06 The Nature of Biblical Faith

Sermons on James 2009

James 2:14-26

Introduction

One of the most important topics that any Christian can consider is the nature of Biblical faith. Just what is our life supposed to look like once we are regenerated? Does the faith that saves have any outward expression? Is it enough for you to tell me you’re saved? Should I accept your declaration simply because you make it? This is the way many Christians think today. They think that if a person says they are saved, then no matter what is observed in that person’s life, we are bound to accept them as brethren in the Lord. Is this what the Bible teaches about saving faith?

What I’ve just described is a glaring misconception and James provides a much-needed correction in 2:14 ff.. Many people are under the impression that Biblical faith consists only of a profession of belief. The Bible, to the contrary, teaches that the faith God requires involves a profession of belief, but that a profession of belief by itself is not the sum and substance of true, saving faith. We have misunderstood the content of saving faith if we think that it is evidenced only by what we say with our mouths.

This is, I’m convinced, one of the most useful passages in the New Testament simply because it makes plain the nature of true, saving faith. This passage exposes as false the notion that saving faith is merely a profession with no visible consequences. This is the passage that much of the modern Church needs to rediscover. As I noted, many people think that saving faith is evidenced only by a verbal profession, whereas this section of Scripture teaches that a profession of faith that is valid will be accompanied by works that correspond to the nature of the gospel. True, saving faith has an element of works in it; the key, of course, is understanding how and where that element of works fits in. James explains how works are connected to true, saving faith.

01. Biblical Faith Is “Useful” (vv.14-17)

I’m taking the word “useful” as a way of describing true faith from the words of James in there verses. Buy “useful,” I mean that true faith can be documented or recorded or observed; Biblical faith does something. This is an elementary lesson that every believer must come to understand. It is taught everywhere in Scripture. The Bible declares that the kind of faith that unites one to Christ and results in salvation is a faith that has substance; it is a faith that helps people, a faith that has action. This truth is what James has in mind in these verses. It is such a simple concept and he explains it with a simple illustration.

Listen to what James says:

14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

James begins with two probing and, to the ears of some, surprising questions. He challenges us to defend the notion that a profession of faith without accompanying works is a valid faith. The form of his first question implies the answer. Faith that has no works associated with it is useless. Don’t miss the fact that James is talking about a profession of faith in this passage. He is not talking about some kind of true faith that, because it has no works associated with it, is found wanting. James is describing that which is not faith at all, at least not according to the Bible’s understanding of the nature of faith.

When someone says he has faith, but has a life void of works—good works, as the context implies—what he is claiming as faith is, in reality, empty and serves no purpose. It is not true faith, in other words, because true faith is composed of something more than a mere collection of words. One of the major themes in this passage is that a profession without evidence is nothing and need not be taken seriously.

James offers a conclusion in the form of his second question: “Can that faith save him?” When you ask “What use is it if someone says he has faith but has no works?”, then you are giving a clear indication of what you think about the matter of the relationship between faith and works. So, when James asks further, “Can that faith save him?”, the obvious answer in the mind of James is “no.” A faith without works cannot save, James teaches. Now, let me caution you again to keep in mind what kind of faith James means. He’s not talking about a legitimate faith that God accepts as genuine, and that also is in need of some accompanying works. James is talking about a concept falsely labeled as saving faith. Faith that saves, he says, has a works element, as I explained before.

Faith that saves apart from works is an erroneous assumption. There is no such thing as a faith that saves that has no connection to works. This is what James is saying and if this is what he is saying, then we need to understand precisely what he means because we talk all the time about grace, about salvation by grace through faith alone and the implication of such phrases is that a sinner is not saved by works.

Let me be absolutely clear, then: a sinner is not saved by works. James is not teaching that a sinner is saved by works. But he is saying that no sinner is saved by a faith that has no works. The big question is how and where those necessary works fit into the “salvation by grace through faith alone” model. James is going to explain, but first, he provides an illustration of his current thought.

“If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?” (vv. 15, 16) Suppose, James says, you encounter a man or woman who does not have adequate clothing and who does not have enough to eat. What should you do? Or, more precisely, what will help that person to be clothed and fed? That’s the real question posed in James’ short illustration.

