James 2:14-26 [NLT] James 2:14 [NLT] What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? James compares living & dead faith. James 2:26 (NLT) Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. Faith: an attitude whereby a person abandons all reliance in their own efforts to obtain salvation, be they deeds of piety, of ethical goodness or anything else. Aka— an attitude of complete trust in Jesus, of reliance on him alone for all that salvation requires. Faith is not accepting or agreeing that certain things as true, but trusting a Person, Jesus. No one can add anything to the perfection of Jesus’ finished work. “Works”: warm deeds of love springing from a right attitude to God. Aka— the fruit of faith. James objects to the claim that faith is present when there is no fruit to attest it. Faith without works is . James 2:14,20 (NLT) What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? Dead faith shows favoritism. James 2:1 (NLT) My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others. Dead faith is all talk, no action. James 2:15 (NLT) 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? James 2:17-20 (NLT) 17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. 18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” 19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. Dead faith doesn’t work. James 2:26 (NLT) Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. Living faith reveals itself in how we people. James 2:12–13 (NLT) 12 So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. 13 There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you. Galatians 5:6 (NLT) For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love. Living faith will lead you to take action. James 2:18,24 (NLT) 18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. James 2:21-22,25 (NLT) 21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. Boasting about works is . Romans 3:27–28 (NLT) 27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. What Now ? Focus on a more healthy root, not on generating more fruit. Let “grateful” obedience drive your life of love & good works. Continuing The Conversation 1. Can you think of any ways some people today might claim to have faith but show no signs of it in their everyday life? 2. Where in your life do you feel tempted to settle for belief without action? (ex: in relationships, serving others, forgiveness, generosity, etc) 3. We don’t work to be saved. We work b/c we are saved. That means there’s no room for bragging—only grateful obedience. Talk through what “grateful” obedience could be more compelling than “guilty” obedience. 4. We delight in cultivating a life that grows from grace, not guilt. So what might it look like for you this week to feed the root of your faith rather than just trying to force the fruit?