All right, let's take our Bibles
and turn to the book of James chapter 2. James chapter 2. James chapter 2, I'd like to
look at verse 26 of James chapter 2. For as the body without the spirit
is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Faith. What is faith? And the faith, is it dead or alive? Obviously, there's both kinds. For as the body without the spirit
is dead, so faith without works is dead also. What does the scriptures have
to say about faith? Well, Ephesians 2.8 says, For
by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, either speaking of salvation
or faith. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Hebrews 11.1 says faith is the
substance, it's the ground, it's the support, it's the confidence
of things hoped for, expected, or trusted for. It's the evidence,
it's the proof or the conviction of things that are not seen. who believe have faith that things
that we've not seen by these eyes are so. We believe that. Faith is, according to the scriptures,
the way that a believer walks. We walk Believing that God has
said that which is so. That's where we walk, and not
by sight. If we're looking by sight, things
are in a mess. But according to God's Word,
the Lord worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.
That makes it good. That's good. By faith, we believe God. And true faith, living faith
is particular to a particular group of people. Titus 1.1, I'll
read this. Titus 1.1 says, Paul, a servant
of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the faith
of God's elect and according of the truth that is after godliness. So true faith is particular to
a particular group of people. Who are they? According to the
scriptures. It's the faith of God's elect. God has an elect. True faith is alive. Meaning it's more than a head
knowledge of facts. Head knowledge of facts. Scripture
declares that demons have that. Thou believest, James 2, 19,
Thou believest that there is one God. Thou doest well. The devils also believe. They believe. They believe. What
is that? That's faith. But it's dead. It's dead faith. Because there's
something missing there. We'll look at it in just one
second. It's facts. I mean, faith must have something with it according
to these scriptures that is absent when faith is dead. What is it? Well, it's called works. By God's grace, I'll do my best
to make good on this. Faith is not dormant. Galatians 5, 6, For in Jesus
Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, or uncircumcision,
but faith which worketh is active by love. Now the Spirit of God
moved upon two men, the Apostle Paul and the Apostle James, to
write something about faith. Romans chapter 3 and verse 28,
this is what the Apostle Paul said concerning salvation and
faith. Romans 3.28. This is what the
Spirit of God moved the Apostle Paul to write. Romans 3.28. Therefore we conclude that a
man is justified, he's declared innocent. He's declared innocent. justified. Therefore we conclude that a
man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. James in chapter 2 verse 26,
the one we read, James said, for as the body without spirit
is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Now let me ask
you something. Is there a conflict in the scriptures? No. Not in the least. Men may have a conflict in their
understanding of the scriptures, but you can bet this. These men
are saying the same thing. You say, well, I don't see it.
Well, Paul spoke of not trusting in the deeds of the law for justification
before God. Paul declares what God has done
for us. James spoke against the deception
of men, thinking that a change of character has no place in
salvation. James declared what God has done
in us. God has done something for us
in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's justified us freely
by His grace. He has taken the guilt of His
people, charged it to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
bore our guilt. He was made what we are. He was
made sin. Not a sinner. Not a sinner. Wasn't
made a sinner. He was made sin. I've said that
so many times and still I get accused of saying, people are
saying that I'm saying that Christ was made a sinner. A sinner is
a disobedient one. That's a sinner, disobedience.
Christ was never disobedient. He was made sin, obediently. And God dealt with him on that
basis and put away The judgment that was due us, He bore it,
because He was made what we are. And Christ has robed us in His
righteousness. Can you see that? Can you see
it? I don't. But I believe it. I believe it.
He's done something for us. But the Spirit of God has also
done something in His people. He's done something in them.
And what he's done is he's removed a heart of stone. And he's given
them a new spirit, he's given them a new heart, a new will,
a new spirit, a new, as Brother Henry says, new attitude. I like
that, I like that. He's given them a new attitude.
He's done something in his people. And in that importation of that
new nature, there's an evidence of it. There's a heart of it. Now, the scripture says that
faith is absolutely vital, vital. Without faith, the scripture
says, it is impossible to please God. He that cometh to God must
believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently
seek him. Well then, knowing that by faith,
By faith, men believed God. It was by faith that Noah, when
God told him, he said, I'm going to send a flood. I'm going to
send a flood. Build an ark. And you know what
scripture says? Noah moved with fear. He moved. He obeyed. He built an ark. Rahab. Rahab. By faith, she did something. She hid the spies by faith. Faith from above reacts. It's not dead, it's not a...
