- 6/30/2025
The Common Sense Bible Study crew discusses James 2:14-26. What is the real relationship between faith and works? What is faith? James' analogy of "the body apart from the spirit is dead" is key to understanding the apparent conflict between Paul's "justified apart from works" and James' "justified by works and not by faith alone".
From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com).
This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal.
Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://jaycarper.com/ttn
Follow me on X: https://jaycarper.com/twitter
Follow me on Facebook: https://jaycarper.com/fbat
From Jay Carper at Common Sense Bible Study (https://CommonSenseBibleStudy.com) and American Torah (https://www.AmericanTorah.com).
This content is free, but I accept contributions via Paypal at https://jaycarper.com/paypal.
Send me a friend request on The Torah Network: https://jaycarper.com/ttn
Follow me on X: https://jaycarper.com/twitter
Follow me on Facebook: https://jaycarper.com/fbat
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00Welcome back to Common Sense Bible Study, and we are studying the Epistle of James.
00:06We're in Chapter 2.
00:08I think we're starting at verse 14.
00:10Yeah, we're doing verses 14 to 26 tonight.
00:13So the same as we did before, I want to start with...
00:18We're going to read the entire letter, and then we're...
00:24As I'm reading, I want you to be taking some notes on significant words and phrases,
00:30important ideas that James seems to be trying to get across.
00:34And this exercise is intended to get you primed for understanding it.
00:42If you're paying more attention, like listening to the individual words,
00:48I recommend reading a passage several times in different ways.
00:52You know, listen to it read, read it, read it out loud.
00:57And each way that you're paying attention to a passage will help you get different things out of it.
01:05So as I'm reading, just write down some notes about the important ideas and words,
01:11phrases that stand out to you, and then we'll come back to that,
01:16and we'll make note of them before we actually discuss the chapter.
01:19All right, so James chapter 2, verses 14 to 26.
01:25What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
01:32Can that faith save him?
01:34If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,
01:38and one of you says to him,
01:40Go in peace, be warmed and filled, without giving them the things needed for the body,
01:44what good is that?
01:45So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
01:49But someone will say,
01:50You have faith and I have works.
01:53Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
01:57You believe that God is one, you do well.
02:00Even the demons believe and shudder.
02:02Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
02:07Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
02:12You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works.
02:17So the scripture was fulfilled that says,
02:20Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness,
02:24and he was called a friend of God.
02:27You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
02:31And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works
02:35when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
02:39For as the body apart from the spirit is dead,
02:41so also faith apart from works is dead.
02:44All right, so important ideas, words, and phrases.
02:51I'll get us started here with the two most obvious ones, faith and works.
02:58Sounds like he's describing dead faith.
03:01Yeah.
03:03Dead faith.
03:05Useless.
03:07What else stood out to you?
03:10I'll add justified.
03:12Yeah.
03:14There are a couple of names.
03:16Abraham and Rahab.
03:21Oh, and Isaac.
03:24Anything else that you can think of?
03:28Active, completed.
03:31All right.
03:33So, obviously, James repeats the words faith and works
03:37multiple times in this passage.
03:39Clearly, that's really the focus of what he's trying to say.
03:43How do faith and works relate to each other?
03:46And in drawing out that relationship, he talks about justification
03:53and things that are dead, useless, things that are active and completed.
04:00Talks about some faithful characters in scripture, Abraham and Rahab.
04:06And he talks about demons and angels.
04:11So, a lot of comparison going on.
04:16Let's move on to the actual text.
04:18And we're going to look at verses 14 to 17 first.
04:25What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
04:29Can that faith save him?
04:31If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,
04:34and one of you says to them,
04:35go in peace, be warmed and filled without giving them the things needed for the body,
04:39what good is that?
04:41So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
04:47This passage really reminds me of 1 Corinthians 13,
04:51the famous love chapter,
04:53where Paul is talking about
04:55you can have all these spiritual gifts.
04:57You can have prophecy and
04:59you can have tongues,
05:02but none of these things has any
05:05actual impact in the world
05:07if they're not helping somebody.
05:10All of the spiritual gifts that God gives
05:12are for the purpose of building up the kingdom,
05:15whether it's through building up his name
05:16or informing people of something
05:18or encouraging
05:20and actually doing things to help people.
