Pearls for Wise Living – Week 1

James 2

Practicing the Practical

Introduction: James says, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26). Faith without works is a dead faith because the lack of works reveals an unchanged life or a spiritually dead heart. There are many verses that say that true saving faith will result in a transformed life, that faith is demonstrated by the works we do. How we live reveals what we believe and whether the faith we profess to have is a living faith.

1. What does that mean?

The first thing we need to understand about what faith without works means is to understand what it does not mean.

James 2:14–26 is sometimes taken out of context in an attempt to create a works-based system of righteousness, but that is contrary to many other passages of Scripture. James is not saying that our works make us righteous before God but that real saving faith is demonstrated by good works.

1. What does that look like?

Question: What does genuine faith look like?

The person who claims to be a Christian but lives in willful disobedience to Christ has a false or dead faith and is not saved.

Paul basically says the same thing in 1 Corinthians 6:9–10. James contrasts two different types of faith—true faith that saves and false faith that is dead.

‘Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

We cannot or should not claim that we are Christians if we knowingly and willingly disregard what God has stated in His Word that is righteous. – MH

Application: by the way, what does it mean to revile? Tere Santos, ‘there’s nothing in the Bible that talks about ‘bad words’ or cussing!

Revile: Revile is a multi-purpose word that is used in the Bible to describe all manner of verbal sin, such as slander, angry outbursts, and foul language.

In the Bible, to revile means to speak against someone in a verbally abusive, insulting, or contemptuous way, using harsh, demeaning language to injure their character or reputation, essentially verbal abuse. That which is abusive & slanderous.

Who remembers? You / I need to wash your mouth out with soap.

Please Note and Understand: Works are not the cause of salvation; works are the evidence of salvation. Faith in Christ always results in good works.

6. Is your life characterized by “doing what is right”? (1 John 2:29)

7. Do you seek to maintain a pure life? (1 John 3:3)

8. Do you see a decreasing pattern of sin in your life? (1 John 3:5-6) [Note: this refers to not continuing in sin as a way of life, not a total absence of sin.]

9. Do you demonstrate love for other Christians? (1 John 3:14)

11. Do you maintain a clear conscience? (1 John 3:21)

12. Do you experience victory in your Christian walk? (1 John 5:4)

Question: 10. Do you “walk the walk,” versus just “talking the talk”? (1 John 3:18-19)

1. Do you enjoy having fellowship with Christ and His redeemed people? (1 John 1:3)

2. Would people say you walk in the light, or walk in the darkness? (1 John 1:6-7)

3. Do you admit and confess your sin? (1 John 1:8)

4. Are you obedient to God’s Word? (1 John 2:3-5)

5. Does your life indicate you love God rather than the world? (1 John 2:15)

Application: I often think about music artists who claim faith and have a 50lb gold cross around their neck, whose lyrics are so foul, vulgar, and contrary to what God’s Word says and teaches!

Transition: Let me cover a little bit about why ‘doing’ is so important.

1. Why is it so important?

In Ephesians 1—3 Paul explains the new position of the believer (as being in Christ) and the implications of that position.

• In the second half of the letter (Ephesians 4—6), Paul challenges believers to walk in a manner worthy of that calling. One key pivot point between position and practice is the reality that we were created “for good works” (Ephesians 2:10, ESV).

Remarkably, God created us for good works, not because of good works.

We were not saved by our good works; rather, He saved us for good works.

This is such a liberating and encouraging fact for believers. Good works are important in the life of the believer—they are what we are designed to do. But they are not the basis of our lives or the cause of our salvation.

Because we have been made righteous and have new life, we can please God. As the author of Hebrews puts it, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6)—yet that same author explains that believers can please God (Hebrews 13:16). Paul tells the Thessalonians that they are pleasing God by their behavior (1 Thessalonians 4:1), yet he reminds them to excel still more.

God has created us as new creatures so that we might walk with Him and bear fruit (John 15:5; 17:3). We are designed for good works—doing that which pleases God—rather than living according to our old lostness. It is important that believers fulfil God’s design, as we have been created for good works (Ephesians 2:10).

Question: Why demonstrate good works?

1. Because it pleased God.
   • Hebrews 11:6, ‘It is impossible to please God without faith.’

• 2. Keeps us from God’s judgment and penalties. ‘God is not mocked, whatever a man sows, that he reap.’

• 3. It establishes a true and healthy bond of fellowship with God.

• 4. Makes and/or states (especially to the unbelieving world) what we believe and have committed to.