We are coming back to our study of James - what real faith looks like in the real time of our lives.  We are coming to chapter 2 - starting at verse 14. 

Putting these verses in the context of what James is writing about.   And maybe clearing out a few cobwebs.  Its been 2 Sundays and we’ve been out to the lake and back.

You’ll recall that in chapter one James focused on trials - the drama of our lives - and temptation - when we go through trials - our tendency to take the bait and choose to get ourselves hooked into some self-destructive pattern of sin.  Trusting ourselves rather than trusting God.

James wrote that if we do choose to trust God - to have real faith in Him - God will guide us through that drama - and God will supply everything we need - even His very presence with us in the midst of our drama.

James’ point in chapter one is that real faith in God - trusting God in the real time drama of our lives - is used by God to produce real stability in our lives.  Real faith in real life produces stability in life.

When we came to chapter two we began a new section of James’ teaching - the section that we’re in this morning.  James focusing us on this truth:  Real faith in real time produces real love.  What real faith looks like in our relationships with others.

James has been giving us a series of teachings - with examples - for us to compare our lives to.  What do our actions towards others tell us about our faith?  Is our faith kind of a shallow faith of convenience and culture?  Or, is our faith a deep faith - coming from the core of who we are?  What do our actions towards others tell us about our faith?

James 2 - starting at verse 14 - what does real faith look like in our relationships with others?

Let’s read verse 14 together.  What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?  Can that faith save him?

James begins with Two Questions.  Rhetorical questions.  The expected answer to both questions is... “no.”

Without works - without a physical tangible demonstration of faith being lived out in the real time of our lives how can we really claim to have a saving faith?  Bottom line:  We can’t.

Put slightly different:  Does how we’re living demonstrate that we really do have real faith - faith, that by God’s grace, opens us up to His salvation?

Its been said that faith is like calories.  You can’t see them.  But you can always see their results.

James’ questions are here to help us be honest with ourselves.  To help us focus on the results of our faith - and what those results tell us about the real character of our faith.

If we say we believe like we should then shouldn’t we living like we should?  Is our confession of faith authentic or something less than that?  What is the reality - the quality - the character - of our faith?

Real faith is demonstrated by real results.

Coming to verses 15 to 20 James is going give us Four Characteristics of Real Faith.

Let’s read verses 15 and 16 together:  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, what good is that?

Characteristic number one:  Real faith is engaged.  Its involved in the lives of others.  Not indifferent.  But engaged.  In real time with real issues.

In October 2005, an elderly man passed away while sitting in his parked car in Melbourne, Australia.  He remained that way for several days before his body was found and identified by city officials.

Sometime after this man had died and two days before the discovery of his body, a police officer had given him a parking ticket and attached it to the windshield of his car.

The head of the Maroondah City Council later apologized for the incident, saying, “It must be just so sad for the family, and we extend our sincere sympathies to them.  It is simply a case of the parking officer not noticing.” (1)

Not noticing is a disconnect.  Especially when we choose not to notice.  Real faith makes a difference in the way we engage what’s going on around us - the way we engage in the lives of others.

Verse 15: If a brother or sister

Notice that James isn’t writing about some unknown professionally poor person holding a “Need help - veteran - will work for food - anything helps - God bless you - I need drug money” sign.  James starts much closer to home.  Our siblings in Christ.

Let’s be clear:  There is a time and a place for helping others “out there.”  That teaching is in Scripture.  But, God holds us accountable first for how we treat others in the church.  Which in fact may make this harder for us.

Sometimes its easier to do the quick American solution to everything - which is to write a check - just hand out money to someone without actually having to engage in their lives - verses getting to know the depth of a situation - the issues of the person we’re close to - and working to help that person over the long haul.

Charity begins at… home.  That’s where we first need to engage. 

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed - literally naked - and lacking in daily food - not just occasionally - but every day they’re going without food.  There’s ongoing desperation here - real - visible - unquestionable - impossible to ignore - basic extreme need.

Verse 16:  and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?

