So Jane now introduces a new question, and in this, the Holy Spirit is now teaching us to discern these things correctly, spiritually. And again, by a simple example, it's connected and it flows in this passage. Context must govern this section, just like all the other scriptures. There's a biblical context, but there's also an immediate context. So often, this is misused. As I said, it's perverted, actually. And it's manipulated to say the complete opposite of what the gospel says. And in all that, the Lord's blasphemed. See, it's a very real threat to us today. So we need to remember that we have no natural discernment. We need help in this. And our God helps his people. Verse 14. The question, what doth it profit? What does it profit yourselves? What does it profit the testimony? What does it profit the gospel? What does it profit God? What does it profit, my brethren? Thou, man, sayeth he hath faith, and hath not works. Can faith save him? So James first introduces the question and it comes almost as a contrast to our natural discernment. But now we're looking at real evidence of salvation, genuine salvation. Evidence of saving faith, we're looking for evidence of life here. Verse 15, if a brother or sister, that's a believer, there's a spiritual connotation here. If they'd be naked, Now that's uncovered, but there's a spiritual connotation. If they need to be raved with a rave of righteousness, if they're exposed in their sin, we preach the gospel to them. And destitute of daily food. Again, it's a physical showing of something deeper and spiritual. It's the same principle. We desperately need the daily manner of the gospel. We come here, we gather here to hear of our Lord, glorified in our midst, and to be fed. We're fed with that gospel. Verse 16, and one of you, anyone that claims to be saved, and one of you, Say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled. Be comforted and be sustained, is what you're saying, physically and spiritually, notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needy to the body. The body can mean a church here. It could be talking about our souls spiritually. What doth it profit? Now, it's simple. It's a practical example of a great spiritual reality, isn't it? Those who profess to be servants of God, if they see a need in someone, especially a spiritual need, and they just send someone away with something to do, It's legalism at its core, isn't it? You think about it, it's legalism. It's been the same since Genesis 3. It's the religion of Cain. And it happens these days as well. There's nothing new. There's nothing different. Even so, verse 17, which is saying, in the same way as the previous example, Even so, faith, if it hath not works, if it doesn't have something that reveals our profession, it's dead. It's being alone, it has no evidence, and therefore it has no fruit to God. Verse 18, yea, a man may say thou hast faith, and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works." Don't miss that, all right? James is introducing something here about reveal faith, the evidence of faith. Now, it's a great question for believers to ask themselves inside regarding someone who comes to them making a profession of faith. But we also need to remember that these particular works must clearly display the gospel. Well, they're no evidence of faith, are they? They can't reveal it if they're not produced through it, and by it, and come from it. Again, it's simple reasoning here. Verse 9, Our believers said, There is one God that does well. The devils also believe and tremble. The reason we're being warned is because there is a false faith. And there's a big difference between false faith, which is intellectual acknowledgement, and true saving faith. You must be born again, born from above. Right doctrine and works of morality don't necessarily reveal faith, especially the source of it. Verse 20, but wilt thou know, O vain man, that's who we are, naturally, empty man. But look, for these legalists, these lawmongers that would bring law to us, O vain man, they're empty. They have no truth, and there is no spirit in dwelling them. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith is dead. There's no life in them. There's no life comes through them. Now, I've read a lot of stuff over the last few weeks, and even some of the countries that were going really well, they sort of got to this point, and then they took it all back to works of morality. And so they excuse people like the thief on the cross or people that can't actually perform the works that they're speaking about, which is wrong. The thief on the cross had amazing works. He had a pulpit of a cross and he had an audience before him and he preached the gospel, the power of God unto salvation to them who believe. That was his evidence of salvation. That was his good work, and as you know from it, he was accepted. So it's a principle, and we need to grab this principle as we go through. There is a particular purpose for works, of particular works, that James is speaking about. Okay, but there's plenty of works in the world. So we get two examples from scripture, okay? And they carry the same principle and they set the same tone. And it's good because the Lord's given us two to remind us, to assert it more clearly to us. Verse 21, was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? So Abraham