"One night a house caught fire and a young boy was forced to flee to the roof. The father stood on the ground below with outstretched arms, calling to his son, "Jump! I'll catch you." He knew the boy had to jump to save his life. All the boy could see, however, was flame, smoke, and blackness. As can be imagined, he was afraid to leave the roof. His father kept yelling: "Jump! I will catch you." But the boy protested, "Daddy, I can't see you." The father replied, "But I can see you and that's all that matters."
The boy jumped, because he trusted his father. The Christian faith enables us to face life or meet death, not because we can see, but with the certainty that we are seen; not that we know all the answers, but that we are known." -Donner Atwood.
I will catch you. But I can’t see you. A holy moment begins. Time slows down. Afraid at first, uncertain, the child at last, filled with faith, takes action ,he trusts his daddy, and he dives into the unknown, and safely, into his father’s arms.
We live by faith in God. But what use is our faith if we don’t actively live it out? Just like the boy who is afraid, in the burning building, he can’t see his father below with his arms wide open, but he believes that he is there. He has faith that his dad is there even though he can't see. That’s kind of like our faith in God. We know God is here, active in our lives, we know he’s helping us, and guiding us. But what good is it for the boy to believe that his dad is there? The house is still on fire. The flames are close. He has faith, yes. But what needs to happen? The boy needs to take action. And maybe that’s the hardest part. He needs to jump off the house and into his father’s arms. And in the same way, our faith in God, is useless, empty, and dead unless it’s followed by action, by works.
As the founder of the salvation army said, "Faith and works should travel side by side, step answering to step, like the legs of men walking. First faith, and then works; and then faith again, and then works again -- until they can scarcely distinguish which is the one and which is the other."
-William Booth in The Founder's Messages to Soldiers, Christianity Today, October 5, 1992, p. 48.
Today we’re looking at James chapter 2, it’s a short chapter, and we are going to swim through all of it today. Here is the breakdown of how it’s going to look, the first half of the chapter we’re going to dive into first, and its going to deal with one important topic, the topic of favoritism. The second portion of the sermon will be two chunks at the end of the chapter that really help us understand the main idea that James is getting across for the entire book of James.
Let’s dive in...
“My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” -James 1:1-4
We know how important it is to avoid discriminating against someone on the basis of age, or sex, or race. Discrimination is wrong. God doesn’t want us as His people to show favoritism to someone for any reason, or to despise someone just because of how they look.
Why would that be do you think?
Because God doesn’t show favoritism to the poor or to the rich. Whether you’re wealthy or poor, black or white, intelligent or simple minded, whether you’re male or female, the gospel message is equally open to you.
God doesn’t like some people more than others. God accepts those who embrace His son Jesus Christ.
So why would it matter if we discriminate or show favoritism? Because we are God’s representatives. If we discriminate, others may think our God behaves that way too. Which isn’t true.
Next, verses 5-7: "Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?"
I know if someone came into our service in a nice suit or a fancy dress, I might be tempted to give them special attention. And if someone was dressed in rags and smelled bad, I might be tempted to avoid them. But we should notice that behavior in ourselves, and counter it.
I think that’s what many of us do, we notice we have a bias toward or against something and we act against it. We make doubly sure to treat others equally.
I’ve heard it said that the real test of character is how you treat someone who can not help you in any way.
Verse 8 helps us understand the key component here: 8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a] you are doing right.
The goal of not showing favoritism is one word: Love.
Love your neighbor as yourself. And I’m not loving my neighbor if I’m discriminating against them, or if I’m treat them with favoritism above others based on outward appearances.
Are there situations when a believer is allowed to “evaluate someone” and take action? Yes. Once you’ve evaluated someone’s character, through prayer, communication, and they are a danger to you or the church, you may of course break contact. You shouldn’t be cruel to them, but you can protect yourself and your family.
