James 2:18-26

Well, James chapter 2, as well as parts of the Bible, which much ink has been spilled over.

James 2 · chapter mention

! A couple of years ago, I got a text message from a friend of mine, for the sake of argument, we'll call Gavin.

Gavin was, is, was, is a faithful minister in a Bible-believing church.

He was well-loved by his congregation and by his family.

And I don't recall all the details of the text message, but it basically read like this.

He quoted chapter 2, verse 24.

You see, a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

I couldn't be reading the whole passage that morning.

He said this, Stuart, am I alright? Am I a Christian? Help me.

What are your feelings is as you read these words?

James is very stark, isn't he?

Verse 17.

Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Verse 20.

Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

Verse 26.

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, it's also faith apart from works is dead.

It's very strange, isn't it?

James is not beating about the bush.

And that's what got Gavin worried.

That's what got him thinking.

And his worry made him text me.

He wanted to be sure he was justified.

He was forgiven.

He was part of God's people.

And I think that's exactly why James, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote these words.

He wanted to shake up complacent people.

He wanted to shake up his readers.

As we read through this book, we realise they were double-minded, as he calls them, back in chapter 1, verse 6.

They had spiritual schizophrenia.

They would pray, but not really believe that God would answer prayers.

They would love to hear God's word preached, but they'd never actually respond and do anything to obey.

They all, chapter 3, verse 1, wanted to be teachers.

They were really into the Bible.

But actually, they loved the world.

They wanted all the things the world wanted.

Chapter 4, verse 4.

You ask and you do not receive, because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions.

You adulterous people.

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?

They would split people.

Divided in their thinking.

Divided in their hearts.

Divided in their loyalty.

So James is rattling their cage.

For those who know their theology, and say we're saved by faith, we can cross out, fold our arms now.

He wants to get them thinking.

And James' main point is the point that my friend Gavin got.

That actually faith without works is useless.

Now at first sight, this might sound like James is contradicting the Apostle Paul.

So if you compare James, chapter 2, verse 24, you see the person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

James 2:24

And then if you read Romans 3, verse 28, Paul writing,

Romans 3:28

For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from the works of the Lord.

You might think there's a contradiction there.

Well, we'll see.

Clearly there isn't.

Because the Bible does not contradict itself.

We'll see why later on.

But first, we need to make sure we understand what James is saying.

What James is saying.

And he's wanting us to understand the genuine saving faith.

What it looks like.

What is the nature of true faith.

He's going to tell us three things about it.

First of all, it's more than mere profession.

It's more than mere confession.

But rather it results in transformation.

It's more than mere profession.

It's more than mere confession.

It results in transformation.

Let's put it another way.

It's more than merely saying the right words.

More than merely agreeing with the right doctrine.

Rather, it's embracing God's promises wholeheartedly.

So first of all, true faith is more than mere profession.

It's more than merely saying the right words.

Look at verse 14.

What good is it, my brothers,

is, my brothers,

if someone says he has faith,

but does not have words,

can that faith save him?

Now the original language is clear.

The answer to that question is,

no, such faith cannot save you.

So the problem James is getting at

is the problem of people claiming to have faith,

but not actually living it out.

It's just mere words.

It's just their talk.

People can claim all sorts of things.

I can claim to be a great football player.

You look at my life,

you'll probably see I never was,

and never will be.

So James says,

it's not just what you claim.

Today, many people still claim to be Christian.

You know, a census form,

they'll tick a box.

Or they'll say,

I prayed that sinner's prayer on us,

as a student,

or as a young person at camp.

Or I've been to church,

or I've been baptized.

James says that,

it's more than mere profession,

it's more than merely saying the right thing.

And that's what his whole illustration here,

the point of his illustration,

verse 15.

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.

That's actually a prayer.

It's actually a prayer.

Oh, you're suffering.

Be warm, be filled.

As in, God fill you,

God warm you up.

If you say those things,

without giving them the things needed for the body,

what good is that?

It's an illustration of words themselves

being powerless and useless.

You might say the right things,

but if you have the resources to help someone,

James says,

and you're not actually helping them,

that's no good.

Likewise, faith without any action

is no good.

Now, this was obviously happening

in James' church.

All through this book,

we see a division between the wealthy,

the haves and the have-nots.

So James is using this illustration

to, again,

to rattle their cage a bit.

And it's quite testing for us as well,

as Simon was saying this morning,

how easy it is for us

to turn away from the adverts on the tube

because of our compassion fatigue.

And of course,

we can't respond to every advert

for money on the tube.

