Gritty Faith: Faith Works
Big Idea:
James 2:14-26
GraceMAIN, October 15-16, 2011
Faith that saves (works) is faith that believes in the right way (of love).
Sometimes I wonder what it means to be saved – to be a Christian. More accurately, I
wonder how someone becomes a Christian – what kind of faith it takes to truly be
considered a disciple of Jesus.
There are times this question comes to my mind because someone asks it of me.
A person will come to me about their friend who loves like Jesus, lives like Jesus, but
doesn’t believe about Jesus the same way they do as a Christian. Will God reject their
friend when he / she dies?
And I wonder, does living and loving like Jesus without believing that He is
who He says He is – the Son of God – constitute “saving faith”?
Or I’ll hear about a person who is living like a heathen, partying it up with the best of
them, but their relative is appeased in their worry about this partyers place in heaven
if they died suddenly because though they party and though they are extremely selfish
in the way that they live, they believe the right ideas and doctrines about God and
Jesus.
And I think: is right belief about Jesus but living and loving in opposition to
Jesus the type of faith God accepts?
Then there’s this story I heard once that sticks with me regarding this question:
 Two men are sitting in a restaurant. A third man approaches them and greets
the two men sitting at the table, noting that they have been talking about things
of faith and so he asks, “Are you Christians?” The first man answers yes,
while the second man at the table responds, “I’m trying to be,” to which the
man standing says, “Oh its all of grace, brother, all grace.”
Is it? It’s all grace? No matter what we do, it’s covered by grace and that’s it? Faith in
God’s grace – is that all we need?
How would you have responded to the one who answered, “I’m trying to be,” when
asked if he was a Christian?
Do you ever ask these types of questions, wonder about what it takes to be a
Christian? What kind of faith God expects of you?
WE:
Do you ever ask God questions like the ones that gets me thinking about salvation?
The “what about” questions?
Maybe you have a loved one who you worry about, are concerned for regarding
their faith wondering, “Is it enough that they believe in God…or is there more needed?”
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Gritty Faith: Faith Works
James 2:14-26
GraceMAIN, October 15-16, 2011
Maybe you ask these questions concerning yourself.
What counts as faith that legitimately lead us into eternal life with God?
Whether these questions or some similar, James faced this issue regarding people’s
faith in his audience to whom he wrote this “gritty, in-your-face pastoral letter” (as one
commentator calls it) – the pastoral letter that we continue to study together. And he
took the issue head-on in today’s passage.
Turn with me to James 2:14-26. As you do that, a couple of thoughts:
RE-CAP and OVERVIEW:
It’s interesting how James is such a popular book. People mention it quite often as
their favorite book because it is so practical. I agree that it is, but what is funny to me
because it is so “in-your-face” and usually we don’t like that!
And the past weeks have been like that, haven’t they?
We’ve been challenged with how we are to live. James speaks to situations his
audience was facing then AND situations we STILL face:
 trials and temptations
 our words and our temper
 following through on God’s instructions, not forgetting what He asks of us
 shunning favoritism in FAVOR OF mercy
 loving our neighbor as ourselves
Well, today is no different about being “in-your-face.” James appears to be a little
worked up in this passage as he gets at the heart of what even MAKES a person a
Christian, wrestling with similar questions that nag at me and you regarding FAITH.
These previous exhortations to live as God asks are wrapped up in a polemical
(passionate, strongly worded) argument (by James) that articulates what “saving faith”
really looks like!
This passage ISN’T about a Christian’s hypocrisy OR blatant ignoring of God’s
instructions. This passage IS about whether or not a person WHO IS a hypocrite OR
WHO DOES blatantly ignore God’s instructions is even a disciple of Jesus.
It’s about whether or not a person who has right belief about God, but no actions, no
deeds, no obedience, possesses a faith that works – a faith that leads to the
fullness of life God offers in this life and the next.
It is a passage that speaks to the question: What kind of faith saves?
Let’s take a look.
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Gritty Faith: Faith Works
James 2:14-26
GraceMAIN, October 15-16, 2011
{Note: I’m going to read noting key interpretive thoughts along the way from various
sources, including one of our own Covenant Community members who assisted us by
translating the book noting key aspects to the language. So thank you Steve Perkins.}
GOD:
READ James 2:14-26 with stops.
Vs. 14
 Right here at the start you can see why I am saying this is the question of the
day for James. What kind of faith saves?
 Something is happening among those to whom he is writing that provokes
this Q & A dialogue.
 Literally, the second question – “Can such faith save him?” - reads like this:
Vs. 14 - “You surely don’t think faith is able to save you, do you?”
The expected answer here is a negative one. Implication? Faith alone can’t save.
ASIDE: If you’ve been wondering as has been mentioned previously WHY
Luther demoted James, it’s because of statements like this right here. For the
Protestant Reformers, this statement seems to fly in the face of their mantra:
sola fide – “by faith alone.” Hence it was controversial. Back to the text.
(But) what does James mean by “faith” here?
Faith - “knowledge of, assent to, confidence in particular divine truths”
In other words, James is referring to right belief ABOUT God, Jesus, doctrines,
divine truths.
