Bible Study- James (3) - Faith on Display in Your Actions - James 2:14-26 - September 18, 2022

 

Bible Study – James (3) – Faith on Display in Your Actions – September 18, 2022

This is lesson three (3) in our series entitled, “James: Living Out Our Faith.”

Our focus scripture is James 2:14-26.

What you believe is seen in what you do.

Let’s read James 2:14-17:

Faith and Works

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him?

What “good” is it or what “use” or “profit” is it “if” a person claims to have faith but does not have works to confirm it. Faith motivates a person to share. What is one of a Spirit-born person’s most powerful events he or she has that can be shared with others? It is his or her personal testimony when he or she accepted JESUS as his or her Savior!

In earlier verses in our study, the reference to “and sisters” was not in the original manuscript but “sisters” is implied. As we read further in this study today, “and sisters” is not only implied but it is added in original version.

James goes to the heart of a person who confesses JESUS as his or her Savior. A person who confesses JESUS as his or her Savior has been Spiritually born into the Family of GOD and is eternally GOD’S Son or Daughter. What does this mean?

In human birth, when the sperm and egg unite it/conception produces a human person. Physical conception takes place. This human person will have certain features and traits based upon his or her mother and dad. The same is true when a person is Spiritually conceived. A Spiritually born person will have certain Spiritual traits/attributes which results from his or her human spirit. Consider the human spirit as the egg. The union of the human spirit/egg with GOD’S Spirit/Divine Spirit results in a person being “born-again” Spiritually. JESUS said this in John 3:3: ³ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again,^[a] he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

The Spirit-born person receives his or her Spiritual DNA when the Devine Sperm/the Holy Spirit unites with the human spirit through faith in JESUS. The end result is that person is eternally Spiritually born into GOD’s Family, never to be Spiritually unborn.

What are some of the traits of Spiritual DNA? There are many but we can see a sample in Galatians 5:22-23:

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.^[g]

And another sample is in Romans 12:6-8:

⁶ According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one’s^[b] faith; ⁷ if service, use it in service; if teaching, in teaching; ⁸ if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.

These traits have to be developed as GOD guides Spirit-born people along life’s path to bring out and develop these traits/attributes as Spirit-born people do life upon earth.

In verse 14, “if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him?” The structure of the question anticipates a negative answer. [Such faith cannot save him, can it?]

James used the word “works” to refer to any kind deed or action a person might carry out. There are many people who do “works” but they are the result of our human nature. Then there are “works” which result from being Spirit-born and led by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit led “works” please GOD and reflect our Spiritual development.

What was James telling “born-again” Christians then and us today? In other words, “consider this situation and how you would respond?”  

¹⁵ If a brother “or sister” is without clothes and lacks daily food ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.

Here we read the words “or sister” and they are in the original manuscript. These are fellow Christians.

GOD allows us to be placed in these circumstances to give us an opportunity to exercise our faith. How will we respond? It depends upon our walk with JESUS.

James’s instructions are very clear, when we see a fellow Christian in need and we do not meet that need that is a big clue that we need a Spiritual health checkup. Now, I quickly add, all Spirit-born People need the gift of discernment because there are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Sometimes we have to go with the opportunity, which may be a learning experience.

Let’s read James 2:18-20:

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.”^[d] Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works. ¹⁹ You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe—and they shudder.

²⁰ Senseless person! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? 

We move from “faith without action is useless” to how faith and works fit together. You can’t have one without the other as a Spirit-born person. In essence, some thought worshipping GOD was all a person needed to do and did not need salvation through faith in JESUS. Such a person failed to see that JESUS’ passion removed the sin barrier that blocks a person’s personal relationship with GOD through faith in JESUS. JESUS fulfilled the law and HIS passion established grace. All people who are Spirit-born are eternally saved from eternal death and given eternal life through faith in the passion of JESUS and GOD’S Grace. This results in a person being Spirit-born into GODS Family.

How often do we hear a person say, “I believe in GOD.” What was James’ reply to that statement? “You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe—and they shudder.” Belief in GOD does not cut it. The key is that every person must have a personnel relationship with GOD through the miracle of Spiritual-birth by a person placing one’s faith in JESUS. JESUS left HIS home in Heaven/Glory and came to earth, lived a sinless life and willingly gave HIS life to pay the penalty for sin, in full, for all who will accept JESUS as their Savior.