05:24And that's really what James is getting at here.
05:28So, in verse 14,
05:30if someone says he has faith
05:33but does not have works,
05:35and we hear all the time
05:37people making a profession of faith,
05:39yeah, I believe,
05:41but we have entire denominations of churches
05:44dedicated to professing belief
05:46in Jesus as the Messiah,
05:50but not actually doing anything that he said.
05:53And they will frequently talk about
05:55justice and love and compassion,
05:58but it's almost always directed
06:01towards something that God
06:04said not to encourage.
06:06You know, having compassion for the wicked,
06:09encouraging sin.
06:12This kind of faith,
06:13it's not just powerless,
06:16it does have power,
06:17but it has power to tear people down
06:19instead of building them up.
06:21A profession of faith
06:23that doesn't actually,
06:24that isn't actually followed by
06:27obedience to God's commands
06:29is,
06:31it's like having negative faith.
06:33It's like having
06:34faith that God
06:38didn't mean what he said.
06:41I'm hoping that makes sense.
06:43I want to actually talk about that word faith.
06:46We talked about it quite a bit
06:48when we looked at the book of Romans,
06:49and it's the word pistis in Greek.
06:53And the verb form
06:55to have faith,
06:57pisteo,
06:58it's frequently translated as believe.
07:03And this is where this,
07:05people get the idea
07:06that as long as you believe
07:07that Jesus came
07:09and he died and rose again,
07:11then you're saved.
07:12Well,
07:14believing that that happened
07:16isn't really what this is about.
07:17It's more about believing
07:19in who he is.
07:22Jules,
07:23when he was studying with us
07:24in Romans,
07:26he pointed out that
07:27faith is as much about
07:29faithfulness
07:30and
07:31allegiance,
07:34what that implies,
07:36as it is about believing
07:37that something is true.
07:39So,
07:39the faith that James and Paul
07:42were talking about,
07:43it doesn't refer to
07:44an acknowledgement of fact
07:46so much as being convicted
07:48of the truthfulness
07:49of an idea
07:49or a person.
07:50In this case,
07:51that's Yeshua
07:52or Yahweh,
07:54depending on the context.
07:57So,
07:57it's not about
07:58being convicted
07:59of the truthfulness
08:00that something happened,
08:03but that,
08:05well,
08:06it's about being convicted
08:07of the truthfulness
08:08of the person,
08:09the character
08:11and the power
08:12and the promises
08:13of God
08:13and so much so
08:15that
08:16the truth
08:17of this,
08:17this conviction
08:19that you have
08:20must be incorporated
08:21into your worldview
08:23and your behavior
08:24because
08:25if you really believe it,
08:26it will have that impact
08:27on you
08:28and you can believe
08:30that Yeshua
08:31existed
08:31or
08:32that he died,
08:34was resurrected
08:34and
08:35that he taught
08:36all of the things
08:37in the Gospels,
08:39but
08:40real faith
08:41implies a conviction
08:42of the acceptance
08:43of his identity.
08:45He is the Son of God.
08:46His character
08:47that
08:48he was perfectly obedient,
08:52that he came
08:52to show us
08:53what the law means,
08:55to fulfill the law
08:56means to
08:57restore it
08:58and to teach it,
09:00you know,
09:01restore it to its
09:02original intent.
09:03this faith
09:06requires a
09:08conviction
09:09of his purpose
09:10that he came
09:11not just to
09:12remove our sins
09:13but to
09:15reshape us
09:16into images
09:17of him
09:17so that we will
09:19then turn around
09:20and live the same
09:21way that he did
09:21in perfect obedience
09:23to God's commandments,
09:25not implying
09:26that anybody
09:26in this lifetime
09:28before the resurrection
09:29is likely to ever
09:30be perfect
09:30in our obedience,
09:32but
09:33that's the goal.
09:34As
09:35Paul talked about
09:36that God has this
09:37plan
09:39to
09:40transform us
09:41into the image
09:41of his Son
09:42and
09:43we have
09:44these elements,
09:45we have the witness
09:46of Yeshua's life,
09:47we have
09:48the Torah,
09:49God's written instructions,
09:50and we have
09:51his Spirit
09:52that dwells in us
09:53and all of these things
09:53work together
09:54to help move us
09:56in that direction
09:56and make us
09:57into his images.
