Faith Series: A Faith That Works

Faith Series: A Faith That Works

Please start with me to James chapter two this evening, James chapter two. And when we arrive there, I'd like to look in verse number 14. James chapter two, a faith that is soon and works tonight.

We've seen faith and what is the very nature of faith is trusting in God, is putting our confidence, putting our weight down on him, right? And we saw that that faith has to be expressed or faith is literally operating by love. It's energized by the love of God that he had for us. And we saw this morning that one of the ways that faith is one of the characteristics of that faith is it must be childlike with a humble trust in God, a humble, simple trust in God, not us trying to figure out how God works and then sort of mimicking that and our own understanding or something like that and complicating it. But simply just taking him at his word when he says come, we come. When he says go, we go. When he says stop, we stop. And we just say, I am nobody, but I stand in all at the great God and Savior that I serve and trust him. That's simple childlike faith.

And then tonight we want to see how faith manifests itself in works. We're not saved by works, but faith will, if faith is the root, good works will be the fruit. If faith is truly, if we're truly trusting in the Lord, I remember in talking with David this afternoon that we were just talking about fear for instance. And you know, we're not knowing what's going to happen in the world. Seeing that we could be a parade. But if we're fully trusting in the Lord with that childlike faith, it just displaces the fear. It's that faith that operates by the power of love toward God and the love that he has to us. And fear cannot coexist where there's confidence in God. So tonight we want to see that one of the how how that faith manifests itself in the in works and good works in our lives.

So in James chapter two, James chapter two, beginning in verse 14. The question is what does it profit my brethren though a man say he hath faith and have not works. Can faith save him? We can ask can this kind of faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked in destitute of daily food. And what have you say into them? Department piece be warned and filled. Not with standing you give them not those things which are needful to the body. What does it profit? Even so faith if it have not works is dead being alone. Yeah, a man may say thou hast faith and I have works. Show me thy faith but without thy works and I will show thee my faith by my works. That believes that there is one God that'll do as well. The devil is also believe in tremble. The world down though, oh vain man that faith without works is dead. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar. See us thou how faith wrought with his works and by works was faith made perfect. And the scripture was fulfilled which sayeth Abraham believe God. And it was imputed unto him for righteousness and he was called the friend of God. You see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works when she had received the messengers and had sent them out another way. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. And may the Lord bless our time in His word this evening.

James chapter one talks about the trying the trial of our faith. It's in that passage that we see our faith being tested. But then chapter two deals with faith that works a faith that works. This is not faith. Don't think of it as faith plus works. Think of it as a faith that works. A faith that manifests in works just as much as we have a couple of different herbs we're growing. I mean all of these plants have roots but there's some of them that are known for their beneficial work. It's roots like marshmallow plant. It has after this growing season we'll harvest that marshmallow root. It's good for variety of things. We're just learning about some of this stuff. But it's interesting. Valerian root. There's different things. And because that root is alive in the ground, it looks in the containers we have them in. It looks like it's dead as a door nail throughout the winter months. But as soon as you get a little warmth, it's evident that there's a living root in there. There's a lot that root is alive. That root is not dead. There's life in that root and given a little warmth, the leaves begin to sprout up out of the soil. And you say that root is alive. The cold of winter didn't kill that thing. It's still alive.

And that's kind of like faith, isn't it? Faith, a faith that is genuine, a faith that is real, a faith that is alive. You know, we need to pray Lord, increase our faith. We need to add to our faith the Scripture talks about. There's a lot of things we can say about that. But genuine real faith will have fruit. It will have manifest itself in good, obedient works. Not only simply in things we do with our hands, but even in our spirit, in the way that we do those things, right? And the manifestation in our spirit, where there is faith.

James asked the question tonight, what did it profit my brethren, though a man say a faith and have not works? He's really just telling us a faith without works is really no faith at all, is it? A faith without works is just words. That's all that is. Many will say, I'm not talking about, we've always done it perfectly kind of thing. I'm talking about there's got to be something if there's a root there. Many will say in that day, Lord, Lord have we not done many wonderful works in there. But there was no faith. There was no genuine Bible faith in. He says, depart from me, ye that work iniquity. God, well, thank God he is the judge, right? He's going to judge the hearts of men. But what we would call that kind of faith is a counterfeit faith that doesn't have a faith. It's a fraud.

We mentioned this morning that once again, what do we want to even put our faith there? We've got to put our faith in that, which is true. If your faith is not in the truth, then it's not biblical faith, is it? It's not genuine when God pleasing kind of faith. We could have faith in many, any number of things, but talking about saving faith, real faith. This, if it's not going to be faith, then it's got to be in something real, doesn't it? It has to be rooted in Christ. We have to be rooted in Christ by and grounded in faith.

