Adam Knowlden
09-14-2003, 11:28 PM
Hello fellow warriors!
I have been planning to do a series on the book of James for quite some time! I am going a bit out of order for this first series, starting in chapter 2 and covering verses 14-26. I hope you enjoy it!
First let's cover a bit of history about the Book of James:
James
Iakobos or Iakob: the Greek form of Jacobus or Jacob
James was the name of five biblical men. The name appears 42 times in 38 verses.
a brother of Jesus Christ (not to be confused with the original twelve disciples of Christ - below) and probably the author of the Epistle of James -- Our Lord had four younger brothers (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3). Although Jesus was related to his brothers by law, he was not genetically related to them, making James a half-brother. While his brothers were the offspring of his parents, Mary and Joseph, Jesus' was conceived in purity by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18,20) and placed into the womb of Mary.
Of the brothers, the next oldest after Jesus was James (Matt. 13:55-56; Mark 6:3). Other verses which indicate the existence of Mary and Joseph's other children: Matthew 1:25; 12:47; Luke 2:7; John 2:12; Acts 1:14. The Bible reveals that there was some initial skepticism in Christ's family about his ministry (Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21; John 7:5). This later changed when James witnessed the fact of his brother's resurrection from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:7). James personally talked to Jesus after his resurrection (1 Cor. 15:7). James became a strong believer and follower of Jesus, and the leader of the Jerusalem church (1 Corinthians 9:5; Galatians 2:9). In Galatians 1:19, Paul referred to James as an apostle, like himself. James also endorsed Paul's ministry (Galatians 2:1-10). James presided over the council held to decide whether the Gentile Christians should follow the rules of the Jews (Acts 12:17; 15:13-29: 21:18-24).
Note: Jesus' other brothers apparently became missionaries (1 Corinthians 9:5).
(Source: Christian answers dictionary.)
"Authentic Faith"
The verses we are covering are 14-26 in the second chapter of James in the New Testament. Here are the verses from the amplified bible:
<font color="blue"> 14What is the use (profit), my brethren, for anyone to profess to have faith if he has no [good] works [to show for it]? Can [such] faith save [his soul]?
15If a brother or sister is poorly clad and lacks food for each day,
16And one of you says to him, Good-bye! Keep [yourself] warm and well fed, without giving him the necessities for the body, what good does that do?
17So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).
18But someone will say [to you then], You [say you] have faith, and I have [good] works. Now you show me your [alleged] faith apart from any [good] works [if you can], and I by [good] works [of obedience] will show you my faith.
19You believe that God is one; you do well. So do the demons believe and shudder [in terror and horror such as [1] make a man's hair stand on end and contract the surface of his skin]!
20Are you willing to be shown [proof], you foolish (unproductive, spiritually deficient) fellow, that faith apart from [good] works is inactive and ineffective and worthless?
21Was not our forefather Abraham [shown to be] justified (made acceptable to God) by [his] works when he brought to the altar as an offering his [own] son Isaac?(3)
22You see that [his] faith was cooperating with his works, and [his] faith was completed and reached its supreme expression [when he implemented it] by [good] works.
23And [so] the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed in (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on) God, and this was accounted to him as righteousness (as conformity to God's will in thought and deed), and he was called God's friend.(4)
24You see that a man is justified (pronounced righteous before God) through what he does and not alone through faith [through works of obedience as well as by what he believes].
25So also with Rahab the harlot--was she not shown to be justified (pronounced righteous before God) by [good] deeds when she took in the scouts (spies) and sent them away by a different route?(5)
26For as the human body apart from the spirit is lifeless, so faith apart from [its] works of obedience is also dead.
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There are two important questions to answer from these verses--
1. What justifies a man or woman before God?
Answer: Only one thing.... <font color="red">faith. </font>
2. What justifies the faith?
Answer: Works!
So what does that ential?
First we have to understand the James reveals that there are three kinds of faith.
1. Verses 14-18 describe, <font color="red">dead faith </font>, which is a faith that is defective.
<font color="brown"> 14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
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The three words that make this passage come alive are,
A. Verse 14- says
B. Verse 18- show
C. Verse 22- see
A dead faith is all talk with no evidence to back it up.