It is so easy for us to fall into this trap.  Superficial conversations while we’re rushing around with the really important stuff of life.  “How’s it going?”  “Well, I just lost my job.  My house burned down.  My daughter ran off to Bermuda with a guy named Spike.  My pet Iguana died.”  “That’s nice.  I’ll pray for you.  Gotta go.”

James is even more extreme.  The response is even more unthinkable.  “Go in peace - be warmed - be filled”  Puts the responsibility back on the person in need.  “I’m starving.”  “Great, why don’t you go get something to eat.  Gotta go.”  Pretty worthless.  Want to solve world hunger.  Eat something.

Have you ever been on the receiving end of this?  Needing real help?  Maybe needing someone to really listen?  And those who could have and should have stepped up... didn’t?  All you got were platitudes.  Maybe stories about their lives.  Seeming indifference to what you were going through.

John writes:  “If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”  (1 John 3:17)  Answer:  It doesn’t.

If we have real faith our faith is going to engage in the lives of others with real acts of love - of compassion - meeting real needs in real time.

Hold on to this:  Real faith doesn’t exist in some insulated vacuum.  Real faith engages real life in the real time of the real world. 

Characteristic number two:  Real faith is a partnership.

Verse 17 - let’s read this together:  So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

What do you call a fly with no wings?  A walk.  Faith without works is not faith.  Its something else.  But, don’t call it faith.

Real faith and works are inseparable.  Always one with the other.  Like peanut butter and jelly - chocolate cake and milk - anchovies and pizza.

The Greek word here for dead literally means “dead.”  Stone cold dead.  The opposite of living.  Dead  is useless - ineffective - impotent - without any expectation of anything different.

This is not Frankinfaith.  Attach the electrodes and zap “Its alive.”  Faith without works is going nowhere.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God.  (Hebrews 11:6)

Let’s not delude ourselves into thinking that if we talk about having faith without our faith producing works - tangible - obedient to God results - that somehow we’re pleasing God.

Dead is dead.  But living faith is always producing living results.

Third characteristic:  Real faith is seen.  Its visible - on display - seen by others. 

Read verse 18 with me:  But someone will say, “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.

Put another way:  Faith is faith.  Works is works.  Why is it important to have both?  James’ answer:  “I’ll show you my faith by my works.”

Have you heard this?  “My faith is a private matter between me and God.”  “I don’t want to be a fanatic.”  “I don’t want to offend anyone.”  “I keep my beliefs to myself.” 

Jesus was in Capernaum up on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee.  Jesus is in the town of Capernaum and some people brought him a paralytic lying on a bed.  Remember this? 

When Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic:  “Take heart, my son, your sins are forgiven.”

Some of the scribes - some teachers of the God’s word that were watching this said to themselves, “This guy is blaspheming.”  Meaning only God can forgive sins.  How can Jesus claim that?  Which is a really legit question.

Jesus asks:  “Which is easier - to say your sins are forgiven or to say rise and walk?”  Answer:  To say your sins are forgiven.  Easier why?  Because we can claim anything we want and unless there’s a way to prove it - right or wrong - saying it is easy.  Sins forgiven is an internal thing known only to God.  Proving it is hard. 

Rise and walk is hard because the paralytic actually has to get up and walk.  Which he does.  Right?

Jesus says to the paralytic:  “Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”  Point being - as Jesus tells the crowd:  “That you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” - he said to the paralytic - “Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”  (Matthew 9:1-8)

Authority to forgive sins visibly demonstrated.  Same with our faith.  Claim what we want.  But unless there’s proof - works - we’re just making claims.  Just blowing smoke.  Maybe even deluding ourselves.

Real faith is seen.  We know it exists by the way its being visibly lived out.

Characteristic number four:  Real faith comes from the heart.

Let’s read verses 19 and 20 together:  You believe that God is one; you do well.  Even the demons believe—and shudder!  Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is worthless?

