FOUR TYPES OF FAITH James 2:14-26 GETTING STARTED As your group time begins, use this section to help get the conversation going. Imagine you are going to purchase a new car or another product of significant value where you have a lot of options. How would you evaluate all your options? What would make you more or less likely to buy a certain kind of car? What type of information and assurance would you expect to hear from the sales person? What about something much deeper and more personal, like your faith? How can you evaluate or test the genuineness of your faith? Explain. Car buying is a serious undertaking since so many of us depend on our cars to get us where we need to go. Everyone has different priorities for their car, and the car buying process is shaped by those priorities. We take into account factors like price, size, fuel economy, and the brand and look of the vehicle. Based on the evidence in front of us, we make a choice. But what about something like faith? Can faith be evaluated? James says that it can. The last half of James 2 introduces four different types of faith. What James wrote here informs the rest of the letter moving forward. James s words help us evaluate our own faith in light of biblical truth and consider what we might change. DISCUSSION > HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ JAMES 2:14-18. What speaks louder a person s actions or words? Explain your answer. What, according to James, are some actions that coincide with genuine faith? Read 1 John 2:6. What is the surest measurement of faith? Why is measuring our faith by a lesser standard ultimately pointless? MARCH 18-19 / WEEK 7 1
Read Matthew 7:15-20. According to Jesus, what is fruit? How does this help us distinguish living faith? The first type of faith we discussed this weekend was dead faith. Our salvation should be evident in the way we live our lives. This doesn t mean our faith is dependent upon works, but rather the hidden reality of faith is made visible through good works, which the Bible calls fruit. Just as a living tree produces good fruit, a living faith produces good works. Jesus is the yard stick we use to measure our faith. The word Christian literally means little Christ. So when we are looking at our faith, increasingly it should look like Jesus. Do we trust as He trusted, serve as He served, and love as He loved? The list could go on. More and more, we should desire to be conformed to the image of Christ. As this happens over time, the genuineness of our faith is made evident. If you evaluate the nature of your faith on that basis of fruit, what do you see? Is there anything God might be leading you to address? > HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ JAMES 2:19. The second kind of faith we talked about this weekend was demon faith. Have you ever thought about demons having faith? What characteristics describe their faith? Read Romans 3:9-12,23 and Revelation 20:10,15. What two lies must we believe to embrace demon faith? Why is a faith that is purely emotional or intellectual insufficient to save? What, by contrast, does real faith look like? How might you describe it? Demons believe that God exists and they know the Bible forwards and backwards, likely much better than you do. When Satan tempted Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11, he quoted Scripture. But ultimately this faith has rejected the salvation of the Lord and His rule and authority. Being able to ace Bible trivia does not make you a Christian. Purely intellectual faith misses the mark. Likewise, emotional faith that would have you believe you are a good person and God would not punish evil also leads to the same place. In contrast, we need biblical faith that has captured both the intellect and emotions and is producing action in our lives as our hearts are transformed. True faith is not about knowledge acquisition or behavior modification. It is about total transformation into the image of Jesus. In what is your faith anchored? How can you tell if it is purely in your mind or fully in your emotions? Why are both needed elements (see Romans 12:1-2 and Hebrews 10:22)? MARCH 18-19 / WEEK 7 2
> HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ JAMES 2:20. Earlier in this lesson, we talked about the idea of bearing fruit. What good is a fruit tree that does not produce fruit? Read Revelation 3:15-22. Lukewarm is a word used a lot in church circles. What does it mean to be lukewarm? What did Jesus want the church at Laodicea to realize about their faith? What does this kind of faith look like lived out? Faith without deeds is useless, according to James, literally meaning, good for nothing. This is the force of Jesus message in Revelation. Water that is not cool and refreshing or hot and cleansing serves no purpose. Such a metaphor illustrates Jesus larger point. If we do not embody a living faith, we are not useful for His Kingdom. This should be a sobering thought for us. What happened to the church in Laodicea can happen to our church and to your faith. What we don t want to happen is work to overcome a weak faith; we want our faith to be