Faith is a verb, and the evidence of faith will be seen with the actions of good works.
Just saying you are a Christian doesn't make you a Christian anymore than saying you are a Chevrolet makes you an automobile. Real faith is more than a faith of words, it is a faith of works!
To put it bluntly in modern language James is basically saying, "Put up or shut up!"
A workless faith is a worthless faith! I John 3: 17 and 18 tell us:
<font color="green"> 17But if anyone has this world's goods (resources for sustaining life) and sees his brother and [13] fellow believer in need, yet closes his heart of compassion against him, how can the love of God live and remain in him?
18Little children, let us not love [merely] in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth (in practice and in sincerity).
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2. There is a <font color="red">Demonic faith </font> which is deficient!
There are no athiets in hell!
What does that mean you ask?
First let's examine the following verses.
Chapter 19 of this chapter tells us:
<font color="blue">19You believe that God is one; you do well. So do the demons believe and shudder [in terror and horror such as [1] make a man's hair stand on end and contract the surface of his skin]!
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"Tremble" literally means "to bristle". It pictures ones hair standing on end!
We can see this concept illustrated throughout the gospels as well, for example in Mark 1:24
<font color="#666666"> 23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
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Even the demons believe in God!
The devil is a perfect illustration of the vast difference between believing with your head and believing with your heart.
We can see this illustrated in Mark 12, when a scribe approaches Jesus:
<font color="green">32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.And no man after that durst ask him any question.
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The scribe believed in God, believed the bible, but Jesus told Him he was not far from the truth! His faith was no different than the devil himself!
The devils believe in God, the bible, Jesus as the Son of God, the crucifixion(satan entered Judas to betray Jesus) and the Resurrection(the bible says the devil had to listen to Jesus Preach for 3 days in hades as he lay in the tomb!).
The difference is they believe in God, but they have never surrendered to God!
Demonic faith is knowing about God, but not knowing God.
Faith is more than a mental ascent to a logical proposition! It is proved by the fruit your life will produce!
If there is authentic faith, it will be more than head knowledge and more than words, it will be manifest to the world as Jesus described in Matthew 5:
<font color="blue"> 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
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Actions speak louder than words.
Dead faith and demonic faith are easy to spot as all men will know a person by their fruits:
<font color="red"> 43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
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What kind of fruit are you producing?
Are you producing seeds of revenge? Dischord? hatred? Anger? Jealousy?
What you believe affects every acpect of your being. Jesus said, your life's fruit speaks louder than words to the world.
3. There is a <font color="red"> dynamic faith </font>which is defined. Verses 21-26
<font color="blue"> 21Was not our forefather Abraham [shown to be] justified (made acceptable to God) by [his] works when he brought to the altar as an offering his [own] son Isaac?(3)
22You see that [his] faith was cooperating with his works, and [his] faith was completed and reached its supreme expression [when he implemented it] by [good] works.
23And [so] the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed in (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on) God, and this was accounted to him as righteousness (as conformity to God's will in thought and deed), and he was called God's friend.(4)
24You see that a man is justified (pronounced righteous before God) through what he does and not alone through faith [through works of obedience as well as by what he believes].
25So also with Rahab the harlot--was she not shown to be justified (pronounced righteous before God) by [good] deeds when she took in the scouts (spies) and sent them away by a different route?(5)
26For as the human body apart from the spirit is lifeless, so faith apart from [its] works of obedience is also dead.
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A. Real faith is sacrificially demonstrated.
The point James is illustrating is this...Real faith lays everything on the line for God!
To explain better, let's look at King David as a boy, facing the 10 foot giant Goliath:
<font color="blue">25 Now the Israelites had been saying, "Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his father's family from taxes in Israel."
26 David asked the men standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"
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David laid everything on the line for God, even his life!
B. Real faith is steadfastly dedicated.
<font color="green"> 25So also with Rahab the harlot--was she not shown to be justified (pronounced righteous before God) by [good] deeds when she took in the scouts (spies) and sent them away by a different route?(5)
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This is also shown in Hebrews 11:
<font color="blue"> Hebrews 11
1NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, [1] the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
2For by [faith--[2] trust and holy fervor born of faith] the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report.
