TEACHING THEME: James challenges us not to settle for an invisible intellectual Christianity, but rather to pursue an active, living faith in Christ that visibly overflows in good works bringing Him glory in our lives.

APPLICATION AIMS: To challenge us to put our faith into action in our lives.  To clarify wrong views of the relationship of faith and works in salvation.  To give reassurance for those who are conscious of their failures.

INTRODUCTION

We come this afternoon to the heart of the book of James.  Everything builds up to it, and everything else follows on from it.  Also what it says has sometimes been controversial and misunderstood – so much so that some Christians have argued that James should not be included in the Bible, because they fear it undermines the gospel. 

BIBLE STUDY

• Summarise the ‘big idea’ of this passage, after highlighting James’ repeated statements about “faith”.
  • “Faith by itself, if it does not have works is dead… is useless”
  • “Can that faith save him?” – this is not genuine Christian faith
  • “Faith that has no impact on behaviour is not authentic Christian faith. Real faith acts.  Real loves does” (Alberry)

• How does each of James’ examples develop the ‘big idea’ of this passage?
• The beggar (v.15-17)
  • It does no good to speak words only and not help with practical needs – an empty profession of faith, or mental acceptance of Christian orthodoxy, without practical expression, is nothing. It’s just hot air!
• The demons (v.19-20)
  • “Hell is full of good theology” (Alberry). An intellectual understanding of the truth is not genuine Christianity.  If it is not mixed with trust, commitment and love to God!
• The corpse (v.26)
  • Faith without action is like a body without a spirit – it’s dead. Notice an unexpected twist: faith = body, works = spirit – emphasising the practical nature of true faith, as members of a body.

• James says “a person is justified by works and not by faith” (v.24). Paul says “one is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3:28 cf. Ephesians 2:8-9 “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and not by works”).
  • How can we resolve this apparent contradiction, by looking the examples of the Patriarch (v.21-24) and the Prostitute (v.25)? (Notice in v.22 “you see”)
• James isn’t talking about how someone is saved (faith) but how we can “see” that someone is truly saved (works – the fruit of faith). We see the reality of Abraham’s faith and relationship with God, by how he trusts and obeys God when tested.  We see the reality of Rahab’s faith by her actions towards the spies.  She has changed allegiance from the Canaanites to the Israelites.
• Martin Luther is especially helpful here: “We are saved by faith alone [Paul’s emphasis], but true saving faith never remains alone [James’ point: it will lead to good works]”.
• Paul himself teaches same point this when he talks about “the obedience that comes from faith” (Romans 1:5) and “If I have all faith, so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2)

• How does Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 7:15-20 and 12:33-38 illuminate James’ point?

• John Stott - echoing the words of Jesus about “trees” and “you shall know them by their fruit” - describes faith as the “root” of salvation and good works as the “fruit” of salvation.
• When someone professes in words to be a Christian, but there is no evidence of a changed life, then that raises questions. It is possible to be deceived.  There is also an equal and opposite danger: to be living an outwardly Christian life, but to not have trusted in Jesus for salvation, instead trying to achieve own salvation by works.

• Why is this equation wrong: FAITH + WORKS = SALVATION? What negative effects can it cause to our lives?
  • FAITH = SALVATION -> WORKS
  • It undermines the work of Christ for us, which has done everything necessary to save us and make us right before God
  • It denies the reality of our sinfulness, that we cannot contribute anything to our salvation, because we can do nothing to merit our salvation
  • It leads to uncertainty: how much is enough to be saved? (Situation in Islam)
  • It leads to failure and condemnation: the problem of our continuing sinfulness

TEACHING CLARIFICATION ON SALVATION

It’s important that we are clear: how to be saved… how to be made right with God… how to be rescued from eternal judgement and hell, for eternal life and heaven.  It’s a crucial question.

We say “you are saved by faith” – but what is faith? 

Our society misunderstands faith.  It says there are many faiths (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, etc.), because it divides things into: facts / values… scientific truth / religious faith.  This tries to make Christianity just our personal subjective opinions/beliefs, rather than objective truth for everyone.

However, when Christians talk about faith we’re talking about: TRUST.  When you sit down on a chair, you are TRUSTING it to support your weight.  Your trust doesn’t do the hard work – the object with four legs does it.  Likewise, it is not our faith that saves us, but rather the object of our faith: the Lord Jesus Christ!  We just our trust in God’s promise that if we receive Jesus then we will be saved.

Think of it this way: If we were to get the tram to Edinburgh airport and there was a plane about to leave for New York, then what kind of relationship do we need to have with the plane if we are to get to New York?   It won’t work to be outside the plane, it won’t work to run after it either.  We need to get inside the plane and trust it to carry us to our destination.  Now if Jesus is the plane, and heaven is the destination – then our faith is simply us trusting and committing ourselves to Jesus’ promise that He can take us there.  Whether your faith is big or small, strong or weak, what gets you there is Jesus.  Our salvation depends completely on the work of Jesus for us – His perfect obedient life, His sin-bearing death for us, His life-bringing resurrection, His gracious gift of salvation for anyone who trusts in Him.

And take one more step: If you have trusted in Jesus, then He’s taking you somewhere, there is going to be changes in your life, as He takes prepares you for your destination, your new home.

Discussion For Application

• How could you use this passage to help the people in these scenarios:
  • John is a professing Christian but after leaving home for university is getting carried along by the crowd into sinful behaviours. He says: “I’m just having a bit of fun.  God will forgive me!”
  • Caroline is a non-Christian flatmate, who thinks it’s lovely you are a Christian “That must mean you do lots of good things for poor and hurting people – I’m also a humanitarian”
  • Someone who always has all the right answers in a Bible Study, but is arrogant and harsh in how they relate to others.

• In what ways does your faith in Jesus make itself visible to the people around you already? When/where could it be moreso – and specifically how?

CONCLUSION: Clarification For Assurance

I don’t want you to leave this session feeling like a failure and feeling uncertain about your salvation.  Some of us are particularly conscious of our sins, failures, missed opportunities.  Martin Luther was someone like that, whose struggle with sin and his own weaknesses made him doubt his salvation often.  He warns us not to excessively LOOK WITHIN OURSELVES to see if we’re really Christians.  He says when you look within you’ll see your sin, your unbelief, your doubts, etc.  Instead, he tell us to LOOK OUT TO CHRIST, in whom we find forgiveness, a perfect righteousness before God, grace, help, life and hope.  That act of looking out to Christ is faith – and we are saved by faith and go on in the Christian life by faith too.  So keep looking to Jesus, keep trusting in Him.

At the same time, I want you to leave here feeling James’ challenge to not settle for an intellectual faith, but to have a faith that moves, that acts, that abounds in good works, that shows and tells the good news of Jesus to those around you!