Faith Apart from Works is Dead - Part 1

James 2:14-17
April 11, 2021
Abraham Hong

Sermon Script

At a certain point in your life, God gave you faith. God gave you belief in Jesus. This belief, this faith, is an accepting of Jesus, a receiving of Jesus and a resting upon Jesus. And you have faith in Jesus alone for justification - for being forgiven of your sins and for being covered with the righteousness of Christ. You have faith in Jesus alone for sanctification - for being changed and strengthened unto more holiness and obedience. You have faith in Jesus alone for eternal life - for resurrection life in the kingdom of the new heavens and new earth. God gave you faith.

And once you have faith, you will have works. Works are basically fruits and evidences of faith - of a true and lively faith. Works is obedience to God’s law. And works is both an expression of our thankfulness to Jesus for his salvation and an expression of our love for other brothers and sisters in Christ. You will have works.

All of this is good news. Your ability to believe in Jesus comes from God the Father. And your ability to do works for Jesus comes from God the Spirit. Praise the Lord!

This is very encouraging for us. Sometimes we doubt our faith because we think that we are not good at believing in Jesus. We do not have faith in our faith. This is rooted in the idea that our faith comes from us. And so we are easily discouraged. But the truth is that God gives faith. Faith does not happen because of us. Faith happens because of God. This is greatly encouraging. And this is good news.

Sometimes we don’t think that we can do works. We do not believe that we will grow or change. This is rooted in the idea that our works depend on us. And so we are easily discouraged. But the truth is that God enables works. Works do not ultimately happen because of us. Works ultimately happen because of God. This is greatly encouraging. And this is good news.

This is also very humbling for us. Sometimes we take pride in our works because we think that we are good at obeying Jesus. We boast about our works. This is rooted in the idea that our works depend on our ability. And so we are easily proud. But the truth is that God enables works. Works do not happen because of us. Works happen because of God. This is greatly humbling. And this is good news.

Sometimes we take pride in our faith because we think that we are good at believing in Jesus. We put our faith in our faith. This is rooted in the idea that our faith comes from us. And so we are easily proud. But the truth is that God gives faith. Faith does not happen because of us. Faith happens because of God. This is greatly encouraging. And this is good news.

If we think about all of this good news, then today’s passage makes perfect sense. There is no such thing as a Christian who has faith but not works. Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. This makes perfect sense because faith and works go together. Faith and works are given to you together. Faith and works both happen because of God’s grace and love.

Therefore, dead Highland, today’s passage is a warning and a wake up call for us to be wise. James is addressing the situation when the church lacks practical love and care for members who are in need. He just covered the sin of partiality. Partiality toward rich members and partiality against poor members. And now here he calls upon the church to love one another and take care of each other’s needs with works. With works that come with faith.

James asks three rhetorical questions. And the answers are obvious. No, it is no good if someone says he has faith but does not have works. No, that faith cannot save him. And no, if a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, then there is no good in that. It is all worthless talk. It is all useless belief. It is all rubbish. There is no real obedience. And so James concludes by saying that faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. That faith is no faith at all. There is no real faith. And you can say that because there is no real obedience that follows it, no real love that flows out of it.

Dear Highland, remember that God loved you when you were in great need. You needed the death of Jesus and the forgiveness of your sins. You needed the life of Jesus and his righteousness credited to you. You needed the resurrection of Jesus and his eternal life. God loved you and gave all of these spiritual blessings to you. You have received the greatest generosity and the highest hospitality from the Lord. And so now we love one another and we help church members when they are in need of help.

Various needs can arise among our brothers and sisters in Christ. Some might need a ride to church - and you might have a car. Others might need semi-professional advice or wisdom for a decision in their life - and you might have certain knowledge or training to offer. Some might need physical assistance because of a new baby or because of a health problem or because of a move - and you might have a measure of good strength or a relatively free and uneventful week or a younger age. Others might need encouragement and a good amount of quality time spent together to just talk - and you might have the heart to be attentive and supportive and just listen. Some might need to save money right now because things are really tight for them financially - and you’re willing to buy a meal or two or more for them. Others might need someone to just be with them as they face disaster, as they go through impossible situations, as they are on the brink of giving up all hope, as they walk through the valley of the shadow of death - and you are willing to suffer and weep and die to self with them. And the list goes on and on. Various needs can arise among our brothers and sisters in Christ. Who will meet those needs?

Jesus said these words in Matthew 25:31-40. “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” When you serve and love your brothers and sisters in Christ here at Highland, you serve and love Christ himself. Your works are personal. This is about Jesus.

Dear Highland, let us repent of our sin. What good is it, Highland, if we have faith but we do not have works? Can that faith save us? If a brother or sister in our church is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and we say to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? Dear Highland, let us do more works. Let us have more care for one another. Let us obey God’s commands more precisely and intentionally. Are you in danger of deceiving yourself? In many ways we do well. But what if we are actually not doing well? We have so many people in our church. Every person is precious. Every member is worth living for. Remember, faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Let us humble ourselves before the Lord our God and let us repent of our sin.

And now let us grow and change and be doers of the word. You got this. Let us consider what are the needs of our fellow church members. Who are the widows and orphans of Highland? Let us find them. Where is there partiality at Highland? Let us put it to death. What commands in Scripture do you need to stop avoiding now? Let us become obsessed with the law of God. Let us start thinking about the law of God every moment of our lives. Let us get really religious. Perhaps the Lord will put a desire in your heart to become a deacon for our church and have you nominated in our process this month? If so, then accept the call. Become a deacon. Live out the valor and the excellence of Christ. Our church will be much better off with you than without you.

Deacons. Deacons are coming. Make no mistake, our church has always been a very caring and hospitable church. We have high quality people. You all are the best. This is all true. But here’s the crazy awesome good news. Our church can actually become an exponentially more caring and hospitable church. And that can happen when the Lord gifts us with real and official and ordained English-speaking deacons. Deacons are men who dedicate their lives to focusing their time and energy on providing practical love and care for church members and pushing and promoting good works. There is only so much that I can do as one pastor. We need more men. We need deacons. If the Lord establishes deacons for us, then the love and the care and the works will grow. I guarantee this because this is how Christ Jesus runs his church and designs his church and feeds his church and blesses his church. May Christ be king of Highland Presbyterian Church.

In closing, remember how this sermon started. God gave you faith. And you will have works. This is good news. And I, for one, am excited for you and for our church as we continue to see God grow our faith and enable us more and more to good works. Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ. He warns us, he wakes us up, and he gives us his wisdom. Jesus loves our church. Let us love one another.

Soli Deo Gloria