Faith Works Through Love

SERMON # 1120-CHURCH IN THE HOUSES DATE: AUGUST 12, 2020

TOPIC: "Faith Works Through Love" James 2:14-26 James and Paul define faith as a living and productive trust in Christ. Paul in Galatians 5:6 says: "...but faith expressing itself through love." Faith that works through love. Faith is a complete dependence on God. Faith is not idle; IT IS MANIFESTED in a selfless service to God and men (deeds). THE MOTIVE FOR THIS SERVICE IS LOVE! IT WORKS OUT OF LOVE! Faith works through love: it is motivated by love, not by the law. We do not live in rituals, but in the reality of a godly life!

I. Let us add to His redemptive work our own WORKS OF CHARITY AND DEVOTION.

A. We live interested in other people and in wanting to help those most in need.

1. LET US favor others selflessly, without expecting anything in return!

2. Sterile faith does not achieve or do anything because it is not genuine, it is pure talk. It has no charity for anyone!

3. The genuineness of faith is shown, not in saying, but IN DOING!

4. The deeds are THE EXTERNAL TEST of the reality of our faith. (Vs. 24)

5. This is why we see that the person is justified by grace, by faith, by the blood, by God, by power and by deeds; these are simply the different aspects for the one who believes in Christ.

6. GOD is the active Agent in justification; GRACE is the principle or basis that God justifies; FAITH is the means by which man receives justification; THE BLOOD is the price that the Savior had to pay; THE POWER and THE WORKS are its result.

7. (Vs. 14) James insists that a faith that does not result in good deeds cannot save.

8. He who only has a profession of faith says he has faith, but there is nothing in his life to show it!

9. A pretense faith that is not backed by good deeds does not save! That is just pretending.

10. What good is it for someone to say that he has faith but has no deeds? “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?"

11. (Vs. 15, 16) Here is illustrated THE FUTILITY OF WORDS WITHOUT ACTIONS.

12. We see two persons here. One has no daily sustenance or clothes. Who speaks to him has both, but is unwilling to share what he has. Then, professing great generosity, he says: "Go, put on some clothes and eat a good meal." But he doesn't lift a finger to make that possible. What good are his words? They are totally useless!

13. They give no satisfaction to this man; they are of no help.

14. (Vs. 17) "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

15. FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT A TRUE FAITH!

16. What James is emphasizing here is that we are not saved just by words of faith, but by that kind of faith that results IN A LIFE OF GOOD DEEDS!

17. In other words, THE DEEDS ARE NOT THE ROOT OF SALVATION, BUT ITS FRUIT.

18. John Calvin said: "We are saved by the faith alone, but not a faith that remains alone."

19. (Vs. 18) TRUE FAITH AND GOOD DEEDS ARE INSEPARABLE.

20. James shows this as a conversation between two: one who is genuinely saved. The second only professes to have faith but does not show it through good deeds. The first one says: “You say that you have faith, but you have no deeds to prove it. I say that faith has to manifest itself in a life of deeds. Show me that you have faith without your good deeds. You cannot do it, because faith is invisible. The only way others can know that you have faith is through a life that shows it. I will indeed show you my faith by my deeds." So, the key to this verse is in the word "show me." It is impossible to "show" faith except through deeds.

21. (Vs. 19) Someone's supposed faith may be nothing more than saying it or mentally accepting it, but it doesn't involve A SURRENDER NOR DOES IT PRODUCE A TRANSFORMED LIFE.

22. It is not enough to believe in the existence of God. This is essential, but it is not enough.

23. The demons also believe it and tremble at the thought of the future punishment they will receive from Him.

24. Demons believe that reality but do not surrender to God. That is not a saving faith!

25. When someone truly believes in the Lord, it involves a surrender of spirit, soul and body.

26. “Surrender” results, in turn, IN A TRANSFORMED LIFE!

27. (Vs. 20) "Faith without deeds" is an intellectual belief, and therefore a dead belief!

28. (Vs. 21-25) Two examples of the faith that works: that of Abraham, a Jew, and that of Rahab, a Gentile.

29. Abraham was justified by deeds when offering his son Isaac on the altar. (Genesis 15:6, 22:12)

30. Abraham believed Jehovah, and this was credited to him as righteousness, he was justified for believing, he was justified by faith!

31. By Abraham offering his son he was then justified by deeds!

32. His obedience showed that his faith was not just an intellectual belief, but a commitment from the heart. (Vs.22, 23) Abraham's faith inspired his deeds, and this faith was perfected by virtue of the deeds.

33. FAITH PRODUCES DEEDS AND DEEDS ARE EVIDENCE OF FAITH!

34. His good deeds identified him as the friend of God!

35. (Vs. 24) Abraham was justified by faith towards God and by deeds towards men.

36. God justified him the moment he believed.

37. (Vs. 25) Rahab believed in the God of the Hebrews and was justified by deeds when she received the messengers there in Jericho. (Vs. 26) Faith without deeds is dead.

38. Faith and deeds are compared with the body and spirit of man. The body without spirit is needy of life, it is useless, it has no value. And so, the faith without deeds is dead, it is ineffective.

39. Ask yourself: Am I willing, like Abraham, to offer the most dearest of my life to God? Am I willing, like Rahab, to be a traitor to the world in order to be loyal to Christ? Amen.