But that's not the point.

But it's so easy, isn't it,

for us to pray for our brothers and sisters

around the world in need,

but not actually do things.

It's much harder to get involved

in the Ealing Church's

winter night shelter.

It's much harder to actually give

to Christian organisations.

But James is also using this example

to remind them of something

he's told them.

Back in verses 12 and 13,

he reminded them

they have to live

as those who will be judged

under the law of liberty.

That is, the law as fulfilled

and explained by Christ.

He's reminded them

there's a day coming

when Jesus will come back

and judge his people.

And in Matthew chapter 25,

Matthew 25 · chapter mention

Jesus told a story

about that day.

The parable of the sheep

and the goats.

And Jesus tells

that he will come back

as a king on his throne

and divide the people

of sheep and goats.

And James is actually

using words from that story.

Here.

Because in that story,

Jesus says to the sheep,

to those who are his people,

to those who are going to be

accepted into the eternal kingdom,

he says this,

Come you who are blessed

by my Father.

This is Matthew 25,

Matthew 25:34

verse 34.

Inherit the kingdom

prepared for you

from the foundation

of the world.

For I was hungry

and you gave me food.

I was naked

and you clothed me.

And in the parable,

the sheep then say,

When did we see you hungry?

When did we feed you?

When did we clothe you?

Jesus says,

What you did for the least

of my brothers and sisters,

you did for me.

James is picking up

on the words of that parable

inserting it here.

You see a brother or sister?

You don't feed them?

What kind of faith is that?

He says.

Remember,

judgment is coming.

The Lord Jesus

will sit on his throne

and judge.

Your faith should be seen

in your deeds.

I notice it's not that

the good works

in that parable

saved the people.

Those sheep didn't even know

they fed the Lord Jesus.

When did that happen?

Rather,

it was their faith

worked out

and practiced in their lives

that led to those actions.

It was that transforming faith,

the genuine faith they had

that showed

they trusted in Christ

and resulted in

being new people.

James is reminding

his readers of this.

True faith

is more than

merely saying

the right words.

True faith

is more than

mere profession,

we might say.

It's more than

just saying

the right words.

But secondly,

true faith

is more than

merely agreeing

with the right doctrine.

It's more than

merely agreeing

with the right doctrine.

Look at

verse 18.

James comes back

with an imagined

objector.

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.

You believe

that God is one,

you do well.

even the demons

believe

and shadow.

See, the demons

have great theology.

There was a lady

in our last church

who was actually

into witchcraft.

She was a Satanist.

She introduced herself

as a Satanist.

And she was miraculously

saved and came to the Lord.

One of the interesting

things she told me

was actually

all the Satanists

fully understand

that they're on

the believing team.

That's part of the doctrine.

They do know

that Jesus is one

and they persist

in their rebellion.

They've got great theology

just like the demons

who knew Jesus was Lord.

They believe

and shudder.

The danger is

we can be like them.

We can believe

the right things

and yet we don't

actually respond.

There's no real change

in our lives.

Even the demons,

James says,

shudder.

They do respond in some way.

It does affect them

a little bit.

But what about you,

James says?

Does it affect you?

I think it's a real problem

for churches like the churches

I've lived in,

grown up in

and served in.

Churches like us.

Where we are rightly

concerned for white doctrine.

We're rightly concerned

to hold to what

the scriptures teach.

But so often

we can think

that is sufficient.

You know,

I've heard people saying

not about this church

but about a number of churches.

Yeah,

we're a gospel-centered church.

We love people

by sharing the gospel

with them.

We're not into

social action.

You can feed people

all you like

but that won't

save them from hell.

Well,

yes,

that is true

to an extent

but it's a false

dichotomy.

For if we have

faith in Christ

our lives will be

transformed.

Our lives will be

different.

If it's merely

intellectual

then it's not

genuine faith.

That's what Paul's

saying,

what James is saying.

True faith

is not merely

agreeing with

the right doctrine.

At the end of a

Christianity explored

many years ago

a friend of me,

an old colleague of mine

from my old childhood

come along

turned to me

and said

so what are you

saying?

All I need to do

is believe this

and that's all.

Is it really that simple?

Of course,

the answer to Thomas'

question

isn't really that simple

is yes

and no.

Yes,

it is that simple.

We simply trust

in Jesus Christ.

That's all we have to do.

But simply trusting

in Jesus Christ

isn't merely

agreeing

with the doctrine.

The demons

believe the doctrine

but it doesn't

change them.