was a pagan idolater. He was an unbeliever. until God the Holy Spirit worked in him, and then he was the father of faith. So Norm talked about it a bit, which saves me having to talk too much about it, but basically Abraham's actions directly revealed his faith. Now they were brought in him by God, but what a great testimony of the gospel to those that were with him, and to us even today. Abraham's actions revealed the gospel. He revealed where his heart was at. It revealed the source of his faith. And he was called the friend of God. That was giving favour. That was that union of John 17. That's being accepted in God. So do you see how his actions were directly related to his faith? They were evidence of his salvation. They were evidence of a real, true trust in God, and particularly they were evidence of a trust in God's promises, in spite of how impossible they often are. He's a great testimony of that. Verse 24, he then says, and follow this again, you see then how that, so in this particular way, just in this way he's talking about, by works man is justified, and not by faith only. So again, it's simple and it's clear, but James is saying to us, he says there at the start, you see, we should see this. He's expecting us to see. He's expecting us to understand a relationship between a claim of faith and the resulting actions. So that was Abraham. He gives us another one. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot that obvious pagan sinner justified by words? When was she justified? When was she justified? Did she give up a harlotry? Did she move and stay with Israel? No. She was justified when she had received the messengers, which is a picture of receiving the gospel. And when she had sent them out another way. She'd risked life and death. She'd united with God and his people. She made a stand and she protected and she supported the ministry, the testimony and the cause of God. Now both examples are examples of faith in action, of that connection between the boast and the genuine fruit. Verse 26, for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Good works are only of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they'll always carry a testimony of the gospel. So works will often reveal what lies in men's hearts. They will reveal where men's faith lies. And that's why we need to define these works and the way they promote the gospel of free grace and our Lord Jesus Christ. Satan is a deceiver. So not all works are actually good works, especially regarding the gospel. And if they're not, they can be deadly dangerous to souls if they're used as a vessel or some sort of Trojan horse to bring a false gospel to you. Try the spirits, John said. It's a very serious warning. We're all sinners and if there's ever any favour to be had before the holiness of God, then it has to come from Christ. Fruit checkers are from Satan. They're still in their natural state of spiritual ignorance. They're still promoting Satan's lie. They're still looking to perform works and have you perform them that are acceptable to God. And simply they don't know the conviction of sin because they just haven't met God. This passage speaks of two camps, two testimonies, two hearts, and two ways of salvation. One way is a way of death and condemnation. It's a way full of blasphemy, and it brings no genuine fruit to God at all. The other is life and salvation. It honours and it glorifies God in His precious Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. And it's the only source of all fruit to God. Our confessions are holistic in regard to all our words, all our works, all our reasoning, all our ideals, all our principles, all our influence, all of it. comes together and makes up our conversation. That's an old King James word. I've had a few arguments with people where they say, well, it sounds like it's a conversation of words, but it's an old word. But then the arguments become, well, no, it's about words. No, it's about words. Well, it's actually about all of it together. It's our whole testimony, our confession to this world. So what are you declaring to the world? It's a good question for us all to ask. Are you declaring a salvation in men or in God? At the bottom line, what's your testimony? Are you declaring or promoting the religion of Cain and the righteousness of men, or are you declaring the religion of God and his completed, established provision of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ alone? Works of morality are great in the world. There's no doubt about it. But to actually be an evidence, in this particular way, as James was saying, of salvation, they must clearly display both their source and their fruit. They must declare the gospel of the free grace of God in our Lord. If you read Matthew 7, and we'll be pretty brief here, but there's some people there that come before the Lord, they had great works, like works that would put us to shame. The Lord doesn't rebuke them on their works, but they had no life in them. He says, I never knew you, he says to them. See, their works, they weren't necessarily his works, which is what you need to make them good. So I just want to do a simple exercise in regard to discerning good works. How can we define good regarding these people's works? And here's a simple and easy test, like a litmus test, to try the spirits. I've put some