Does your faith work?
This morning you only have one thing to be concerned about. It's not a statement and it's certainly not a judgment. It's just a question. Does your faith work?
A pastor attended a multi-day evangelism conference. By the end of the day he was convicted by what he was hearing and as he returned to his hotel he began praying for an opportunity to share his faith in Christ. The next morning this pastor went down to a public area of the hotel and sat down in the hotel's hot tub. Soon, three guys who all knew each other stepped into the hot tub and they struck up a conversation. Right when the pastor felt God was opening up a door for him to witness, the guys broke out the Jack Daniels and they began to snort cocaine. The conversation turned to what each of them did for a living and the pastor mentioned that he was in town for evangelism training.
One of the men responded, "This is really interesting. I have a question for you. Can you tell me what 'born again' means? I really do not know. Until recently I laughed at people who said that they were 'born again', but some people I have known for years talk that way now. The thing is, I have watched them and I know that their lives have been transformed. So what is 'born again'? I really need to know." [Source: The NIV Application Commentary, David P. Nystrom, pp.162-163]
Does your faith work? Does your faith express itself outwardly? Does your faith significantly change the way you see and respond to the needs of others? Does your faith arouse curiosity among unbelievers? Does your faith make ripples? These are incredibly important questions, and for more reasons than you can imagine. It's a question the apostle James tackles head-on in our text this morning.
James tackles the issue of having a faith which works.
In James 2:14-26 (NIV) he asks, "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."
There is such a thing as useless faith. There is such a thing as dead, inactive faith. And of course there is such a thing as authentic faith. What kind of faith do you possess? Why should we care if our faith works? In James 2:14 (NIV) James tells us why it matters. "What good is it if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?"
I remember the first church I preached in as a sophomore in college. It was a small rural church which on a good Sunday, had fifteen people in attendance. They had Sunday school, and the same guy showed up week after week. Every week I had to consult with my professors because of different things he'd say. He really made me do my homework. He believed that works didn't matter to God and that God was only concerned with his heart. So when the offering plate was passed, it didn't really matter whether he gave or not. The act of giving to others wasn't so important as the heart, thought, or intention.
This tragic thinking is prevalent among Christians. It existed in the first century! James 2:15-17 (NIV) says, "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
These days that we live in are very weird. There is a disconnect between faith and action. It's as if having good intentions are all that matter anymore. And people, even Christians, will tell you, "It's the thought that counts." When a person walks up to us these days and shares a pressing need about her life, she's unlikely to see much action. She's most likely to hear something like, "Best of luck to you and I'll be praying for you." "Just trust God and everything will work out just fine." "You should give my church a call. They'll take care of it." "I wish you well. Keep warm and well fed." My fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, this should not be. What good is our faith if it is not accompanied by deeds? Can such a faith save us?
A faith that moves beyond good intentions.
In your outline it notes that we must possess a faith that movs beyond good intentions. It was Charles Spurgeon who said, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." We must be far more than good intentions. God is less interested in us saying the right things and infinitely more pleased with our doing the right things. One person has noted that there is a tragedy of good intentions. There is a big difference between what we mean to do and what actually happens at the end of the day. Our well-intentioned expressions of faith and concern can be a mask for indifference and a way of escaping involvement in the lives of others. Our faith must work.
Warren Weirsbe says, "People with dead faith substitute words for deeds. They know the correct vocabulary for prayer and testimony, and can even quote the right verses from the Bible; but their walk does not measure up to their talk. They think that their words are as good as works, and they are wrong."
We must develop this ability to translate intentions into reality and to sustain them with actions and behavior. We must step forward and offer concrete assistance. At the end of the day, warm sentiments, good intentions, and empty blessings are not helpful at all. They only dishonor Christ and cause people to become disillusioned.
A faith is is accompanied by godly actions.
In your outline it notes that we must develop a faith that first moves beyond good intentions and then is accompanied by godly actions. In James 2:17-18 (NIV) James continues his concern, "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do."
