October 16, 2011
MP3 Audio
Youtube video
Making Faith Visible James 5 (2:14-26)
1) Faith without actions (deeds) and actions without faith (14-17)
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (14-17)
2) Faith without actions is worthless (18-20)
But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? (18-20)
3) Faith is made complete through our actions (21-26)
Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (21-26)
Summary
Jesus taught that rather than trying to get near to God through actions and legalism, we should draw near to God with the attitude of our hearts turning toward him. Loving God is more important than obeying the law for its own sake. If we overemphasize the condition of the heart, however, people have a tendency to forget the importance of our actions. We need balance. The church cannot be healthy if there is too much emphasis on doing good works and not enough emphasis on the condition of our souls, and neither can the focus be solely on our salvation without any regard for those around us and contributing to our society. We need to think seriously about what kind of church God wants us to be. Let us continue to reflect on these things and grow together as a healthy church.
For Discussion
1) What is an example of faith without actions?
2) How are faith and actions related?
1) Faith without actions (deeds) and actions without faith (14-17)
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (14-17)
2) Faith without actions is worthless (18-20)
But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? (18-20)
3) Faith is made complete through our actions (21-26)
Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (21-26)
Summary
Jesus taught that rather than trying to get near to God through actions and legalism, we should draw near to God with the attitude of our hearts turning toward him. Loving God is more important than obeying the law for its own sake. If we overemphasize the condition of the heart, however, people have a tendency to forget the importance of our actions. We need balance. The church cannot be healthy if there is too much emphasis on doing good works and not enough emphasis on the condition of our souls, and neither can the focus be solely on our salvation without any regard for those around us and contributing to our society. We need to think seriously about what kind of church God wants us to be. Let us continue to reflect on these things and grow together as a healthy church.
For Discussion
1) What is an example of faith without actions?
2) How are faith and actions related?