Real or Fake Faith

James 2: 14 – 20

One third grader was wearing a Fitbit watch, which prompted the teacher to ask, “Are you tracking your steps?” “No,” said the little girl. “I wear this for Mommy so when Daddy gets home she can show him how active she was during the day!”
If I said to you, "Thou shalt not think of a purple elephant," - suddenly, you would be able to think of nothing else. But, if I then set before you a huge hot fudge sundae - creamy Blue Bell vanilla ice cream, laced with deep dark fudge, topped with mounds of whipped cream, lightly toasted almonds, and a juicy red cherry - the purple elephant wouldn’t enter your mind because you’d be captivated by something much better right before your eyes.
So it is that Paul can tell us with authority, "I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won‘t be doing what -your sinful nature craves." Galatians 5:16
When you think about our world today, have you ever noticed how many imitation products there are? I guess you could call them fake -
Think about it -
I could walk around in style with a fake rolex watch that looks just like the real thing. I can have fake or imitation perfume or cologne, fake nails, fake hair, fake Apple products, fake Nike Air Jordan's, fake Adidas clothes, I can put fake sugar in my coffee and I can wear fake designer clothes, along with my fake leather, while I talk about fake news.
Of course, sometimes fake works just as well as the real thing. Sometimes fake teeth are better than no teeth. But there is one area in life where fake doesn’t work and you need the real thing. We need to have real faith, not fake faith.
When you think about it, without faith, we would not be able to overcome some of the obstacles we face in life. Fake faith will never have the power to help or save you. Fake faith will never answer prayers nor will it transform you.

We are continuing in the book of James and this morning we’re going to look at, James 2:14-20. The hope from today is that we will better understand what fake faith is . . . and that will lead us to understand a little more at what it means to put our faith into action.

Let me read from James 2, beginning in verse 14 -
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Some people believe James and Paul are contradicting each other. But really they are complimenting each other. Paul is emphasizing how do we know we are saved. James is emphasizing how to show you are saved. Paul focuses on the root of our salvation, which is internal and unseen;
while James focuses on the effects of our salvation, which is external and seen by others.
So, James tells us some things about real faith, but it’s interesting that he starts out by telling us some things real faith is not.

Today we’re going to look at those things, examples of when we’re not showing real faith. In James 2:14, he wrote - 14 What good is it, my brothers, IF SOMEONE SAYS he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
The key is when James wrote, “if someone says they have faith. . .” That’s the main point in this first test of showing you have real faith.
In other words REAL FAITH IS MORE THAN JUST THE WORDS I SAY. It’s more than just a memorized prayer. It’s even more than memorizing scripture. There are lots of people with no faith who can quote scripture better than we can.
Claiming that I have faith and knowing all the Christianese, knowing the buzz words and what all the theology is about doesn’t mean I have faith. This may sound rude, but just because I say I have faith, doesn’t mean I have faith.
Just because I say I can dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I can. Just because I say I can play the piano, doesn’t mean I can. Think about what’s been going in our world right now. Between the pandemic and social justice issues; and in the past election . . . many people who claim to be Christian certainly have not acted that way. Actions speak loudly.
James is telling us - just because you say you have faith, doesn’t mean you have faith. Faith is more than words.

Listen to these words from Jesus in Matthew 7:21
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Do you hear those words from Jesus? Just because you say Lord, doesn’t mean you will enter heaven. It’s not just what you say, it’s what you do in the name of faith. Now, I have to be a little careful here, because I’m not the judge, but your actions will be a true representation of your faith. That’s what Jesus is meaning. If you have nothing to show for your faith, then is your faith really real?
So what value is fake faith? It has no value other than to delude ourselves and make us think we’re OK, when we really aren’t.
So . . . real faith is more than just the words I say.

Another example of fake faith comes in James 2:15-16
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,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
Real faith is more than just an emotion or lip service. That’s a great example by James. If we see someone in need, someone is outside in the middle of winter without a jacket and we look at them and just say, “hey man, I’ll be praying you can find some warm clothes.” Or if you see someone who is hungry, instead of just saying, let’s pray ... which don’t get me wrong is great to do, but what they need more than anything is a meal.
If I were to shut my finger in my car door . . . and you’re walking by, I want MORE than your sympathy or prayers, I have a very real need and that’s to help me get my finger out of the door.

