James 2:14-26

Introduction

When you say that something is alive what does that mean? How do you know? We see evidence of life by the colors of the foliage of plants, the movement of animals and insects, the heartbeat and brain functions of a human. While this is a very minimized list, it is meant to bring us to the thought pattern that life can be proven just by looking at or being near it.

In this passage, James is bringing up a topic that is vital especially in our culture today: what true living faith looks like. We know from passages like Ephesians 2:8-9 or Romans 3:28 that we are saved by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works. It is paramount when discussing this passage for us to realize that James believes this fact wholeheartedly, and is proving what living faith looks like rather than teaching justification by works.

We will see that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, but is always accompanied by evidence through the fruit of the spirit which brings forth good works.

The first thing we see in this passage is a strong question with an implication that will be further fleshed out as he continues. Is a faith with no deeds good? Can a faith that has no deeds save the “believer”? 

James is extremely good at phrasing statements and questions in a way where it immediately seems obvious, even if it wasn’t before. How often have we merely stated to someone something like “I hope things get better for you soon.” When they’re having a hard time. Or thinking about the secular world, the phrase “our thoughts are with you” often appears around tragedies. What good is a brief thought, even if it is well-intentioned?

How do we know life exists? We know life exists by the natural evidence it produces. Just as we mentioned at the beginning of this study, life produces evidence that is obvious, whereas the evidence of death is merely a lack of whatever life produces. 

The salvation that Christ offers is one of life: Jesus declared that he is “the way, the truth, and the life…” What we are offered through Jesus Christ is a true life, one of eternal communion with God. What we call faith could be summarized as “putting our faith in God, loving Him, and trusting that He will fulfill His promises.” It is our love for God that overflows in a response of His free gift of eternal life. It is us choosing God over ourselves, and growing to know Him, and therefore learning to love. Faith is not merely an intellectual knowledge of the existence of a thing as we will see in verse 19. Faith is an active response to establishing Jesus as Lord; it is us choosing to love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, and soul and centralizing our lives around that. Faith and belief share some similarities, but are very different things, with faith being better described as a love of God rather than merely a belief in Him.

In 1 John 3:17-18 we are told that if we are able to help someone in need but refuse to fulfill that need, then we do not have the love of God in us.

Later on this love is reiterated in 1 John 4:8, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” He continues in 4:9 saying that “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” This echoes the very similar verse we see in Romans 5:8 that “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Where would we be if God had love for us, but never acted on it? We would be on a fast track to Hell.

Probably the most famous verse in the Bible is John 3:16 saying that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

If God never acted on His love, He would not have sent His only son Jesus. If Jesus had not had such great faith and dedication to the Father, He would not have gone to the cross for us. Luke 22 is where we see Jesus praying in such anguish that He was praying so earnestly that his sweat was falling to the ground as drops of blood (44). He was so overcome that He prayed in verse 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

Jesus knew very well what was coming, but He would see His faith and love through.

James gives a practical challenge in verse 18: “Show me your faith without deeds.” Once a statement like that is made, it quickly becomes obvious that in order to show something, there must be something of substance to see it. Going back to our thought of faith being a love of God, you can actually substitute the word love into the verse to better understand it. “Show me your love without deeds.” How do you prove love if not to speak or act to prove it? Do you truly love someone if you do not care enough about them to speak kindly or act in service to them?

”I will show you my faith by my deeds.” James is planting a flag in the ground by showing what a living, saving faith looks like. Just as Jesus was comparing a believer to a good tree that bears good fruit in Matthew 7:17, James is saying that a believer will have good works that naturally flow from their saving faith in (love of) Christ. A truly saving faith is one that begins with confessing Jesus as Lord, and continues with submission to His will and seeking to serve Him.

The true saving faith is vastly different from a mere belief in God as we can see in the terrifying truth that James highlights in verse 19. Even the demons believe in God. If faith is merely belief, then the demons have it too. This is not a saving faith, however, it is a demonic faith. A demonic faith believes that God is the Alpha and Omega. It believes that God is omnipotent and omniscient. It believes in the existence of Heaven and Hell. It believes in the trinity: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. A demonic faith hates all of these things. It spits in the face of God and rebels against Him though it knows it will one day be sent to Hell.