09:58and if that's
10:00not happening,
10:01what kind of faith
10:03is that?
10:04If the faith
10:05that you profess
10:06doesn't
10:08change how you
10:09view the world
10:10around you,
10:11doesn't change
10:12how you view
10:12yourself,
10:13then is it
10:14really the kind
10:15of faith
10:16that James
10:17and Paul
10:18are talking about?
10:20You probably,
10:21you might have
10:21heard the term
10:22salvific faith,
10:23and this is
10:25a term
10:25that people
10:25will use
10:26to differentiate
10:26between a faith
10:28as in a belief
10:29that something
10:30is true
10:30versus a kind
10:32of faith
10:32it takes
10:33to be saved.
10:35Salvific,
10:36you know,
10:37it tells you
10:38what it accomplishes,
10:40it accomplishes
10:40salvation,
10:42but it doesn't
10:44really tell you
10:45anything about
10:45the faith itself,
10:46so I prefer
10:47the term
10:47committed faith,
10:49which brings
10:51in the idea
10:51of faithfulness
10:52also.
10:53Because it's
10:54not enough
10:54just to believe
10:55that something
10:55is true,
10:56it's a belief
10:58that someone
10:58is true,
11:00and therefore
11:01you do
11:01what that one
11:02said.
11:03And the one,
11:03of course,
11:04is Yeshua.
11:06One really
11:07important related
11:08passage here
11:09is Hebrews 11.1.
11:11Everybody's familiar
11:12with this one,
11:12I think.
11:14It says,
11:15faith is the
11:15substance of things
11:16hoped for,
11:17the evidence
11:17of things not seen.
11:20But people
11:21kind of get
11:22the wrong idea
11:22that it's
11:23if you have
11:23faith,
11:24you shouldn't
11:24be able to
11:25see it
11:25because,
11:26you know,
11:27it's about
11:27things hoped
11:28for and
11:29things not
11:29seen.
11:30But that's
11:31not what
11:31Hebrews says.
11:32It says that
11:33faith is the
11:34substance of
11:35the things
11:35hoped for
11:36and the
11:36evidence of
11:37things not
11:37seen.
11:38Well,
11:38you can see
11:39evidence,
11:39and you can
11:40feel and
11:41touch substance.
11:42So,
11:43if your faith
11:44is intangible,
11:46if it
11:46doesn't
11:47produce anything
11:48that anybody
11:49can see,
11:50then it's
11:51not the
11:52faith that
11:52Hebrews is
11:53talking about.
11:55It's not
11:55the faith that
11:56James is
11:56talking about
11:57here.
11:58It should
11:58result in
11:59a changed
12:01life,
12:02healed
12:02relationships,
12:03in a sound
12:04mind.
12:05all of
12:07these things
12:07are the
12:08substance
12:08in the
12:09present
12:09of our
12:10hope in
12:11the future
12:11resurrection.
12:14In the
12:14previous
12:15few verses,
12:17let me go
12:18back to
12:18those real
12:19quick.
12:20He was
12:21talking about
12:22the poor
12:23and the
12:23rich and
12:24showing
12:25partiality
12:26and keeping
12:28the law.
12:28And he
12:29says,
12:29you know,
12:29the same
12:29one who
12:30said don't
12:30commit
12:30adultery,
12:31he said
12:31don't
12:31commit
12:31murder
12:32because it's
12:34all the
12:34same God,
12:35it's all
12:35the same
12:35law,
12:36so you
12:36should
12:36act in
12:38accordance
12:38with his
12:39law and
12:39act as
12:40those who
12:42are about
12:42to be judged
12:43under the
12:44law of
12:44liberty.
12:45And if
12:45you listen
12:46to last
12:47week's
12:47recording,
12:48I connect
12:49the law
12:49of liberty
12:50back to
12:50Leviticus
12:5119,
12:52and it's
12:53called the
12:53law of
12:53liberty
12:54because we
12:56were slaves
12:56in Egypt
12:57and we
12:57have been
12:58set free
12:58and now
12:59we have
12:59standards of
13:00behavior and
13:01how to
13:01treat each
13:02other as
13:02people who
13:03used to be
13:03slaves and
13:04are now
13:05free.
