JAMES 2:14-26 WHAT KIND OF FAITH DO YOU HAVE PART 2?

3. v20-26 DYNAMIC FAITH or Real, Living Faith, Saving Faith

WHAT KIND OF FAITH IS THIS?

1. We know from other passages that this faith is based upon the Word of God

Ro 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

2. Saving faith involves the WHOLE MAN

1) The MIND understands the truth about Christ

2) The HEART rejoices in the truth with sorrow over sin and joy over God’s mercy and grace(This is called repentance)

3) The WILL acts upon the truth submitting to Christ and trusts in Him alone as the only hope of salvation.

3. True, saving faith, then, LEADS TO ACTION

It is not intellectual examination

It is not emotionalism

It is that which leads to repentance, trusting in Christ and authentic obedience in doing good works

TO ILLUSTRATE, JAMES REFERS TO TWO WELL-KNOW PERSONS: ABRAHAM & RAHAB

You could not find two more different people, shows that salvation is offered to everyone

Abraham was the father of the Jews; Rahab was a Gentile!

Abraham was a godly man; Rahab had been a sinful woman, a harlot, a prostitute

Abraham was the friend of God; Rahab had belonged to the enemies of God!

What did they have in common? Both exercised saving faith in God!

Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

Hebrews 11: 31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.

   V 20-24 Abraham demonstrated his saving faith by his works

Ge 15:6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

30 years before he offered Isaac in Gen 22, believed He and Isaac would return Gen 22:5

Romans 4

Ga 3:5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? -- 6 ¶ just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." 7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.  

V 25-26 Rahab demonstrated her saving faith by her works

Jos 2:8 ¶ Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, 9 and said to the men: "I know that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. 10 "For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

 11 "And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

3. We learn from this passage that:

 v17,20,26 Faith without works is a DEAD faith –

 v24 That "faith only" (the only time this phrase is found in the Scriptures) cannot justify one

 v22 That PERFECT faith necessitates works

CONCLUSION …..Friend of daughter only 18 in a car wreck probably will die or be paralyzed for life

1. It is important that each professing Christian examine his or her own heart and life, and make sure that they possess true saving faith
2. Satan is the great deceiver; one of his devices is imitation a. If he can convince a person that counterfeit faith is true faith then he has that person in his power!
3. Here are some questions we need to ask ourselves as we examine our faith:

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? ----unless indeed you are disqualified.

      Was there a time when I honestly realized I was a sinner and admitted this to myself and to God?

   Was there a time when my heart stirred me to flee from the wrath to come?  Have I ever been seriously sorry for my sins?

   Do I truly understand the gospel, that Christ died for MY sins and then rose again?  Do I understand and confess that I cannot save myself?

   Did I sincerely repent of my sins, making the decision to turn from them?  Do I now hate sin and fear God?  Or do I secretly love sin and want to enjoy it?

   Have I trusted Christ and Him alone for my salvation by responding to the commands He has given?  Have I confessed my faith in Christ and then been baptized as Jesus and His apostles commanded? Baptism is commanded as a witness to others that you have been saved.

   Has there been a change in my life?  Do I maintain good works, or are my good works occasional and weak?  Do I seek to grow in the things of the Lord?  Can others tell that I know Jesus?

   Do I have a desire to share Christ with others?  Or am I ashamed of Him?

   Do I enjoy the fellowship of God's people?  Is worship a delight to me?

   Am I ready for the Lord's return?  Or will I be ashamed when He comes for me?

May our prayer be similar to that of that of David in Psalms 139:23-24

             "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxieties; "And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."