Works Prove Faith
Introduction:
1. This section
of scriptures deals with two arguments.
2. James is
anticipating some arguments as a result of the conclusion drawn from verses
14-17.
3. He is willing
to listen to the arguments presented because his position is secure.
4. Listening to
the objection enables him to further establish his contention that faith
without works is dead.
a. Remember James 1:19, Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every
man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
b. We must be willing to listen to
objections made by those who despise the gospel in order to seek and save the
lost.
c. Every Christian is responsible
for being able to give a reason of the hope that is within us with meekness and
gentleness ( 2 Tim 2:15).
d. James is showing us how to argue
and maintain our meekness and gentleness.
5. Let's examine
the objection and James refutation of it.
I) The Argument For Faith Only
A) One person has faith.
1. This means that one person has belief.
a. That belief being Christ is Lord.
b. James 2:1 - "Have not the faith of our
Lord Jesus Christ."
c. "The faith" is a system of belief
concerning the Lord and his glory over the world.
(i) This glory is one that is offered to his
disciples.
(ii) Many people will say that God works in
mysterious ways or God did this for me or God give me this opportunity.
(iii) Faith only glorifies God by what he does
for others while neglecting what one must do for their Glorious Lord.
2. Represented by loyalty to God solely
based upon belief that Jesus is Lord.
a. Exhibiting their piety by their loyalty.
b. Expressing their devotion to God by their
belief alone.
(i) The practitioners of this system of
belief have adopted a Calvinistic theology.
(ii) The most common aspect of their piety and
devotion is the belief that man once saved is always save.
(iii) Because there is nothing that man can do for
his salvation then that salvation must be eternally secure regardless of his
actions.
c. The faith only individual then can be
satisfied that his belief proves his loyalty and devotion to God.
B) One person has works.
1. Works is identified as a synecdoche.
a. Meaning a part representing a whole.
(i) The word "works" here is not to be
understood as works alone.
(ii) For even the most ignorant individual
would understand that they need to believe in something.
(iii) Works then represents the system of faith
plus works.
b. A person has faith and works.
(i) This working works of faith is the
representation of piety towards God.
(a) Essentially a person is claiming that
going to church, teaching and preaching to the lost and working in the church
is not wrong but is a work which is not needed to fulfill the requirements of
salvation.
(b) Piety in this manner is the proper view
of God requiring works for salvation.
(ii) James' position is not condemned by the
objection.
C) Each is effective and good.
1. Force of the argument
a. It relies upon a condition placed upon
James' argument that faith w/o works is dead.
(i) The objection is raised that one may live
according to faith plus works.
(ii) But to condemn faith only as dead is
wrong.
(iii) This is the foundation of post-modern
theological thought.
(a) Post-modernism is a doctrine born of
moral relativity and mysticism found in New Age religion.
(b) This doctrine emphasizes that there are
not absolute truths unless they are derived from the cultural context one grows
up in.
b. The claim by the argument is that faith
only is effective and good for the individual.
(i) They claim that God views the doctrine of
faith only as acceptable in God's sight.
(ii) The conclusion is that because each
argument is good and effective then neither should be minimized.
II) The Argument Against Faith Only
A) Faith cannot be seen.
1. James stands upon the ground that faith
is invisible from us.
a. There is nothing that we or God can
observe that evidences faith.
b. We are not referring to works.
(i) James is challenging his objectors to
produce tangible evidence of faith apart from works.
(ii) This is an effective claim and should be
remembered when dealing with individuals.
2. God cannot see faith either.
a. There is nothing spiritual about faith.
(i) God cannot look upon the earth and see
faith.
(ii) God sees into the hearts of men but he
does not see faith.
(a) God sees the thoughts and intents of the
heart.
(b) Each thought and intent is a work rather
than faith.
b. James is teaching that we cannot confuse
faith with belief.
(i) Belief is a work.
(a) John 6:29-30 - Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works
of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye
believe on him whom he hath sent.
(b) By the words of Jesus himself declares
the belief is a work.
(ii) James' contention is that belief cannot
be mere intellectual assent because that is action or by definition a work.
B) Faith as mere intellectual assent.
1. James takes a different approach in his
argument in v. 19.
a. He takes their argument and drives it to
its logical conclusion.
(i) If mere intellectual assent is faith only
then what should we expect.
(a) We should expect that faith is not love,
obedience, trust, or submission.
(b) We should also expect there to be
evidence that faith alone is enough.
(ii) The proponent of faith only says that it
saves one's soul.
b. James' says that belief that "God is one"
v. 19 is good.
(i) James recognizes that belief is necessary
for salvation.
(ii) His argument must attack not their belief
but the system that supports their faith.
(iii) Both James and the objector know that
belief in God as one is fundamental.
(iv) The distinction should be made that one
is lip service and the other is actual service.
2. James provides proof that faith only is
not correct.
a. James uses the example that the demons
believe.
(i) James is affirming that belief in that
God is one is necessary for salvation.
(ii) However, James shows that belief alone is
not enough because the demons believe.
(a) Their belief is so great that they
shudder at the contemplation of God's justice.
(b) They are overcome with fear and tremble
at the belief of God.
(c) Therefore, James correctly identifies
that the kind of faith the objector is affirming is exactly the same belief of
the demons.
b. Demons believe but do not obey.
(i) They are exercising faith alone and have
a profitless faith.
(ii) These who have lived in the spiritual
world know they are lost.
(iii) They tremble at their inevitable
destruction.
(iv) There is no hope for the demons just like
there is no hope for those who believe in faith only.
C) Faith is evidenced by works.
1. Since faith cannot be seen the only thing
that evidences belief is works.
a. The proof of one's faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ is obedience.
b. Faith and works spring from one another.
(i) Phil 2:12 - Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence
only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear
and trembling.
(ii) The emphasis is placed here upon "work."
(iii) Our salvation depends upon us working
with fear and trembling.
2. Just as the demons shudder so should we.
a. God is one is a foundational truth of
Christianity.
b. God denotes the divine nature of God.
(i) Gen. 1:26 - "And God said, let us make
man in our image, after our likeness...."
(ii) 1 John 4:6 - We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God
heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
(iii) Truth comes from the fact that we are
from God who provides us with understanding of truth and error.
c. Shudder means to bristle up.
(i) The hairs on our neck stand out are the
indication of the terror of the Lord.
(ii) God's divine nature should not make us
tremble with fear but with awe and reverence to his glory.
d. Since our piety and devotion to God works
out our salvation then we know faith cannot be shown apart from works.
III) Faith Only is Barren
A) Vanity of Man
1. James hopes that these individuals will
come to know the truth James' affirms.
2. James pleads with man to show him his
empty-headedness.
a. The vain man is empty in his belief
because it is profitless.
b. Also the vain man who attempts to reason
faith only is devoid of reason.
B) Faith only is barren
1. The final analysis is that faith only
lacks any substance toward one's salvation.
2. Faith only is incapable of producing
anything.
3. There is no evidence of life in the faith
only believer.
Conclusion:
1. Works prove
one's faith.
2. We are
responsible for working the works of God's plan for our salvation.
3. Plan of
salvation.
Posted in: Book of James, Sermon Outlines