Show Me Your Faith

January 16, 2025/
Hope for Today (English)
Hope for Today (English)
Show Me Your Faith
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James 2:14-26

It is good to be with you again today. Thank you for being there. Our study in James has brought us to the middle of chapter 2. Today’s lesson is the section where James discusses faith and works.  

This discussion is big, and it is hard for us to keep these two balanced. One extreme says, “We are saved by faith, and our works are meaningless.” The other side says, “Works are a must this is how we are saved.” I know that, on this subject, I must be cautious about which words I use and how each sentence is constructed. Relax. I will not say it must be this way or that way.  

Instead, I want to ask us to be kind and loving. Recognize this: no matter who you are, all of us have room to grow in our knowledge, and let’s be patient with others because they are growing too. None of us have arrived and know entirely all things. We can all learn from each other. With this foundation, we can have a constructive conversation about faith and works and how they fit together.  

With this introduction, let’s turn to James 2 and hear from J Mark as he helps us discover which kind of faith pleases God.         

In English, we have a form of speech called an idiom. Idioms often use words or phrases that have no logical connection to the subject we’re talking about. But they make sense to us because we understand how they’re used.  

Let me give you a couple of examples. When someone inadvertently reveals a secret, we say they “left the cat out of the bag.” Or if someone finds fault with a gift they’ve received, we may say, “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” These are very confusing to someone who would take the words literally.  

There is one particular idiom that I’m thinking about in relation to our study today from the book of James. The idiom I’m thinking of is, “Show me the money.” When we use that phrase, the situation doesn’t involve money. We’re asking for proof that what the other person tells us is accurate; can they verify their statement as true? Are they willing to act on what they’ve said? I’ve titled our study “Show Me Your Faith.” Our text is James 2:14-26.  

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?  

15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,  

16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?  

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

18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without [f]your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.  

19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!  

20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?  

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?  

22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?  

23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was [j]accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.  

24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 

25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 

26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. 

The writer of Hebrews reminds us that without faith, it is impossible to please God. In our text, James speaks of several KINDS of faith. Let’s discover the kind of faith that pleases God. 

The First KIND of Faith is, 

Valueless Faith 

You already know this is not the kind of faith you want from the sound of those words. But let’s explore this kind of faith in verses 14-17. James begins by asking, “If a person professes faith in God without demonstrating that faith through his actions, is that a saving faith?”   

Then, he gives us a simple example. Suppose one of your fellow Christians lacks adequate clothing and doesn’t have enough food. You pick up your phone and call them. You tell them you’ve heard about their need and offer to pray over the phone.  

But after you pray with them, you say, “Well, I hope the Lord provides for you,” and you hang up. You may even put them on the church prayer chain. But you don’t share any of your food or clothing with them.  

If you see their needs and do not attempt to meet them with the resources God has given you, what value do your kind words have? At the risk of being too blunt, we can paraphrase James as saying that our kind words, without action, are only so much hot air! They have no value. 

In the same way, faith that does not result in action has no value; it is not genuine faith. The Bible recognizes no faith that does not lead to obedience, nor does it recognize any obedience that does not spring from faith. James concludes this section with a clear statement; “Faith without works is dead.” 

We must not confine this teaching to how we respond to the physical needs of others.  For faith to have value, it must result in action. What about the person who doesn’t need your clothing or food but needs time and a listening ear? How about the brother or sister overtaken by sin, and everyone else has written them off? How does your faith respond to them? James tells us forcefully that for faith to have value, it must result in action.  

The Second KIND of Faith is, 

Vacuous Faith 

The word vacuous comes from the same Latin root word as the word vacuum. Vacuous faith is empty faith.  

James illustrates this by telling us about another person. This one says, “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.” Here, we see the coupling of faith and works.  

James highlights one aspect of faith. There is only one true God. “Without faith, it is impossible to please God. He who comes to God must believe that He exists and rewards those who diligently seek Him.” This belief that God exists is essential. James commends those who believe this truth, but making faith valid takes more than an intellectual agreement. 

