The Book of James: Part 4

Pt. 1

How do we expect to profit from a faith that is absent works. We continue with this thought, still coming from the Book of James. Keep in mind this question: If our faith doesn’t yield good works to the glory of God, is it a useless faith?

Thought:  It is useless for others who are in need of our works of charity and service, It is useless to ourselves because our eternal reward is based on works done in faith. If we arrive at the judgment moment without works, we will come through the judgment moment empty handed. Most importantly, a faith absent works is useless to God.

As Jesus said:

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

 The light is a symbol for our faith in the Gospel, and Jesus told us to let our faith shine in such a way that the world sees our good works and glorify God.

Paul, for example, describes the judgment seat of Christ this way:

2^nd Corinthians. 5:9- Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 5:10- For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 5:11- Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.

Note:  Paul says we should have as our ambition to be pleasing to Christ, knowing we will be judged by Him and rewarded accordingly, and Paul adds, whether good or bad. There can be a bad outcome to that judgment. A bad judgment is the result of a Christian who lives a life without striving to please His Master, that’s a life lived without a fear of the Lord. Look how Paul begins his next thought, knowing the fear of the Lord. Have you wondered why Paul was so tireless in his efforts to spread the Gospel?

Why did Paul place himself in harm’s way and endure such misery at times? Why did he do it willingly? He says he did it because he knew the fear of the Lord and he let his fear, respect, awe, and desire to please His Lord drive him to a life of good works. In Chapter 2 up to verse 17, James has made this simple argument. We must pay attention to how we respond to the tests of our faith. We must take these tests seriously and set our minds to passing them; and “passing a test” is an opportunity to do good deeds or good works. In fact, we must set our minds on the goal of living a Christian life that produces good works of faith; by serving in our gift, seeking ways to spread the Gospel and in all we do, glorifying God.

James then argues we must be dedicated to this path, because we are to be judged according to the Law of Liberty. This judgment is one of works, not a judgment for sin, but it still brings the possibility of a bad outcome and if we haven’t shown works of mercy, then why should we expect our judge to show mercy to us at that moment? Instead, we will see a harsh judgment because that will be the outcome for a believer who lives a life absent good works. They will have a faith, but it is a dead, useless faith.

James anticipated that some might try to counter his argument and claim that Christians do not need to worry about such things, and he offers that argument in v.18.

 James 2:18- But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

Arguing that faith without works is a perfectly acceptable option for a Christian doesn’t make sense, so this wasn’t an argument that James was worried about. Instead, James worried about the opposite argument. He is worried that someone might argue that there is no such thing as a believer who has faith without works. Said another way, James worried that someone might argue that every true believer must produce works, and therefore, a faith that produces no work would not be true faith. We have certainly heard many teachers making that claim. James poses that same argument himself in v.18. An objector might say, “You say that a man may have faith by itself, but can that man show me his faith without works? No.” How can you show faith without works? You can’t since faith itself is invisible. A believer can only show faith by works. Therefore, a true faith must have works, and if a faith has no works, then it is not a true faith. So, the objector is suggesting that James is worried about something that he doesn’t need to worry about. True faith will always produce works, so why spend time worrying about people who lack works…they aren’t believers in the first place. James wanted to raise this question because he knew it was a thought in the church, both then and now, and then James makes the counter-argument to dispel it, to challenge it.

 James 2:19- You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

Pt. 2

If our faith doesn’t yield good works to the glory of God, is it a useless faith? This question helps support James’ teaching and helps to build us as we continue on in our pursuit to spiritual maturity. This lesson is a progression of the last study.

James 2:19- You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

James makes an example of the demon realm to disprove the objector’s assumption that a sure belief automatically produces behavior consistent with that belief. James says do you believe God is one. He’s referring to the confessions of the Jews found in Deuteronomy 6:4.

 Deut. 6:4- “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!

This statement from Scripture is not a statement of the Gospel. James is purposely not using an example of belief in the Gospel, because his point is not about who is saved. He is arguing a general point about the relationship between any belief and behavior. James says that when a person accepts a statement of Scripture to be true, they do well, but now James wants the reader to consider whether a strong belief must always result in behavior consistent with that belief or is it possible to have a strong belief and yet still act in ways that are inconsistent with that belief.

Note: To prove his point, James says consider Exhibit A: the demon world. Demons are fallen angels. They were once in heaven serving the Living God. They knew the goodness of God and they understood His power, and when Lucifer rebelled against God, a third of the angelic realm rebelled with him and together, these rebellious angels have come under judgment and are appointed a place in the abyss and later the Lake of Fire.

