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Put some Life in your Faith (James 2:14-26)
Steve Fenton, 6 February 2011
Part of the The Implanted World series, Sunday Morning service
“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead”, writes James (2:26). “Faith” is a vague word - it can mean many things to different people. But James is writing about a particular faith, a “saving faith” and uses two illustrations to describe what saving faith isn’t, and two illustrations to describe what saving faith is. James 2 is a reality check and provides affirmation that our faith is real and that eternal life is assured.
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
|---|---|---|
| « Just do it | None | The Uncontrollable Tounge » |
James 2:14–26 (Listen)
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
(ESV)