This Week\’s Sunday School Lesson, \”Active Living Faith\”, 2/4/2018

                                                                        ACTIVE LIVING FAITH

 

James 2:14-26

 

Faith and Works

V:14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?

1. At first glance this verse seem to be in contradiction to Paul\’s epistle.
2. Ephesians 2:8-9 states \” For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and

this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.

1. To resolve this, we must understand that our declaration of faith carries with it

the responsibility to keep God\’s commands.

1. Jesus said if you love me, you will keep my commands.
2. The evidence of our faith is keeping God\’s commands which will show up

in works toward our neighbors.

1. We have to deal with this question; can faith save him?
2. A false claim of faith cannot save.
3. A true claim of faith, evidenced by works will save.

 

LOVE AN ACT OF FAITH

V:15-16. \” 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?\”

1. Verse 15 and 16 clarifies this argument.
2. Standing on God\’s second greatest command, \”Love your neighbor as yourself\”

we would have to conclude that works is result of true faith.

1. Jesus said, \”the poor will always be with you\”, giving us the responsibility

of continuous work.

1. True faith operates with love which prompts us to give to those in need.
2. True faith does not neglect the responsibility of the welfare of a neighbor

in need.

1. A false claim of faith takes the easy way out with just a good sounding

word.

1. True faith involves letting go of that which you own to help another person,

thereby storing up treasures in heaven.

 

 WORKS THE EVIDENCE OF FAITH

V:17-18. \” Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

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.\”

1. Salvation come by God\’s grace through our faith.
2. All believers have saving faith.
3. I would venture to say, that not all believers have a working faith.
4. The true issue here is a dead faith versus a living faith.
5. If I am satisfied with my salvation without any works, then my faith

is dead.

1. If I gain my satisfaction by following God\’s commands and doing

His works, then by faith is living.

1. You know you have an active faith when you find joy is making

sacrifices to help someone in need.

1. A person with a living faith is constantly on the giving end, in time and

resources.

 

BELIEVING IN GOD IS NOT THE EVIDENCE OF FAITH

V:19-20. \” 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? \”
A. What James is trying to get us to understand is that  believing in God is a prerequisite

to faith but  the not evidence of a living faith.

1. All through out Jesus ministry on earth we find demons confronting Jesus with

knowledge of Him but no faith in Him or His Words.

1. God put us on this earth to glorify Him with our mouths and works.
2. To His disciples, Jesus said \”Go make disciples, baptizing them in the name of

the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.

1. This great commission is just one of the commands of Jesus that requires us to

use   the gifts He has equipped us with to do His will.

1. We were not saved just to get to heaven.
2. There is work on earth designed for us
3. Philippians 1:6 states, \” being confident of this, that he who began a good work in

you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. \”

1. Colossians 1:10 states, \” And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of

the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing

in the knowledge of God, \”

 

ROLE MODELS OF FAITH

V: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;.\”

1. Abraham is an example of working faith.
2. God made Him wait until he was 99 years old before he was given a son with

Sarah.

1. Isaac was Abraham\’s pride and joy.
2. Isaac was his long awaited descendant to carry his name to the next generation.
3. Certainly Abraham would not want to lose his only son.
4. However, Abraham did not hesitate to make plans to sacrifice Isaac on the altar

as requested  by God.

1. Abraham started his journey with God by leaving his family and home town

at an  age less than 75 years.

1. He did not know where He was going when he left Ur, but he followed God\’s

commands.

1. Abraham had a 25 plus relationship with God by the time he was requested to

make this supreme sacrifice of his son.

1. Our faith grows with the work we do for God.
2. God is in the business of growing us up to be His role models for the world.
3. 2 Corinthians 9:8 states, \” And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that

in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good

work.

1. The faith of Abraham serves as a role model for us 4000 years later.
2. We don\’t serve God so He can serve us. We serve God so we can serve

others.

 

ACTIVE WORKING FAITH IS COUNTED

V: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.\”

1. Alive faith and works go hand in hand. You will not have one without the other.
2. The definition of faith is to \”believe God\”.
3. Belief in God is doing His commands as ordered by Him.
4. To be a friend of God we need an active working faith.
5. We cannot have better friend than Jesus.
6. He knows our works and will come to our rescue when we need Him.
7. An Active working faith guides us in a life of service.

 

LOVE DRIVES ACTS OF FAITH

V:24. \” You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.\”

1. Again, verse 24 seems to be a contradiction to Paul\’s letters.
2. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
3. 1 Peter 4:8 states, \”Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a

multitude of sins. \”

1. It is our faith that drives our love.
2. It is our love that drives our works,
3. We are constantly in need of forgiveness.

3.Therefor we are constantly in need of works that covers our sins.

1. Works cannot save, but works is the evidence of our salvation.
2. A tree is known by the fruit it bears.

FAITH PRODUCES SALVATION

V: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? \”

1. \”Rahab is the second example of a working faith that produced saving

results.

1. Personally, I would not compare the level of Rahab\’s faith to Abraham\’s.
2. Abraham was operating on faith when He was promise nothing.
3. Rahab was promised that the life of her and her family would be spared

when the Israel\’s army entered her city if she hid  Israel\’s spies.

1. Rahab had everything to gain and nothing to lose.
2. Rahab had a knowledge of Israel\’s God and His power.
3. She put her trust in Israel\’s God.
4. We have a knowledge of the true and living God.
5. We have a choice to trust God or to trust ourselves.
6. We have a choice to trust the Word of God or to trust the word of man.
7. We have a choice to serve God or serve ourselves.
8. We have a choice to store up treasures in heaven or store them on earth.

 

ACTIVE FAITH PRODUCES ABUNDANT LIVING

V:26. \” For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is

dead.\”

1. God intends for us to have life and to have it abundantly.
2. Abundant life with God is a life of serve.
3. Jesus said, \”I did not come to be served but to serve\”.
4. Jesus also said that greatest among you will be a servant of all.
5. Faith grows through service.
6. We learn what God will do through us when we reach out and serve.
7. The gifts that God has provided to each of us are perfected through

service.

1. An athlete sitting on the sidelines does not know how good he is until

he gets in the game.

1. Believers don\’t know all the good they can do until they step out and serve.
2. Jesus said \”It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35

 

SHOW YOUR LOVE BY YOUR WORKS

 

 

 

Rev M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Toll Way North

Houston, Texas 77041

 

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