13:06God's law
13:07is the
13:07law of
13:08liberty.
13:09So James
13:09spent this
13:10time talking
13:11about the
13:11commandments
13:12and how
13:14we're supposed
13:14to use
13:15them to
13:16guide our
13:16behavior towards
13:17each other
13:18and then he
13:18starts talking
13:19about faith
13:20and works,
13:21how faith
13:21without works
13:22is dead.
13:24And so what
13:24works is he
13:25talking about?
13:26Seems pretty
13:27obvious to me
13:28that he has to
13:29be talking
13:29about the
13:31works of the
13:32commandments.
13:32And then
13:34he goes
13:34into verse
13:3515.
13:36If a
13:36brother or
13:37sister is
13:37poorly clothed
13:38and lacking
13:38in daily
13:39food and
13:39one of
13:40you says
13:40to him,
13:41go in
13:42peace, be
13:43warmed and
13:43filled without
13:43giving him
13:44anything, what
13:45good is that?
13:46Which is
13:47pretty much the
13:49same thing that
13:49Paul was
13:49talking about
13:50in 1 Corinthians
13:5213.
13:54I'm curious if
13:55any of you have
13:56any thoughts
13:57about what I've
13:58said so far
13:58or anything you
13:59want to add to
14:00that or
14:01what James
14:03is talking
14:04about here
14:04with the
14:05faith that
14:07claims to
14:08believe but
14:08then doesn't
14:10actually do
14:10anything useful
14:11for anybody.
14:14You can go
14:14ahead and
14:15unmute yourself
14:15if you have
14:16something to
14:16add.
14:18Oh, what
14:19you said
14:19all sounds
14:21good.
14:22It goes
14:23along with
14:24Hebrews 11,
14:27the faith
14:28chapter,
14:28all those
14:29men of
14:31great faith
14:31are
14:33commended
14:34for what
14:34they did,
14:35for what
14:35they thought
14:36in their
14:36heads.
14:38Yeah, and
14:38the thoughts
14:39are important,
14:40but if the
14:40thoughts don't
14:41lead to
14:41actions,
14:42then,
14:43yeah, what
14:44is the
14:44point?
14:45By the
14:46way, welcome
14:46Kelly.
14:48Yeah, and
14:48speaking of
14:49thoughts in
14:50your heads,
14:51we have had
14:51a lot of
14:52conversations
14:52around here
14:53about the
14:55nature of
14:55our Bible
14:57study and
14:57our fellowship
14:58here, and
15:00we're a
15:01small home
15:01fellowship, and
15:03Paula and
15:04I both work
15:04from home, so
15:05we don't have
15:05a lot of
15:06interaction with
15:07the immediate
15:07community around
15:08us, so we
15:10spend a lot of
15:11time talking
15:12about who
15:12God is and
15:13how do we
15:13relate to
15:14God and
15:16how we're
15:17supposed to
15:18behave, but
15:19we don't have
15:20a lot of
15:21opportunities for
15:22impacting the
15:24people around
15:24us who
15:25aren't a
15:26part of our
15:26immediate
15:26fellowship, and
15:28of course, those
15:28people are
15:29important, and
15:29they are the
15:30primary people
15:30that James is
15:31talking about
15:32here.
15:32He's talking
15:33about how do
15:33you treat your
15:36fellow believers in
15:37your own
15:37fellowship, but
15:39it is bigger and
15:40more important
15:42than that.
15:43There's benefit in
15:45understanding all
15:46of the nuances of
15:47theology and
15:48getting all the
15:49rules and the
15:49rituals right, but
15:52if it doesn't
15:53actually help the
15:54body of Messiah
15:55function better, is
15:57there any point in
15:58understanding all of
16:00the theologies?
16:02One comparison I
16:03used with Paula,
16:04Paula is a
16:04health expert, and
16:06one of the
16:07comparisons I
16:07used was with
16:08functional medicine
16:09and how the
16:11goal of
16:12functional medicine
16:13is to restore
16:15the function of
16:16the body, to
16:17find out what is
16:18impeding one
16:20system communicating
16:21with another, or
16:22this organ or
16:25system is supposed
16:25to function this
16:26way.
