Living Faith: Working It Out

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This message is the fifth sermon in a series of sermons on the New Testament book of James. James provides numerous admonitions for living out one's faith in a practical way. This sermon focuses on James 2:14-26 and discusses the need to verify one's faith by the works that accompany such faith. Genuine faith is more than just words.

Written Excerpts:

Philippians 2:12 ^(KJV) Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 

Introduction:

When I started the series of messages on the Epistle of James, I mentioned that James was directing his words towards those who thought that faith could be genuine without any real evidence in lifestyle and conduct. We made a contrast between the Apostle Paul and the Apostle James in this way: Paul attacks the idea that a man can be saved by works and so places more emphasis on faith. James attacks the idea that a man's faith may be dead (unproductive) yet real, and so James emphasizes works…

The "works" Paul attacks are those which pretend to save; the "works" James demands are those which demonstrate salvation. Paul and James are not standing face-to-face opposing each other, but are standing back-to-back, opposing different “enemies.”

Today we are going to take a look at the second half of chapter two where James refutes the idea that faith can be real without any works to verify it. That relates to the title of today’s message – Living Faith: Working It Out.

There is a text from Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians that goes along appropriately with our passage in James. It reads like this, Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (Philippians 2:12 ^NKJV)

I have heard many people interpret this verse to mean that everyone’s understanding of salvation is slightly different, so each person needs to “work out” what they think salvation involves for them and not worry about what others think. That is not really the correct understanding of the text. One author states that the words, “work out,” indicate the idea of carrying something through to its conclusion. As such, it would mean that the Philippian believers were urged to let God’s salvation be worked out into their everyday lives and accomplish all that God intended for it to accomplish.

This is essentially the point that James is making in this portion of chapter two. Any person that professes to have faith, must demonstrate his/her faith by the way that it works itself out in the practice of everyday life.

With the help of the holy Spirit I want to speak to you today about the ways that faith is supposed to work as we daily live. 

If you have a copy of the outline I created, and are following along, we are on page two of the outline and ready to talk about 

IV.       Living Faith: Working It Out (2:14-26)

As the Apostle James “zeroes in” on this matter of demonstrating that our faith is genuine and active, James asks three rhetorical questions. Remember that a “rhetorical question” is one in which the answer is so obvious that it doesn’t need to be answered. 

A.  Three Penetrating Questions (14-16)

The first question appears in the first part of verse 14.

1. What benefit is faith without works? (14a)

James raises the question so that the readers/hearers would begin to think about the implications of trying to proclaim their faith but having no action to verify what they proclaim. The question he poses expects a negative answer – “There is no benefit!”

The second question comes at the end of verse 14.

2. Can that kind of faith save? (14b)

As you may notice, I have rephrased the question at the end of verse 14. It is obvious from the context that James is not just talking about faith in general, but he’s specifically talking about the kind of faith that is not followed by any works to confirm the authenticity of the faith. Again, a negative response is expected to this rhetorical question – “No! This kind of faith cannot save anyone.”

The third question comes after the presentation of a hypothetical situation to illustrate the very point he has been trying to make. 

3. What value are empty words? (15-16)

He presents a hypothetical scenario of an individual who is found to be destitute of food and clothing, and all that is offered are words of condolence with no accompanying action to alleviate the suffering. If action is not taken to actually supply the needs of the person who is destitute, then what real benefit is it? His intended point is that any thinking person would readily see that the words accomplish nothing. After the words are spoken, the person is no better off than before.

Again, for the third time, the rhetorical question expects a negative response – “There is no benefit to the destitute person, if only flowery words are offered.”

B.  A Practical Faith Principle (17)

Based on the three questions that have all clearly proven a valid point, James proposes a precise, practical principle regarding faith. If faith is not accompanied by works, then the faith is dead; lifeless; and useless.

(George Guthrie, Expositor's Bible Commentary, Revised) …the term “dead” [is] being used here to speak of something that is so deficient spiritually as to call into question its reality.

Having true faith in Christ is more than merely repeating a certain kind of prayer or saying the right words, but it must be accompanied by obedience to the commands and desires of Christ as revealed in Scripture.

C.  A Proposed Objection (18-19)

This section (v.18) is especially difficult to interpret because the original Greek text did not contain punctuation and therefore, it is not clear who the pronouns “you” and “I” refer to. 