Well, he continues, you might simply respond to that man or woman by saying: “Hey, go in peace, all is well; I pronounce warmth upon you—you shall no longer be cold. And I declare that your belly is full—you shall no longer be hungry. Now, be on your way; your problems are solved.” In such a case, the man or woman will look at you and say: “Wait a minute. You told me to be warm, but you gave me no garment. You told me to be filled, but you gave me no food. What good are your words to me?” That is the point James is making. “What good are your words to me?” How has this figure been made warm when you didn’t provide clothing? And how has this figured stopped being hungry when you didn’t provide food? How did your words change the situation of the needy man or woman?

No one in his right mind can miss what James is saying. If this is how you respond to a cold and hungry person, and you go your way thinking that you have helped, then you are an idiot. Words do not provide warmth against the cold and words do not fill the empty stomach. Even grand words, words spoken with great eloquence, words spoken at length with all the sincerity in the world do not warm the cold body or stop the pains of hunger. Words do not have that power.

Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. (v. 17) “Even so,” James writes. He is drawing a comparison between the useless response to the needy brother or sister in his illustration and the person who says “I have faith,” but who has no works in his life. That which would have validated the words of the responder in James’ illustration would have been action that followed, action designed to clothe and feed the needy person. Likewise, that which validates a claim of saving faith is evidence of that faith.

By definition, as I indicated before, Biblical faith is faith that manifests itself in works. James is looking at this whole issue from the perspective of what evidence is produced by true faith. He is not saying that works save, but that the faith that saves will produce evidence of its presence in the heart of the sinner. Otherwise, it is not saving faith because the nature of saving faith is such that it shows itself through conduct.

Biblical faith is, in a word, useful. It has an expression, a purpose, a visibility. Faith without visibility is no faith at all; and the person who only has such a faith is not truly saved. They have been deceived just as surely as the person in James’ illustration is deceived if he thinks his words alone take care of the needy brother or sister.

02. Biblical Faith Is More than Mere Profession (vv.18-20)

That which James introduces in vv. 14-17 is explicitly stated in the next section. If Biblical faith is useful, if it results in things being done, then one conclusion we must reach is that Biblical faith is more than mere profession. As I said, this is obvious enough in the illustration James just provided, but here, in vv. 18-20, he spells out this truth clearly so that it is impossible to miss it.

Let’s hear from James once again:

18 But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” 19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

The first thing to be settled here has to do with the way in which the NASB expresses the words of James. In this translation, the quote that begins “You have faith,” extends to the end of the verse. Other English translations end the quote with the words “You have faith and I have works,” as though this is a statement made to James in response to what he has taught. The context argues for such a rendering. Why the NASB extends the imaginary quote to the end of the verse is unclear. Taking this verse as I have suggested, James says that someone might say: “Ok, James, you have faith and I have works. You say that faith saves, but what about works? Are works not important?” Given the audience of James, this could very well be a real occurrence. James is writing to Jews who have believed the gospel, but they could easily be confused about the relationship between saving faith and works.

Therefore, James poses an imaginary question that pits faith against works. James, however, answers the question in such a way as to show that faith and works are not antithetical, if one understands the proper relationship that is supposed to exist between faith and works. This proper relationship is what James has been teaching. Works verify or accompany true faith. It is the nature of saving faith, to put it another way, to manifest itself through works. And, so, James answers the imaginary questioner by saying: “Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” The imaginary questioner, you see, is relying on works alone, so James asks him: “Where is faith?”

James goes on to explain that while works by themselves do not save, faith that saves will have works. Understanding what James means depends on perspective. As I said before, James is not arguing that works save; he is arguing that saving faith has as a natural and unavoidable by-product works of righteousness. This is not the same issue that Paul addresses in his epistles when he speaks of salvation by grace through faith alone. In those passages, Paul is arguing against the notion that works have any bearing upon one’s salvation. Here, James is assuming that faith saves, but that true Biblical faith, the kind that saves, produces evidence of its presence. The works that James has in mind are proof that one’s faith is living. This is not the same thing as saying that works themselves produce a living faith.

