Strong Faith That Really Works James Pt 4 | Sermon | Mike Prah

Follow Along with the Message

HOW TO HAVE STRONG FAITH THAT REALLY WORKS
JAMES: PRACTICAL GRACE-FILLED LIVING SERIES - Part 4 of 10
James 2:14-26 | May 29, 2022| Mike Prah

“14 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? 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? 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. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? 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. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. 25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.” James 2:14-26 (NLT)

 "Faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless."   James 2:17 (NLT)

 Paul: “Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law … For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” Galatians 2:16 (NLT)

 James: “We are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.” James 2:24 (NLT) 

 "For it is BY GRACE you have been saved THROUGH FAITH ... FOR a life of GOOD WORKS which God has already prepared for us to do."  Ephesians 2:8-10 (GN)

 WHAT IS REAL FAITH?

1. REAL FAITH IS MORE THAN SOMETHING YOU SAY

“What good is it if you SAY you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?” James 2:14 (NLT)

 “Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws” Matthew 7:20-23 (NLT)

 2. REAL FAITH IS MORE THAN SOMETHING YOU FEEL

“Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 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 2:15-16 (NLT)

 “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” 1 John 3:17 (NIV)

  “If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.” 1 John 3:14 (NLT)

 3. REAL FAITH IS MORE THAN SOMETHING YOU THINK

“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.” James 2:18 (NLT)

 “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”  2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

 4. REAL FAITH IS MORE THAN SOMETHING YOU BELIEVE

"You believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror” James 2:19 (NLT)

 5. REAL FAITH IS SOMETHING YOU DO

“Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? 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. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.” James 2:20-24 (NLT)

 “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.” Genesis 22:5 (NLT)

 “Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her ACTIONS when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road.“ James 2:25 (NLT)

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