But what we want to avoid is despising someone just because they look poor. Or because they dress in a certain way. Or that we decide we like someone just because they dress in nice clothes. We also want to avoid despising someone just because of their skin color, or deciding we like someone just because of their skin color. We want to treat people equally, and once we discover character and action, to make decisions based on that information.
James warns us in verses 9-11: “But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”[b] also said, “You shall not murder.”[c] If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.”
Showing favoritism is regarded by God as a sin. So, if we’ve done it in the past, we should ask God’s forgiveness, if we haven’t repented of it yet.
Unfortunately people in our world, in our community will continue to discriminate. I’m sure many of you have been victims of it, or you’ve done it to someone else. But even if it happens to you, defy the system, and refuse to do it to others.
Don’t use that language. Reject that mindset. The rulers of this world want us divided over race and gender and politics and wealth. Defy the system, loving your neighbor and treating all people equally is an act of defiance against an unjust system. They want us to hate each other. They want the races to distrust each other. Don’t let the rulers and authorities of this world win.
Sun Tzu in The Art of War wrote: "If his forces are united, divide them." (paraphrase) Divide and conquer, a united force is dangerous, but if you can get them fighting each other, they are weakened.
Choose radical love, no favoritism. Love for all.
As it says in verses 12-13: "Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
Speak and act. It will appear in your words and in your actions, who you really are. The law that gives freedom is the command of Jesus love your neighbor as yourself.
The law of the Old Testament put up boundaries and restrictions and judged us guilty. The law of freedom, the commands of Jesus to love God and love others gives us freedom, because the Spirit gives us the power to love.
The key here to remember about being a Christian is mercy is greater than judgment. We are quick to want to judge someone who has hurt us, or who has yelled at us, or who has taken something from us, or who has wronged us. But, God commands us to be merciful. Show mercy. Give them another chance. Forgive them.
You are not the judge. Remember this. It feels righteous to judge sometimes. But God is the judge, not us. We’ve got to leave it to Him.
That is the first half of our message today, the teaching on favoritism that leads us toward the law of love and toward mercy. The second section will deal with faith and works and how they work together.
Next, verses 14-17: "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
James is going to make a series of statements to defend his point, that faith in God alone is not enough for salvation. That’s why he says “Can such faith save?”
His first example is helping someone in need. Is desire enough, or does it need to be followed by action?
Next v. 18-19 "18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder."
Can someone show they have faith, without an accompanying action of some kind, evidence, fruit? No. Instead James tells us, I will show my faith, it’s evidence will be, my actions, my deeds, will prove it.
Is belief enough? Even demons believe in God. But that doesn’t mean they are saved.
Verses 20-24: "20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[d]? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[e] and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone."
Many today want to believe that if they simply have faith, they are saved no matter what they do or don’t do. But faith is about the heart, and a true heart faith will naturally lead to powerful actions, total life change. If not, there is something seriously wrong.
Abraham is often credited as having believed God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness. But naturally, flowing from that, Abraham followed God’s lead, and left his own lands to go to a place he didn’t know. His actions matched his belief.
James even goes as far to say that one is considered righteous, the King James Version says a man is "justified" by their works and not by faith alone.
And as we know from scripture, Paul in the book of Romans tells us we are justified by faith alone, apart from works of the law (Romans 3:28).
So are these two scriptures in contradiction? Not at all. Paul was writing to tell us that we are no longer subject to the old testament law of Moses, and instead we are justified by faith. The point James is making is that faith is not idle, faith is so linked to action that our faith must be accompanied by good deeds to be considered real faith at all.
Lastly verses 25-26: "In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."
We get a new example here at the end. Rahab the prostitute honored a God she didn’t even know at the time. Her actions proved she feared the God of the Hebrews. And she was regarded as righteous.
Last line, verse 26 pulls it all together, when a human dies, the spirit leaves them, and what is left is just the empty shell. He makes a radical statement here: Faith without works accompanying it is dead.
Faith without works is dead. What does that imply?