Now, can we stop a moment and just say thank God that he's not faith? Thank God that his word is true. We have a sure foundation. We have a sure resting place in him and in his truth for our faith.

If you think back through James chapter 2, though, all the way beginning, if you think back to the beginning of this passage here, it tells us not to have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. And it goes on to describe two different types of people that might come into the sanctuary. That most likely was a home church back in that day house church in the days of the New Testament, early New Testament, believers that James is writing about. But if someone comes, these individuals, someone comes in with this Christian de or clothing on and rings. I mean, that wasn't existent in that day, but very fine. Elegant, expensive clothing and costly jewels and rings and all of these things. And then you have a popper that comes in with, you know, homeless person basically is what it's describing there in this passage that comes in. You're supposed to, if you have faith, the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, how are you going to treat those people? You're not going to have respect of persons towards one versus the other. You see both of them as souls for whom Christ died. You see both of them in need of the gospel. And this is not about getting some advantage personally for myself by, you know, getting brownie points with the rich guy. No, that's the whole purpose of the church and the Christian life is to make Christ known, isn't it? Whether it be to the rich man or the poor man. We should love both of them the same love our neighbor, not just the rich neighbor, love the poor neighbor, the rich neighbor the same and point both of them to Christ.

Well, James is using this example of these two people coming in. Don't say to the one, you know, the poor man sit here in my foot, stool, and the other man, hey, take my seat basically, you know, take the prominent place. No, don't treat them that way. He doesn't attack James doesn't attack the brethren for loving the rich man. He just points out the hypocrisy if we love them more than the other one. And that's works, isn't it folks? That is a manifestation in what we say to someone and how we treat them. And we should not even among whether it be an unbeliever that's coming to visit a church or whether it be a brother or sister in Christ. We should equally look on the things of others. We should serve one another by love that say certain types of people or people that you really like is to have fervent charity among yourselves.

There are situations where sometimes it would be best for us, you know, just to sometimes we can, what is it, charity covers a multitude of sins. Sometimes we just might, someone might say something we don't like or whatever, or it might rub us wrong. I think about an example the other day of how I was something that was said or I was cut off and something that I said. You know, my initial reaction was to think, you know, I want to point that out. And yet at the same time, you know, how I point that out is a very important thing. And I don't always respond the best. I can tell you I don't always respond the best to when somebody interrupts me for instance. But, you know, how do I treat it? That's a response. What do I say to people? Or how do I treat someone who may have not treated me as I would like to be treated. But the scripture says, do unto others as you would that they should do unto you, right? That simply, there might be certain people among the brethren, there might be certain people on the job that are not as easy to treat right. But if we have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, we need God's grace to help us just as much with the rich man or the nice man or the, you know, as we do with the one who's a little abrasive, we might say. We need God's grace for our spirits and handling all of those different ones.

But as James is saying here, go back to verse 14, he says, what does it profit my brethren? If the man say he hath faith and have not works, he talks about, he gives, he says can faith save him, this kind of faith. Here's an example he gives. If a brother or a sister, we see a need. It might be something that we can help this person. They're destitute of daily food. Well, you know, I was hoping to spend that extra money on, you know, going to a ball game or something like that. I mean, we, I could have used that money, but you know, maybe the Lord's weighing up, we see the need and I can help. I'm going to help this brother. I want to help this sister. I want to help this person that is destitute. They're, they have a need and the Lord lays that upon your heart. Well, if you don't act in faith, then that's, that's the obedience to the Lord, isn't it? But we need to act in faith. We faith is must go beyond words.

We saw in John, when we're going through first John, did we say that love, one of the aspects of love is that it sacrifices. It's sacrificial. It's not just rosy sounding words. It's love is in action, isn't it? Faith and action. And so while we cannot do everything, we can't afford everything. We can do something. We can do something. Each one of us have different gifts. Each one of us have different opportunities. But the key is we must see it as God even puts certain people in certain situations, certain complexities in our path to test our faith, doesn't it? And see how are we going to respond or we're going to respond in faith? Or are we going to just do as it says here, not withstanding, you give them not those things which are needful to the body. What good is your faith? What what is it profit? What good is your supposed faith if you if you can't help those who God is putting your path. If you're like the priest and the Levi that passed by on the other side, what good is your faith? It's only in name. We don't we can't stand it. Have we used that term before rhinos for publicans and name only? Sometimes Christians and they're not what they're solid are they? They're kind of saying good things to get elected or saying good things to look good on the surface. But when the rubber beats the road, nothing happens, right? And we just kind of in disgust. That's how that is. So here we're not to be like that. If faith's what it have not works is dead being alone.