“That God is one” is James bringing to mind - to his Jewish Christian readers - James bringing to mind what was at the core of Jewish belief.  Deuteronomy 6:4 - the “Shema” - the Jewish confession of faith:  “Hear, O Israel:  The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”

Point being - this is basic theology.  Theology 101.  God is one.  James saying:  “If you’ve got the monotheistic thing down you’re doing good.  But good theology only goes so far.”

Its like the start of a really bad joke.  What do Jews, Christians, Muslims, demons, angels, and Satan all have in common?  They all believe that there is only one sovereign God.  But, that belief results in very different responses.  Right?  Demons know that God is - and shudder.  They fear God.  That response - works - demonstrates what kind of belief - faith -  relationship they have with God.  Do demons have a saving faith?  No.

Christians believe in the one true God.  James says that’s really good.  But what does that mean?

In May - Pope Francis - in one of his messages - said that Christians should follow Christ from the heart and not as if its a career. 

The Pope said this - quote:  “If you follow Jesus as a cultural proposal, then you are using this road to get higher up, to have more power.  And the history of the Church is full of this, starting with some emperors and then many rulers and many people, no?  And even some – I will not say a lot, but some – priests, bishops, no?  Some say that there are many ... but they are those who think that following Jesus is a career.”  (2)   

Just about any non-Christian program or article - the History Channel - Time magazine - and even some media claiming to be Christian - we’ll interview someone - someone with a degree in theology or something related - some author or professor - even a reverend so and so - someone who will go on and on talking about the myths and stories of the Jewish Scriptures and early Christian documents and the search for the Jesus of history.  And they tie in all kinds of studies and talk about religion as a social or psychological or philosophical human phenomenon. 

Have you seen this?

They can discuss theology and Christian doctrine with the best of them.   They’ve made a career out of it.  They can explain the basics of the Christian faith but the bottom line is that they don’t actually have real faith.

Are we together?

Real faith - while certainly grounded in what is rational and intellectually viable - real faith is not a form of religious intellectualism - real faith that produces real works comes from the heart of a life surrendered to God.

 “Foolish” is the Greek word “kene.”  It means empty.  About 4 quarts short of a gallon.  Someone who’s lacking God given spiritual understanding.  Worthless means there’s no point to it.  It produces nothing. 

Are we hearing James?  “Don’t be foolish.  Get this:  Merely intellectually faith is pointless.  Faith is more than what you say you believe.”

Okay:  Two questions.  Four Characteristics. 

James’ point:  We can say all we want about our faith - even delude ourselves about the great depths of our relationship with God - pride ourselves on our intellectual understanding of Christian theology and doctrine - but when our faith hits the asphalt of life - opportunities to genuinely demonstrate God’s love to our siblings in Jesus - what comes out in our actions demonstrates what’s really going on in our hearts.

Are we together? 

Then - verses 21 to 25 - Two Examples.

Let’s read verses 21 to 25 together:  Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?  You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” - and he was called a friend of God.  You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.  And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

This chart is from Chuck Swindoll’s commentary on James.

Notice that Abraham and Rahab are two extremes.  Abraham is the father of the Hebrew nation - the great patriarch - a man of power - respect - the receiver of God’s promises.  Rahab - on the other hand - Rahab is a Gentile prostitute who runs a brothel - a women of ill-repute - a breaker of God’s moral law.

Everyone of us is someplace on the line between Abraham and Rahab - both of whom are examples to us of inward faith demonstrated by obvious outward works.  What they have in common is real faith.  Where we need to be in our faith.

Example number one:  Abraham.  Let’s unpack what James is showing us.

James begins with a question:  Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?  Answer:  Yes.  Of course. 

James - verse 22 - “you see” - meaning grab what this means:  Abraham’s faith was active - engaged - living - visible in real time - along with his works.  And - exploring that meaning one step farther - Abraham’s faith was completed by his works.  And exploring that meaning even one step farther - the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 

In fact, Abraham was called a friend of God.  The word for friend is “philo” - as in Philo-delphia.  Brotherly love.  Abraham - living out his real faith in real time - Abraham had the character of righteous relationship with God that’s described as like the love of two brothers for each other.