Every person must be born-again in his or her spirit to receive the miracle of Spiritual birth. It is our born-again Spirit that lives eternally with GOD in Heaven until we receive our new Glorified bodies when JESUS returns to earth at HIS second coming.

Today is the day of salvation. Ask JESUS to forgive you for your sins and ask HIM to come into your heart, believing that HE willingly gave HIS sinless life upon the cross to pay your sin debt in full. If you prayed this prayer thank JESUS for saving your soul and coming into your heart. You are now GOD’S Child through the miracle of Spiritual-birth and your eternal home is Heaven, when you exit this earthly life.

You asked JESUS to forgive you by faith and HE came into your heart. You now possess GOD’S DNA as confirmed by the indwelling Holy Spirit. If you are not already in a Bible teaching church, class or study, then ask GOD to lead you to the place HE wants you to be fed Spiritually.

²⁰ Senseless person! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? 

“Senseless person,” refers to those who might think that faith and action are unrelated. Works are one thing but faith is more than saying what we believe, it is walking the talk.

Let’s read James 2:21-26:

²¹ Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works in offering Isaac his son on the altar? ²² You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was made complete, ²³ and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,^[e] and he was called God’s friend. ²⁴ You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵ In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works in receiving the messengers and sending them out by a different route? ²⁶ For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

James now moved to highlighting two Old Testament people who lived out their faith – Abraham and Rahab. James wrote about a male and a female who put their faith into action.

I tell you Abraham exhibited extraordinary faith. Now Abraham was not a goodie two-shoes. He had issues during his life. When you consider that GOD asked Abraham to offer Isaac, his only son, as a burnt offering can we understand the magnitude of what GOD was asking him to do.

To offer Isaac as a burnt offering meant reducing Isaac to a pile of ashes. But what faith did Abraham have? Let’s read part of the event as recorded in Genesis 22:1-19: (Note the words in bold type, as you read the scripture.)

22 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he answered.

² “Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

³ So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. ⁴ On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. ⁵ Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” [Notice, we’ll come back to you. Abraham was planning to sacrifice Isaac but trusted that GOD would resurrect him from the burnt pile of ashes. Now that is faith in action and a foreshadow of the resurrection of JESUS on the third day.]

⁶ Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his hand he took the fire and the knife, and the two of them walked on together.

⁷ Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.”

And he replied, “Here I am, my son.”

Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

⁸ Abraham answered, “God himself will provide^[a] the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together.

⁹ When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac^[b] and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.

¹¹ But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”

He replied, “Here I am.”

¹² Then he said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.” ¹³ Abraham looked up and saw a ram^[c] caught in the thicket by its horns. So, Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. ¹⁴ And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide,^[d] so today it is said, “It will be provided^[e] on the Lord’s mountain.”

¹⁵ Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven ¹⁶ and said, “By myself I have sworn,” this is the Lord’s declaration: “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, ¹⁷ I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the city gates of their^[f] enemies. ¹⁸ And all the nations of the earth will be blessed^[g] by your offspring because you have obeyed my command.”

¹⁹ Abraham went back to his young men, and they got up and went together to Beer-sheba. And Abraham settled in Beer-sheba.

Repeat of our scripture – James 2:21-24:

²¹ Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works in offering Isaac his son on the altar? ²² You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was made complete, ²³ and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,^[e] and he was called God’s friend. ²⁴ You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. [It takes both.]

By works, Abraham’s faith was made complete.

Rahab: Repeat of James 2:25-26:

²⁵ In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works in receiving the messengers and sending them out by a different route? ²⁶ For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

James was saying just as the human body without the spirit is dead, so is faith without works is dead. As Spirit-born people, GOD expects us to walk the walk and talk the talk. Be genuine. We cannot fool GOD!

GOD gave HIS only SON, JESUS, to die a cruel death upon the cross for my sins and your sins. The shed blood of JESUS paid for our sins in full but we have to accept that fact by faith. How do we know that JESUS is truly GOD’S SON? GOD raised JESUS from the physically dead to eternally alive on the third day. JESUS ascended into Heaven and took HIS seat at the right hand of GOD and sent the Holy Spirit to indwell all who place their faith in JESUS to confirm and eternally seal their salvation and guide their earthly lives. At the death of our physical body, instantly all who are Spirit-born, will be with JESUS in Heaven. JESUS willingly gave HIS sinless life for all who accept HIM as their Savior and giving them eternal life.

Blessings!!!