In the meantime, these fallen angels, or demons we call them, serve Satan as they await their judgment moment. James points out that these demons also believe that God is One. Again, notice that James didn’t say that they believe in the Gospel. Rather, the demons know that God exists, that He is the only true God. They have this knowledge from firsthand experience. It doesn’t even require faith on their part. They have seen Him. They know He is real and that He has real power. They also know He will be their judge, and they know that He will hold them accountable for their sin in rebelling against Him. You see proof of their belief and understanding in the Gospels when Jesus encountered a legion of demons.

 Luke 8:28- Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.” Luke 8:29- For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert. Luke 8:30- And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. Luke 8:31- They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss.

Note: They immediately recognized Jesus; they knew Him to be Lord. They called Him by name, and they anticipated that Jesus would cast them into the abyss, into Hell. The demons know all these things. Their belief is absolutely 100% sure. They have no doubt about what their future holds.

James says that belief only produces a shudder. A unique word in the New Testament, it means to shiver in fear. James is saying that these demons are so certain of their coming judgment, they are shivering in fear, and yet that belief in God didn’t stop them from rebelling against Him. It hasn’t brought them to repentance. They continue rebelling today; so, to the objector who says that a true faith will always result in works consistent with that faith, James asks you to consider the demons. Demons know the same thing you know. In a sense, demons have an even better understanding of God than we do, and yet they aren’t living a life of good works for God. Should we assume that a believer’s belief in God will always compel him to produce good works?  The obvious answer is no. There must be a conscious decision to follow that faith with behavior.

Some might argue that Christians are different than the demons because we have the Spirit, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit ensures we are brought to good works. Scripture never makes that promise. It promises us that the Spirit is a deposit and a guarantee of our future inheritance in Christ, but Scripture also teaches clearly that the degree of our inheritance is in our control and not assured, and if we’re not careful, Paul says in Ephesians 4:30 that a believer can grieve the Spirit.

Others might point to Ephesians 2:10 where Paul says we were created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Is Paul teaching that a believer’s good works are inevitable because God has ordained them to happen? No, Paul is teaching that the course of our works has been established by God, not the inevitability of us following that course. God has already decided what works we are to accomplish to please Him, so we can’t decide for ourselves what works please God.

James warns that it’s possible for a Christian to act, in a sense, like the demons. We can know the truth about Jesus, yet we can still find ways to sin against Him and not live a life pleasing to Him.

Pt. 3

This study will focus on this question: Is it possible to live a life of very real, but useless faith?

If we hold the view that true faith always produces works, we risk making two serious doctrinal errors. First, this thinking neutralizes the power of James’ teaching in Chapter 2. The second problem with this error is even more troubling. Making works a necessary demonstration of saving faith moves us perilously close to a Gospel of works, where we suggest to believers that there is something we must do to ensure our salvation. Fortunately, James makes clear that he is not arguing for such a view by using two Old Testament examples.

James 2:20- But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? James 2:21- Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? James 2:22- You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; James 2:23- and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God. James 2:24- You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Note: First, James uses the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac on the mountain in Chapter 22 of Genesis. James begins again with his thesis, that faith is useless without works, not absent or false or fake, just useless, and his use of Abraham as an example is especially important, because Abraham was declared to be righteous by faith at an earlier point in Genesis 15. In Genesis 22 God gave Abraham an opportunity to display His faith through works, so that Abraham might accomplish something important for God’s glory. In v.21 James says that Abraham was justified by works when he offered up Isaac. As confusing as this verse can be to some Bible students, the proper interpretation is fairly easy. It rests on an understanding of the word “justified.”

The word always means declared righteous, not to make someone righteous. In Genesis 15, God declared Abraham to be righteous on the basis of His faith, but in Genesis 22, Abraham was declared to be righteous by his works. In Genesis 15, it was God’s judgment that Abraham be counted (or reckoned as) righteous. In Genesis 22, it was Abraham’s turn to make that declaration for himself through his own actions, and his obedient actions had the effect of declaring the same things that was already true from God’s perspective. James is saying that when we do good works, we make a declaration about who we are – our testimony. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. After faith, it is our obligation to please Him and we do that through good works.

Finally, James uses another example of saving faith put to work.

