James and Rahab: Faith that Stands
The courage to believe means the courage to act.

“Faith without works isn’t faith at all, but simple disobedience.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

‭‭James‬ ‭2:17‬‬
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

‭‭James‬ ‭2:24-26‬‬
You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. 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? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

-James points us to Abraham (verses 20-23), who everyone revered, but now he points us to Rahab – and he makes certain to remind us that she was a prostitute – the most famous prostitute in the history of God’s people.
-It may make some of us uncomfortable that God would use someone like that.

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭2:1-7‬‬
Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. The king of Jericho was told, “Look, some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.” But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, they left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.” (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭2:11‬‬
When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

-There is a lot about Rahab we don’t know, but James points us here because of one very important thing we do know: this faith, no matter how small it was, resulted in action.
-Rahab was considered righteous “for what she did” (verse 25)
-Rahab didn’t just privately believe in the God of Israel in her heart; she risked her life to support the Israelite spies who followed this only true God.

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭6:25‬‬
But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.

The impact of Rahab’s life and her obedience reached far beyond her life:
-The woman who was once called a harlot became a godly wife and mother in Israel.
-She and her husband became parents of a boy named Boaz, who would one day marry a widow named Ruth, who would be the great-grandmother of David.
-From the faithfulness and lineage of this former prostitute, God brings not just the future king of Israel, but from her lineage also comes the Messiah of Israel, the Savior of the World.
-It’s impossible to read the lineage of Jesus in Matthew 1 without talking about Rahab.

The courage to believe means the courage to act.

Other verses for further study/reflection:
Matthew 5:16
Matthew 1:5
Hebrews 11:31
2 Corinthians 13:5

James in 8 Minutes
This overview video on the book of James breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In this book, James combines the wisdom of his brother Jesus with the book of Proverbs in his own challenging call to live a life wholly devoted to God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn-hLHWwRYY

James and Rahab: Faith That Stands
“Faith that’s alive is faith that ACTS.”

James and Rahab: The Faith That Stands

When we say we love Jesus- we must also show that we love Jesus by our actions.

‭‭James‬ ‭2:24-26‬‬
You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. 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? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

In one sweeping move from the father of the faith to a gentile prostitute, James makes it clear that regardless of how your journey of faith began, it is going to be proven through action.

‭‭James‬ ‭2:24‬‬
You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

You may be wondering “Doesn’t this verse directly go against what the Apostle Paul taught?” At first glance, we might think that was true.

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:8-9‬‬
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

If we stopped there- we could find ourselves in the middle of a 1st century theological argument. But let’s go one more verse in Paul

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:10‬‬
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Paul is making the emphasis throughout his letters that it is only by grace, through faith in Christ Jesus that we are saved- that we are declared righteous.

Paul is talking about being declared “NOT GUILTY” before God. That happens by Faith in Christ alone

For James, he says genuine faith we place in Christ for our justification, is proven by how our lives are changed. By how the Love that has been poured into us, flows through us into our actions.

These two men are not at odds with one another in theology. They were addressing very different people groups facing different challenges in their faith.

‭‭James‬ ‭2:25‬‬
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?

Rahab’s faith is not a side-note in the history of the Israelite people.

You can find her story of Faith in Joshua Chapter 2

In bringing together the father of the faith, and perhaps one of the most dramatic converts to God, James has shown that the call of living faith is universal.

‭‭James‬ ‭2:26‬‬
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

As we finish up today, it doesn’t matter if your story looks more like Rahab or Abraham. Our faith is called to follow through in action. Our lives should reflect Jesus as our priority. Yes, in extraordinary ways, but just as importantly, the everyday ordinary deeds of life.

Will we be a people committed to putting faith in action?

James in 8 Minutes
This overview video on the book of James breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In this book, James combines the wisdom of his brother Jesus with the book of Proverbs in his own challenging call to live a life wholly devoted to God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn-hLHWwRYY

James and Abraham: Faith that works
Faith without works is dead

‭‭James‬ ‭2:14-23‬‬
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 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? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 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. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.

At the onset, it seems like there is a lot happening in this text, and indeed it is. However, the truth of the passage is clear and simple.
Faith without works is dead.

As we embark on this study, we should note two things that will help guide us through our study.
1. James is not comparing faith to works, rather he is contrasting living and dead faith.
2. Secondly, there is such a thing as “dead” faith, and it is essentially useless.

‭‭James‬ ‭2:14‬‬
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?