16:27Well, what's
16:27interfering with
16:28that?
16:28And then address
16:29that problem
16:30that's creating
16:31that interference.
16:34And our
16:35theology should be
16:35doing the same
16:36thing.
16:38It's a good
16:38thing to study
16:40the nuances of
16:41scripture, to
16:42talk about who
16:44God is in the
16:45nature of God,
16:46to an extent.
16:47I mean, eventually
16:49you're talking about
16:50how many angels can
16:51dance on the head
16:51of a pin, and
16:52you get into the
16:53territory that
16:54Paul warned
16:54against, that
16:55endless genealogies
16:56and Jewish
16:58mythologies.
17:00And do these
17:02things really have
17:03much of a point?
17:05Well, if it helps
17:06you understand how
17:07you're supposed to
17:07relate to each
17:08other, it helps
17:09you understand what's
17:10important and what's
17:11not.
17:12If it helps you
17:14relate to God so
17:15that you understand
17:16who you are in
17:18the body of
17:18Christ, it can be
17:20very helpful.
17:22So a truly
17:23functional body
17:24is strong in
17:25both mind and
17:27body.
17:28If you were an
17:29athlete and you
17:30spent all of your
17:30time getting
17:31stronger, like a
17:32weightlifter, a
17:33bodybuilder, but
17:36you weren't very
17:37good at doing
17:39manual labor all
17:40day, you
17:41couldn't go to a
17:41job and carry
17:43around heavy loads
17:43all day, even
17:44you might be
17:45stronger than
17:46everybody around
17:46you, but you
17:47don't have
17:47endurance.
17:49What about
17:50your family?
17:52Can you
17:52provide for your
17:53family?
17:54Can you protect
17:54your children?
17:55Can you teach
17:56them?
17:57All of these
17:57things are
17:58important, and so
17:59a well-rounded
18:00individual works
18:02on his mind,
18:02his body, his
18:03spirit, his
18:04emotions, all of
18:06these different
18:06aspects.
18:08And the same is
18:08true of a well-rounded
18:10fellowship, that
18:12you should have
18:14people who are
18:15good at teaching,
18:17people who are
18:18good at
18:18understanding
18:19theology, people
18:20who are good at
18:21caring for people,
18:22and it all works
18:24together.
18:26It just gets, if
18:27it's out of
18:27balance, then you
18:29can have a
18:29problem.
18:30And I'm not even
18:31sure that any one
18:32particular fellowship
18:35has to have every
18:36possible aspect of
18:37the body of Christ
18:38represented there,
18:40as long as they
18:41fit into the
18:42overall body,
18:43because each
18:43fellowship is not
18:44the body of
18:45Christ.
18:46You are one part
18:47of the whole.
18:49So I'm kind of
18:50getting far afield
18:51there, but this
18:52idea of having
18:55faith that doesn't
18:56actually go out and
18:56help the people
18:57around you is a
18:59danger in the
19:01Pronomian or
19:02Hebrew Roots
19:02Movement, Messianic
19:03Judaism, whatever
19:04you want to call it.
19:05There is a danger
19:06there of getting
19:07so caught up in
19:08the theologies that
19:10we forget who
19:10we're supposed to
19:11be and what our
19:12purpose is.
19:14So I think that's
19:15something that we
19:15really need to
19:16watch out for.
19:19All right, so
19:20also faith by
19:20itself, if it does
19:21not have works, is
19:23dead.
19:24Just like if you
19:25have all the
19:26knowledge in the
19:26world, but you
19:28don't actually do
19:29anything useful,
19:30that knowledge is
19:31essentially dead,
19:32because you're not
19:33really having an
19:33impact on the
19:34worker, on the
19:35world around you.
19:37Does all that
19:38make sense?
19:40Yeah, there's
19:41also a parable in
19:43Matthew 21 about
19:44two sons.
