Faith and Deeds

Written By Rev. Law Hui Seng
Posted By Teresa Han
5th April, 2009

James 2:14-26
Main Idea: To emphasize that faith must be exercised with actions.
Objectives: a. To teach that faith must be exercised based on the over all word of God. b. To teach that faith is trusting God for the impossible but it must be exercised in the context of godly characters.

A. Introduction.
- Many years ago it was decided to put a suspension bridge across a wide gorge. How could they build a bridge across such a wide space? In fact, how could they even start? They shot an arrow from one side to the other. The arrow carried across the gulf a tiny thread, and thus the connection was established. By and by the thread was used to draw a piece of twine across: the twine carried after it a small rope; the rope soon carried a cable across – and in good time came the iron chains the bridge was to hang from.
- Although often weak in its beginnings stage, a seemingly small faith can draw us to a stronger and stronger faith that will accomplish greater and greater things.
- George Muller, a great man of faith, once said, “God delights increase faith of His children. We ought, instead of wanting no trials before victory, no exercise for patience, to be willing to take them from God’s hand as a means. I say – and it deliberately – trials, obstacles, difficulties, and sometimes defeats, are the very food for faith.
- I pray that you see the connections between the exercise of faith and actions.
- Christians, children of God and disciples of Jesus, if we were to claim as such, we must be very down to earth people; and exercised faith with action.
- This is the great message of the passage of today’s passage.

B. Explanation of Today’s Passage
a. The importance of faith with deeds (verse 14)
- In the midst of great trials and persecutions of their faith, James really taught the Jewish Christians that they stand up for their faith. How they were to do it? Faith must be done side by side with deeds.
- That is why the great statement: verse 14 says, “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith such him?
- What James is asking is whether a certain faith will help a person in the final judgment. The implied answer is no.
- He even links faith with the final judgment. That means faith with deeds is so crucial in deciding whether one is saved or not. It is not salvation by works but the faith that saves us from evil, sins and gives us eternal life is faith with deeds. James emphasized.
- Works or deeds are not an “added extra” to faith, but they are essential in expressing faith. Take for instance, even in Judaism, the Jews believe that deeds of love must practiced side by side with faith.

Practical daily life examples to show faith must be accompanied by action (verses 15-19)
- James went on to elaborate his point about exercising faith with action. In verse 15, he gave a very practical example of in our daily life. He emphasize that we just cannot provide lip service and wished a person who is poor well and do nothing.
- He further emphasized the importance of faith with deeds by teaching that faith without actions is dead.
- He even argued with those who believed that faith and deeds can be separated. He simply cannot accept faith without deeds and went on to say that if faith and deeds can be separated, then, even demons believe in God, in verse 19.
- Faith and actions or deeds are inseparable just like body and spirit (verse 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead) Body will be useless with out the spirit and vice-versa. So, faith without deeds is useless.

Historical examples to show faith must be accompanied by action, verses 20-25.
- James even supported his argument for the doctrine of faith with action by using historical examples.
- He used the examples of the fore father, Abraham and Rahab (the prostitute). This is really convincing.

C. Applications.
Faith must be exercised based on the overall word of God, not just a portion of it.
- Thank God and praise Him for the bible. Because the overall word of God is all in there. When we believe and practice it, we cannot just believe in one sentence and forget about the rest. Take for instance, we cannot believe in the sentence that says, “Believe and be baptized, you will be saved.” We must believe in the passage today also and both places of scripture must be considered together at the same time. Not separately.
- If you only one portion and not read or believe other portions, your belief could be wrong or, it may bring you extremism. Your belief may not be balanced.
- For this matter, the 9 month disciple course is useful. It gives you an overall picture of the bible. the overall expectation of God for your life is all there.

Faith is trusting God for the impossible on the one hand but on the other hand, faith must be exercised in the context of godly characters.
- I strongly believe that God cannot accept a person as godly, who, for example, exercise so called great faith in prayer for healing and he does not bear good testimony at home. Like he cursed and womanizing.

D. Conclusion.
- A bold unbeliever was lecturing on the foolishness of religious faith in general and the Christian faith in particular. He requested people to ask questions.
- A drunkard in the town was converted to Christ. I front of him, he peeled an orange and ate.
- Speaker, asked any question. Was the orange I just ate sweet or sour? Respond: How can I know whether it was sweet or not when I never tasted it?
- The former drunkard replied, “ And how can you know anything about Christ if you have not tried Him?”