That's a danger

for us,

isn't it?

I was never taught

the catechism growing up.

I wish I was.

It would be a great

thing to have learned

when I was young.

But there's a danger,

isn't there,

that we think that

teaching the catechism

to our children

makes them good believers

and that's it.

I'm so glad

I learned many

memory verses

when I was a child.

I should encourage

my children

to learn more

memory verses.

But even just

knowing the memory verses

doesn't change it,

doesn't save it.

Intellectual assent,

agreeing with

the right doctrine,

isn't genuine faith.

As one commentator

perceptibly put it

on this verse,

it is a good thing

to possess

accurate theology

it is a good thing

to possess accurate theology

but it's unsatisfactory

unless that good theology

possesses us.

It's good to possess

the right theology

but does our theology

possess us?

Are our hearts

gripped by it?

See,

true faith

is more than

mere profession.

It's more than

saying the right words.

True faith

is more than

mere confession,

agreeing with

the right doctrine.

True faith

embraces God's promises

wholeheartedly.

And that's James' point

in verses 20-26.

And this genuine faith

results in transformation

when we embrace

God's promises

wholeheartedly.

And that's why James

uses these two examples

in the Old Testament.

One is Abraham,

the ultimate insider,

the great father

of the faith.

The other is

Abraham,

the ultimate outsider,

the Canaanite

prostitute.

And James is using

these two extreme

examples to say

that it doesn't

matter whether

you're the best

of people

or the worst

of people,

true faith

will be shown

in your actions,

not merely your words

and assenting

the right doctrines.

So let's look

at these two examples.

God had promised

Abraham an heir.

In Genesis chapter 15

Genesis 15 · chapter mention

God had promised

a son from Abraham's

own body

who would be

his heir

through whom

God's great promises

to Abraham

would carry forward.

In Genesis chapter 15

Genesis 15:6

verse 6

Abraham looks up

at the stars in the sky

because God had said

God has made

descendants of stars

in the sky.

Abraham believed God

in verse 6

of chapter 15

of Genesis

we're told

Abraham believed God

and God credited

it to him

as righteousness.

Then over 30 years later

when that son

had been born

and Isaac had been born

God chested Abraham

in Genesis chapter 22

Genesis 22 · chapter mention

said go

sacrifice Isaac

your only son

whom you love

take him

and sacrifice him.

That was to test

his faith.

It was a trial

just as James' readers

were undergoing trials

as we read in chapter 1.

But Abraham did that.

He set off

with his servants

he set off

with Isaac

and with fire

to go up

onto Mount Moriah

to sacrifice his son.

Why did he do it?

Well here's

because he embraced

God's promises

wholeheartedly.

Here's how the writer

of the Hebrews

in the New Testament

puts it.

By faith

Abraham

when he was tested

offered up Isaac

and he who had

received the promises

was in the act

of offering up

his only son

at whom it was said

through Isaac

shall your offspring

be named.

He considered

that God was able

even to raise him

from the dead

from which figuratively

speaking

he did receive him back.

In other words

Abraham believed

God's promises

he embraced

God's promises

wholeheartedly.

So he figured

I don't understand

what's going on here

but I believe

if I take my son

up this mountain

to sacrifice him

God can bring him

back from the dead

if necessary.

God will do

what he's promised.

Abraham embraced

those promises

wholeheartedly.

See faith isn't

merely about

doing good things.

That's not

James' point

is it?

James isn't saying

do good things

because you believe.

He's saying

embrace God's promises

wholeheartedly

as Abraham did.

See faith is

in that sense

well it's not

irrational

it's super rational

super irrational

bigger than reason.

Abraham did

what seemed

completely irrational

because he trusted

something better

than human reason.

He trusted

the word of God

he trusted

what God had promised.

And that's what we see

with Rahab as well

this other example.

So Rahab lived

in the city of Jericho

you can read

the story

of Joshua

Joshua 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2

and chapter 5

and Joshua

had sent some spies

in to check out

the city

and they had

hidden themselves

at Rahab's house

where they'd gone

to Rahab's house

Rahab had hidden

them in the roof

of her building.

The king of Jericho

sent soldiers around

to get these men

and Rahab lied

sent the soldiers

off in the opposite

direction

and then got the men

down from the roof

and said to them

this

I know

that the Lord

has given you

the land

and the fear

of you

has fallen on us.

How did she know that?

She knew it

because she'd heard

how God had rescued

them out of Egypt.

She'd heard

how they'd come

across the Red Sea.

