Faith Without Deeds is Dead - March 20, 2022

with Pastor Chuck Ryan

Faith Without Deeds is Dead
Text: James 2:14-26
Thesis: A true “Faith” in Jesus Christ will naturally produce “Good Deeds a ”
1. James makes it clear that a person who “claims to have faith but has no deeds” his faith is worthless.
See James 2:14-17
A. James gives a litmus test to a person’s claim to have “faith” in verses 15-16.
1. He begs the question, “What is your response as a Christian when you see or hear of someone
who has a genuine need?”
“When James speaks of works, he is referring to good deeds which flow naturally from a heart filled with love
to God and love to man.” BBC on James, Page 215
2. A “born-again” (John 3) believer will fulfill the two great commands.
A. You will love your neighbor in a tangible way.
B. James sums up this section by stating, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by
action, is dead.” James 2:17
2. James also makes it clear that your “faith” must be more than mental assent.
See James 2:18-19
A. James presents a diagnostic statement to the professed believer when he states, “You believe that there
is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that --- and shudder.”
B. James is saying that you can have a cognitive understanding of God’s
existence and the entire Bible and not know God personally.
Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one
who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not
prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then
I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”
Matthew 7:21-23
1. The will of God is to invite Jesus into your lives. See John 3:16 & 2 Peter 3:9
2. The will of God is for every true believer to serve Jesus.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for
us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his
people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Ephesians 4:11-12
C. James sums up this section by stating, “show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my
faith by what I do. James 2:18b
3. James further empowers his theological understanding of “Faith and Works” by using Abraham as an
example of a righteous person, who was a man of action! See James 2:20-26
“Abraham was considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar.” James 2:21
A. Abraham’s “Faith was made complete by what he did.”
1. Faith and deeds go together to produce righteousness.
2. James also highlights the Faith of Rahab.
“This is what the ancients were commended for.” See Hebrews 11