James 2:14-18, 20 – The Work Faith Does – Bible study

James 2:14-18, 20 The Work Faith Does James was making a point, repeatedly. His point was that faith and works go together. God demands that our works match our professed faith. Matt 12:33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. Lu 6:44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. The question that needs to be asked is, "What kind of works does faith bring forth?" Lets dwell on that thought for a few moments. I. Faith Will Obey Even When It Costs. A. Let me talk to the lost. 1. Two things are required for salvation: faith and repentance. a. In my ministry, most of the people that i dealt with had faith. Their problem was lack of repentance. b. There is a reason that. Faith is cheap. Repentance costs. c. What does repentance cost? (1) Pleasure (2) Time (3) Money (4) Control 2. When dealing with these lost people, with despair I have realized that I have no magic words to say to help them repent. a. I cant change the price. b. I cant make the sacrifice any less difficult. c. All I can say is that there will come a day when you will realize that price was nothing. d. The best that I can say is bite the bullet: pay the price: be saved. B. Let me talk to the saved: 1. In order for you to be saved, you had to pay the price. a. Remember the two things that are required for salvation: faith and repentance. b. If there was no repentance, there was no salvation. c. If there was salvation, there had to be repentance. d. So at least for a time, you were willing and paid the price. 2. Because you paid the price once, does not mean that the battle is over. a. Repentance is for life. b. Hopefully, you were either so desperate when you were saved that you know taking control of your own life again would be the worst thing you could do c. Or you so fell in love with Jesus that you have learned He knows best and you like living surrendered to Him. d. But regardless, if you are saved, faith will obey regardless of the cost. 3. Like with the lost, I have no persuading speech to make to you. a. I cannot change the price. b. I cannot make the sacrifice any less difficult. c. All I can say is that there will come a day when you will realize that the price was nothing. d. But the bullet; pay the price: live for Jesus. C. There is a word in the Bible that everyone needs to know. 1. The word is hypocrite. 2. Matthew recorded 15 instances where Jesus called someone of His day "hypocrites." 3. Every time He did, it was in a bad thing. 4. There are two ways you can be a hypocrite: a. You can belong to the devil and pretend to be Gods. b. You can belong to God and pretend to be the devils. c. Neither of them are good. II. Faith Will Believe Even When It Is Difficult. A. When we think of faith, we most often think of believing. 1. Faith is a lot more than what you believe. 2. James is telling us that faith changes our life, even down to our behavior. 3. Even so, faith starts with believing. B. Christians have to know something about believing because you have to believe to be saved. Remember, faith and repentance are necessary for salvation. C. The strange thing is: 1. Christians believe the impossible. a. We believe that God was born in flesh. b. We believe that God died on the cross. c. We believe that the dead arose. d. We believe that salvation makes us clean in Gods sight. e. We believe that salvation is granted on the conditions of faith and repentance. 2. Our problem is not believing in the impossible but the difficult. a. Many Christians doubt that God will supply their needs. Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (1) Here is an amazing thing. (2) We trust God for our eternal soul but we find it difficult to trust God for our next meal. (3) We trust God for our spiritual account but we find it difficult to trust God will our checking account. Ro 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? b. We doubt that God will forgive our sins. Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. (1) Some Christians stumble over this. (2) They believe God will save them and that God loves them; but they cant accept Gods forgiveness for a sin they long ago repented and turned from! (3) Take hold of faith and believe what is difficult. (4) Gods forgiveness is not for everyone except you, and it is not for every sin except for the one you committed. (5) If you have repented and turned from it, God will forgive you. c. We doubt that God has a purpose for our lives. (1) Again, we believe God saved us from before the foundation of the world, but we stumble with the thought God wants to do something with us. (2) We see our inabilities, our short comings, our frailties, and we wonder that God would want us. (3) That is difficult to comprehend, but He does. Ro 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (4) You have believed the impossible. Now believe the difficult! d. We doubt that God will answer our prayers, save a loved one, bless a ministry, heal a marriage, pay a bill, change a circumstance, right a wrong, or even revive a heart. 3. None of these are the impossible, just examples of the difficult. 4. A faith that believes the impossible should have no problem in believing the difficult! D. Christian, we do need to understand that our faith is what makes Gods will our reality. Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 1. The Bible says that faith is the substance of our hopes. 2. That is, faith makes the things that God plans for our life a substance instead of merely a hope. 3. Is that not what Jesus demonstrated. Mt 9:22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. Mt 9:28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Mr 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 4. That means without believing a. Gods perfect will is not going to be accomplished in your life. b. we are going to miss out on the best that God has for us. III. Faith Will Take Courage Even When It Is Frightened. A. We live in a frightening world. 1. \#Mark 4:35-40\ The disciples were on a ship, sailing across the Sea of Galilee when a raging storm nearly sank the ship. The disciples woke our Lord and, with nothing but a word, He calmed the sea and rebuked the storm. Then Jesus turned to His disciples and asked a question. Mark 4:40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? 2. That question ties together two things that many Christians do not associate together – faith and fear. 3. The association is like two fat boys on a see-saw. Neither of them will be together. When one is up, the other is down and vice-versa. a. If you have faith, you should have no fear. b. If you have fear, you have no faith. B. Now, I am not here to rebuke you for being scared of spiders, heights, or the dark; but I am here to tell you that even 1. if a man has a gun to your head, 2. you are standing in the path of F6 tornado, 3. the doctor has diagnosed you with the C word, 4. you are looking at death face to face GOD DOES NOT WANT YOU TO BE AFRAID! C. I do not say that it is always easy and I know it is harder for some people than for others, but the goal for every Christian is to develop a faith that is greater than our fear. D. Why? We dont have to guess at that one. 1Jo 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 1. We are not to fear because we are to have faith that God loves us and that everything that happens to us happens with His approval and plan. 2. Listen very carefully a. We are not to have faith that everything is going to get better. b. In this world, it may not. (1) Gunmen do pull the triggers. (2) Tornadoes do take lives. (3) Cancer is a common disease. (4) Death has won every time but one time so far. c. We are to have faith that God loves us and He is in control of this situation, using it for our good and His glory. IV. Faith Will Finish Even When It Is Discouraged. A. We are describing the works of faith in a Christian. Faith finishes, even when it is discouraged. B. No believer has ever been promised an easy life. 1. I have refused to preach an easy Christianity. 2. God just did not promise us one. 3. In fact, Jesus was very adamant that following Him would be both costly and difficult. 4. But then He commanded us to carry that load by faith. Heb 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; Jas 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Ro 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. C. Ford used to have the motto, "Built FORD tough." 1. Christians are to be FAITH tough. 2. You and I are built tough enough to run the course, to finish the race, to the fight the fight, to keep the faith, and to earn the crown! V. Faith Will Praise Even When It Is Painful. A. To thank and praise God, even when it hurts, is a work of faith. 2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; B. It says, "I believe what I am going through today is nothing compared to what I am going to receive tomorrow. 1. I do not always praise God for where I am today. 2. Sometimes I am praising God for where I will be tomorrow. These are the works that faith works. Do your works back up your faith? If not, you need to either get your works right or change your faith. This evening, lets get things synchronized.