James and Abraham: Faith that works
Faith without works is dead
James 2:14-23
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.
At the onset, it seems like there is a lot happening in this text, and indeed it is. However, the truth of the passage is clear and simple.
Faith without works is dead.
As we embark on this study, we should note two things that will help guide us through our study.
1. James is not comparing faith to works, rather he is contrasting living and dead faith.
2. Secondly, there is such a thing as “dead” faith, and it is essentially useless.
James 2:14
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?
“Faith is not seen by James to be deficient as though it needed something extra, but he contends that true faith must find some expression other than verbalization or pious sentiment” – Ralph Martin (Word Biblical Commentary)
James is therefore not opposing the Apostle Paul or the reality that it is only by faith that we are saved, however, James does insist that faith must change our lives, our very conduct, if in fact it is genuine.
James 2:15-17
Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
The condemnation of James here is not against well wishes or encouragement, rather the failure to actually meet the needs right before them.
In verse 17 he connects this failure to act in meeting the needs of the poor, to the failure of dead faith to produce action in our lives.
James 2:18-19
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
In these verses James brings in another voice as an objector to his position. This “objection”, if you will, allows James to ramp up and clarify his position even further.
The reality for us today is that faith without works is on par with the faith of the demons.
James 2:20
You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
“You foolish person” is directed to the objector of verse 18.
In verse 14 faith without works has been described as no good, in verse 17 it’s dead, and here it is described as useless or un-effective- yet the objector fails or refuses to see it.
James 2:21-23
Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.
James emphasizes three aspects of living Faith in the life of Abraham from this story.
First, that Abrahams faith was not confined to a re-ordering of his thoughts, or merely a verbal profession. Throughout his life Abrahams faith literally guided his life and was shown in its fullest extent in his wiliness to sacrifice his own son.
Secondly, James sees that Abrahams faith found its fulfillment through his actions.
And finally the genuine nature of Abrahams active faith was shown to be accepted by God.
In conclusion today, let’s look again at the question James ask’s us in Verse 20.
Imagine for a moment an emotional James pleading: “Are you insane? How do you not understand this? Do you really want to know that your faith without works is worthless?”
“Do you want to know?”
This question can be quite un-comfortable to face in our walk of faith. I think James’ passionate pleading today is for our own good. Is our faith alive and thriving, or in need of resurrection and new life?
James in 8 Minutes
This overview video on the book of James breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In this book, James combines the wisdom of his brother Jesus with the book of Proverbs in his own challenging call to live a life wholly devoted to God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn-hLHWwRYY