19:46Yeah, and the
19:49father said, go do
19:50this stuff in the
19:51vineyard, and he
19:51said, sure, I'll do
19:53it, and then he
19:53didn't, and then the
19:54other one said, no,
19:55I'm not going to do
19:55it, and then he
19:56ended up doing it,
19:57you know, and then
19:59it talks about
19:59repentance, but I'm
20:00just thinking, I'm
20:01just reminded about
20:01that.
20:02It's having a
20:03great response is
20:05not enough.
20:07Yeah, it is very
20:09similar.
20:11All right, I'm
20:12going to move on
20:12to the next
20:14section here, verses
20:1618 to 20.
20:18But someone will
20:19say, a hypothetical
20:20someone, you have
20:22faith and I have
20:22works.
20:23Show me your faith
20:24apart from your
20:24works, and I will
20:25show you my faith
20:26by my works.
20:27You believe that
20:28God is one, you
20:29do well, even the
20:30demons believe, and
20:31shudder.
20:32Do you want to be
20:33shown, you foolish
20:34person, that faith
20:35apart from works is
20:36useless?
20:38James is calling
20:39the person who
20:40believes that he
20:41can have faith
20:42without works a
20:43fool.
20:45So, there's another
20:46popular opinion out
20:47there that when
20:48scripture is talking
20:49about repentance,
20:50it's only talking
20:52about a change of
20:54mind that, okay, I
20:56changed my mind
20:57about who Yeshua
20:57is.
20:58Now I believe that
20:59he's the Messiah, so
21:00now I'm saved.
21:02That is not what
21:03repentance is at
21:04all.
21:05Repentance is a
21:05complete turnaround.
21:07You change your
21:08mind about who
21:09he is, which
21:11requires that you
21:12respond to who
21:14he is.
21:14And if you don't
21:15respond to him
21:18being your king
21:19and the son of
21:20God, then you
21:22haven't really
21:23changed your mind
21:23about who he
21:24is, because
21:25that is who he
21:28is.
21:28there's a couple
21:34of other
21:34analogies here
21:35that I'd like
21:36to use, and
21:37one is the
21:38idea that
21:39committed faith
21:40has mass.
21:41It is not
21:42something that
21:43exists in a
21:44theoretical state.
21:47You know,
21:47everything in the
21:48universe has
21:49mass, everything
21:51that you can see
21:51and touch and
21:52feel.
21:53And so
21:54everything that
21:55exists in the
21:56universe is
21:57pulling on
21:58everything else
21:59that exists,
22:00because along
22:01with mass
22:02comes gravity.
22:04So the larger
22:05something is, the
22:06more it pulls on
22:06the things around
22:07it.
22:08And gravity is
22:09one of those
22:10very strange
22:11things that
22:11interacts with
22:13things at a
22:13distance
22:14immediately.
22:16Even light
22:16takes time to
22:17get from one
22:18point to another.
22:19But gravity
22:20interacts with other
22:21things immediately.
22:22well, I'm not a
22:24physicist, so
22:25maybe don't
22:25quote me on
22:26this, but it
22:27is one of
22:27those things
22:28that is one
22:30of the least
22:30understood forces
22:31in the universe,
22:32but also one of
22:34the most powerful
22:34at the same
22:35time.
22:36It's the force
22:37that creates
22:38black holes,
22:39that allows
22:39the Earth
22:40to be a
22:42planet, and
22:43for the Earth
22:43to go around
22:44the Sun, and
22:45for all of us
22:45to stand here
22:47without flying
22:47off into space.
22:48This is gravity.
22:50It's the
22:51attraction that
22:52every particle
22:52has to
22:53every other
22:53particle in
22:54the universe.
22:56And so,
22:57your faith is
22:58like this.
22:59Your faith
22:59has mass,
23:01and if your
23:02faith does not
23:02have mass,
23:04just like
23:04matter,
23:05does it even
23:06exist?
23:08So,
23:09by having
23:10faith, you
23:11will impact
23:12the people
23:13around you.
23:14It will
23:14change who
23:15you are.
23:16It will
23:16change how
23:16you behave
23:17with people,
23:18how you think
23:18about people.
23:19And if it
23:21doesn't change
23:21all of that,
23:22then your
23:23faith is just
23:24in your
23:24imagination.