James 2:25- In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? James 2:26- For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Rahab was the prostitute who believed in the testimony of the invading Jews concerning God’s plans to destroy her town of Jericho, and when Joshua sent spies into the land, she hid them from the Jericho king. Her kindness to those messengers was a meaningful act of mercy to men she should have seen as enemies. She acted on her faith; the spies assured her that she would be saved when the city was destroyed. She could have remained silent. She still would have had belief in the God of Israel, but if she hadn’t acted on that faith to protect the spies, then she would have lost her earthly life in the invasion. James’ point is there are benefits for God’s glory when we act on our faith and perform works, and there are personal benefits when we act on our faith and do the works that our faith requires. In Rahab’s case, the reward was her life was spared when Israel defeated Jericho. Her name was also preserved in Scripture in the line of Jesus. She was the mother of Boaz, the husband of Ruth. How kind of James to close on the example of Rahab! Rahab, a harlot James reminds us. If she could act on her faith in a simple way, taking in strangers in her home, perhaps we can do the same then?  As James reminds us in v.26, a dead body is a very real thing, but it’s entirely useless, don’t live a life of very real but very useless faith.

Pt. 4

In the last study, you completed the subject matter concerning works, this specific study will take you on a different journey, one concerning self-control (our tongue) and its relationship to spiritual maturity.

You may remember near the end of James 1; the apostle taught us an important principle for proper Christian living. First in v.21 he said we should put aside filthiness and wickedness, and receive the word of God, which is able to save our souls; save us in the sense of sanctifying us. Saving us from the consequences of our sinful choices. That sanctifying process is a result of receiving the word in humility, hearing the teaching of God’s word. James goes on to say that if we are merely hearers of the word and not doers of the word, we deceive ourselves into thinking we are religious. In v.26 James offers a gold standard of sorts for measuring who is truly putting the word into practice. If we cannot learn to bridle our tongue, to control it with authority, then our religion is worthless. Here again is this idea of worth or value. Any life of religion that doesn’t arrive at sanctification – a life that is steadily becoming more Christ-like and holy – is of no value or worth.

Note: Outward religious practice that doesn’t lead to an inward conforming to Christ in our lives won’t profit God, our neighbors nor ourself. Moving to Chapter 3 today, we come back to this theme. At the end of Chapter 2, James finished with a reminder that our life goal must be to declare our faith publicly by doing the works that faith requires. Works are anything that display our faith, whether an action or a word or even a thought, and for James, the words we use are a particularly good indicator of our maturity in the faith. So, he spends Chapter 3 focused on speech and its relationship to spiritual maturity.

First, we need to remember that James is Jewish and he’s writing to a Jewish audience, and in Jewish culture, a teacher was an important authority figure. They called teachers rabbi, and it was a term of authority and power. So, James is speaking about leaders in the church who express their leadership through a teaching role of one kind or another, and by teaching, we mean establishing the normative interpretation of Scripture for a body of believers. Today, we might call these people pastors, teachers, leaders, and so forth. This would also include women who teach under the authority of pastors or elders and interpret Scripture. These are the roles that should particularly heed this warning. The warning says don’t press yourself into one of these roles. Don’t even make holding a leadership role in teaching a goal unless you are specifically gifted and called to that role. Teaching without the spiritual gift means working outside your gift, and it is not a work of the Spirit, and we are placing ourselves in jeopardy come judgment day because when we inevitably mishandle God’s word in the course of teaching, we have deceived ourselves and others concerning God’s word.

Finally, all Christians are given the ability by the Spirit to read and understand Scripture to a certain extent. This study is not proposing that only certain people can read and interpret Scripture for us. This was the heresy perpetuated by Rome prior to the Reformation. We are a kingdom of priests, and all believers have equal access to the Spirit and to the opportunity to know and understand God’s word, but there is a difference in God’s economy between knowing something for ourself and endeavoring to teach Scripture to others. The Spirit may reveal some aspect of Scripture to us – just what He feels we need – while not giving us a complete enough picture to carry that message to others. As mentioned already, James quickly broadens his point beyond teachers. James is really talking about self-control, because the most important work we can do in faith is the work of conforming our behavior to the commandments of Scripture, and James returns to his Chapter 1 theme telling us that the best test of our spiritual maturity is found in how well we control ourselves, particularly our tongue. If we can reach a point in our Christian walk where we are self-controlled in our speech, we will have become spiritually mature. That’s what James means by “perfect” – the word is teleios which literally means having reached an end or being complete.

This is a Biblical principle. Our degree of spiritual maturity shows itself most readily in our speech patterns. If our speech is godly and pleasing to the Lord in all respects, we may fairly judge ourselves to be maturing in our walk of faith, but this is a tough standard. It addresses lying, gossiping, boasting, slandering, cursing, and a whole host of other tendencies. Until we’ve put all those aside entirely, we still have work to do. That’s why James gives a warning to those who might wish to teach, because if we’re not a mature believer with a Spiritual gift to teach, we’re likely to see our teaching become laced with one or another of these sins.