We see proof of this all throughout Scripture. One such place is Matthew 8:29 where the demons possessing two men recognized and declared Jesus as the Son of God Who had authority over them. They also acknowledged “the appointed time” leading us to see that they know they are destined for Hell, but they did not care. They do not ask for forgiveness or bow to Him. They believed the truth, but chose to rebel against it.

Now we are getting a little fired up! It’s as if James is saying “if it is not enough to know that the demons believe, but shudder because they know they are going to Hell, then let’s look at some examples by some very important people in history saved by faith.”

In the ESV it says Abraham was “justified” by his actions. In the NIV it says he was “considered righteous” for what he did. I’ve heard this to be misconstrued by “works-based salvation” teachers to mean that his action is what caused God to forgive his sins, but that is ignoring large portions of scripture and in this case interpreting it incorrectly. 

Looking further into this justification of faith by action, we can look to the interlinear bible and see that the word used here is dikaioó (dik-ah-yo'-o) which means “to show to be righteous, declare righteous.” In this context, it carries with it a sense of proving something to be true. When God declared that Abraham is righteous, He is not saying “I’m so proud of what Abraham did, that I’ve decided to forgive his sins.” That contradicts Scripture in so many ways. What God is saying is more like “Look at Abraham! The willingness to obey my commands proves that his faith in me is a saving faith. This proves that Abraham is my child and that he loves Me.” 

The type of faith Abraham had in God was not merely a belief in His existence. It was an active faith of submission and servitude; one that was willing to give up everything to obey God’s command.

James is using this phrasing that was common to his readers in that day to mean that Abraham’s faith was proved by his action and response to the call of God on his life. Abraham’s justification in Genesis 22 was proof of the type of faith that led to God considering him to be righteous in Genesis 15.

In addition to Abraham, James points out in verse 25 a lesser discussed person from the early history of the Jews: Rahab. Most commonly known as the prostitute of Jericho that assisted the spies so that they could escape.

The same Greek word is used here for Rahab being considered righteous before God. Rahab was a Gentile. She was part of the nation that God ordered to be exterminated for their rebellion against Him. Her death was imminent due to her sin, but she heard of the God of Israel and believed Him to be the true God. In Joshua 2 we see her budding faith in God when she declares Him as the LORD of Heaven and Earth merely based on hearing of the signs and wonders that He had worked through the Israelites. She asked to be spared and obeyed the command to put up a scarlet rope to be saved from destruction.

Her faith was in a God Who could save her, and He did. He spared her life but also bestowed on her an amazing gift that we find in an often overlooked passage: Matthew 1, the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Her name is found in the chosen line that brought forth the Savior! A prostitute who was part of a nation being exterminated by the Lord, had an active faith in God that led to her salvation and further blessing of serving the Lord even to the extent of being a part of the royal line of David (his great-great grandmother) that brought forth the birth of Jesus.

While Rahab did not live an exemplary life, it is a prime example that even people like us who are born into rebellion outside the kingdom of God can having an active, saving faith in Him. It shows us that a saving faith is one that serves God.

James summarizes this passage by stating the facts proven within it: that faith without deeds is dead.

The word used here for spirit (that gives life to the body) is one meaning the breath of life. Just as the body is dead without breath, faith without deeds is also dead. It cannot be stated more simply, yet we must not overlook the importance of this.

We must strive for an active faith that grows in our love of and service to God.

Assurance of Salvation

This passage should lead you in one of two directions: assurance of salvation or recognition that you are not saved. It is a passage that is immensely important to anyone who calls themselves a Christian, for our culture has for a long time been one filled with people who call themselves Christians, but have a demonic faith rather than a saving one.

When considering if you have a saving faith, you can ask a series of questions to help determine if your faith is one of love for God.

• Are you trusting in what Jesus did on the cross or your own works for your salvation?

• Is there evidence of regeneration in your life?

• Do you see a pattern of growth in your love of God in your life, regardless of failures?

• Has there been, and is there now, true repentance of sin in your life?

• Do you love the people of God and talk about Him?

• Does your heart ever ache for the lost and their destination of Hell?

As Christians, our faith must be in the works of Christ leading us into a deeper love of Him that produces the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5). This is an amazing passage for us to visit, and one that clarifies how salvation and works intertwine. It is one that can provide us with assurance, hope, and a solid foundation to preach to the lost including those who believe themselves to be saved.