23:25It's something
23:25you have
23:26claimed to
23:26believe, but
23:28you don't
23:28really believe.
23:30And that's
23:31how James
23:32says, I
23:33can show
23:33you my
23:33faith by
23:34my works.
23:35Well, you
23:36can't see
23:36his belief,
23:37but you
23:38can see the
23:38effect of
23:39his belief.
23:40You can't
23:40see gravity,
23:42but you
23:42can see the
23:43effect of
23:43it on the
23:45way that
23:45the planets
23:46move around
23:47the sun
23:47and the
23:48way that
23:48if you
23:49throw something
23:49in the
23:49air, it
23:50comes back
23:50down.
23:52Well, that's
23:52the effect
23:54of gravity.
23:56Verse 19,
23:57when he
23:57talks about
23:58the demons,
24:00it says,
24:00you believe
24:01that God
24:01is one,
24:02you do
24:02well.
24:03Well, here
24:04he is
24:05making, I
24:06think, a
24:07deliberate
24:07contrast between
24:08the ideas
24:10of believing
24:12in a fact
24:13and conviction
24:14of a truth.
24:15so, the
24:17demons
24:17believe that
24:18God is
24:18one.
24:19Well, anybody
24:20can believe
24:20that.
24:21You can
24:21believe that
24:22God created
24:25the universe,
24:26but until
24:28you believe
24:29in him,
24:30you believe
24:30what he
24:30says, you
24:31believe his
24:32promises,
24:33then believing
24:34that he
24:35created the
24:35universe doesn't
24:36really have
24:36any impact
24:37on you
24:38or anything.
24:39It's faith
24:40without mass.
24:42I do want
24:43to make sure
24:43that you
24:44understand, I'm
24:44not saying
24:45that your
24:45salvation
24:45depends on
24:47what you
24:48do.
24:49It depends
24:50on your
24:50faithfulness,
24:52your commitment
24:53to obey,
24:55but it
24:56doesn't depend
24:56on your
24:57actual
24:57behavior.
25:00At the
25:01end of this
25:01chapter,
25:02James talks
25:03about Rahab,
25:04and I think
25:05this is a
25:06really good
25:06example of
25:06what I'm
25:07talking about,
25:07where Rahab
25:09believed in
25:11the God of
25:11the Hebrews,
25:13believed that
25:13he was going
25:14to lead
25:15them to
25:15victory,
25:16that he
25:16was going
25:16to keep
25:17his promises
25:17to the
25:18Israelites.
25:19And so she
25:20acted on
25:20that fate.
25:22It's not
25:23your perfection.
25:24It's not
25:24doing all
25:26of the
25:26works right
25:26now.
25:27That's not
25:27the point.
25:28The point
25:29is the
25:29commitment.
25:30When Rahab,
25:32when she
25:33first believed,
25:34the only thing
25:35that she did
25:36was to
25:37hide the
25:38spies and
25:40then help
25:40them escape
25:40the city.
25:42And then
25:43when they
25:44came and
25:44attacked
25:45Jericho,
25:45she hung
25:46that red
25:46cord out
25:47her window.
25:48And this
25:48was also
25:48an expression
25:49of her
25:50trust in
25:50the promises
25:51of Israel.
25:52So she
25:53believed them
25:54when they
25:55said they
25:55would spare
25:56her and
25:56her family
25:57if she
25:57did this.
25:58And they
25:59did.
26:00But they
26:01didn't
26:01immediately
26:02incorporate her
26:03and her
26:03family into
26:04the people
26:04of Israel.
26:05They put
26:06them outside
26:06the camp.
26:07And this
26:09was so that
26:09she could
26:09learn.
26:10So she
26:11could spend
26:11some time
26:12learning to
26:13be a
26:13Hebrew.
26:14Same lesson
26:15in Acts 15.
26:17The Gentiles
26:18coming into
26:19faith,
26:20James and
26:21Peter and
26:23Paul,
26:24they said,
26:25we don't
26:26need these
26:27people to
26:27become perfect
26:28overnight.
26:28We know
26:29they're
26:29committed.
26:30We know
26:30they want
26:31to obey.
26:32But let's
26:32just give
26:33them a few
26:33rules to
26:34start with.
