A Living Faith Moves
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James Week 4: A Living Faith Moves
James 2:14-26
June 23rd, 2024
Complete the following phrases.
Actions speak louder than…
Talk is…
If you are going to talk the talk you need to…
A rock-solid faith/foundation is one of following, adhering to, obeying and putting into action the Word of God.
21 “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. Matthew 7:21 NIV
Righteous actions not right words are the way of the Kingdom of God.
James 2:14-26 (NIV) What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 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. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. 25 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? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Faith Movement is at Christianity’s Core
Christianity is an active faith not a passive ideology (way of thinking).
Christianity is not a set of beliefs detached from willful obedient actions.
Christianity is the synthesis and synergy of deeply held beliefs and Holy Spirit empowered actions.
Christianity without movement is a dead religion. Christianity with movement is life, more and better life than you could ever imagine.
Jesus’ coming in the flesh (the incarnation) to save mankind and to restore relationship with God, was God literally “putting His money where His mouth was.” Jesus was God’s “skin” in the game.
John 1:14 (Message) The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.
Ephesians 2:1-10 (NIV) As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
James 2:14-17 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
“What good is it” implies that faith is inherently (by nature) active, moving and impactful – Christian faith serves a purpose beyond ascent to a set of principles.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
A saving faith is one where the words of God produce the fruit of God and the movement of God. The fruit of God is righteousness (an inward change) and righteous actions (outward actions that are the reflection of God’s heart).
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 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. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. 25 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?
It was the “faith movement of Abraham” that cemented friendship with God and provided hope for the world. A living faith moves.
A living faith is not dependent on pedigree just movement.
James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Galatians 5:22,23 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
A living faith changes our heart and mind and our faith actions flow from that transformation. If there is no outward flow, there has been no inward change.
A living faith people engage the world around them with the riches of Christ. We aren’t to be dissuaded by what we don’t have but by who we do have!
Question: How and where is your Christian faith moving you?