Two things. First, if we claim to have faith, but there are no works going with it, it can be proof that we never had faith in the first place.
Second, more so he’s emphasizing here that someone who really does have faith, if they aren’t using that faith through works, that faith can shrivel up, without being expressed, it dies away, and soon, as James says, that faith is dead. Faith without works is dead. Don’t let your faith die, express it in your actions.
Faith is completed, made full, like a blooming flower, through our actions, our practical expressions of faith, they are the evidence of the internal reality, yes, but they also complete the internal reality. They are oxygen to the internal reality. The external expressions are like air to the internal reality, causing it to prosper and grow. Without those external expressions, the internal reality is choked of oxygen and begins to die.
In conclusion, you may be thinking good, I want my internal faith to match my external actions. So how do I do that? How do I go from belief to action?
The first step is to know God. You can come to church and hear about Jesus Christ over and over again. You hear it, you like it, you can tell there is power there, but you’re just observing it from the outside. We’re floating around the outside, saying yes God is real and I appreciate his ways.
But here’s where the change happens: Go from believing that God is real, to living with God inside you. You go from saying that God is there, to having God as your personal father. You go from believing, to converted, surrendered, you give your heart to Jesus, Jesus takes over your heart, claims it as His own, you die to self, and Jesus lives within you suddenly. It’s total surrender, and total conversion in the heart, not just in the head.
Have you made a decision to receive Jesus Christ of Nazareth as your personal savior? It’s between you and Jesus. Nobody else. Embrace Jesus!
How? Ask Jesus Christ of Nazareth to be your personal savior. Give your entire life to Jesus. Cry out in your heart, "Jesus Christ I make you the Lord of my life. I give my life to you. You died for me personally on the cross. All my sins are nailed to the cross. You suffered and died for my lies, for my misery, for my emptiness. Jesus I am yours, and you are mine. I surrender. I give you all my heart. ALL OF IT!"
That’s the first step.
The 2nd step is action. Start attending a small group Bible study (as God leads you). Get fed from the Bible each week. Learn to pray, to talk to God, to study the Bible, and to grow in holiness. This brings about character change over time. We see sins fall away. We develop relationships with other believers in the church. This is vital.
The third step is diving into discipleship. You go deeper with God. You begin to study theology, and spiritual disciplines. You begin to identify your spiritual gifts, and you learn how to share Jesus with lost people out there. You learn to give and serve.
The fourth step is serving in the church, you volunteer at the corps, you join a prayer group, you help with setup, in the kitchen, evangelism, you practice your Christian faith by doing good works. You use your gifts for God’s glory.
Faith is action my friends. God builds us through action, through making decisions and then following through on them. Have you made a decision to grow in your faith? Now is the time to step out. Let’s pray and ask for God’s help as we do this.
That’s the first step.
The 2nd step is action. Start attending a small group Bible study (as God leads you). Get fed from the Bible each week. Learn to pray, to talk to God, to study the Bible, and to grow in holiness. This brings about character change over time. We see sins fall away. We develop relationships with other believers in the church. This is vital.
The third step is diving into discipleship. You go deeper with God. You begin to study theology, and spiritual disciplines. You begin to identify your spiritual gifts, and you learn how to share Jesus with lost people out there. You learn to give and serve.
The fourth step is serving in the church, you volunteer at the corps, you join a prayer group, you help with setup, in the kitchen, evangelism, you practice your Christian faith by doing good works. You use your gifts for God’s glory.
Faith is action my friends. God builds us through action, through making decisions and then following through on them. Have you made a decision to grow in your faith? Now is the time to step out. Let’s pray and ask for God’s help as we do this.
Prayer: Father, we confess that we have failed to adequately live out our faith in many ways. We've struggled to translate faith into practical actions, for that we ask your forgiveness. We ask God, that you would do a mighty work in us, and guide us from internal faith to external actions. We admit we can't do it without you Lord. In Jesus name, amen.