One author (Douglas J. Moo, Tyndale NT Commentaries), believes the best approach for interpreting the verse is to understand it as simply two hypothetical individuals who stress two separate ways – faith or works. But James is declaring that they are not separate options; “either/or.” Both faith and works must be present. If not, then the faith is not real.

1. The objection is raised and answered. (18)

One person may have faith to proclaim. Another person may have works to show. However, the most desirable position is for all people to use works to validate their faith.

2. The objection is illustrated by a comparison. (19)

(Moo) What does this faith without works amount to? It amounts to the same kind of faith that is possessed by demons.

James positively and authoritatively asserts that demons believe in God and they tremble at the prospect of coming judgment that God is going to bring upon them. However, that belief or confident faith has not saved them because demons have not combined faith with any kind of works/actions to obey God. 

We know from other references in the Bible that demonic spirits chose to rebel against the God that they know is real. So, a person who claims to have faith in God, but hasn’t verified his/her faith by obedience to the word and will of God is no better off than the demons and cohorts of Satan himself.

(Guthrie) If one confesses God’s reality, he or she must come to grips with God’s requirements of righteous living, recognizing that a workless faith is no good.

D.  Two Persuasive Demonstrations (20-25)

In verse 20, James prepares to show some examples of working faith from the OT by essentially asking this question, “Do you want to know [more proof] that faith without works is dead?

The question is directed to an anonymous / hypothetical “foolish man.” “foolish” = empty; shallow

1. Abraham demonstrated working faith. (20-24)

“Abraham… justified by works” – Some writers believe that the word “justified” in this context is intended to mean a demonstration of being justified; that is, demonstrated by works.

Others describe it like this:

(Moo, Tyndale NT Commentaries) James asserts that Abraham did works and that these works were used as criteria in God’s ultimate judgment over Abraham’s life. He assumes that Abraham had faith and that this faith was basic to Abraham’s acceptance by God (vv. 22-23). But he stresses that the life of the one who has been so accepted by God must show the fruit of that relationship in good works. It was what precedes and enables these works that Paul concentrates on. Paul wants to make clear that one ‘gets into’ God’s kingdom only by faith; James insists that God requires works from those who are ‘in’.

vv. 21-22 – It was not the works that declared Abraham righteous or justified; it was God who declared it. See v. 23. “He believed…counted [by God] for righteousness.”

“by works” – i.e. out of works. 

(Lenski’s Commentary) Abraham was initially declared righteous because of his faith alone, but this one example of sacrificing his son, (and many others not mentioned here), continued to bring about subsequent verdicts of righteousness out of the works Abraham did. 

“faith was made perfect” – The structure of the sentence indicates that it means “was brought to its goal” [by God]. 

It is a passive verb and it shows God bringing Abraham’s faith to its desired goal out of the works that he did as a result of his trust in God.

“justified by works and not by faith only” – This passage seems to be full-blown contradiction to Paul’s statement in Rom. 3:28 “we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the law.”

However, Paul is speaking about “works of the law” and James is speaking about “works of faith.”

2. Rahab demonstrated working faith. (25)

The second OT illustration of faith at work comes in the story of Rahab. Another biblical story intended to show the same point as Abraham’s story did.

E.  A Positive Precept (26)

In the same way that a physical body is dead when there is no “spirit” (breath), so is faith dead without works.

(Lenski New Testament Commentary) Absence of breath, deadness of the body; absence of works, deadness of the faith.

Conclusion:

We have gone through a rather lengthy discussion of this truth that James wants to instill in their hearts – if faith in the heart is not accompanied by works from the life, then the faith is not alive; it is nothing more than a mental agreement on the same level as demons.

I believe that there is one word that sums up everything James is referring to when he speaks about “works.” It is the word, “obedience.”

That can either be obedience to God’s Word in leaving off sinful practices that are not compatible with righteousness, or it can be adding those practices that demonstrate the love of Christ to the world around us. 

There have been some very remarkable examples of works of faith, such as: John & Charles Wesley. 

John Wesley is an excellent example of one who was trying to obtain salvation and peace with God by religious works, but never felt truly born again until he was listening to Luther’s preface to the book of Romans and “felt his heart strangely warmed.” But after his “heart-warming” conversion by faith, he went on to carry out remarkable works of faith to reform the culture in which he lived.

As the hymn-writer declares: A charge to keep I have, a God to glorify; a never-dying soul to save and fit it for the sky. Let’s sing our closing song: A Charge to Keep I Have