Verse 19 introduces a startling comparison. “You believe there is one God? You do well. But the demons also believe there is one true God, and they tremble in fear before Him.” The Gospel records tell us of encounters Jesus had with demons. They knew who He was, and sometimes, he forbade them from mentioning that to the public.  

Do you like being compared with demons? I don’t either, but do you see James’ point? The demons know that God exists. They know they are in mortal combat against Him and His followers. But this does not change their behavior; they follow their master. What about us? Does our belief make a difference, or is it only an empty profession? 

You know, James does not obscure the truth with clever words. He is clear, direct, and sometimes almost brutally honest. In verse 20, he states, “Consider this oh empty, vacuous, man; professing belief without any corresponding action has the value of a corpse.” As much as I know that death is a genuine part of our humanity, I don’t like to view dead bodies. I can’t truthfully say, “He looks just like he did in life,” or “The undertaker sure did a good job with her.” I know those who are left behind when a loved one dies need comfort and the support of family and friends. And I believe it’s appropriate to give that to them. The visitation and the funeral service are for their benefit, the benefit of the living, not the dead.  

So, what about your faith?  Is it living, or is it dead? Is it full of life and attractive to others who see its expression in your life? Or is it dead and empty, giving off a horrendous odor that makes people say, “If that’s faith in God, I’ll not have any, thank you?” 

The Final KIND of Faith is, 

Validated Faith 

James uses two biblical characters to illustrate a validated and authentic faith in this final section of our text. James uses Abraham and his offering of Isaac on the altar as a supreme example of faith, and rightly so. His actions validated Abraham’s belief in the promises of God.  Hebrews 11:17 tells us, “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.” If Abraham had merely said he believed, would that have been enough to make his faith genuine?   

James says that his belief was coupled with action, and his faith was made perfect or validated by his action. Abraham’s deeds proved that he believed what God said, and his faith, demonstrated by his deeds, caused him to be made righteous in the sight of God. Now, lest you misunderstand me, I did not say the works of the law justified him, but the works of faith did.  

The second example of validated faith James uses is even more striking. Rahab the harlot was made righteous because her faith moved her to action. Her willingness to hide the spies showed that she believed what she said. “She said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are faint because of you… And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, and neither did there remain any more courage in any man because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.” She further validated her faith by asking them to spare her and her family from destruction when they conquered the city! This was genuine, converting faith into action. 

The final verse of our text concludes by saying, “Just as the body without breath is dead, so belief without action is dead also.” Each of the three sections of verses we’ve looked at in our study today ends on this same note. One of the principles of studying a Bible text is to look for things that are repeated. Repetition is a way of showing the importance of a subject. In thirteen verses, James reminds us three times: “Faith without works is dead.”  

Why the need for repetition?  Do we find it so easy to give mental assent to the truth and yet so challenging to put that belief into daily action?  

Let me ask you: is your faith simply an abstraction, an intellectual exercise? Or is it a genuine, living faith that expresses itself in your daily life? Do your works validate your faith?  Only a living faith that pleases God will experience His blessed words, “Well done, good and faith-full servant.” 

Thanks, J Mark. I would say you have been faithful in teaching us about faith. We looked at three types of faith. One of them is worthwhile, and this is the one we aim to grow in and have more of.    

If you have any questions about this teaching or want to hear other teachings from Heralds of Hope, here is how you can reach us. Our email is [email protected]. You can also contact us via our website, heraldsofhope.org. And of course, you can write to us. Our address is Hope for Today, Box 3 Breezewood, PA 15533. Use any or all of these ways to contact us. The important thing for us is hearing from you.  

Thanks again for being with us for today’s teaching. With God’s help, we can grow in our faith and be found faithful when he comes. We also ask Him to help us maintain a healthy balance between our faith and works. We want to handle this wisely, so we seek His wisdom.  

*This episode is an exposition by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.

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