3By faith we understand that the worlds [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible.
4[Prompted, actuated] by faith Abel brought God a better and more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, because of which it was testified of him that he was righteous [that he was upright and in right standing with God], and God bore witness by accepting and acknowledging his gifts. And though he died, yet [through the incident] he is still speaking.(1)
5Because of faith Enoch was caught up and transferred to heaven, so that he did not have a glimpse of death; and he was not found, because God had translated him. For even before he was taken to heaven, he received testimony [still on record] that he had pleased and been satisfactory to God.(2)
6But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].
7[Prompted] by faith Noah, being forewarned by God concerning events of which as yet there was no visible sign, took heed and diligently and reverently constructed and prepared an ark for the deliverance of his own family. By this [his faith which relied on God] he passed judgment and sentence on the world's unbelief and became an heir and possessor of righteousness ([3] that relation of being right into which God puts the person who has faith).(3)
8[Urged on] by faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went forth to a place which he was destined to receive as an inheritance; and he went, although he did not know or trouble his mind about where he was to go.
9[Prompted] by faith he dwelt as a temporary resident in the land which was designated in the promise [of God, though he was like a stranger] in a strange country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs with him of the same promise.(4)
10For he was [waiting expectantly and confidently] looking forward to the city which has fixed and firm foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God.
11Because of faith also Sarah herself received physical power to conceive a child, even when she was long past the age for it, because she considered [God] Who had given her the promise to be reliable and trustworthy and true to His word.(5)
12So from one man, though he was physically as good as dead, there have sprung descendants whose number is as the stars of heaven and as countless as the innumerable sands on the seashore.(6)
13These people all died controlled and sustained by their faith, but not having received the tangible fulfillment of [God's] promises, only having seen it and greeted it from a great distance by faith, and all the while acknowledging and confessing that they were strangers and temporary residents and exiles upon the earth.(7)
14Now those people who talk as they did show plainly that they are in search of a fatherland (their own country).
15If they had been thinking with [homesick] remembrance of that country from which they were emigrants, they would have found constant opportunity to return to it.
16But the truth is that they were yearning for and aspiring to a better and more desirable country, that is, a heavenly [one]. For that reason God is not ashamed to be called their God [even to be surnamed their God--the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob], for He has prepared a city for them.(8)
17By faith Abraham, when he was put to the test [while the testing of his faith was [4] still in progress], [5] had already brought Isaac for an offering; he who had gladly received and welcomed [God's] promises was ready to sacrifice his only son,(9)
18Of whom it was said, Through Isaac shall your descendants be reckoned.(10)
19For he reasoned that God was able to raise [him] up even from among the dead. Indeed in the sense that Isaac was figuratively dead [potentially sacrificed], he did [actually] receive him back from the dead.
20[With eyes of] faith Isaac, looking far into the future, invoked blessings upon Jacob and Esau.(11)
21[Prompted] by faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons and bowed in prayer over the top of his staff.(12)
22[Actuated] by faith Joseph, when nearing the end of his life, referred to [the promise of God for] the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his own bones.(13)
23[Prompted] by faith Moses, after his birth, was kept concealed for three months by his parents, because they saw how comely the child was; and they were not overawed and terrified by the king's decree.(14)
24[Aroused] by faith Moses, when he had grown to maturity and [6] become great, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,(15)
25Because he preferred to share the oppression [suffer the hardships] and bear the shame of the people of God rather than to have the fleeting enjoyment of a sinful life.
26He considered the contempt and abuse and shame [borne for] the Christ (the Messiah Who was to come) to be greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt, for he looked forward and away to the reward (recompense).
