James - Faith Part 2 - Conjunctive Faith
Date: 4/06/08
Sermon Series: James – Faith, Wisdom and Behavior
Sermon Title: Conjunctive Faith
Text: James 2:14-26
Theme: This sermon will focus on the faith versus work supposed controversy. We will discuss a faith that is identifiable, demonstrative and justifiable.
Introduction: You know it is sad to say but I have realized that I am part of generation which has grown up having been forever marked by television. It has permeated every portion of my life. Shaped by school house rock!
I. James argument
a. The cyclic nature of his argument
i. Verse 17 – Faith without works is dead
ii. 26 – faith apart from works is dead.
b. An Active Faith is an Accomplishing Faith
i. Faith that doesn’t do something is…
ii. a dead faith (17)
1. Without life and breath our faith is dead. You know what dead things do, they go rotten and start to stink.
a. A dead faith stinks to the people who are in need and ignored by the Church.
b. It stinks to the world, who sees a bunch of holier than thou people who don’t turn their faith into the kind of action that Jesus called us to.
2. James responds to the question about demonstration of faith by the phrase you show me your faith and I will show you my faith by my works. In effect he is saying that a workless faith is un-demonstrate-able. One of the questions we should periodically ask ourselves is: Does the world recognize my faith. Is it alive enough that the effects of it are evident.
iii. a useless Faith (v. 20)
1. A one legged man in a butt kicking contest.
a. Although it is around (shows up to church occasionally and a few other activities) and possibly apparent it doesn’t get anything done.
b. This is the kind of faith that doesn’t stand up to the hard things which life throws at us.
i. When we face difficult issues we need to have a faith which has been well tested. The word for profit here is ofelos. Paul uses it in 1 Corinthians 15:2 to ask the question: “What would I gain if I fought beasts in Ephesus an there was no resurrection?” The idea is that Paul had a faith that was grounded on facts and well tested he could stand up to dangers because he knew his faith was not a useless faith but a useful faith.
c. James asks the question :“What does it profit someone to have a faith without works?”
i. It carries with it the idea of profit. It is profitless for us to walk round with a faith that only benefits ourselves.
c. An Active Faith is an Inseparable Faith
i. God is one
1. This is probably a quote from the Shema - Deut. 6:4 it is the fundamental statement of faith for Jewish people.
a. James is making the statement that there are no atheists among the demons. It is an obvious statement to his readers that demons don’t just believe but they know yet they don’t do an y thing about their belief. Faith that is separated leaves you no better off than the demons.
2. A lot of the commentators who have struggled with this passage have tried to make the Christian life about what we believe.
a. Luther struggled to the point that he relegated James to the concordance of his bible.
b. Calvin similarly struggled.
3. James is making the point here that faith and what is accomplished because of our faith are inseparable.
ii. Abraham’s faith was accompanied by his act of obedience.
1. Trying to separate faith from works is kind of like the skydiver who insists that he rally trusts his equipment. He knows that that parachute will save him but he has never actually jumped out of an airplane. His faith is non-existent.
d. An Active Faith is a Justifiable Faith
i. Faith; when accompanied by appropriate action is justified faith.
ii. Both Abraham and `Rahab are used as examples of faith. These are both people who did something about what they believed..
iii. Beyond that these are both events that are the defining moments of these people’s lives. They crossed a line over which tey will never return. It is complete sold out faith or nothing.
Conclusion: This is the kind of faith God asks to participate in. The story of the cow who tried to jump through the window
