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| JAMES LESSON #42 James says that faith without works is dead- that it�s useless. What exactly are �works of faith� that show us that our faith is real? I want to go through chapter 2 verse by verse and take a look at the �works of faith� that �show� faith to be real. Remember, James has a goal in writing this book. His goal is to take you, a believer, to maturity. Maturity is �Christ-likeness.� Get this: �Real faith will never stay stagnate.� Real faith will go on to maturity. Oftentimes, that growth to maturity will take you deep into the valley � because it�s there that you discover what you�re not � and it�s there that you discover what He is. As you grow in that valley � and move into maturity, �works� will begin to demonstrate the �trusting relationship� � the �joint effort� that your faith lives in. James starts right from the beginning with �Consider it all joy when you face various trials..� why? Because the testing of your faith is to have it�s �perfect work.� What is it�s �perfect work?� That we might be �perfect.� James uses the word �teleios� in the Greek which means: to bring to maturity or perfection or completeness.� That means �complete� not only spiritually � but all of you: mind (emotions), body and soul : operating in wholeness IN HIM. Mark James 1:4 where it says, �you may be perfect.� Now- move to James 2:22. Here, James wants your faith to be �perfected.� He wants your faith to be �mature.� He wants it to �advance forward.� Read verse 22. When James says that �faith without works is dead� it�s important that you understand where he�s taking you. James is taking you to a faith that�s �mature.� James 3:1-2 In verse 2 James is not saying that he is a �perfect man without error..� He is saying that he is a �mature man� � a �complete man� � �readied� �equipped� �prepared� � James is concerned with how to LIVE what we profess. This whole book is a journal on the �how to�s� in getting to �mature� � the requirements of the journey. I can not emphasize from this point on how important it is that you really really understand that the journey to �maturity� IS A PROCESS. NONE OF US will get there over night. And NONE OF US �arrive� this side of eternity. You WILL stumble. You WILL fall down. You WILL battle with areas of weakness in your life- oftentimes finding it to be the same barnyard, just one more lap around it � with attempts to learn whatever it is you didn�t get the first 52 times! As we move into the �how to�s� it will get very convicting. STAY WITH ME � and remember, you�re not going to GET IT ALL RIGHT NOW - AND remember that it�s GOD that works it out IN you..not YOU that works it out FOR God� DON�T FORGET THAT! The journey to maturity is not instantaneous. How I wish it were. We have instant everything else � but, unfortunately, there is no such thing as �instant holiness!� All the way through, James drives home the stuff that needs to be dealt with in our lives: judgment of others, control of our tongues, standing in the fire, fleeing temptation, and on and on � All the way through James you see concern over how we speak and how we act. James 2:12 �so speak and so act� James 1:19 �be slow to �speak� and slow to anger � quick to hear James 1:21- He says put away all filthiness � be a doer not just a hearer James 1:26 Bridle your tongue- You see speakactspeakactspeakact � confrontations all the way through this book. If faith is something you �verbally claim� but you don�t have to �demonstrate� � how can you be �judged� by the �Law of Liberty- the Word.� Look at James 2:12. What is the Law of Liberty? The Word of God. James uses the word �judged� a lot. Turn to John 12:47-48 He�s saying here, that if you hear my sayings and you don�t ACT on them, I�M not going to judge you � the WORD of GOD will judge you. That fits in perfectly with James. If you �hear� the word, but don�t �do� it, you are deceiving yourself! James 2:12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the �Law of Liberty.� - That means, so speak and so act as a child who�s been told to stay out of the cookie jar and KNOWS that mommy is standing on the other side of the room �watching� at all times. Don�t go there! KNOW KNOW KNOW that the consequence will not be a good thing � and be �aware� that mommy indeed..is VERY present. John 12:47-48 which you just read parallels directly with James 2:12 � I�d mark the reference of John next to the verse in James. �so act� runs through both � Now, let�s see how Matthew 12:36-37 parallels with �so speak.� �Read: Careless means �useless� �that is so convicting. James is all about you and I living out this faith by watching what we say and watching what we do. When we get to the end we will be judged by what we say and what we do � NOT, by what we �profess.� The judgment is based on our words and our actions which show the reality of our faith. What are the �works� that James talks about that �prove� the reality of our faith? There are three works of faith. Every work would fall into one of these categories. 1) Love (real faith will produce and produce and produce love) 2) Obedience and 3)A faith that trusts and ACTS on what is not seen. (Hebrews says that faith is the evidence of things not seen.) In James 2:14-25 � In verse 14 He�s not talking about getting �saved� by works. He�s talking about a faith that is genuine that can be SEEN on judgment day. Then he gives an illustration. He takes that illustration and ties it to a statement in verse 17: In verse 15-16: If I have faith, it will evidence itself in love � love that ACTS- In verse 17: faith is a profession without a possession here. All through chapter 2 James has been talking about �love.� Look at verse 1-2. What is personal favoritism? Favoring one person over another, based on your opinions. Partiality: is this illustrating the love of God? Look at verses 3-4: God specifically tells us in the book of James not to become �judges. Look at chapter 4:11-12. We will deal with judgment in detail when we get to this chapter. When you judge a brother, you are judging the �law.� What does the �law� say? Love your neighbor as yourself. You judge the law because you are saying that it isn�t correct- that your opinion, one that�s demeaning or degrading, is of higher importance and weighs heavier than �love your neighbor as yourself.� James 2:4 � If you are showing partiality � you are judging. Then in verse 5- If I love God, what will I do in respect of my brother? I will �love� him. Verses 6-12 If you are fulfilling the �Royal Law� � �You shall love your neighbor as yourself� (there is another part: You shall love your God will all your heart) � Is it �merciful� of me to look at someone who has no money, or no food, or has physical needs, and say � �I�ll pray for you and do nothing to help? No no no- Mercy is seeing another person�s need and moving with my resources, whatever they are, in order to meet that need. Can I say that I love you and not have �mercy� on you? No. Because what does �love do?� Love desires another�s highest good. Love is not INACTIVE or PASSIVE � it�s ALWAYS demonstrated. Get that. James moves from 1) personal favoritism, from partiality � from saying that we are to speak and to act as those who are going to be changed by the Word of God and he begins to talk about 2) mercy triumphing over judgment. Then he moves to 3) faith that says that it believes but does not have works. It�s very clear that he is choosing an illustration that shows, that if I really really have faith, my faith is going to be demonstrated in love. Love meets the needs of others around me. Self check time: Look back over the last 24 hours. Who have you �loved?� Who�s �good� has been on your heart? Who have you �demonstrated� love to? Who�s needs have you met? Are you a deep �lover?� Are you are shallow �lover?� Are you �loveless..� - your �love level� is a faith indicator. As Emerson wrote: This time, like all times, is a very good one if we know what to do with it- Love someone deeply, in it. Loving you, Robin �copyright 2001 Jim and Robin Hibschman |
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