“Faith is not seen by James to be deficient as though it needed something extra, but he contends that true faith must find some expression other than verbalization or pious sentiment” – Ralph Martin (Word Biblical Commentary)

James is therefore not opposing the Apostle Paul or the reality that it is only by faith that we are saved, however, James does insist that faith must change our lives, our very conduct, if in fact it is genuine.

‭‭James‬ ‭2:15-17‬‬
Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 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? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

The condemnation of James here is not against well wishes or encouragement, rather the failure to actually meet the needs right before them.

In verse 17 he connects this failure to act in meeting the needs of the poor, to the failure of dead faith to produce action in our lives.

‭‭James‬ ‭2:18-19‬‬
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. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

In these verses James brings in another voice as an objector to his position. This “objection”, if you will, allows James to ramp up and clarify his position even further.

The reality for us today is that faith without works is on par with the faith of the demons.

‭‭James‬ ‭2:20‬‬
You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?

“You foolish person” is directed to the objector of verse 18.

In verse 14 faith without works has been described as no good, in verse 17 it’s dead, and here it is described as useless or un-effective- yet the objector fails or refuses to see it.

‭‭James‬ ‭2:21-23‬‬
Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.

James emphasizes three aspects of living Faith in the life of Abraham from this story.

First, that Abrahams faith was not confined to a re-ordering of his thoughts, or merely a verbal profession. Throughout his life Abrahams faith literally guided his life and was shown in its fullest extent in his wiliness to sacrifice his own son.

Secondly, James sees that Abrahams faith found its fulfillment through his actions.

And finally the genuine nature of Abrahams active faith was shown to be accepted by God.

In conclusion today, let’s look again at the question James ask’s us in Verse 20.

Imagine for a moment an emotional James pleading: “Are you insane? How do you not understand this? Do you really want to know that your faith without works is worthless?”

“Do you want to know?”

This question can be quite un-comfortable to face in our walk of faith. I think James’ passionate pleading today is for our own good. Is our faith alive and thriving, or in need of resurrection and new life?

James in 8 Minutes
This overview video on the book of James breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In this book, James combines the wisdom of his brother Jesus with the book of Proverbs in his own challenging call to live a life wholly devoted to God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn-hLHWwRYY

http://bible.com/events/48793898

James and Abraham: Faith that Works
“Faith that’s alive is faith that ACTS.”

James, the brother of Jesus, is living in the reality of faith that requires action.
-In the first century AD, being a follower of Jesus meant more than just believing in something, but rather belief in action.
-As believers are scattered throughout the region, he wants them to remember the foundation of this faith that they proclaim: a foundation of faith in action.

‭‭James‬ ‭2:14-23‬‬
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 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? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 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. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.

-Faith without action isn’t weak, or sick or misguided. Faith without action is dead.
-Faith that is alive is faith that is active and responding.
-James doesn’t offer any possibility of a faith that doesn’t bear fruit.
-If you have faith, but don’t act upon it, you are, essentially, on par with a demon.

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭22:1-14‬‬
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

Put yourself in Abraham’s place and then ask: Why would God do this?
1. This was not just about Abraham.
-There is something much bigger happening here, as this story foreshadows God the Father sacrificing His son, Jesus.
2. There will always be instances where our finite brains cannot comprehend.
-This is perhaps the ultimate example of not understanding, but having to trust that God’s ways are higher.
3. God was asking Abraham: Will you give it all for me?
-He is asking us the same thing today.

Faith that’s alive is faith that ACTS.

Other verses for further study/reflection:
Matthew 25:31-46
1 Peter 4:10
Ephesians 2:8-9

James in 8 Minutes
This overview video on the book of James breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In this book, James combines the wisdom of his brother Jesus with the book of Proverbs in his own challenging call to live a life wholly devoted to God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn-hLHWwRYY

James and Playing Favorites
Believers in Christ must not show favoritism

James 2:1-13
2 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?
5 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? 8 If you really keep the royal law in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9 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,”also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. 12 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.

Favoritism or Partiality here literally means to judge by outward appearance or to treat someone favorably because of appearance.

First it is in direct contradiction with God’s character

Second it puts these Christians in the position of acting like the ungodly world as they are disobedient the King’s “royal law”.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭2:11‬‬
For God does not show favoritism.

We live in obedience to the Royal Law that gives freedom because we love the King who makes us free.

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:1-2‬‬
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:7‬‬
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

James in 8 Minutes
This overview video on the book of James breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In this book, James combines the wisdom of his brother Jesus with the book of Proverbs in his own challenging call to live a life wholly devoted to God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn-hLHWwRYY