Those who suggest that outward works of faith do not matter, are tragically misguided. In James 2:14 James questions whether an inactive, deedless faith can even save! But what does Jesus say in Matthew 7:19-23 (NIV)? "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' "
And what did the king say to the unrighteous in Matthew 25:41-46 (NIV)? "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.' "
Christians can and do suggest that only the thought counts, and that godly actions toward others do not matter. But they shall find no support for this in scripture. We are to walk the way we talk. We are to set the right example and serve as role models. Our actions are to speak louder than our words. We are supposed to stand up for the right things and show the way and stay the course. We are to love people and especially assist them with their most basic needs, food and clothing.
We are not to be only hearers of the word. We are to put the word into practice. Ours should be an active, living, breathing, visible, tangible, spirit-filled faith. The essence of Christianity is being imitators of God. By our love, all people will know that we are Christians. They will not know we are Christians by our intentions, by our sentiments, or by our empty words.
A faith that is rooted in right belief.
In your outline it notes that we must develop a faith that moves beyond good intentions, is accompanied by godly actions, and is rooted in right belief. James isn't implying that what we believe and think is irrelevant. It's just that believing isn't enough. In James 2:19 (NIV) James says, "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder."
In the Bible demons believe in the existence of God. They believe in the deity of Christ as God's son. They believe in judgement and eternal punishment. At times they even submit to the power of Christ. They shudder and tremble in fear, emotionally. James is telling us that it is not enough to believe and tremble. As one commentator said, "It is not a saving experience to believe and tremble. A person can be enlightened in his mind and even stirred in his heart and be lost forever." Titus 1:16 speaks of those who claim to know God, but by their actions, deny him.
In Acts 2:37 (NIV), we discover what distinguishes true faith. As people heard the preaching of Peter, we're told how, "they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'Brothers what shall we do?' " It's that question of obedience, "Brothers what shall we do?" , that distinguishes the Christian's faith from that of the demons.
In Acts 2:38 (NIV) they were instructed, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
True faith responds in obedience and in repentance, with baptism and with good works. True faith is led by the Spirit of God to love people. True faith always results in a changed life, changed relationships with others, and selflessness. True faith is holistic. It is not just mental assent, intellectual belief, or contemplation. We're to love God with all of our heart, all of our mind, all of our body, and all of our soul. To believe in God but not to obey him is practical unbelief.
Warren Weirsbe says, "The person with dead faith has only an intellectual experience. In his mind, he knows the doctrines of salvation, but he has never submitted himself to God and trusted Christ for salvation. Such a dead faith lulls a person into a false confidence of eternal life." As Jesus says in Matthew 5:16 (NIV) we're to let our, "light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
A faith that includes costly sacrifice.
In your outline it notes that our faith must include costly sacrifice. In James 2:20 (NIV) there is a play on words in the original language. "Do you want evidence that a faith without works doesn't work?" James offers two biblical examples of people who willingly obeyed God's word, no matter what price they had to pay personally. We don't have time to go into the examples in depth, so allow me to summarize. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son out of obedience to God. You can read about Abraham's story in Genesis 15 and Genesis 22. Rahab, a woman of immoral character, risked her life to save two spies because she trusted God's word. You can read about Rahab in Joshua 2 and Joshua 6.
There is a reason that well-intentioned faith is so attractive among Christians today. It is because warm sentimentalism doesn't cost us anything. Words are cheap. Good intentions are cheap. Thoughts are cheap. But actions? Actions are the point at which the real costs begin to accumulate. Good intentions don't cost us money, don't cost us time, don't cost us energy, don't inconvenience us, don't stretch us, and don't cause us to trust God. If your faith doesn't work, it's because your faith doesn't work. You're not living it! You're too busy. You're overcommitted with your work, your school, and your kids.
Here is the bottom line. Faith without deeds is dead. James 2:26 (NIV) says, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."
We have all been to funerals and have seen the tragedy of death. A human body without a spirit is dead. It's vacant of life. In the same way, faith without deeds is dead.
The test.
2 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV) says, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves." Here is a simple test. Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.