And he is saying right off, “You don’t think believing the right things about God is
able to save you, do you?”
He demonstrates WHY he expects a negative answer as he continues:
Vs. 15-16
 Could be hypothetical…could be a real situation he is highlighting
 Note how it fits his theme of mercy and love coming out of 2:1-13
 It even feels hyperbolic, right? Like who would literally do this – look at
people without clothes or without food and wish them well without giving them
anything?
Vs. 17
 Again, faith as in “right belief(s)” on its own, without action, is dead.
 That kind of faith – having right belief – is, in and of itself, DEAD – it’s
USELESS – separated from the “life-giving” grace of God.
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Gritty Faith: Faith Works

James 2:14-26
GraceMAIN, October 15-16, 2011
In other words, it DOES NOT save.
It is NOT enough according to James to simply have right belief about God.
Faith to be saving faith must be accompanied by action – works of mercy and love.
The next two verses re-affirm this argument from James.
Vs. 18
 Here, James appears to quote an opponent of what he is teaching – an
opponent who implies a disparity – a separation between faith and deeds – to
which James responds.
 Without going into the academic details (for they are many!), a better
translation here would be this:
James’ opponent: “One has faith and one has faith and works.”
James: “Show me your faith apart from works and I will show you my faith by my
works.”
 The opponent appears to be implying that some Christians have faith and
some combine faith and works.
But James’ reply clearly says that the former – faith alone - is not enough. He
continues in vs. 19:
Vs. 19
 Here the opponent’s view is revealed as some form of belief that confession
in the one God – a reference to the Jewish creed called the Shema (“Hear O
Israel, The Lord our God, the Lord is one: Love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”) – is enough to save.
 “believe” – mental persuation
 In other words, you believe the right stuff about God. So do demons – and
they shudder (great word)!
Paraphrase: if you just have right belief about God, you’re the equivalent of a demon!
He then gives his proof / evidence saying:
Vs. 20-25
 appealing to Jewish history:
o Abraham himself, the father of the Jews.
 In the Genesis account, vs. 23 (Gen. 15) here comes before the
story of vs. 21 (Gen. 22).
 BUT HERE: James reverses the order to make his point that it
was never faith alone that saved Abraham.
 Abraham’s faith of inward acknowledgement AND trust in God
was only fulfilled – made complete – when he took action.
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Gritty Faith: Faith Works
James 2:14-26
GraceMAIN, October 15-16, 2011


Lit. vs. 22 - His faith and actions working together (in synergy);
his actions completing his faith!
Opening to the Gentiles within Jewish history:
o choosing a Gentile, outcast - Rahab – not only a woman, but a prostitute
o Her faith as acknowledgment of God as the one true God (as Dave
discussed in his message in August on Rahab) was completed by her
follow through in action.
And he ends his argument with this summary statement: vs. 26.
What kind of faith saves, James?
Faith that goes beyond mere intellectual belief in right doctrines.
Faith that takes action on one’s confession about God.
Faith ingrained by the impossible to remove presence of works!
The same type of faith and works combination as we see in other places of
Scripture:
Paul:
Philippians 2:12-13
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed […] continue to work out
your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will
and to act according to his good purpose.
Jesus:
Who spoke of bearing fruit in John 15 and of course calls to action in Matthew 25 (feed
hungry, clothe the naked, visit the prisoner) and who said:
John 14:21
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He
who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself
to him.
John:
1 John 4:7-8, 20-21
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who
loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not
know God, because God is love.[…]If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his
brother, he is a liar.[…]21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God
must also love his brother.
What kind of faith saves?
Faith that isn’t just about what one believes, but how one believes!
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Gritty Faith: Faith Works
James 2:14-26
GraceMAIN, October 15-16, 2011
Faith that is about a way of being IN the world with God, not just believing things
about the world and God.
And this nuance to our understanding of faith is an IMPERATIVE for us as followers
of Jesus in this day and age and in our culture!
And I say that for a number of reasons.
YOU:
For one thing, we live in a country where everyone believes and in their minds the
right things about God and Jesus and that makes them a Christian – well not
everyone, but high percentages of people. Yet their actions don’t match those of
Jesus.
Specifically for the church, another issue is that in evangelical churches especially in
recent decades there has been a dependence on right belief - believing that if a
person holds to the right beliefs about God, that it is enough to secure and insure
(literally- insurance) their future with God regardless of their actions.
Our evangelistic efforts that have been centered on people praying a particular
prayer that portrays certain belief OR intellectually agreeing to certain truths
about God and Jesus demonstrate this issue.
The focus has been on “If you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’ and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” often
times forgetting OR inadvertently ignoring James, John, Paul, and Jesus’ call
to live that belief.
Our problem here is LESS people acting like Jesus but not believing in Him for who
He said He was. Our problem is MUCH MORE people believing He is the Son of God
who lived, died, and rose again for them, but they don’t live or love like Him at all!
So ideas like thinking that someone can party it up in selfishness, but if they
died while doing so, they’d be saved because they believed the right ideas about
God are convictions held to.
