1. OR ACTIONS? AUTHENTIC JAMES (Series) James 2:14-26

2. Introduction “James, a bond servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad, greeting!” (James 1:1) Key Verse: “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers, deceiving your own selves.” (James 1:22)

3. QUIZ QUESTIONS - TRUE/FALSE

4. QUOTES

5. James 2:14-20 “What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so, faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, ‘You have faith, and I have works; show me you faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.’ You believe that God is One. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you shortsighted person, that faith without works is useless?”

6. James 2:21-26 “‘Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘And Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to Him as righteousness,’ and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”

7. THE BIG DEBATE! THE APOSTLE PAUL: “For we maintain that a man is justified BY FAITH APART FROM WORKS OF THE LAW.” Romans 3:24 THE APOSTLE JAMES: “Even so, FAITH IF IT HAS NO WORKS is dead, being by itself.” James 2:17

8. WHO IS RIGHT PAUL OR JAMES OR BOTH? ANSWER: THEY ARE BOTH RIGHT BECAUSE THEY ARE WRITING TO TWO DIFFERENT AUDIENCES WHO HAVE TWO DIFFERENT PROBLEMS! Paul: writes to Jewish believers who think it is necessary for them to keep the O.T. law in order to be saved. (law keepers) James: writes to Jewish believers who think faith doesn’t affect how they live their daily lives. (law breakers)

9. HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE BEFORE: “For JUDGMENT will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over JUDGMENT.” (James 2:13) AFTER: “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter JUDGMENT.” (James 3:1) 1.KNOW THE CONTEXT OF THE SCRIPTURE WHAT COMES BEFORE WHAT COMES AFTER

10. HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE 2.KNOW THE MEANING OF THE KEY WORDS SAVE (2:14) JUSTIFY (2:21, 23, 25) DEAD (2:17, 20, 26) WORKS (2:14, 18, 21,22, 25,26)

11. AUTHENTIC FAITH AUTHENTIC FAITH IS A FAITH THAT IS BOTH VERBAL (CONFESSION) AND VISUAL (EVIDENCE) I.ARGUMENT FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE 2:14-17 II.ARGUMENT FROM DOCTRINE 2:18-20 III.ARGUMENT FROM BIBLICAL CHARACTERS 2:21-26

12. I. ARGUMENT FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE “IF A MAN SAYS…” TWO CRITICAL QUESTIONS ASKED IN VS. 14 “WHAT USE IS IT, MY BRETHREN, IF A MAN SAYS HE HAS FAITH, BUT HE HAS NO WORKS? CAN THAT FAITH SAVE HIM?”

13. I. ARGUMENT FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE (CONT.) THE ILLUSTRATION: “IF A BROTHER OR SISTER IS WITHOUT CLOTHING AND IN NEED OF DAILY FOOD, AND ONE OF YOU SAYS TO THEM, ‘GO IN PEACE, BE WARMED AND BE FILLED,’ AND YET YOU DO NOT GIVE THEM WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR THEIR BODY, WHAT USE IS THAT?” (2:15-16)

14. VS. 17- “EVEN SO, FAITH, (CONFESSION) IF IT HAS NO WORKS (EVIDENCE), IS DEAD (USELESS), BEING BY ITSELF.”

15. II. ARGUMENT FROM DOCTRINE “SOMEONE MAY WELL SAY….” (VERBAL) “Someone may well say, ‘You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” -vs. 18 “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.”

16. “BUT…” “But, are you willing to recognize, you shortsighted person, that faith without works is useless?” vs. 20

17. III. ARGUMENT FROM BIBLICAL CHARACTERS: ABRAHAM

18. QUESTIONS WHEN DID ABRAHAM FIRST BELIEVE GOD AND WAS DECLARED TO BE RIGHTEOUS BY GOD? ANSWER: IN GEN. 15:6 WHEN HE BELIEVED GOD’S PROMISE WHEN DID ABRAHAM ACT ON HIS FAITH IN SUCH A WAY THAT HE WAS SHOWN TO BE RIGHTEOUS BEFORE OTHERS? ANSWER: 15 YEARS LATER IN GENESIS 22 WHEN HE WILLINGLY OFFERED HIS SON ISAAC IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD

19. III (Cont.) ARGUMENT FROM BIBLICAL CHARACTERS: RAHAB “IN THE SAME WAY….” (James 2:25) “And in the same way, was not Rahab, the harlot, also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?” WHAT WAS THE “SAME WAY”? VERBAL FAITH (CONFESSION) ALONG WITH VISUAL (EVIDENCE)

20. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ABRAHAM AND RAHAB

21. THE BOTTOM LINE 1.FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST CHANGES WHO WE ARE! 2.FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST CHANGES HOW WE LIVE! 3.FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST IS A FAITH THAT MUST BE LIVED OUT BEFORE OTHERS! 4.FAITH ALONE IN JESUS CHRIST DECLARES US TO BE RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD, BUT THAT FAITH SUPPORTED BY THE EVIDENCE OF GOOD WORKS SHOWS US TO BE RIGHTEOUS TO OTHERS!

22. QUIZ QUESTIONS True/False 1.AS A CHRISTIAN, IT IS MORE IMPORTANT TO BELIEVE THAN TO DO WORKS. 2.AS A CHRISTIAN, MY FAITH SHOULD BE MORE PRIVATE THAN IT IS PUBLIC. 3.AS A CHRISTIAN, IT IS MORE IMPORTANT TO WORSHIP GOD ON SUNDAY THAN TO TAKE CARE OF A PERSON IN NEED. 4.AS A CHRISTIAN, IT DOESN’T MATTER IF OTHERS DON’T THINK I AM A CHRISTIAN. 5.AS A CHRISTIAN, I CONSISTENTLY PROVE TO OTHERS THAT I REALLY AM A CHRISTIAN BY MY ACTIONS.