Proof of Faith
James 2: 18-26
(18) But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” (19) 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.
(20) You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? (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,” 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.
(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? (26) As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
We are continuing on the subject of Proof of Faith
Last week we discussed the complimentary messages of Paul and James. They were both there In ACTS 15 the Council of Jerusalem and James was very much in agreement that we are saved by grace alone
Paul in Romans where he is very clear that there is NOTHING you can do, you cannot be good enough, there are no works,no deeds, nothing you can do, but to receive the gift of salvation from your sin and eternal life (think of this as the ROOT of your salvation, the seed). AND what we have been studying under James which BUILDS on Paul’s teaching that once you are saved by grace alone, if you truly put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone there will be evidence, change, proof, what we like to call FRUIT from this glorious receiving of the free gift of eternal life. We must never confuse these two things and we must discount either one as true. So ROOT are saved by grace, FRUIT is good works and deeds because of your faith.
James is saying we are saved by faith alone, but not by faith that remains alone.