Real faith is practical, it’s messy and it gets involved with people’s needs.
Next James tells us that real faith is more than an idea I debate. He tells us this in verse 18 -
18 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.

What James is getting at here is that for some people faith is just a conversation, or an idea, or a debate. Some people can talk about God and religion day and night, but they have no faith. They don’t want to practice it, they want to preach it or dissect it. Some people don’t want to obey God, they’d rather debate God. They will talk and talk about God, but don’t ask them to make a commitment to God.

James is arguing that some people want to talk about faith, while others will talk about good works. James quickly dismisses both of these. He counters that by stating - - I can show you my faith from my works.
It’s a contrast between 3 types of people.
1) Those who want to talk about the Bible
2) Those who want to do good deeds,
3) And, those who do both.
They don’t have a desire to show their faith, other than to talk about God, never to demonstrate God to the world around them.

What’s key in this verse is when James says “I WILL SHOW YOU my faith by my works.”
He’s telling us that real faith is visible, that we can see faith in action. Let me ask you, how do you know someone loves you? Just because they tell you?
I guess that’s a starting point. But if that’s all there is to the love, then that’s not real love.
The best way to see someone’s love is to experience their love. When you put love into action, now the words I LOVE YOU, have meaning.

There’s too many people who say I love you, but don’t love. Their love is abusive and dysfunctional. It’s a love that tears down, rather than to build up. That’s not love. Love is shown by the way we treat one another.
We can’t see faith, until we see it in action. I can talk about faith all day. I can debate faith. Real faith has results. Real faith is visible to others. Now, we don’t do things to be seen, we do them because we’ve been called by God to do them.

Show me your faith, and then I will believe you have faith. Don’t tell me about it, don’t talk about it, don’t quote it, don’t give me the feelings behind it . . . show me your faith is real!
When you repent of your sins and turn your life over to God through baptism . . . you should be changed. Paul tells us in one of my favorite verses 2 Corinthians 5:17
17 if anyone is in Christ, you are a new creation, behold, the old has passed away, the new has come. - 2 Corinthians 5:17 -

Isn’t that great?! Paul is telling us that those old things, those old sin habits, those old bad things that you used to do - they will pass away, they will die. We have to let them die, and sometimes it takes work and years for that to happen. And when it does happen, we become a new creation! That old caterpillar works it’s way out of the cocoon and flies away as a beautiful butterfly. That should be the image of the Christ follower as well.

Real faith is more than just a truth I believe. James uses sarcasm to make his point. In verses 19-20, James wrote - 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe — and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had people generically or boastfully tell me “oh, I believe in God.” As if that’s going to get them brownie points from God. Because James counters that thought by saying “even the devil believes.” The devil believes in God, the devil has head knowledge, but doesn’t obey God.
Saying I believe in God, doesn’t get you in heaven. That’s radical sounding, but even the demons believe in God. Why else did satan want to kill Jesus? He knows who Jesus is. He’s the Son of God.
It’s not just something you believe in your head.
It’s not just something you argue about.
Real faith is not a great idea.
It’s not just saying a bunch of words.
Real faith is not getting warm fuzzies and feelings.
Real faith is evident when we put our faith into actions. It is something I do.
Real faith is always active, it’s not passive. Ultimately, faith is a choice, it’s something we all do.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love. -
Those are great words to hear, because they are action words - - -
We are to be watchful, stand firm, act like men, be strong, and do everything in love.
When people look at you and I ... do they see us acting this way? Are we standing firm in the faith? are we being strong? Are we acting like men? Are we doing all things in love?
Those actions tell the world who we are in Christ or without Christ.
Now, here’s the ultimate question . . . if you were arrested for being a Christian. And your case came before the judge to determine if it should go to trial . . . is there enough evidence to convict you of being a Christian?
Will people say - they’ve seen a change in you, because real faith always produces a changed life.
REAL FAITH IS MORE than the words I say,
IT IS MORE than an emotion or feeling,
IT IS MORE than an idea.

James 1:26 & 27 tells us:
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

* Ideas for this message came from a sermon by Rick Warren.