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Bruce Walker

james • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

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James 2:1–26 ESV

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 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? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 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. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 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. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 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? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Does the bible contradict itself?

So also faith by itself , if it does not have works, is dead.

For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

How do we reconcile these two statements?

Context is important.

Paul was speaking to the Romans who were steeped in the old ways of being under the law. They thought that by doing good works that their efforts would get them into Heaven

Jame was speaking to those who had a warped view of what Paul was saying to the Romans.

The people James was speaking to just wanted to have their faith and that was all they needed. They didn't need works.

The Romans abused the faith the was given to them. They reasoned that if they sinned they would bring more glory to God. So lets sin all the more

Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?

So where are we when it comes to faith and works?

It is important to understand that our behavior is the evidence of our Identity. We behave in accordance with what we believe about ourselves. That is fine as long as we believe what God has to say about who we are.

All of our lack of faith and our lack of works is an outgrowth of either what we believe about God (good works) or an unbelief in God (Sin).

Jesus had believed in his heavenly father (Faith) and because of this Faith he went willingly to the cross (Works).

looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

“Works are the evidence of true faith.”

“True faith is to legit to quit”

“We exhibit our faith by our actions.”

What examples of works would indicate we have Faith?