Title: “Faith and Works” Part 2

Text: James 2:20-24

FCF: We often struggle demonstrating a saving faith.

Prop: Because Abraham fulfilled his faith by his works, we must have a faith that works.

Scripture Intro: ESV

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 2.

Let me tell you that this week was a doozy of a message to prepare for you. I really expected to be able to cover the rest of chapter 2 with this sermon, but unfortunately by the time I got done with my thoughts and confirmed and added to them by the commentary check, I had over 5000 words and I was really no where close to finished.

So rather than short changing you or forcing you to sit through an 80 minute message, I chose to divide this sermon in two. That’s ok because it will give me a chance to expand both this sermon and next week’s.

Since we are in the heart of the most important part of the book of James, it would behoove us to review a little before we get into the text this morning.

We looked at James’ third lack last week. His audience either lacked the proper perspective on, or even the possession of a faith that endures and is being perfected.

We recognize immediately the theme from the beginning of the book, that God uses trials to test our faith producing an enduring and perfected faith – which is of course God’s ultimate goal for His children. His desire is not simply to save them to heaven or from hell, but to conform them to the image of His son, refining them into vessels of pure gold set apart for holy service in His Kingdom which both is and is yet to come.

But James’ audience is enduring trials of poverty, primarily because they are Christians in a predominantly pagan environment. The wealthier Roman pagans are oppressing them and taking them to court. Then suddenly they hear a message from a young man claiming to be an apostle. What do they hear?

“We are saved by faith and our works no longer matter.” Well… that isn’t what the apostle said exactly. He actually said, “Justification is by faith apart from works.” But what they interpret it to mean is that if they hold fast to the right doctrines, they can completely blend in with their surrounding pagans in all their sinful practices because, after all, their works no longer matter. They are truly free from the law of God. YAY!?

But James has a couple questions for that kind of faith. First, what good is it and second, can it truly save them?

He then proves by use of logic, comparing that kind of faith, to the professed love of others without the outward works of care. Just as a professed love with no care is useless, so also professed faith with no obedience is also useless.

Then he anticipates an argument against him, that perhaps faith and works are independent items from one another. Perhaps someone can have faith without works and perhaps someone else can have works without faith.

But James immediately challenges such faith. He calls upon that individual to demonstrate worksless faith… knowing full well that faith cannot be demonstrated without action. Then James shows the ultimate example of how dangerous professed faith alone can be. He describes the theologically astute demons cowering in fear at the God they very much believe in… but they do not obey Him, nor do they serve Him, nor will they be rescued from His wrath.

James’ conclusion stands. Faith without works is dead. It was never alive.

Today, James will move on from logic, to theological and scriptural proofs for his position. He will call up one of the most well known and beloved examples of faith from the Old Testament, and he will prove without doubt that his faith was working with his works.

I am in James 2, I’ll begin reading in verse 14, just to keep the context together. I am reading again from the ESV but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1361 or in whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

Since this is a divided sermon, there is only one point in this sermon and one in the next. Thankfully the points are easily remembered. Abraham’s faith was fulfilled by his works… and next week… Rahab’s faith was fulfilled by her works. Unfortunately, the ease of this sermon ends there. There are some difficult theological concepts here that we must walk a tightrope to get right. I will do my best – but as a young man, recognize that I am still understanding all of this myself. Based on my commentary check, I have many assurances that I have landed where many wiser believers before me have also. That gives me confidence to present to you this very difficult section of scripture.

I.) Abraham’s faith was fulfilled by his works, so we must have a faith that works.

a. [Slide 2] 20 – Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

i. Perhaps the first question that comes to mind after reading such a verse is – who is the foolish person?

ii. It is the hypothetical person that James raised in verse 18.

iii. James predicts the argument of this person in that they will say that faith without works is a perfectly acceptable form of saving faith. Not only that, but even that it is equal or on par with a faith that has works. And even more egregiously, suggesting that works without faith could also be acceptable.

iv. But James pointed out the logical blunder that is posed when we go to demonstrate faith. If you have only faith – then you cannot demonstrate it without works. Works flow out of faith. They are inseparable.

v. Now James asks the same person who considers faith without works no less than faith with works, do you want to be shown?

vi. James asks, literally, do you want to know that faith without works is useless?

vii. The word to know has the idea of acquiring knowledge through observation or the senses. Keep this in the back of your mind for just a second, because there is some wordplay or thought play going on here.

viii. The ESV pushes the meaning just a step, as do other translations, when they change James’ question to that of observable evidence. Do you want to know by proof? Do you want me to leave no room for doubt for you? Do you want me to show to your senses the proof you need to be convinced?

ix. James also calls this person – a foolish person. The idea of a foolish person is one who is empty, devoid of advantage or benefit or… senseless.

x. So, James calls upon a senseless person to experience through his senses the proof of the matter – that faith without works has no value or use. It is as empty as he is.

b. [Slide 3] 21 – Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?

i. Where might James go to prove to any Jew who professed Christ that faith without works is useless?

ii. Where else but to the scriptures? Where else but to the patriarchs? And the patriarch of the patriarchs is none other than Abraham himself.

iii. Their whole identity as Jews began right there. Indeed, there was so much pride in the idea of being in the bloodline of Abraham that had existed for over 2000 years. Greater than the span of time that we look back to Christ, they were looking back to Abraham.

iv. This is why he calls him Abraham our “father.”

v. So, James raises evidence from the most respected Patriarch. A gentile whom God called out from the land of Ur to begin a new nation.

vi. He asks the question, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac on the altar?”

vii. We need to break down this question to see exactly what he is asking. To help us, the assumed answer is… YES! This is a question but it is certainly a statement.

1. The first and most obvious phrase we need to define is, “justified by works”- but since our understanding of that will require knowing to what instance James is referring, we best table this for now and come back.

2. [Slide 4] The next phrase is, “When he offered Isaac his son on the altar.” Let’s review the events of Abraham’s life – very briefly – just to understand what is happening here.

a. Abraham was 75 years old when God called him to leave his home, his family, all that he knew to a land that God would give him and would bless the whole world through him.

b. God affirms his covenant with Abraham as he travels through the land of Canaan, and promises to give all the land he sees to his offspring.

c. Because of famine, he goes to Egypt and lies about his wife Sarai, calling her his sister which was kind of true. She was his half-sister… but he omitted the tiny detail that she was also his wife. Pharoah takes her into his harem and immediately the promise of an offspring is threatened. God afflicts Pharoah and reveals to him that she is Abraham’s wife.

d. Pharoah boots them out of the country but not before Abraham inherited great wealth in Egypt. God reveals that He did this not for Abraham’s sake but for Sarai’s who went into Pharoah’s harem for a time.

e. Abraham handles tense relations with his nephew Lot over money and even rescues Lot when he becomes a prisoner of war.

f. Abraham meets with Melchizedek, a priest of Yahweh, and is blessed by him.

g. Then, in Genesis 15, Abraham gets another meeting from God in a vision. He is reassured that his own son will be his heir and the inheritor of all that God has promised him. He points to the sky and tells him to number the stars if he can. That is the number of his offspring. To this, Abraham is said to have believed God and God counted his faith as righteousness.

h. But Abraham asks how he is to know that he will possess the land of Canaan. He asks for a sign or a promise from God. Then God forms an unconditional covenant with Abraham, which Abraham wasn’t even awake for