Demons believe, I just read that. They believe, they believe. They
believe there's one God, they believe that. But there's no
heart, there's no heart of love for Christ. There's no heart
for obedience to Christ. There's no love for God. There's
no love for His people, no love for His gospel. The Spirit of
God has taught us something about this thing of faith. Paul the
Apostle declared, a man is justified by faith without the deeds of
the law, meaning that man never did anything. in obedience to
the law for his salvation. And the Spirit's revelation through
the Apostle James is that faith without works, faith without
that new life within. Unless there's life within, faith
is dead. There's no life in it. There's an act for us and an
act in us. God's people walk. We looked
at that last message just a few minutes ago. We struggle all
the way, but I'm telling you, there's a new man there. A new
man that walks. And those two declarations, Paul's
and James', there's no conflict. There's not a butting of one
against the other. We know that Almighty God's Word
is so. And those two scriptures are
clear to a believer. A believer knows I'm not saved
by works that I've done, deeds of the law. I love the Lord,
but I've never loved Him with all my heart, mind, spirit. I've
never loved my neighbor as I love myself. I know that. I've never
done it, but He has. But there's a new spirit. Paul is speaking of justification
before God by man's freely being justified. I know that in Adam I sinned
and I've transgressed the law and I know that by the deeds
of the law I'm not going to be justified because I am a sinner. I'm born a sinner. But Almighty
God has been pleased to do something for me that I could not do for
myself. The Apostle James is dealing
with that spirit of life that is in, that magnifies and glorifies
the Lord Jesus Christ through those deeds of the Spirit, the
Spirit's working, the works of God's Spirit, the works of faith. Now, justification is a declaration
of innocence based on reality. But if a man is a believer, that
man, that woman is going to magnify through some works that has been
wrought in him. That God's faith is truly there. Look at James chapter 2. James
chapter 2 verse 15-16. If a brother or sister be naked
and destitute of daily food, and one of you saying to him,
depart in peace, be warmed and filled, notwithstanding you give
them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth
it profit? There's no heart. There's no
love. There's no sympathy. There's
nothing there. I believe God. And I believe
the Lord's going to take care. And I believe this. How can there
be any love when there's no heart for that? Look at verse 25. Likewise
also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works when she had
received the messenger and had sent them out another way? Faith without works. I used to say this, and I don't
want to say this anymore. There's an element of truth to
what I'm about to say, but really, I shouldn't say it. I said, justification
is an act of the free grace of God. There's no doubt about that.
Justification by faith is what God's done for me. Justification
by works is the evidence toward other men. Now there's an element
of truth in that, and it will come out. But somebody can say,
yes, but how can we prove that we're Christ-like? Well, it's
by our works. They didn't see the Lord Jesus
Christ in his works. So it's not so much the works. Even though I do agree there
will be an element of graciousness toward others. I do understand
that. But there's an element of graciousness toward unbelievers. They feed people at the soup
kitchen and they do all kinds of this. But I can't see the
heart. What the works that are being
spoken of is the works of the Spirit. Look over in Galatians. Here's what's going to be evident
in a believer. Galatians 5.22, the fruit of the Spirit. Now
here's the works. If this is absent, then faith
is dead. It's nothing more than the faith
of demons. The fruit of the Spirit is love. In a believer, there is a labor
of love. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against
such, there is no law. God's people have a new nature
in them that is manifested. And by, the scripture says, by
those fruits, they're known. From a new heart there flows
an outward manifestation of love. There's no doubt about that.
And it's a belief in the truth of God's grace that's been shown
to God's people. So whenever we talk about works,
we know that we're not saved by works of the law. We know
that we're not saved by the deeds of the law. We know that. But
without the works of God's Spirit, faith is dead. Titus 1.16 says,
they profess that they know God. But in works
they deny him being abominable, disobedient, and unto every good
work, reprobate. How does one know that God Almighty
has truly done something for him? There's a belief of the
truth, and there's a heart, there's
a desire for obedience, obedience. Works, you could just say works,
is that heart for obedience toward God. I desire to know him. There may be a head knowledge,
but if there's no heart of love for him, for his, by this shall
all men know that you're my disciples. You have love one for another. We love Him who first loved us.
We believe Him who's been kind and generous and compassionate,
long-suffering to us. Works of faith are works that
God's people have no merit, no confidence in. That's the word
I'm looking for. Do they work? Yes, they work. They love, they hunger, they
thirst after righteousness. Do they put any confidence in
that work being the foundation of their salvation? No. It's the evidence. Faith without
works is dead. Give me faith. The faith of God's
elect. Increase my faith. Forgive me,
Lord, when I thought lightly. Lord, honor Yourself. Help this
sinner. For Your glory, my good. Amen.