People have a faith that it is VOID of the actions that are an intrinsic necessity to the
faith that James describes as the kind of faith that saves.
And while right belief is significant and the implication of James is that it is a
necessary piece of one’s “faith,” he clearly teaches here that it is NOT enough on its
own.
So we need a shift in our thinking, in our understanding, in our perspective of what
FULLY FORMED FAITH looks like.
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Gritty Faith: Faith Works
James 2:14-26
GraceMAIN, October 15-16, 2011
We need to shift our understanding of faith from “right belief” to what theologian
Peter Rollins calls, “believing in the right way” - that “what” we believe must be
accompanied by “how” we believe.
What is this “believing in the right way?” How does one “believe in the right way?”
“Believing in the right way” is “believing in a loving, sacrificial, Christlike manner.”
It’s living like Jesus, sent to be and to do as Jesus was sent into the world.
It is believing with a focus on the kingdom come now– as Jesus taught us to pray
(“Your kingdom come…your will be done on earth,” Mt. 6:10) AND seek (“Seek
first the kingdom of God and HIS justice / righteousness,” Mt. 6:33).
It’s believing that we are called to action – to deeds of mercy as James speaks of in
the first part of chapter 2.
MOST OF ALL, believing in the right way means to love… as the medieval Christfollower St. John of the Cross is quoted as saying, we are called to, “Put love where
love is not”!
“It is an approach which emphasizes the priority of love: not as something which
stands opposed to knowledge of God or even as simply more important than
knowledge of God, but […] as knowledge of God. To love is to know God
precisely because God is love.” Peter Rollins
And so as Paul exhorts in 2 Corinthians 5, this love of God – the essence of who
God is - compels us to love – to act – not regarding people from a worldly
perspective, but rather serving as ambassadors of God’s reconciliation of the
whole world (creation included) back to Himself in Jesus Christ.
And not so we get a place in heaven – that’s loving out of a place of selfishness,
which isn’t loving: “I do this because it will merit (earn) me this place in heaven.”
Nor do we do it out of guilt or fear of disappointing God. I realize that for
some of you, this message could feel like a heap of guilt that you better start
striving to serve God better or your damned.
Well let me say, if the Holy Spirit convicts you, then yes you should feel guilty.
That’s what the Spirit does – the Spirit convicts of our sin and we feel guilty for it.
So if you are hearing this message realizing you’ve been fooled somehow into
thinking that your right belief is enough to put you into reconciled relationship
with God, and you are realizing that you need to live and love like Jesus, not just
believe about Him, then that guilt is good.
But grace washes away that guilt. We believe that in Christ’s life, death, and
resurrection we are given the privilege of confessing our sins – repenting by
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Gritty Faith: Faith Works
James 2:14-26
GraceMAIN, October 15-16, 2011
exchanging our selfish ways for His selfless ways - knowing that God is faithful
and just to forgive our sins.
AND as that grace comes, we serve NOT out of guilt OR fear of disappointing God.
NO…we serve, we act, we work our faith in love and deeds of mercy OUT OF God’s
love compelling us – as Paul describes, God’s love moving in us as John describes
– His Spirit working His enabling through us.
1 John 4:7, 13, 17:
Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. […] 13 We know that
we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. […] God is love.
Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17 In this way, love is made
complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment,
because in this world we are like him.
CG: split at “God is love” if that will get it on two bottom-third slides. Thanks.}
His love in us SO THAT we are like him!
God is love. God lives in us. So God’s LOVE lives in us – LOVE lives through us.
“[…] to be Christian is to be born of love, transformed by love and committed to
transforming the world with love…
The love that emanates from our Beloved.
“…In doing so, we will not merely sit around describing God to the world, but
rather, we will become the spaces in which God is made manifest in the world.”
Peter Rollins
God’s love in us - moving us into loving action. We become the spaces in which the
loving acts of God’s kingdom come are made evident on earth as it is in heaven:
 spiritual redemption
 healing and wholeness in people
 peace and reconciliation among nations
 authentic community
 care for creation
 and justice for the poor and marginalized.
THIS is the kind of faith saves – a faith that believes in the right way.
Faith that isn’t just about what one believes, but how one believes!
 Faith that is about a way of being IN the world with God, not just believing
things about the world and God.
Faith that BECAUSE OF deeds, acts of mercy – because love – is ALIVE, USEFUL,
fully connected to the life-giving grace of God.
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Gritty Faith: Faith Works
James 2:14-26
GraceMAIN, October 15-16, 2011
Faith that by believing in the right way
…putting love where love is not
…making the kingdom evident on earth
costs us everything!
Because frankly, where we live, having right belief costs us very little, making it far
too easy to stay in our comfy spiritual chair.
WE:
I told you James was going to be in our face again!
But he had to be then and has to be now for us BECAUSE this is the faith of an
ordinary disciple of Jesus.
This is the faith that changes the world on mission with God.
This is the kind of faith that saves – faith that is FAR more than just right belief. It’s
faith that believes in the right way – the way of LOVE.
Let’s pray.
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