To again illustrate his point, James says: “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.” (v. 19) This statement is meant to underscore the uselessness of a mere profession of belief. When it comes to professions of belief in God, James says, that is all well and good, but even the demons would agree with you—and they really believe it because it makes them shudder in fear.

So, the obvious conclusion is that a mere profession of belief is not sufficient proof that one possesses saving faith. Faith that saves is not evidenced only by the words of a man’s mouth. Faith that is alive and that saves can be seen. If all I have to convince myself that I possess saving faith is my words, then I have no proof that I have a living faith. Where is the evidence of life in a faith that is represented in words only?

James challenges his imaginary opponent when he concludes: “Are you willing to recognize that faith without works is useless”? (v. 20) The word translated “useless” (arge) means “ineffective or inactive or idle.” That last remark helps to unlock this whole passage. James says that a faith that has no accompanying works is an inactive or ineffective faith; that is, it is accomplishing nothing. Therefore, it cannot be a saving faith; it cannot be the kind of faith that transforms a sinner and that is the kind of faith that is taught in Scripture.

Very neatly, then, James leads us to the conclusion that mere profession is not saving faith; and that saving faith produces evidences. This is the next matter he takes up in this passage. Biblical faith is verified by works.

03. Biblical Faith Is Verified by Works (vv.21-26)

As James has done before, he provides us with two illustrations of what he means:

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God. 24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

The first illustration comes from a crucial segment in the life of Abraham. James refers to that frightening time when Abraham was commanded by God to offer his beloved son Isaac upon an altar as a sacrifice (v. 21). As we know, Abraham obeyed the LORD and did what he was told and had the knife poised over his son in mid air ready to plunge it into Isaac when God stopped him. Every reader of this epistle knew that story as well as any in the Old Testament.

So, James asks: “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?” Before we jump to any conclusions about this question, let’s remember how James has been referring to the relationship between faith and works in the previous verses. Works verify faith; works show that faith is, indeed, alive and operational. He has not taught that works are equivalent to faith or that works save.

Now, to return to his question about Abraham, notice that the form he uses implies that the answer is “yes, Abraham was justified by works when he offered up Isaac.” Abraham’s faith was shown to be real and living when he did what God commanded. Abraham trusted God and he proved that trust by doing what he was told. Abraham believed that God was always right and wise and he proved that he believed this when he did what God told him to do even when the assignment must have shaken Abraham to the core.

I know we’ve heard this story dozens of times, but can you imagine what it would be like to be in Abraham’s situation? If you have a child, imagine God telling you to take use that child as a human sacrifice! This isn’t a fairly tale; this really happened. When Abraham said he believed God, God tested that verbal profession. This was an ultimate test, too, not one that could be faked or one that didn’t involve anything of value to Abraham. This was a frightening test of Abraham’s professed faith in God.

How could a man do what Abraham did? How could a man take his son, bind him upon an alter, and prepared to sacrifice him like an animal? I’ll tell you what kind of man could do that—A man of faith. Abraham’s faith involved trust, complete trust, in God’s goodness and righteousness; his faith involved complete confidence in God’s command. It was this same trust in God that allowed Abraham to leave his home country and go to a place unknown to him. It was this same trust in God that allowed Abraham to live like an alien in that strange land, dwelling in tents with his family. He believed that God would provide a land, as He promised.

And it was that trust in God that allowed Abraham to face this supreme challenge involving his dear son, Isaac. Though he could not see the outcome, Abraham truly believed that God would take care of that detail. In fact, in Heb. 11:19 the writer tells us that Abraham believed that, if necessary, God could raise the dead. He was prepared to sacrifice Isaac even though the fulfillment of God’s promises depending on Isaac being alive; he was able to do this because he believed that God would resurrect Isaac and still fulfill His word, if necessary. That is a strong, steadfast trust in God!

Remember that key phrase at the end of v. 20: “Faith without works is ineffective, inoperative, idle.” Abraham showed that his faith was effective, operative and active when he put Isaac upon that altar and prepared to kill him. His faith preceded his works and his works validated his faith.

And the nature of this work was such that it spoke much regarding Abraham’s faith in God. This was not your ordinary, routine demonstration of a living faith. This was a heart-stopping, terrifying demonstration of a living faith. “You see,” James continues, “that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected.” (v. 22) This is what he has been saying all along. A living faith is manifested in works of obedience and righteousness. And because Abraham did this work, his faith was perfected, that is, it was demonstrated in a full and complete form (which is the meaning of the word used, teleioo).