She'd heard

as all the people

of Jericho had

how God had defeated

the Amorite kings.

She'd heard

how Israel

had come across

the Jordan River

or would soon

come across

the Jordan River.

So she believed

God's great promise

that he was going

to give

that land

to Israel.

Even as a complete

outsider

someone who worshipped

other gods

she still believed

God's promise.

And so

because she rescued

those spies

when the Israelites

came over

and destroyed

under God's orders

destroyed Jericho

she was saved.

That was the sense

in which she was

justified.

She was rescued

from God's

just judgment

against that city

because she had

shown her faith

by saving

the spies.

She embraced

God's promises

wholeheartedly

and so she was

transformed

she was completely

different

to everyone else

in Jericho

who did not believe.

See by these examples

James is demonstrating

that for everyone

true faith

has the same effect.

It's shown

in actions

it leads to a

transformation

in our lives.

It's not merely

about profession

or confession

it's about embracing

God's promises

wholeheartedly.

Now that's the

conclusion

there's a bit of

detail we need to go into

if we look at

verses 20 to 23

because James

tells us more

about the quality

of this true faith

as we look at the

details of his argument.

So verse 21

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.

Now at some point

this seems like a

contradiction

doesn't it?

Romans 4

Paul says

Abraham

Paul uses this

Abraham as the

example of being

justified by faith

not by works

yet James

seems to say

exactly the opposite

Abraham is justified

by his actions

not by faith alone.

How does that work out?

Well we see the

difference between

the two situations

that these writers

are dealing with

and also what they say.

So Paul is writing

about the chronology

of faith

the timing of it

so Abraham's faith

came first

that was where

it all started

whereas James

is writing about

the quality

of Abraham's faith

he's showing how

that faith played

out in the rest

of his life.

Paul was dealing

with a situation

where people thought

their own works

were all important

what they do

is all important

that their works

make them right

with God

so they were

rejecting the

sufficiency

of Christ's

sacrifice alone

and falling into

the trap of

legalism

of trying to do

the right things

to be with God

to be God's

friends.