27[Motivated] by faith he left Egypt behind him, being unawed and undismayed by the wrath of the king; for he never flinched but held staunchly to his purpose and endured steadfastly as one who gazed on Him Who is invisible.(16)
28By faith (simple trust and confidence in God) he instituted and carried out the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood [on the doorposts], so that the destroyer of the firstborn (the angel) might not touch those [of the children of Israel].(17)
29[Urged on] by faith the people crossed the Red Sea as [though] on dry land, but when the Egyptians tried to do the same thing they were swallowed up [by the sea].(18)
30Because of faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encompassed for seven days [by the Israelites].(19)
31[Prompted] by faith Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed along with those who refused to believe and obey, because she had received the spies in peace [without enmity].(20)
32And what shall I say further? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,(21)
33Who by [the help of] faith subdued kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promised blessings, closed the mouths of lions,(22)
34Extinguished the power of raging fire, escaped the devourings of the sword, out of frailty and weakness won strength and became stalwart, even mighty and resistless in battle, routing alien hosts.(23)
35[Some] women received again their dead by a resurrection. Others were tortured [7] to death with clubs, refusing to accept release [offered on the terms of denying their faith], so that they might be resurrected to a better life. [I Kings 17:17-24; II Kings 4:25-37.]
36Others had to suffer the trial of mocking and scourging and even chains and imprisonment.
37They were stoned to death; they were lured with tempting offers [to renounce their faith]; they were sawn asunder; they were slaughtered by the sword; [while they were alive] they had to go about wrapped in the skins of sheep and goats, utterly destitute, oppressed, cruelly treated--
38[Men] of whom the world was not worthy--roaming over the desolate places and the mountains, and [living] in caves and caverns and holes of the earth.
39And all of these, though they won divine approval by [means of] their faith, did not receive the fulfillment of what was promised,
40Because God had us in mind and had something better and greater in view for us, so that they [these heroes and heroines of faith] should not come to perfection apart from us [before we could join them].
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We are not saved through faith and works.
We are saved by a faith that works.
<font color="brown"> 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
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Death in the bible always means, "Seperated from".
Here the bible make a eye opening statement. The body seperated from the spirit is dead.
So as with faith. Faith without works is dead.
That is a powerful statement. We all need to analzye our lives. Are we basing our salvation on a dynamic faith? Or are we mearly basing our salvation on dead faith and head knowldege. As the Lord says, "Let us reason together."
<font color="red"> 4 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.
29 Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.
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Is your life and the fruits produced in it different from when you were unsaved? This is a serious question to ponder...
I'll leave with a quote from D.L Moody.
[ QUOTE ]
If you are what you were before you got saved, you've never been saved.
[/ QUOTE ]
I have been planning to do a series on the book of James for quite some time! I am going a bit out of order for this first series, starting in chapter 2 and covering verses 14-26. I hope you enjoy it!
First let's cover a bit of history about the Book of James:
James
Iakobos or Iakob: the Greek form of Jacobus or Jacob
James was the name of five biblical men. The name appears 42 times in 38 verses.
a brother of Jesus Christ (not to be confused with the original twelve disciples of Christ - below) and probably the author of the Epistle of James -- Our Lord had four younger brothers (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3). Although Jesus was related to his brothers by law, he was not genetically related to them, making James a half-brother. While his brothers were the offspring of his parents, Mary and Joseph, Jesus' was conceived in purity by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18,20) and placed into the womb of Mary.
Of the brothers, the next oldest after Jesus was James (Matt. 13:55-56; Mark 6:3). Other verses which indicate the existence of Mary and Joseph's other children: Matthew 1:25; 12:47; Luke 2:7; John 2:12; Acts 1:14. The Bible reveals that there was some initial skepticism in Christ's family about his ministry (Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21; John 7:5). This later changed when James witnessed the fact of his brother's resurrection from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:7). James personally talked to Jesus after his resurrection (1 Cor. 15:7). James became a strong believer and follower of Jesus, and the leader of the Jerusalem church (1 Corinthians 9:5; Galatians 2:9). In Galatians 1:19, Paul referred to James as an apostle, like himself. James also endorsed Paul's ministry (Galatians 2:1-10). James presided over the council held to decide whether the Gentile Christians should follow the rules of the Jews (Acts 12:17; 15:13-29: 21:18-24).
Note: Jesus' other brothers apparently became missionaries (1 Corinthians 9:5).
(Source: Christian answers dictionary.)
"Authentic Faith"
The verses we are covering are 14-26 in the second chapter of James in the New Testament. Here are the verses from the amplified bible:
<font color="blue"> 14What is the use (profit), my brethren, for anyone to profess to have faith if he has no [good] works [to show for it]? Can [such] faith save [his soul]?