Notice that in the next verse, it is the faith or belief of Abraham that is highlighted when the Scripture says “it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” (v. 23) James quotes Gen. 15:6 where Abraham’s faith is the instrument whereby righteousness is credited or imputed to him. This is the same verse that Paul quotes in Rom. 4:3 to show that Abraham’s faith preceded his circumcision and was the basis for his justification. Both writers emphasize the same thing, namely, that Abraham’s faith was operative before he gave expression to it in his responses to God. But, at the same time, the manner in which Abraham responded to God verified that faith was, in fact, present and acive.

As a result, James goes on to say, Abraham “was called the friend of God.” This description implies peace between them, that is a primary result of redemption. And, he adds, “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” Since the Reformation, Protestants have used the term “justified” almost exclusively in reference to God’s act of declaring us righteous by crediting to us the righteousness of Christ. This is known as “forensic” or “legal” justification. However, this is not how James is using the term, and the context makes this abundantly clear. As I stated, he is teaching that works verify or substantiate faith, they do not earn redemption. Abraham’s works proved that he had a living and effective faith.

The second illustration that James uses proves the same point. Rahab’s faith led her to protect the spies sent into Jericho by Joshua (v. 25). By her actions, Rahab demonstrated that she had true, living faith in Jehovah. This is why, of course, she is commended for her faith in Heb. 11:31.

Both illustrations, as well as everything else that James has written up to this point, lead him to one last statement on the issue: “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” (v. 26) The spirit of a man gives life to the body, so works give life or expression to faith. Or, to put it another way, life involves both body and spirit, so true, saving faith involves both belief and verification of belief in our works.

Conclusion

As we turn our attention to some application, let’s consider those three main points James makes. First, he teaches that Biblical faith is useful (i.e., it does things) and he gives the example of the brother or sister who, when in need of clothing and food, encounters another person professing to be a Christian. James teaches that saving faith responds to that person in need in tangible ways, not in words only. To say to the person, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled” accomplishes absolutely nothing.

James teaches that if you respond like that to someone in need, you should carefully consider what you think about the nature of saving faith. Words do not clothe and words do not fill empty stomachs. If your faith is what it should be, when God provides opportunities for you to help, you are going to help in truly productive ways.

Saving faith, as it relates to those around us, is supposed to be useful; it is supposed to be of such a nature that we gladly give help to a brother or sister in need or we gladly inconvenience ourselves for the sake of helping someone in distress. The reason is that true, saving faith unites us to Christ and if we are united to Him, then we are supposed to act like Him. And we know that Scripture commands His people to be compassionate and merciful toward others, just as He was and is toward us.

I will ask you, therefore, to think about your record. Do you manifest a faith that is useful, as James describes it in this passage. When you have an opportunity to help a brother or sister in need, how do you respond? You should have had at least a few such opportunities in your experience as a believer. How have you responded? What did you do when confronted by genuine need? Are there those who could testify that your response to their need truly was helpful?

The second thing that James taught is that Biblical faith is more than mere profession. This, as I noted before, follows right along with his first point that Biblical faith is useful in that it accomplishes something. If true faith actually accomplishes something, then it must consist of more than a profession made with words. We do not need to be afraid of discussing faith and works. Faith and works do go together. What we must be clear about is how they go together. James teaches that your faith must be more than a profession. What you profess should be proven by how you live. If your faith is genuine, then that will be shown to be the case when one observes your life because saving faith saves and when we are saved, changes occur; we don’t think or act like those who are still dead in sin.

Don’t forget the illustration that James used, that of the demons who believe that “God is one.” Belief in something that is true, when that belief is not accompanied by righteous works that correspond to that truth, is not belief that saves, James teaches. The demons believe that God is one, but they are still demons. What they believe does not change what they are. This illustration is a warning to us so that we are not satisfied with a mere profession of faith in ourselves or others. We are to strive to give expression to our faith, to prove that what we say is true, to verify what we claim by what we do.