So Paul's

dealing with a

situation where

works are all

important

James is dealing

with a situation

where people think

works are of

no importance

they can just

let go and let

God

so they were

emptying the cross

and resurrection

of Christ

of its power

in a different way

they were emptying

of its power

to change lives

to transform

them

make them new

people

their temptation

was not legalism

but license

anything goes

I believe

Jesus died for me

I can do

whatever I want

so James is

talking about

the quality

of Abraham's

faith

the quality

of genuine

faith

that truly

trusts in

Christ

in his death

and resurrection

to make us

right with God

three qualities

he draws out

verse 22

first of all

it's active

not passive

verse 22

you see that

faith was active

along with his

works

in the original

language

it's literally

faith works

together

with his

works

faith was

the fuel

the power

how does a car

move

well it's because

it's got an engine

but it's got fuel

that goes in the engine

there's no fuel

it won't go anywhere

the fuel works

together with the engine

to make the car move

so faith works

with Abraham's

works

it is active

it drives action

faith is not

passive

God pleasing

works do not

happen without

faith

and in the original

language as well

it's this sense of

this was an ongoing

thing throughout

Abraham's life

faith was constantly

active with his

works

not just a one

off thing

so faith is

active

secondly

genuine faith

matures as it

works

look at verse 22

faith was completed

by his works

that word completed

is often translated

perfect

or mature

and with maturity

the idea here is

of the faith

developing

as it is used

as it is exercised

a bit like

muscle matures

as you exercise

as it grows

or sometimes

you hear football

commentators

talking about

a young player

being a bit naive

in what he did

I don't know

when they say that

such a misuse

of the word naive

anyway

very naive there

he needs to be

a bit more mature

and as he gets

more experience

he gets more

mature

it's the same

way with faith

faith matures

as it is used

as it is exercised

so a young footballer

matures

as he gets more

experience

see Abraham

had faith

when he believed

in God's promise

but faith became

more mature

throughout his life

as he exercised it

through ups and downs

and it came to his

most evident maturity

in the test

of sacrificing Isaac

and with the idea

of maturity

there's an idea

of a purpose

there isn't it

something to be

mature

means it has to

have a goal

have a purpose

and so it is

faith

is meant to

mature

it's meant to

grow

and it grows

as it is exercised

and the ultimate

goal is

transformation

so back in

chapter 1

verse 18

maybe over the

page in your

Bible

James said this

of God's own

will

he brought us

forth by the

word of truth

that we should

be a kind of

first fruits of

his creatures

see God's goal

is transformation

that we should

be different

we shouldn't

remain static

and unchanged

we should mature

as our faith

is used

and developed

over time

see faith is

completed and

matures as we

exercise it

so it's active

it matures

and thirdly

it finally

results in

justification

look at verse

23

the scripture

was fulfilled

that says

Abraham believed

God and it

was counted to

him as

righteousness

now in what

sense was that

scripture fulfilled

there are at

least three ways

the Bible can talk

about scripture

being fulfilled

we might talk

about things

being fulfilled

in our own

lives

it can be a

promise being

fulfilled

and that certainly

happens

it's not quite what

James means here

or secondly

a pattern

or a role

can be fulfilled

so if you think

back as far as

Christmas

which is not

long ago

we often have

that reading

don't we

from Matthew

Matthew 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2

this was

happened to

fulfill what

God had said

through the

prophet Hosea

out of Egypt

I called my

son

there Jesus

was fulfilling

an Old

Testament pattern

that as

Israel had

been in Egypt

and was called

out of Egypt

so Jesus

as God's

perfect son

was down

in Egypt

and brought

out of Egypt

for his

ministry

so you can

fulfill a

promise

or fulfill

a pattern

or

this is what

James is

doing here

something can

be fulfilled

in reaching

its ultimate

significance

so Jesus

says that

I haven't

come to

abolish the

law and

the prophets

Matthew 5

17

but I've

come to

fulfill

them

in other

words I've

come to

bring them

to that

ultimate

significance

to do

all that

was written

in the

past

to fulfill

to bring

it to

its greatest

significance

and that's

the way

James is

using the

word here

God had

said 30

years earlier

that Abraham's

faith was

counted as

righteousness

now that

reaches its

full significance

as we see

this man

Abraham

prepared to

sacrifice his

own son on

the altar

but he's been

so transformed

through his

faith in the

living God

as life goes

on

and what's

the final

result of

that

what's

Abraham

called

at the

end of

verse 23

a friend

of God

a friend

of God

so James

is using

justification

in a slightly

different way

to Paul

when Paul

talks about

justification

he's always

talking about

the initial

declaration

by God

of our

innocence

before him

when we

trusted him

but justification

is used in a

number of ways

in the Bible

James uses it

in a different

way

and here

he's talking

about the

final

declaration

the public

declaration

by God

of our

innocence

before him

when Christ

returns

we can see

that because

that's the

whole context

here

back in

verses 12

and 13

James has

been saying

judgment

is coming

he's alluded

to the parable

of the sheep

and the goats

where people

are finally

publicly

justified

their faith

demonstrated

by their

actions

it's clear

from the

example

of Rahab

she was

justified

in that

judgment

she was

saved

from that

judgment

as the

Israelite

soldiers

came in

and

enacted

God's

judgment

on the

city

of Jericho

so here

James'

