Good morning and welcome in today. Today we are going to take a look at some scripture from the book of James but before we do that, I wanted to ask you a question.
Have you ever taken your car to a mechanic to be repaired? Many times people go to a technical college to become trained to be a mechanic. They even receive a certification after the course is completed. Imagine the next five years they never repair a vehicle. They have no works that show they are a mechanic.
Across town there is a man working out of his garage. He’s getting all kinds of jobs done repairing motors and vehicles. He has lots of business because he does a great job. The only difference is that he doesn’t have a plaque on the wall.
The question I have for you today is, where would you take your vehicle to be fixed? Would you take it to the person who has works that show what they have done?
A lot of times people just want to see a plaque on the wall while the truth is, it all depends on your works what you truly are.
The scriptures clearly teach us that faith without works is dead. Christianity is more than just professing to be a Christian. Preaching God’s word is more than just getting plaque on a wall or a doctor of divinity certification. It all comes down to works.
James 2:20-24
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
In the church when you are involved with good works it shows that you truly believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ. It shows that you really believe in the Lord inside of your hearts. How do you judge something else unless it’s by works?
For example if somebody has played the piano for 30 years, then they are just that! People bring their kids to them for a piano lesson. If you’re a professional fisherman for the last 20 years then that’s what you are.
You are what you are according to what you have done not just what you profess.
What kinds of works do you have that prove what you truly are? That is the concept that the Apostle James is teaching us today. It’s more than just claiming to be a Christian, it is showing people that you are a Christian.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
The word vain means producing no results or useless. Vanity is marked by futility or ineffectualness. It’s being unsuccessful.
I want you to imagine for a moment that you’re going to go work for somebody else splitting firewood. At the end of the day when your employer comes to see what you got finished there’s nothing done.
That claiming to cut firewood doesn’t mean anything unless you produce a product.
Putting a t-shirt on with a verse on the back isn’t enough if you profess to be a Christian. You have to have some kinds of works that show that you truly believe in Christ in your hearts. Good works will be stimulated because you choose to do God’s will rather than your own.
Think about an employer who left for lunch. On their return they notice that nothing has been done. How do you think they would feel?
Think about people who profess Christianity but they really don’t believe in the teachings of our faith because they don’t have any works. The Apostle refers to it as a dead faith. There’s nothing there that shows to others that you truly believe in your heart. All you’re doing is professing Jesus as your Lord. When something is dead it’s characterized by a lack of activity or excitement.
1 Cor 16:15
15 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)
Matthew 5:16
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Ephesians 2:10
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Titus 3:14
“And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.”
Hebrews 10:24
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
The Lord Jesus is filled with good works.
John 21:25
“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Justification is the action of declaring or making righteous in the sight of God. We can receive God’s forgiveness and mercy through the blood of Jesus Christ but if you truly believe in your hearts, grace is going to cause you to undergo a change in your life. You will have works that show grace is present in your heart.
For example, look at the life of the Apostle Paul. He got forgiven for his past, and his life underwent a radical change. He had numerous works which he credited to the grace of God that was working inside of his heart. That is what we are talking about today. Faith causes you to do something. That’s a part of our justification. Real faith is going to have some kind of works.
Noah’s faith resulted in a huge ship by which he and his family were saved through the flood. Moses was filled up with such great faith in God that he walked away from everything in Egypt.
We want to show God that we believe in Him by our actions. It’s getting forgiven for our sins and then doing something with that forgiveness.
2 Cor 6:1
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
Notice that he uses the word, workers. The Apostle Paul was busy doing a good work preaching God’s word to the people. Today I ask you, what are your works? Can people see your light shine or are you hiding it under the bed. If you have truly been forgiven for your sins it should result in some kind of actions.
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
There are people today who say salvation by grace and on the other side of the fence there’s people who say salvation by works. They both seem to fight back and forth on this issue while the truth is they are both part of the same thing. The fence simply needs to be taken down.
For example, if you professed to be forgiven but you don’t have any works, how can you say that you actually have faith? You need good works to perfect our faith.
Some people try to attain salvation by works alone apart from Christ. In that case they’re only lying to themselves because each of us are sinners who need grace to get to Heaven.
I’ve said it for 20 years and I’ll say it again. If I think it’s going to rain overnight and my windows are open on my truck, my faith will cause me to go up on the road and close the windows. If I don’t do that, did I really believe that it was going to rain? Absolutely not.
It’s the same thing with our blessed Lord. Without faith it is impossible to please him. We please God by doing good works.
I believe James is teaching us today that it is more than just grace and forgiveness which is simply the first step into the Christian faith. Maturity is shown in obedience and good works. Through these faith is perfected.
The word faith encompasses a lot of things. It’s believing that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. It’s trusting in his grace and his mercy. It’s becoming obedient to the will of God. It’s doing good works in his name.
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
It was the moment when Abraham believed God and did what God had told him to do that he became Faith righteous. When he obeyed, he was called the friend of God.
Remember that the Lord Jesus said that you are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
It’s more than just saying I believe but it’s becoming a door of the word. It’s about doing the things that are contained in scripture. It’s about doing the things that please God and show him that we truly believe in him.
Today I ask you, if you truly confess faith in Christ, where are the works in your life that prove that statement?
I heard someone say one time many years ago, if you were in a courtroom would there be enough evidence in your life that would convict you in front of a jury of being a Christian? That’s interesting to think about isn’t it.
What are your works? Where are your accomplishments in this life that show you believe because faith without works is dead.
Think about those things for today and Lord willing we’ll talk some more tomorrow. till then, bye bye everyone.
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 