built up to the place that it produces faith. Fruit trees do not produce edible fruit immediately. They must be nurtured, watered, and matured before fruit grows. Likewise, our faith needs time and attention to grow to help us become useful in the kingdom of our Lord. What are some things you can do to nurture your faith and ensure it grows? What are you doing now? How do we keep this pursuit rooted in grace from God instead of in performance before God? > HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ JAMES 2:21-26. James used the example of Abraham to justify his argument. What point did he make? How does this compare with the similar argument Paul made in Romans 4:18-25? Were Paul and James saying different things? Explain. Reformed theologian Martin Luther had a lot of trouble with James, one time wishing that he could throw Jimmy in the fire. Yet when Luther read James, he didn t see the distinction James was making. James was not arguing that works produce salvation; rather, faith that is alive works. This is the same argument Paul made, with a different nuance. The Bible never contradicts itself. Faith is the only element necessary for salvation, but true salvation shows itself in works that glorify the Father. In this weekend s sermon we heard that faith is words + actions + works. What happens if we dismiss or leave out one of these elements? In which area could you stand to see some growth? How is God partnering with you in this desire? MARCH 18-19 / WEEK 7 3
Read Ephesians 2:8-9. If we do all the good works in the world, why are these in and of themselves not enough to prove our faith? How do you know when you are working for salvation instead of from it? Look at Galatians 5:22-23 for insight. When we consider such an important topic like living faith, which is very much the central focus of James s letter, we need to make sure we have a good foundation beneath us. No amount of works can save, just as no amount of emotion or intellect can save. True faith involves all working in tandem to glorify and serve Jesus. Faith that works means the grace that has changed you is working itself out in your life through love and good works. APPLICATION Help your group identify how the truths from the Scripture passage apply directly to their lives. Are you tired of playing church and ready to give yourself wholeheartedly to Jesus? Why do our best works come after we have given up all the control in our lives to Jesus Christ? What fruit have you noticed in the people in this Life Group? How does hearing about God and processing His truth with others help grow and nurture your faith? Do you know anyone who is trying to work their way to God, but has not demonstrated true and living faith? How might you engage them in a conversation to get behind what is going on in their hearts? Why is this a conversation well worth having, even though it might be difficult? PRAYER Praise God for making you alive in Jesus Christ. Pray that His life would be evident in you through faith and fruit and is in keeping with repentance. Express your gratitude to God for loving you, knowing you, and helping you grow into His likeness by producing fruit in you. MY NEXT STEPS 1. This week, I will live my life so that people recognize Jesus in me. 2. This week, I will demonstrate a living faith instead of a dead faith. 3. This week, I will memorize James 2:17, Even so faith if it has no works is dead 4. This week, I will read the entire letter of James, Matthew 7, and Ephesians 2. MARCH 18-19 / WEEK 7 4
COMMENTARY JAMES 2:14-26 Intellectual faith without deeds is an empty claim. Intellectual faith consists of giving assent or mental agreement to a series of propositions or doctrinal truths about Christianity. An individual can claim to have right beliefs about God, Jesus, and salvation but still lack real Christianity. Works, not intellectual statements, are the only acceptable demonstrations of your claim to have faith. Verses 14-17 show that faith without deeds becomes an empty claim. Verses 18-20 denounce a faith which has become the mere acceptance of a creed. 2:14. Two rhetorical questions here expect negative answers. Three features of the questions are important. First, they accept the reader s claim to faith, but do not assume that the claim without works represents saving faith. The absence of deeds of obedience in this person s life makes the claim highly suspicious, if not outright wrong! Second, the topic is not faith in general but a specific kind of faith, one which has no deeds. Such in the NIV text implies this focus. The question is not, Can faith save the lost? Of course, faith saves the lost. The question is, Can a faith without deeds save the lost? The answer to that question is no. A verbal testimony alone is not an adequate evidence that true saving faith is present. Only works of obedience can prove the presence of genuine faith. Verse 15 provides an example of such deeds. Third, save refers to acquittal at the final judgment. The question is, What type of faith can guarantee a favorable verdict in the final judgment? Only a faith that produces works can provide security in the final judgment. Prospective drivers of automobiles and trucks must pass a written test on road rules and a skill test on the road. Lawyers must pass the bar examination, and accountants must pass the CPA exam. Students in all institutions must show their knowledge on examinations. It is only reasonable to realize that our profession of Christianity demands a test. That test is the production of works. Without works to demonstrate faith our claim becomes false, and we show our deception. 