The truth that James is emphasizing in this passage is that Christian faith is something more than words, it is belief expressed in conduct, or belief that is manifested in behavior. That is what we have to remember as we live out our days. We do not want to become complacent about the manner in which we express our Christianity. We need always to keep in mind that every day should see proof that what we say we are is really what we are.

When we believe the gospel, when we exercise faith, our belief begins to change us; our faith is active and effective. This is what salvation is about; it is about becoming something that you are not; it is about being sanctified. And this is what James means. A faith that does not sanctify is not a true faith; it is impossible to be saved and have no evidences of sanctification visible in your life. So, if you are depending upon a faith that has, up to this point, produced no signs of sanctification in you, then your faith is not alive and it certainly is not a saving faith. It is the nature of saving faith to give evidence of itself in your sanctification; and your sanctification is seen in works of righteousness that, more and more, come to characterize your life.

God did not leave us with a mystery; He did not leave us to guess about our spiritual state. There are some questions in our Christian experience that we cannot answer with absolute certainty. Whether we are in possession of saving faith is not one of those questions. We can know and we can know with complete confidence. Conduct is the one sure indicator of your faith.

And this is the third truth stressed by James in this passage. Biblical faith is verified by works. He referred to Abraham and Rahab as two people who, in real-life situations, showed just what they believed by their actions. The lesson for us then, is to remember that our faith, if it is saving faith, is going to be seen. It will be on display when God brings someone in need into our lives; it will be on display when we respond to unpleasant circumstance. True faith cannot be dormant; the faith that saves is trust in the provisions made by our Savior along with routine proof of our regenerated heart as we treat others as Jesus treats us.

The simple, yet unavoidable truth is this: If your life is not being shaped by what you profess, then you don’t really believe what you profess. In the matter of the gospel, this can only mean that you are not saved.

On the other hand, there is a great amount of encouragement to be taken from this passage if, in fact, you are one whose profession is followed by good works. You have every reason to rejoice and give thanks because God is giving you reliable testimony concerning your spiritual condition. If you are not born again, you will not engage in the kind of behavior categorized as “good” in God’s Word.

For this reason, we all should pay close attention to ourselves day by day. We need to take note of how we relate to those many opportunities that come along in which we can shoulder the burden with a brother, or relieve the worry of a sister in the Lord. And, by all means, this principle of true faith followed by good works should be a helpful gauge as you raise your children. Are you seeing in them a growing compassion and an increasing dependence on Scripture.

Be encouraged by the teaching of James. If necessary, this information can lead us to saving faith. Or, it can give us great confidence as our profession of saving faith is confirmed.

Prayer . . .

Communion hymn . . .

Sacrament . . .

We never want to study the Word about such subjects as faith and good works without directing our attention to the Savior. If it were not for His work on the cross, not only would we be incapable of manifesting anything good, we wouldn’t be saved at all! If you have a heart of compassion, thank Christ. If you are moved by the suffering of others, thank your Savior. If you find true joy in helping those in need, be grateful to your Redeemer. Apart from Him, there is nothing good in us and nothing good would ever be forthcoming from our efforts.

Keep in mind the declaration of Paul in Eph. 2:10: “For we are [God’s] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Take note how clearly the apostle connects our works of righteousness to the Savior. In Christ Jesus, he says, we become creatures designed for good works. Salvation transforms us so that we become a source of God-honoring conduct.

The sacrament before us today, therefore, is so very relevant to the passage we considered this morning. How could we possibly talk about good works or conduct that is pleasing to God without putting our dear Savior before our eyes so that we might point away from ourselves and to Him. The glory for good works is His, not ours. We would be rebels and haters of all that is holy were it not for His mercy on us.

When you have in your hand the bread and wine, think of the work of Christ that has made you into a creature of capable of honoring God. And as you eat the bread, give thanks for the life Jesus gave for you. And when you drink the cup, give thanks for the precious blood that was shed for you.

Pray that the Savior will fill your life with good works. As you commune with Him in the taking of the bread and wine, seek His favor so that your life is not simply occasionally marked by good works, but is saturated with works pleasing to His heavenly Father and ours.

On that last night together, Matthew provides this record:

And while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom.” (Matt. 26:26, 27)