Faith and Works

James 2
¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? ¹⁷ So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

• Good are evidence of real .
  

• Good works include about other people in ways.

Biblical Caveats:

• Are they willing/able to ?
  If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.
  (2 Thessalonians 3:10)

• Is their able to help?
  ⁸ But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8)

• Are you to help?
  ¹³ For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened… (2 Corinthians 8:13)

¹⁷ But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? (1 John 3:17)

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. ¹⁹ You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

• Right is not the same as real .

• • Are there times I say “No” to sin because of ?

• • Am I growing in my for other people?

• • Am I growing in the of the Spirit?

• You don’t have to be , but you do have to be .

 ²⁰ Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 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. 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.

• Two : Abraham and Rahab.

Make It Personal: Is there in my life that my faith is ?