supporting scriptures there, but there's plenty more in the scriptures that say the same thing, and you can go on in yourself for them. Good works, genuine good works, will reveal, one, that this is a work of God alone. Isaiah 26.12 says, So all these works must be wrought in us. It's a work of God alone. We don't give glory to men on earth. The second thing they'll reveal is that God is sovereign in salvation and not man. Ephesians 2.10 says, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. It's His work, completely. It's the Father's work in and through His Son, from eternity and then it's applied in our lives by God the Holy Spirit as a completed work, requiring nothing of men's wisdom or of his activities. The third thing that it will reveal is that it's a union between faith and activity. Philippians 2.13 says, For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. These words are not just a matter of mindless, empty deeds, but they're a union of heart and deed, as God the Holy Spirit works in our hearts and brings forth resulting activity to His glory. The fourth thing that good works will reveal, genuine good works, is that it always benefits the saints. Matthew 25, when the Lord separates the sheep and the goats and makes a distinction between all humanity. He compliments the righteous on the things that they've done and they were never clued. And the righteous answer him saying, Lord, When saw we, sorry, when saw we thee in hunger and fed thee? Most of the good works that happen in this world, we haven't got a clue, we don't see them. We're too busy looking at the wrong works, perhaps. When we see thee, and hungered, and fed thee, or thirsting, and gave thee drink, when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in, or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the king shall answer, the Lord Jesus Christ shall answer, And say unto them, verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me. We naturally miss most of the good works, really. And we don't know the inner workings of half the stuff that we're looking at or judging. But the physical, Pictures again, aren't they, of the spiritual reality. Hunger, thirst, acceptance, clothing, healing, freedom from bondage. They're all spiritual needs, aren't they? How amazing is our gospel? It satisfies every one of those needs. All right, the fifth thing that it'll definitely show you Good works, genuine good works will show you is, it'll result in a testimony to the glory of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 5.16 says, let your light, let your testimony, let your gospel so shine, shine in this particular way. So here it is again, in this particular way, before men that they may see your good works, That's the fruit of your conversions and glorifying your Father, which is in heaven. That's the outworkings, isn't it? These works will always result in a testimony to the gospel and they will never elevate man in any way. Now I thought about it and I looked and I found this most simplest example I can from scripture. And it's fitting because we go right back to Cain and Abel in Genesis 4. They were two men. They represented all humanity. They brought two offerings to God. They were both jealous. They were both sincere. But only one was accepted. Only one was deemed by God, by God himself, to be good and acceptable. What was the difference? Abel, he brought Christ. And in that, he declared Christ. Cain brought man. And in his actions, he declared man. And this left two testimonies that have run throughout this world, throughout all history, and will continue to run until our savior comes back. Do your works reveal the sweet savour of Christ, 2 Corinthians 2? Do your works reveal the voice of the good shepherd, John 10? Do they reveal the way, the truth, and the life, John 14? And sadly, if they don't, they just continue to condemn you and anyone you influence. Your works are a continual blasphemy before a holy God if they're not the Lord Jesus Christ works. May God protect us from our own kind of wisdom and may he give us gospel discernment in all things for his glory's sake. Amen. I'll just pray. Heavenly Father, only you can do a work in our hearts, and I pray that you just cause us to go away and contemplate these things, that you would take these sometimes controversial passages and just settle us and cause us to look at them word for word and see the amazing changes that you make in our lives, Heavenly Father, just by the subtle influence of your Spirit, impressing these truths upon your heart. We have a mighty gospel. Our Heavenly Father calls us to declare it. We've been here for 20 years just doing that. That's our one job. We've compromised on everything else we can. But it's the one thing we can't, because it's our own life. And it's truth, the truth about a God that reigns sovereign over all things and does what he pleases in this world and loves the people for himself and provides for them every single thing necessary. Oh, Father, that we can meet you daily, moment by moment. We need you all the time. You are our life. So please bless us, draw near to us, and inject your life into us. Cause us to see the wonders of your grace in your dear son alone. Father, we pray in the name of our great King, our victorious King, our Lord Jesus Christ, and always Heavenly Father, for your glory's sake. Amen.