2:15-16. These verses offer a parable in miniature, illustrating the person who has the type of faith that cannot save. Verse 15 pictures people who needed clothes and food. Cold and hungry, these believers desperately needed the necessities of life! Verse 16 shows how the person who claims to have faith approaches these needy people: with an offer of good wishes but no practical help. Go, I wish you well offers a good-bye to the needy person. Apparently, the speaker could have helped, but he chose to do nothing except offer kind expressions. Both John the Baptist (Luke 3:7-14) and Jesus (Matt. 7:15-27) condemned professions of piety without action. Sympathy is valuable when this is all a person can give to the suffering. This speaker, however, had the ability to feed the hungry and clothe the needy. First John 3:18 gives us the proper response, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. James concluded his illustration by wondering aloud, What good is a faith which can only give pious wishes but no practical help? 2:17. Verse 17 concludes the matter. Good wishes consisting of mere talk are empty of all reality and lifeless. Offering only good wishes to the cold and the hungry serves to depress further those who are starving and chilled. They need more than good wishes. They need practical help. A faith not accompanied by action, that is faith alone, having no works to distinguish it, is dead. Anything with life produces fruit. The living are the acting, creating things that reveal their nature and character. Faith in Jesus produces actions revealing the nature and character of Jesus. The dead lie still doing nothing. So faith that lies still, inactive, proves it is dead. True faith brings salvation and life, not death. MARCH 18-19 / WEEK 7 5
Christians should show works of love to prove their faith is real. When Paul warned that a person could not be saved by works, he referred to the works of obedience to the Jewish law (Rom. 3:20). When James called for deeds, he was not suggesting that these deeds resulted in salvation. He was calling for Christians to do what living faith naturally does: show care and concern for those in need. Acts 6:1-4; 9:36-43; 20:34-35; Romans 15:25-27; 1 Timothy 5:1-16; and many other Scriptures show Christians and churches in action meeting needs. This type of loving, caring interest in others made early Christians distinctive. Likewise, today people who show loving, caring interest in others stand out as visible representatives of Jesus Christ. 2:18. James 2:14-17 warns that faith without works represents an empty claim. Beginning in verse 18, we are warned against a faith which merely accepts a creed. Here are the limitations of mere intellectual faith. Saving faith involves a commitment to Jesus Christ which produces works or deeds. Verse 18 represents a dialog with an imaginary opponent. The opponent says: You have faith; I have deeds. James responded: Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. In other words, the opponent claims, James, you ought to let some people emphasize faith while others emphasize works. James insisted, Real faith shows itself in deeds. You simply cannot find an example of real faith that does not show itself in works. We have no room for some people to emphasize faith while others stress deeds. You must have both. Genuine commitment to Jesus Christ demonstrates its presence by deeds. Faith produces works. You can t have one without the other. 2:19. Verse 19 speaks to the person claiming to have faith but lacking works. This kind of person merely gives intellectual assent to the creed of monotheism. This basic creed of Judaism appeared in Deuteronomy 6:4-5. The statement is intellectually true, but it doesn t proceed far enough. A person must believe in God to be a Christian, but not everyone who acknowledges the existence of God has made a commitment to Jesus Christ. Even demons believe in the existence of one God. They shudder with fear at the thought of God (see Matt. 8:29). The behavior of demons demonstrated that someone can believe the right thing and still have an evil character. Verse 19 concerns intellectual faith, a faith that touches only the mind. Saving faith involves the will as well as the intellect (see Rom. 4:16-22). 