15If a brother or sister is poorly clad and lacks food for each day,
16And one of you says to him, Good-bye! Keep [yourself] warm and well fed, without giving him the necessities for the body, what good does that do?
17So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).
18But someone will say [to you then], You [say you] have faith, and I have [good] works. Now you show me your [alleged] faith apart from any [good] works [if you can], and I by [good] works [of obedience] will show you my faith.
19You believe that God is one; you do well. So do the demons believe and shudder [in terror and horror such as [1] make a man's hair stand on end and contract the surface of his skin]!
20Are you willing to be shown [proof], you foolish (unproductive, spiritually deficient) fellow, that faith apart from [good] works is inactive and ineffective and worthless?
21Was not our forefather Abraham [shown to be] justified (made acceptable to God) by [his] works when he brought to the altar as an offering his [own] son Isaac?(3)
22You see that [his] faith was cooperating with his works, and [his] faith was completed and reached its supreme expression [when he implemented it] by [good] works.
23And [so] the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed in (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on) God, and this was accounted to him as righteousness (as conformity to God's will in thought and deed), and he was called God's friend.(4)
24You see that a man is justified (pronounced righteous before God) through what he does and not alone through faith [through works of obedience as well as by what he believes].
25So also with Rahab the harlot--was she not shown to be justified (pronounced righteous before God) by [good] deeds when she took in the scouts (spies) and sent them away by a different route?(5)
26For as the human body apart from the spirit is lifeless, so faith apart from [its] works of obedience is also dead.
</font>
There are two important questions to answer from these verses--
1. What justifies a man or woman before God?
Answer: Only one thing.... <font color="red">faith. </font>
2. What justifies the faith?
Answer: Works!
So what does that ential?
First we have to understand the James reveals that there are three kinds of faith.
1. Verses 14-18 describe, <font color="red">dead faith </font>, which is a faith that is defective.
<font color="brown"> 14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
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The three words that make this passage come alive are,
A. Verse 14- says
B. Verse 18- show
C. Verse 22- see
A dead faith is all talk with no evidence to back it up.
Faith is a verb, and the evidence of faith will be seen with the actions of good works.
Just saying you are a Christian doesn't make you a Christian anymore than saying you are a Chevrolet makes you an automobile. Real faith is more than a faith of words, it is a faith of works!
To put it bluntly in modern language James is basically saying, "Put up or shut up!"
A workless faith is a worthless faith! I John 3: 17 and 18 tell us:
<font color="green"> 17But if anyone has this world's goods (resources for sustaining life) and sees his brother and [13] fellow believer in need, yet closes his heart of compassion against him, how can the love of God live and remain in him?
18Little children, let us not love [merely] in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth (in practice and in sincerity).
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2. There is a <font color="red">Demonic faith </font> which is deficient!
There are no athiets in hell!
What does that mean you ask?
First let's examine the following verses.
Chapter 19 of this chapter tells us:
<font color="blue">19You believe that God is one; you do well. So do the demons believe and shudder [in terror and horror such as [1] make a man's hair stand on end and contract the surface of his skin]!
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"Tremble" literally means "to bristle". It pictures ones hair standing on end!
We can see this concept illustrated throughout the gospels as well, for example in Mark 1:24
<font color="#666666"> 23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
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Even the demons believe in God!
The devil is a perfect illustration of the vast difference between believing with your head and believing with your heart.
We can see this illustrated in Mark 12, when a scribe approaches Jesus:
<font color="green">32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.And no man after that durst ask him any question.
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The scribe believed in God, believed the bible, but Jesus told Him he was not far from the truth! His faith was no different than the devil himself!
The devils believe in God, the bible, Jesus as the Son of God, the crucifixion(satan entered Judas to betray Jesus) and the Resurrection(the bible says the devil had to listen to Jesus Preach for 3 days in hades as he lay in the tomb!).
The difference is they believe in God, but they have never surrendered to God!
Demonic faith is knowing about God, but not knowing God.
Faith is more than a mental ascent to a logical proposition! It is proved by the fruit your life will produce!
If there is authentic faith, it will be more than head knowledge and more than words, it will be manifest to the world as Jesus described in Matthew 5:
<font color="blue"> 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
</font>
Actions speak louder than words.