We’re together?

Then verse 24 - “you see” - meaning grab point number two:  “A person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

Which should have a whole lot of red flags flying in our minds.

Remember Paul?  Good old Ephesians 2:  “For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works…”  (Ephesians 2:8,9)

It almost sounds like James is saying that we’re saved by works and not by faith alone.  Like somehow we have to add something to what God has already done for us in Jesus Christ.

It is really important that we understand that Paul and James are not in conflict with each other.  God is not contradicting God.

This is another Swindoll chart. 

Let’s be clear.  Paul is looking at the root of salvation - our being saved through faith plus nothing.  James is looking at the fruit of salvation - when the root of faith gets planted and our lives will produce the fruit of good works.

Paul is looking at life from God’s perspective.  God declares us righteous.  James is looking at life from a human perspective.  People who see our righteousness demonstrated.

“justified” - depending on how the word is used can either mean “to declare righteous” or “to demonstrate as righteous.”  That difference is huge for us in understanding James’ teaching for our lives.

When Abraham was 75 years old - how old?  75.  Sequence and timing is important here. 

When Abraham was 75 - God spoke to Abraham and promised him an inheritance - a land inhabited by innumerable descendants - descendants through whom God is going to bless all of mankind.  The bottom line necessity to make all that happen was what? a son.  No son - no descendants. (Genesis 12:1-3.)

Years go by and there’s still no son.  In Genesis 15 a conversation takes place between Abraham and God.  Genesis what?  Genesis 15.

Abraham suggests that - since he doesn’t have a son - that someone else from his household - not necessarily a direct descendant of Abraham - but someone else who meets the requirements of an heir - someone the promise could get fulfilled through.  Abraham tells God, “What about Eliezer?”  Eliezer of Damascus who meets the criteria.

God takes Abraham outside - shows him the stars - uncountable.  God reiterates His promise to Abraham.  That’s what your descendants - coming from your own body - not some distant relative - that’s what your descendants are going to be like.

James 2:23 - is a quote from Genesis 15:6 - from this conversation -Abraham and God.  In the midst of that conversation Abraham believes that God would fulfill His promise and that means of that fulfillment would be Abraham’s biological son.  Abraham believes God.

That’s real faith.  Trusting God that He’s got all this worked out and we don’t need to.  God offers us salvation through Jesus’ paying the penalty for our sins on the cross.  Does any one of us really get that?  Really understand it?  Ultimately we’ve got to trust God that what God says He’s done and what God says He will do is what God says He’s done and what He will do.

Abraham does and God declares that Abraham - because of His faith - that Abraham is righteous - right before God.  Saving faith.  The kind of faith that Paul is writing about.

25 years later.  How many years later?  25.

25 years after God has already declared Abraham righteous - Abraham is now 100 years old - Sarah is 91 - finally Isaac - the son - is born.  Then - after Isaac grows up - God tells Abraham to do what?  Take Isaac to the mountains of Moriah - what’s now the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 3:1) - take Isaac and sacrifice him there as a burnt offering.

Three days they journey to the mountain.  Abe builds an altar - arranges the wood - binds Isaac - lays him on the altar - on top of the wood.  Takes his knife in his hand ready to sacrifice his son.

Its all there.  The only son of the promise through whom God intended to make Abraham’s descendants into a great nation - the core of Abraham’s life and belief.  Abraham ready and willing to sacrifice it all.  (Genesis 22:1-19)

That’s real faith demonstrated - to us - to all mankind.  Trusting God when we have no clue what comes next - faith demonstrated with actions that put that faith into the real time of how we’re living our lives.  The kind of faith that James is writing about.  Faith engaged in a real time partnership completing - or fulfilling what we say we believe in our hearts - by our actions that are outwardly visible to others.

James and Paul seem to be in conflict because James is messing up the historical sequence - putting the cart before the horse - messing up the historical and spiritual order things happened because he’s making a huge point.