A man may say, that has faith and I have worked show me thy faith without thy works and that goes on. I will show the my faith by my works. It's just multiple ways of saying the same thing and that is that faith without works. First 20 says faith without works is dead. It's dead. That's the conclusion of all that. Even the devil's believe there's a God. But their belief has nothing to do with love. It's certainly not childlike. Simple trust in God putting that. No, it's not that. And it has no good works. In fact, they work iniquity. So faith, if we're talking about it in the sense of I believe that I believe that God is, but the Lord takes it further. He says, you must believe that he is. Believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, right?

Now, we think of these examples given here. There was the example of Abraham who, well, he was, yes, justified by faith. This is not in contradiction to Paul's writings. But it was justified by a faith that was expressed in works. It was the kind of faith that led him to do what God told him to do. Scripture was fulfilled which say if Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousness. But what did he do? He offered up Isaac, right? That was the kind of faith he had. It was a faith that put down half his weight on God. He put down all his weight on God. He said, and God said, I know, I know, he believes me. And he's going to offer up that son because he trusts me. Now, there are times in Abraham's life where he didn't trust God as much. But God brought him to the point of the ultimate test where he would say, give me thy son, thy only son, Isaac. And as much as precious as that son was to him, God was more precious to him than that son because God's the one that gave him that son. And he said, I'll do it. And then when he raised that knife to take the life of that son, God said, I've seen your heart. I see your faith.

Can our children, can my children see my faith? Can my grandchildren, can my spouse, can my co-workers, can my neighbors? Can those that I've come in contact with in my circle of influence? Can they see my faith? Is my faith more than words to them? Is my faith, is there any fruit to my faith? Can I put it that way? Is there any fruit to my faith in God? It's not really about me. It's about the one I'm resting on, right? I'm a ancestor who are destitute of food. Can they see my faith? Can the man pour all rich who come into the sanctuary? Can they see my faith? You know, the song, the choir sings sometimes. Others, Lord, yes, others let this my motto be. Help me to live for others that I might live like thee. None of us have already arrived at that. I don't think any one of us have perfected that. But that should be our goal, our desire, our prayer. Lord, help me to live for others that I might by faith. Live for the Lord, but I can't live for the world without living for others. That's all tied up in one.

Let's look over if you will in Titus chapter 3. Titus chapter 3, verse 5. Remember Paul, every in Ephesians said that we are His workmanship. Jesus Christ's workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. We were born again for the purpose of good works in Christ, which God hath before ordained that we should walk and bend.

But in Titus chapter 3, verse 5, Titus chapter 3, verse 5 says that not by works of righteousness which we have done. But according to His mercy He saved us, our salvation is not based on our works. Very clear, like Ephesians will tell us. If I grace you your save, not of your world works, right? That's less than you mentioned most. But according to His mercy He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior. That we, being, I'm sorry, that being justified by His grace, through faith, right? We should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a fateful saying that in these things I will that they'll affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God, might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.

They which have believed, they which are in Jesus Christ created for the purpose of good works that they might be careful to maintain good works. There's a certain aspect here that yes, God is doing the work of us. God is at work in us, but there's also this aspect where we have to, the light has to come on and say yes, I have a responsibility by faith. Now to work, not to save myself, I am saved. I am justified by faith in the righteousness of God, but being His, longing to Him. I'm a great vod and I need to bear grapes, right? I am an olive tree and I need to bring forth olives. I couldn't have done it without Christ, but being in Christ, He will strengthen me to do what I ought to do. His love can make you what you ought to be, right? And you know the song I'm talking about, His blood and His love can fill your soul and make you see what's best for Him to have His way with me.

But James is, James is not telling us here that this is faith plus works. He's saying it's faith that works. Faith that pleases God without faith is impossible to please God. Now look down, we've kind of worked our way down, but here in James, back in James chapter 2, look in verse 26 at the end of this passage that we read. James chapter 2 again, and let's look at the last verse that we read here. It says, for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. He given the example of Rahad as well, who she gave evidence of her faith by well, she really put her life on the line, didn't she? She received the messengers and sent them out another way. But this faith is like as the body is without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. There's no warmth, there's no function to a body without a spirit, right? It's just a carcass. It's a carcass. It looks like a body, but there's no life in it, right? It's just a shill. It's not living, it's not breathing. It kind of reminds me of how the bones, the valley of dry bones, the bones are going to come together within the breath, the life has to come into it. And this is like faith without works is no better than just a skeleton, a corpse, a shell. But faith with works is not dead. Faith with works, but where it's become the evidence of life to that faith. Genuine faith, living faith, I think there's some churches called living faith I've seen, living faith, not dead faith, living faith. That's the idea here.

