FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD!

FAITH WITHOUT WORKS
JAMES 2: 17 - 26
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
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.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
The world is just wrong about faith only or saved by faith only. Faith is one basic part of our obedience to Christ.
I. Matthew 16: 24 – 27 Jesus taught the reward for works.
Mt 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
When Jesus come to receive the faithful home he will reward according to their works. That alone makes works necessary to enter heaven. That is enough for every Christian to want to do good works for God. That God would be glorified by our good works.
A. Mt 5:16 Jesus said to let our light shine before men.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which
is in heaven.

Here “men” is generic for all people. Good works is that which glorifies God. We are to do good in God’s name that he might be glorified and not ourselves. If we do it for our own glory we have received all the reward we will receive.
B. Philippians 2: 12 – 13 Paul says to work.
Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
We cannot do it alone for God must be working in us.
C. James 1: 21 – 25 James writes we must be doers.
Jas 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
A lot of people hear the truth, but never do it. If we hear and do we will be blessed. If one hears only they deceive themselves and are lost.
D. Matthew 16: 26 What is your soul worth?
Mt 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Are you risking your soul? Some might ask, What should I do?
II. Colossians 1: 9 – 10 Paul writes to be fruitful in every good work.
Col 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
We are to be doing good. Some may ask, What is good in God’s sight?
A. Galatians 5: 19 – 21 Let us look at the works of the flesh. This is what God does not want. Paul writes, NKJ
5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
This is not what God wants from his children. These are the works of the sinful world. These are to be put off when we obey Jesus Christ in baptism.
What does God want?
B. Galatians 5: 22 – 26 Paul continues with the works or fruit of the Spirit. NKJ
5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
These are good works, fruits of the Spirit. Those who are Christ, will develop these and show forth Christ in their life. They are doers of the word.
C. Titus 2: 1 – 8 Titus says to show a pattern of good works. Which pattern? The one of sound doctrine, God’s word.
1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
8. Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
There is a pattern for young, old, male and female.
Everyone faithful to God will follow His pattern found in the NT.
III. 1 Corinthians 1: 10 Christians are to be Workers together with God in unity.
10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
The same mind and same judgment was that of Jesus Christ.
A. 1 Corinthians 3: 5 – 9 Working together in God plan.
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
We must learn to do the work of the Lord together in love.
B. John 13: 34 – 35 Jesus gave the commandment to love one another.
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Working together takes loving one another. I was told of a conversation where the length of time a preacher had served. One of our members commented that one of the preachers here had been here 21 years. One in the group commented that was because this church was a family. Their churches were organizations, North Jackson was a family. That says a lot for how some outside the church perceive those in the church. This is as it should be. We should be seen as Christians because we love one another.

Are we doing the work of the Lord by faith? Faith without works is dead being alone. Works without faith must be dead also. We must have both. We must have love for God and one another. We must obey from the Bible that which God commands.

Who are you serving today? God or the world?
Matthew 6: 19 We can not serve both.
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
When we seek Christ first we will find him.
When we obey Him in baptism for the remission of our sins we will be forgiven. Then and only then can we be added by Christ to his church. Then we are to get busy in good works to glorify God. Being busy in the Lord will keep us out of trouble with the worldly temptations. We can rejoice in Jesus Christ that we are not the person we once were, but now faithful Christians.
Are you a Christian today? A NT Christian? Many believe that if they believe in Christ you are a Christian. That is far from true. Do you need to obey Christ now, before it is too late?

Are you an unfaithful Christian. You obeyed Christ and was baptized, but he is no longer first in your life. You live by faith, but are no longer working for the Lord. Do you want to come back to Jesus Christ, repenting of your sins and obeying him once again?

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Will you come as we stand and sing.