We are saved by grace through faith.  But, if we really are saved by grace through faith then that justification - that being declared righteous by God - must be demonstrated in how we live.

Example number two is Rahab - verse 25:  And in the same way - just like Abraham - was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

With Rahab - unlike with Abraham - with Rahab we’re not given the circumstances of her “saving faith” decision to trust God.  What has taken place some time before her conversation with the spies.  How do we know she has that “saving faith”?  Answer?  Works.  Faith demonstrated - justified - before us by what she did as she trusted God.

Two questions.  Four characteristics.  Two examples.  Finally:  One Conclusion.

Verse 26 - let’s read it together:  For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Do you hear James pounding his point home?  Its like “Enough all ready.  We get it.”

Dead in Greek is “nekros” - physical death.  No heartbeat - no breathing - no brain activity.  Dead.  Bottom line:  No works.  No faith.  Period.    

Processing James’ conclusion there are at least two great opportunities here for us.

The first opportunity is to honestly think through what our actions towards others tell us about the reality of our faith.

What keeps us back from responding to the real needs around us should be like a neon sign glaringly showing us that something is disconnected in our faith.  That somehow we have this deluded idea that all that we’re hanging on to - whatever the resource or ability - is ours by our own whit, wisdom, and works - ours to hang on to and not God given by His grace.

Put another way - whatever we’re hanging on to is killing our faith.  Whatever isn’t laid on the altar before God is keeping us back from God working in us and through us for His glory.

Being a Christian is not about being an end user of God’s grace.  Coming to Church - visiting with friends - worshiping God - hearing a sermon.  That all has its place.  But - way too often that ends up being an intellectual comfort zone of faith that we can hide in and delude ourselves with - thinking that all that is what faith in God is all about.

Being a follower of Jesus - real faith - is way more than all that.  Real faith isn’t about us - what makes us feel comfortable about ourselves.  Real faith is about God - trusting God when we can’t reason things out for ourselves - when we don’t know what comes next - when we’re getting hammered with the drama of life.  Which - let’s be honest - that’s pretty much always.

Real faith is about trusting God as He moves us out of our comfort zone - engaging us in real life in real time - to touch the lives of our siblings in ways that go way beyond us.  Even more so - real faith is about sacrificing everything we are - laying it down as offering before God - to serve God and testify of Him with everything we are - regardless of what His outcome to all that may be. 

Question:  What do your attitudes and actions towards others demonstrate to you about your faith?  There’s a huge opportunity here for growth.

Second - we have this great opportunity to demonstrate the reality of real faith to a world that is desperate for something real to believe in.

Admittedly there’s a lot that could be said about our shortcomings as Christians.  Let’s be honest we all mess up - in here and out there and every place in between.  But, where do we go when we mess up?  Where can we go when we're getting hammered with the stuff of life?  When we're getting overwhelmed?  Who do we go to?  Who can we be real with?  Where can we experience people willing to stand with us in compassion and love and forgiveness and mercy and grace who desire to be used by God in meeting our real needs?  Those are hungered for tangible demonstrations of faith that run contrary to the reality of life in the world around us.

If we could be honest with ourselves and God with where we fall short in living out our real faith - and surrender that - imagine what God might do in us and through us in our relationships with others.  Imagine the opportunity - how that might attract those around us to Jesus.

Abraham risked everything.  Rahab risked everything.  They are examples to us of what real faith looks like.  Being a Christian involves risk.  Total commitment to what God desires to do in us and through us.  Setting self aside - caring for the needs of others - upholding - uplifting - reaching outward beyond our comfort zone.

What do our actions towards our siblings demonstrate about our faith?  There is a huge opportunity here for witness.

_________________

1. ABCNewsOnline, 10.21.05

2. http://global.christianpost.com/news/pope-francis-following-jesus-is-not-a-career-96779/#opbAUz84IVkf2sRb.99

Additional reference & Charts:  Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on James, 1 and 2 Peter - Zondervan, 2010

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.