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The Only Faith That Works

James: Faith Works
Sunday, June 23, 2024
Pastor Alex Chen

 

Intro

  • John 3:16 -- 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  

Outline

  • A kind of Faith That Just Does Not Work (v.20)

  • True Faith Always Leads to Good Works (v.21-24)

  • True Faith is One That Anyone Can Have (v.25-26)

A kind of Faith That Just Does Not Work (v.20)

  • James 2:20 -- 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

  • James 2:14 -- 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?

  • James 2:20 -- 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?

True Faith Always Leads to Good Works (v.21-24)

  • James 2:21-24 -- 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

  • Gen 22:1-2 -- After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

    • v.3 -- 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

    • v.9-12 -- 9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

  • James 2:21-24 -- 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

 

True Faith is One That Anyone Can Have (v.25-26)

  • James 2:25-26-- 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

  • Joshua 2:10 -- 10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction.

    • v.11 -- 11 for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath

  • James 2:25-26-- 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.