James 2:14-26
February 16, 2020
preached by Ryan Bouton
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Time of Reflection Quotations

“A faith that has no works does not work.”

~Douglas Moo, Professor of New Testament

“Everyone reads, everyone hears things discussed. Consequently, if you do not listen to Theology, that will not mean that you have no ideas about God. It will mean that you have a lot of wrong ones—bad, muddled, out-of-date ideas.”

~C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

“The devil is a better theologian than any of us and is a devil still.”

~A.W. Tozer (1897-1963), pastor and author

“It is a good thing to possess an accurate theology, but it is unsatisfactory unless that good theology also possesses us.”

~Charles Mitton, pastor and author

“It is faith alone that justifies, but faith that justifies can never be alone.”

~John Calvin (1509-1564), leader of the Protestant Reformation in Geneva

“I think that is a better thing than thanksgiving: thanks-living. How is this to be done? By a general cheerfulness of manner, by an obedience to the command of Him by whose mercy we live, by a perpetual, constant delighting of ourselves in the Lord, and by submission of our desires to His will.”

~C.H. Spurgeon (1834-1892), Pastor

Sermon Passage

James 2:14-26 (ESV)

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.

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! 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.