meaning

that through

a lifetime

of faith

will ultimately

result in

vindication

in the

final declaration

of innocence

before God

when Christ

returns

as judge

that's

why we

go on

showing our

faith in

our works

he says

that's what

true faith

is like

it is

expressed

in works

it is

active

it matures

and it will

result in that

final declaration

of being

God's friend

so what does

faith look like

that really

embraces

God's promises

well what did

it look like

for Rahab

and Abraham

it didn't mean

doing nice

things necessarily

did it

it didn't mean

being a nice

person

it meant

taking God

at his word

it meant

doing things

that seemed

crazy to the

world around

no one else

in Jericho

was about to

take in

Israelite slaves

no one else

in Jericho

was about to

lie to the

king

and send

his soldiers

off in

the other

direction

to Abraham's

servants

who must have

seemed mad

taking Isaac

off to be

all to be

sacrificed

and yet

that's because

they trusted

something better

and bigger

and stronger

than human

reason

they trusted

God's promises

now what sort

of works will

develop in our

lives

if we're genuinely

embracing God's

promises from our

hearts

well think about

the week ahead

the week of

prayer

to someone who

doesn't believe

isn't prayer the

most pointless

thing

I had a great

story a while

ago about a

friend who was

a vicar

and he was at

his desk in

his study

praying

and the

window cleaner

knocked on

the window

and said

look mate

you're not

doing anything

come give me

a hand for

a moment

he said

no I am

doing it

I'm praying

this is the

work

but naturally

we think

well the

window cleaner

don't we

praying is

pointless

you're just

doing nothing

here's how

our faith

can lead to

action this

week

we make

time to

pray

to join

with others

in prayer

what about

where we put

our money

and our time

see natural

human logic

would say

we put

money

we got

spare money

we invest

it in good

savings

and good

pension plans

and it's not

bad to do

that

it's not wrong

to do that

but faith

embraces God's

promises wholeheartedly

remembers what

Jesus says

about treasures

on earth

where moth

and rust

destroy

there are

treasures in

heaven

where thieves

do not

break in

and steal

and moth

and rust

do not

destroy

and so

we see

with the eyes

of faith

we invest

in what will

last forever

don't we

we invest

in gospel

work

we invest

in a building

project

we might help

the gospel

be proclaimed

for generations

to come here

we invest

in God's

family around

the world

or another

example of what

faith

embracing God's

promises

from a half

means

is the

illustration

James uses

here

these rich

men in

James'

congregation

saying

go in peace

be warm

and filled

weren't really

embracing God's

promises

they weren't

seeing the

poor and

needy among

them

as those

to whom

they were

joined in

Christ

they're

brothers and

sisters

as they're

being selfish

rather than

giving it

practically

helping

those in

God's

family who

needed it

I'm sure

we can all

think of

more examples

for our

own lives

and what

would it

look like

when we

embrace God's

promises

wholeheartedly

James is

really putting

a question to

us all here

whose friend

are you

whose friend

do you want

to be

Abraham had

genuine faith

it was active

it matured

through use

resulted

finally in

justification

of being

God's

friend

but later

on he gives

the warning

I've already

quoted it

chapter 4

verse 4

that these

people

James is

writing to

were so

double minded

they were

really friends

with the

world

you are

doffrous

people

do you not

know that

friendship with

the world

is enmity

with God

therefore

whoever wishes

to be a

friend of the

world

makes himself

an enemy

of God

so their

friendship with

the world

was seen

with their

preoccupation

with status

with wealth

with their

own plans

with ease

not with

God's ways

so James

is asking

them and

asking us

whose friend

do you want

to be

to my

friend Gavin

was unsettled

by James

words

confused even

maybe many

of us here

are tonight

well let me

be clear

let me be

clear what

James says

James is not

saying good

works can

save us

they cannot

James has

already told us

back in chapter

1 verse 21

what can

save us

therefore put

away all

filthiness

and rampant

wickedness

and receive

with meekness

the implanted

word which

is able to

save your

souls

only coming

to Christ

in need

accepting the

gospel message

of salvation

through Christ

alone

of his death

on the cross

to pay for

our sins

his resurrection

guaranteeing

us new life

that is the

only way

to be saved

saving faith

is never

alone

because God

makes us

new people

so can I

ask you

what is your

confidence in

is it in

your theology

is it the

fact you

prayed a prayer

once

or your

baptism

James tells us

true faith

is not a

matter of

mere words

not a matter

of mere

intellectual

ascent

but wholeheartedly

embracing

God's promises

maybe some

people here

feel

I'm confident

because I'm

a nice person

I do good

things

please be clear

James does not

say good works

will save you

only faith

will save you

and that faith

is shown

perhaps some

of us here

like Gavin

my friend

Gavin

are concerned

how did I

answer

how would you

answer someone

a friend

who texted

you like

Gavin

texted me

am I alright

let me tell you

how I answered

him

I pointed

out to him

the change

in his character

I'd seen

over the years

I pointed

out his

humility

I pointed

out his

desire for

godliness

I pointed

out his

sacrificial

service to

many

the warm

hospitality

he and his

family offer

I was able

to point to

his works

as evidence

of God's

work in his

life

the genuine

nature of

his faith

embracing

God's promises

and of course

I pointed

him to our

faithful saviour

Jesus Christ

pointed him

to his

perfect life

his perfect

obedience

his death

on the cross

to pay for

our sins

his gift

of the holy

spirit

to all

he turned

to him

to change

us

see all of us

who claim to

trust Christ

need to go

back

need to look

at our lives

but most

importantly

look at our

saviour

and come to

him again

and again

we shouldn't

be complacent

but we

shouldn't be

concerned

we should

put our

confidence

in Christ

bolstered

by the

evidence

of his

word

in our

lives

let me

close this

line from

Matthew

Henry

the

puristy

commentator

he said

this on

this passage

true

true

believing

is not

an act

of understanding

but a

work of

the whole

heart

to have

to deny

his own

reason

affections

and interests

is an

action fit

to try

a believer

there is

no middle

state

everyone

must either

live as

God's

friend

or God's

enemy

let's pray