What does it mean to be a Christian? From James 2, Pastor Bobby helps us understand that true, saving faith in Jesus Christ will always result in works done for Jesus Christ.
This is a very needful presentation and I thank you for posting it! Plus, when I think of the issue you've addressed, one other passage that comes to me is the one from Matthew 7, where we are warned by Jesus Himself that on Judgement Day, many will say to Him, "Lord, Lord! Didn't we prophesy, cast out devils and perform many miracles in Your name?", but He will reply to them, "I never knew you! Depart from me, you who work iniquity!"
26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. Woah now. What’s going on right here? Some careful analysis may be required in order to correctly understand what James is saying. It can be easy to read this portion of Scripture and think that the Bible is contradicting itself, is James saying that we are saved by works? It can’t be so, we see all over Scripture passages like this, yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:16, ESV) Even James Himself says right before this For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. (James 2:10, ESV) So what are we to think about this. It is clear 2 things. One is that we are saved by faith in the finished work of Christ. The second thing James is explaining for us is that any genuine and real faith in Jesus Christ will produce works. It is not the root of our salvation, but it is the fruit of our salvation. Any faith that does not produce works is not real faith, that faith is dead, it is useless, it isn’t real. That is the clear teaching from Scripture, and James solidifies that teaching right here. You cannot call yourself a follower of Christ if you are not following His commands. We won’t be sinless in this life, but we will certainly sin less. The course of our life will change. If you have drank form the Fountain of Life, then living waters will flow from your heart. If the seed of the word has been planted in good soil, it will produce fruit. Sometimes thirty fold, sometimes sixty, and sometimes one hundred, but it will never be a barren plant, if it is, it will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Praying today that we would be fruit bearing disciples, that our faith would be demonstrated by the way we live. Also praying that if we have this dead faith that James is pointing out, that we would not try to correct this by doing good deeds, but by repentance and faith in the gospel!! Please don’t put the cart before the horse here! Examine yourselves, come to the Lord Jesus Christ, and when you have been saved by His grace, when He has given you His Holy Spirit, go out and serve your King!!