So many times the Lord uses, he uses so many practical examples to teach us the spiritual truths done me. You know, the seed planted, the seed song and then grow it being reaped, right? What you sow is what you reap. There's so many examples of this. We can see so many things the Lord gives us examples of in the scriptures. You know, like being born again, we've talked about being born again. Well, Nicodemus, how can a man be born a second time with enter into his mother's womb? No? You've got to be born spiritually again. You're dead while you're living, but you've got to be born from above. You know, there's that that illustration the Lord gives us. The Peter talks about, isn't it Peter that says, you know, the craving, the sincere milk of the word that you may grow there by. Like a baby craves its mother's milk. We're to crave the milk of the word. So many examples, a shepherd with a sheep and they're on and on. You know, Paul talks about a runner running a race like in the Olympics. You see so many things. And God puts his word in those and gives us these examples like he gave the object lesson of the child this morning. The child, come here, bring this child into our midst. And how that drives the point home so much better. And here this example tonight of the we gave even of the we see this in the scriptures a lot, but the root and the fruit concepts, the root of faith and there's fruit.

But look back with me in James chapter one, if you will, in verse 28. I'm sorry, verse 27 there is the verse 28 verse number 27. And let's read verse 26 as well. If any man, verse 26 says, if any man among you seem to be religious like a body, right? You know, a body without faith. You know, the body without the spirit is is dead. Well, we can see that he's religious. He has a body, but is it alive? If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleeth not his tongue. This isn't an occasion of the tongue saying something it shouldn't say. This is the pattern of his life. He has no control or risk tongue. But the see that his own heart, this man's religion is vain. He, in contrast to this, it says pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this. What is pure religion? Maybe we can not change the word of God here, but true religion, pure religion. Unadulphated religion. This is real genuine living faith that we're talking about here. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this. Well, here's the, here's an example to visit the Fatherless and widows in their affliction. And to keep himself unspotted from the world. These are fruits where the root is true. These are fruits of the real faith that can be tested. The real faith that works. These are, these are examples of it. That's not to say that's everything that can be seen in a genuine faith, but these are primary examples. These are, this is a pattern here that can be followed.

So in the first one we see that this is to visit the Fatherless. The word visit here is the word care for. Like a shepherd we care for the sheep. This is to visit to care for the Fatherless and widows in their affliction. I know when we were going through the book of James a few years back, we talked about how, this is an example of somebody who can't pay you back at least right now. You know, if you, if you are, you see someone that the Lord that you can serve that is a Fatherless individual. A Fatherless can't help you. They're truly a Fatherless. They're probably penniless. You know, or they don't have much. They're, they're orphaned. They're needing assistance. They're needing help. They're needing someone to serve them by love. Or, or a widow. A widow might not be penniless, but she certainly, especially if recently widowed isn't a very low, hard difficult situation. Just talking to a widow this past week, who, who's husband passed in the last few months. And she's still very broken. I can tell in her words and, and some of you know what that experience is like. It's, it's a very challenging, a very deep valley to go through. And nonetheless, as Christians, we should, it really should be something we are ready. And looking for an opportunity to minister to those types of people that can't pay us back. We might say they can't say, you know, I'll compensate you for your time sort of thing. Or how do you want the story on the front page of the paper to read, or you know, whatever the case may be, or newspapers even a thing anymore. But that's true, true charity. True charity toward others is an expression of faith.

It's like the alms that the Lord spoke about. Don't do your alms before men to be seen of them, right? Don't even let your right hand know what your left hand is doing and all of those things. But instead, do it as unto the Lord and not unto men, right? Do it as unto the Lord. Whatever you do, just remember the Lord is not going to forget your labor of love. He sees it. He's the one that even gives us the desire to do it. You know, even us being part of a body of believers here. If it wasn't for the care and love of our Lord, none of us would care for each other really. I mean, it's only the Lord that puts a desire in our hearts to love the brethren in the first place. If it wasn't for the Lord, we would still be in the fields of sin. We would be one, aimlessly lost and have no purpose. We're all here tonight. We are saved by grace and any good desire we have, we shouldn't say, well, look at me. I'm such a good person. No, we should say, thank God that he even put that desire there in my heart, the first place. Because there's nothing good in us.

But then we see this other aspect here of a faith that's alive. That doesn't just seem to be religious, but has no self-control, but has no care, no genuine love. It is this matter of keeping himself unspotted from the world. The one who has faith really cares about pleasing God. The one who has a genuine faith is really concerned that God be honored and God be glorified by keeping himself unspotted from the world. Not to be a not coming out of the world. If you were to avoid fornicators altogether, you'd just have to leave the world. We're in the world, but we're not of the world. We're not of this present world. That's the spirit here. I want to… I want to be purer for the Lord. I want to please him, I want to have pure thoughts. I want my words to be purer. I want my motives to be purer. Not just a purer appearance. The Pharisees clean the outside of the cup, but they were dirty on the inside. They were rotten in their motives. But we as Christians should want to lay apart all…