Dead faith and demonic faith are easy to spot as all men will know a person by their fruits:
<font color="red"> 43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
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What kind of fruit are you producing?
Are you producing seeds of revenge? Dischord? hatred? Anger? Jealousy?
What you believe affects every acpect of your being. Jesus said, your life's fruit speaks louder than words to the world.
3. There is a <font color="red"> dynamic faith </font>which is defined. Verses 21-26
<font color="blue"> 21Was not our forefather Abraham [shown to be] justified (made acceptable to God) by [his] works when he brought to the altar as an offering his [own] son Isaac?(3)
22You see that [his] faith was cooperating with his works, and [his] faith was completed and reached its supreme expression [when he implemented it] by [good] works.
23And [so] the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed in (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on) God, and this was accounted to him as righteousness (as conformity to God's will in thought and deed), and he was called God's friend.(4)
24You see that a man is justified (pronounced righteous before God) through what he does and not alone through faith [through works of obedience as well as by what he believes].
25So also with Rahab the harlot--was she not shown to be justified (pronounced righteous before God) by [good] deeds when she took in the scouts (spies) and sent them away by a different route?(5)
26For as the human body apart from the spirit is lifeless, so faith apart from [its] works of obedience is also dead.
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A. Real faith is sacrificially demonstrated.
The point James is illustrating is this...Real faith lays everything on the line for God!
To explain better, let's look at King David as a boy, facing the 10 foot giant Goliath:
<font color="blue">25 Now the Israelites had been saying, "Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his father's family from taxes in Israel."
26 David asked the men standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"
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David laid everything on the line for God, even his life!
B. Real faith is steadfastly dedicated.
<font color="green"> 25So also with Rahab the harlot--was she not shown to be justified (pronounced righteous before God) by [good] deeds when she took in the scouts (spies) and sent them away by a different route?(5)
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This is also shown in Hebrews 11:
<font color="blue"> Hebrews 11
1NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, [1] the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
2For by [faith--[2] trust and holy fervor born of faith] the men of old had divine testimony borne to them and obtained a good report.
3By faith we understand that the worlds [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible.
4[Prompted, actuated] by faith Abel brought God a better and more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, because of which it was testified of him that he was righteous [that he was upright and in right standing with God], and God bore witness by accepting and acknowledging his gifts. And though he died, yet [through the incident] he is still speaking.(1)
5Because of faith Enoch was caught up and transferred to heaven, so that he did not have a glimpse of death; and he was not found, because God had translated him. For even before he was taken to heaven, he received testimony [still on record] that he had pleased and been satisfactory to God.(2)
6But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].
7[Prompted] by faith Noah, being forewarned by God concerning events of which as yet there was no visible sign, took heed and diligently and reverently constructed and prepared an ark for the deliverance of his own family. By this [his faith which relied on God] he passed judgment and sentence on the world's unbelief and became an heir and possessor of righteousness ([3] that relation of being right into which God puts the person who has faith).(3)
8[Urged on] by faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went forth to a place which he was destined to receive as an inheritance; and he went, although he did not know or trouble his mind about where he was to go.
9[Prompted] by faith he dwelt as a temporary resident in the land which was designated in the promise [of God, though he was like a stranger] in a strange country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs with him of the same promise.(4)
10For he was [waiting expectantly and confidently] looking forward to the city which has fixed and firm foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God.
11Because of faith also Sarah herself received physical power to conceive a child, even when she was long past the age for it, because she considered [God] Who had given her the promise to be reliable and trustworthy and true to His word.(5)
12So from one man, though he was physically as good as dead, there have sprung descendants whose number is as the stars of heaven and as countless as the innumerable sands on the seashore.(6)
13These people all died controlled and sustained by their faith, but not having received the tangible fulfillment of [God's] promises, only having seen it and greeted it from a great distance by faith, and all the while acknowledging and confessing that they were strangers and temporary residents and exiles upon the earth.(7)
14Now those people who talk as they did show plainly that they are in search of a fatherland (their own country).
15If they had been thinking with [homesick] remembrance of that country from which they were emigrants, they would have found constant opportunity to return to it.
