortable, but we have to ask it.
Do not blindly trust in a decision made years ago. Is your faith alive and active? Is there fruit?
Which one of you enjoys going to the hospital for a physical check-up? Many would rather stick their heads in the sand and blindly hope that everything works out. I have heard of people whose lives were saved because they went to have a physical check-up, discovered a serious problem, and because it was caught, received treatment.
Here are some things to look at for evaluating a faith self-evaluation checkup.
Genuine Saving Faith
Source – The following list is from the MacArthur Study Bible.
I. EVIDENCES THAT NEITHER PROVE NOR DISPROVE ONE’S FAITH
A. Visible Morality (Matthew 19:16-21, 23:27)
B. Intellectual Knowledge (Romans 1:21, 2:17)
C. Religious Involvement (Matthew 25:1-10)
D. Active Ministry (Matthew 7:21-24)
E. Conviction of Sin (Acts 24:25)
F. Assurance (Matthew 23)
G. Time of Decision (Luke 8:13-14)
II. THE FRUIT/ PROOFS OF AUTHENTIC/TRUE CHRISTIANITY
A. Love for God (Ps. 42:1ff; 73:25; Luke 10:27; Rom. 8:7)
B. Repentance from Sin (Ps. 32:5; Prov. 28:13; Rom. 7:14ff; 2 Cor. 7:10; 1 John 1:8-10)
C. Genuine Humility (Ps. 51:17; Matt. 5:1-12; James 4:6,9ff)
D. Devotion to God’s Glory (Ps. 105:3; 115:1; Is. 43:7, 48:10ff.; Jer. 9:23,24; 1 Cor. 10:31)
E. Continual Prayer (Luke 18:1; Eph. 6:18ff.; Phil. 4:6ff.;1 Tim. 2:1-4; James 5:16-18)
F. Selfless Love (1 John 2:9ff, 3:14; 4:7ff)
G. Separation from the World (1 Cor. 2:12; James 4:4ff.; 1 John 2:15-17, 5:5)
H. Spiritual Growth: Luke 8:15; John 15:1-6; Eph. 4:12-16
I. Obedient Living: Matt. 7:21; John 15:14ff.; Rom. 16:26; 1 Pet. 1:2,22; 1 John 2:3-5
J. Hunger for God’s Word: 1 Peter 2:1-3
K. Transformation of Life: 2 Corinthians 5:17
Conclusion
What kind of fruit do you have?
Jesus said that every good tree bears good fruit and every bad tree bears bad fruit. He said that by your fruit you will recognize them. If you don’t see the fruit, then you should examine your faith. That is the root. It is unseen by others. God sees it.
I want to give you some space now to talk to God about your faith. Ask Him to reveal to you whatever you need to hear from the passage today. Ask Him to give you faith. Ask Him to increase your faith. Faith without works is dead. Please spend some time and pray about in light of the Holy Spirit’s leading through this passage today.
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