2:20. Verse 20 calls on the objector to recognize that the conclusions of verses 18-19 are correct while also introducing verses 21-26. James appeals to us to become learners. We can rephrase the question as: Are you willing to be taught that a barren faith is worthless? Foolish also appears in Mark 12:3, translated empty-handed. The objector was spiritually foolish or willfully ignorant. The last word of the verse is different in important Greek manuscripts. King James follows the reading of many manuscripts in translating: dead. Most modern versions follow Greek manuscripts with a word which means useless or barren. The same Greek word in 2 Peter 1:8 is translated ineffective. Have you ever dealt with professing Christians who felt they could keep their faith to themselves and did not need to demonstrate their faith? We must lead these people to see that true faith shows itself in visible deeds, not merely by agreeing with a creed. James selected Abraham and Rahab as examples of people who showed genuine faith by their deeds. Their examples stand in complete contrast. Abraham was the ancestor of both Jews and Gentiles. He provided a sterling example of faith (Heb. 11:8-12). Rahab was a Gentile and a prostitute (Josh. 2:1-24), but Matthew listed her in the genealogy of Christ (Matt. 1:5). Although they came from different backgrounds, both showed the reality of their faith. 2:21-23. Verse 21 picks up the Old Testament incident in which Abraham showed his willingness to offer Isaac as a sacrifice (Gen. 22:1-18). Verse 23 refers to the incident in which Abraham believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6), which took place at least thirty years before that of Genesis 22. MARCH 18-19 / WEEK 7 6
Verse 21 concludes that Abraham showed his righteousness by his willingness to offer Isaac on the altar. KJV translates justified instead of NIV s considered righteous. Paul uses the same Greek word in Romans 3:28; 4:2,5; and 5:1 ( justified ) to describe the righteousness God credits to a believer through faith in Jesus Christ. James uses the word to describe the righteousness we show to others as we obey Jesus. The saving faith of Abraham showed itself by his total obedience to God in the matter of offering up Isaac. The faith James commended moves the heart and controls the life. Again, James was demanding that true faith must be alive and vital. Verse 22 states two facts about Abraham s faith. First, his faith and his actions were working together. Abraham s faith prompted his obedience. It prodded him on to do good works. Second, his faith was made complete by what he did. His obedience demonstrated the integrity of his faith. This is not to say that previously Abraham had a weak faith. His willingness to sacrifice Isaac vividly demonstrated the existence of true faith. Verse 23 summarizes the entire process. Abraham s willingness to offer Isaac fulfilled the promise of Genesis 15:6. Abraham s obedience showed he was a righteous man. God declared Abraham righteous as a matter of grace. Abraham showed the reality of this righteousness by his actions in Genesis 22. As a result of this obedience, God drew Abraham into a closer fellowship with him and called him God s friend. Note that Abraham did not merely determine that God would be his friend. God initiated the action. God reached out to him and gave him the privilege of intimacy and closeness. 2:24. Verse 24 presents the conclusions about Abraham. Abraham had shown the reality of his faith by his willingness to offer Isaac in obedience to God s command. We are made right in God s sight through a faith which produces works. This does not claim that God justifies his people by our deeds. The Bible insists that saving faith must show itself by visible commitment to the Lord and compassion for others. Faith alone will bring salvation to anyone, but saving faith does not come alone. It is accompanied by works which show the genuineness of faith. 2:25. This section turns to the example of good works from the life of Rahab. Abraham was a man of prominent position and exemplary character. Rahab came from a background of degradation and insignificance. James insisted that these contrasting personalities showed deeds which demonstrated their righteousness. Rahab (see Josh. 2) received into her home Israelites whom Joshua sent to spy out the city of Jericho. She hid them in her home and protected them from their pursuers. She deliberately misled the pursuers by sending them off in a different direction while she continued to hide the spies. Later, she guided the spies in making their escape. If residents especially the rulers of Jericho had known of her acts of disloyalty, they would likely have put her to death. Joshua 2:8-13 makes it clear that Rahab s faith in Israel s God caused her to protect his representatives. 2:26. In Genesis 2:7, God formed the first human being by breathing life into his body. The union of spirit and body produced a living human being. In death the spirit returns to God, and the body decays into dust. A body without the spirit is a corpse. In the same way faith without works is also dead. A person claiming to have faith but lacking works is spiritually as lifeless as a corpse. An inactive faith, entombed in a creed affirmed by the intellect, has no more usefulness than a body with no heartbeat or breath. James did not intend to belittle correct doctrinal views, but he demanded practical holiness as an evidence of real faith. MARCH 18-19 / WEEK 7 7