16But the truth is that they were yearning for and aspiring to a better and more desirable country, that is, a heavenly [one]. For that reason God is not ashamed to be called their God [even to be surnamed their God--the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob], for He has prepared a city for them.(8)
17By faith Abraham, when he was put to the test [while the testing of his faith was [4] still in progress], [5] had already brought Isaac for an offering; he who had gladly received and welcomed [God's] promises was ready to sacrifice his only son,(9)
18Of whom it was said, Through Isaac shall your descendants be reckoned.(10)
19For he reasoned that God was able to raise [him] up even from among the dead. Indeed in the sense that Isaac was figuratively dead [potentially sacrificed], he did [actually] receive him back from the dead.
20[With eyes of] faith Isaac, looking far into the future, invoked blessings upon Jacob and Esau.(11)
21[Prompted] by faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons and bowed in prayer over the top of his staff.(12)
22[Actuated] by faith Joseph, when nearing the end of his life, referred to [the promise of God for] the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his own bones.(13)
23[Prompted] by faith Moses, after his birth, was kept concealed for three months by his parents, because they saw how comely the child was; and they were not overawed and terrified by the king's decree.(14)
24[Aroused] by faith Moses, when he had grown to maturity and [6] become great, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,(15)
25Because he preferred to share the oppression [suffer the hardships] and bear the shame of the people of God rather than to have the fleeting enjoyment of a sinful life.
26He considered the contempt and abuse and shame [borne for] the Christ (the Messiah Who was to come) to be greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt, for he looked forward and away to the reward (recompense).
27[Motivated] by faith he left Egypt behind him, being unawed and undismayed by the wrath of the king; for he never flinched but held staunchly to his purpose and endured steadfastly as one who gazed on Him Who is invisible.(16)
28By faith (simple trust and confidence in God) he instituted and carried out the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood [on the doorposts], so that the destroyer of the firstborn (the angel) might not touch those [of the children of Israel].(17)
29[Urged on] by faith the people crossed the Red Sea as [though] on dry land, but when the Egyptians tried to do the same thing they were swallowed up [by the sea].(18)
30Because of faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encompassed for seven days [by the Israelites].(19)
31[Prompted] by faith Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed along with those who refused to believe and obey, because she had received the spies in peace [without enmity].(20)
32And what shall I say further? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,(21)
33Who by [the help of] faith subdued kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promised blessings, closed the mouths of lions,(22)
34Extinguished the power of raging fire, escaped the devourings of the sword, out of frailty and weakness won strength and became stalwart, even mighty and resistless in battle, routing alien hosts.(23)
35[Some] women received again their dead by a resurrection. Others were tortured [7] to death with clubs, refusing to accept release [offered on the terms of denying their faith], so that they might be resurrected to a better life. [I Kings 17:17-24; II Kings 4:25-37.]
36Others had to suffer the trial of mocking and scourging and even chains and imprisonment.
37They were stoned to death; they were lured with tempting offers [to renounce their faith]; they were sawn asunder; they were slaughtered by the sword; [while they were alive] they had to go about wrapped in the skins of sheep and goats, utterly destitute, oppressed, cruelly treated--
38[Men] of whom the world was not worthy--roaming over the desolate places and the mountains, and [living] in caves and caverns and holes of the earth.
39And all of these, though they won divine approval by [means of] their faith, did not receive the fulfillment of what was promised,
40Because God had us in mind and had something better and greater in view for us, so that they [these heroes and heroines of faith] should not come to perfection apart from us [before we could join them].
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We are not saved through faith and works.
We are saved by a faith that works.
<font color="brown"> 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
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Death in the bible always means, "Seperated from".
Here the bible make a eye opening statement. The body seperated from the spirit is dead.
So as with faith. Faith without works is dead.
That is a powerful statement. We all need to analzye our lives. Are we basing our salvation on a dynamic faith? Or are we mearly basing our salvation on dead faith and head knowldege. As the Lord says, "Let us reason together."
<font color="red"> 4 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.
29 Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.
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Is your life and the fruits produced in it different from when you were unsaved? This is a serious question to ponder...
I'll leave with a quote from D.L Moody.
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If you are what you were before you got saved, you've never been saved.
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