26:35And then
26:35they can go
26:36to the
26:36synagogue.
26:36every
26:37Shabbat
26:37and hear
26:38Moses taught.
26:39And they
26:40can learn
26:40the rest
26:40over time.
26:42None of
26:42us have
26:43perfect
26:43understanding
26:44of God's
26:44law.
26:46I've been
26:46studying Torah
26:48now for
26:48over 25
26:51years.
26:52And there's
26:52still so
26:53much I
26:53don't know.
26:55And I
26:56will probably
26:57still be in
26:57this state
26:58when I'm
26:5890.
26:59I will
27:00still be
27:00learning.
27:01And so
27:02I don't
27:03ever expect
27:04to be
27:04perfect.
27:05I expect
27:05to be
27:06progressing.
27:07To be
27:07maturing
27:08and becoming
27:09perfect.
27:10But I
27:10don't expect
27:11to really
27:11have it
27:12all right
27:12to understand
27:13everything,
27:13let alone
27:14to be doing
27:14everything right
27:15until after
27:16the resurrection.
27:18But I don't
27:18think my
27:19salvation ever
27:19depends on
27:20that.
27:21My eternal
27:21salvation depends
27:22on my
27:23commitment,
27:23my committed
27:24faith,
27:25not on the
27:26specific works
27:27that it
27:28creates.
27:29With keeping
27:30in mind that
27:31if it
27:31doesn't
27:31create
27:32works,
27:33even
27:33moving in
27:34the,
27:34if it's
27:35just moving
27:35a little
27:36bit in
27:36the right
27:36direction,
27:37if it
27:38doesn't even
27:38do that,
27:39then it's
27:39not faith.
27:40And that's
27:40really what
27:40James is
27:41saying.
27:42Okay,
27:43did that
27:43all make
27:43sense?
27:45Yeah,
27:46what it did
27:46to me.
27:48That's really
27:49good.
27:49Is it,
27:50is it also
27:50true that,
27:51um,
27:53but like,
27:53when David
27:54was judging
27:55with,
27:55um,
27:57with the two
27:57women that
27:59said that
27:59this was
27:59my baby,
28:01he was
28:02kind of
28:03judging what
28:03they believed
28:04and he saw
28:05the actions
28:05of one of
28:06the,
28:06one of the
28:06women and
28:07he,
28:07he knew
28:08that that
28:08was by
28:10the way she
28:10acted or
28:11her acts
28:12or her
28:12works,
28:13what her
28:14faith or
28:15what she
28:15believed or
28:15what was
28:16actually going
28:16on,
28:17you know?
28:18Yeah.
28:19Whether or
28:19not she was
28:20the real
28:20mother of
28:21this child,
28:22she was the
28:22real mother.
28:23Whether she
28:24gave birth to
28:24this child or
28:25not,
28:25she was the
28:26one who
28:26behaved like
28:27the mother.
28:27Right.
28:28So,
28:29yeah,
28:29because she
28:30was a
28:30mother in
28:30her heart,
28:31Solomon said,
28:32yeah,
28:32give,
28:33give the
28:33baby to
28:33this woman
28:34because the
28:35other one
28:35didn't care.
28:36Yeah.
28:38So you
28:38can kind of,
28:39I guess that's
28:39true.
28:40You can judge
28:40yourself for
28:41not necessarily
28:42judging others,
28:43but you can
28:44judge what he
28:45did in that
28:45case for,
28:46but you kind
28:47of see where
28:48you're going
28:48by your actions,
28:49why your fate
28:50sit.
28:51Yeah,
28:52kind of a
28:52positive feedback
28:53loop.
28:54Yeah,
28:54it's a good
28:55way to,
28:55to gauge your,
28:57your progress
28:58and you
28:59can say,
29:00am I
29:02becoming more
29:03obedient?
29:05I don't want
29:06to say that's
29:06a hundred percent
29:07sure way to
29:08judge your,
29:09your faithfulness
29:10because a lot
29:11of people become
29:12more obedient to
29:13the letter of
29:14the law over
29:14time without
29:15actually believing
29:16the promises of
29:17God.
29:18I mean,
29:18you look,
29:19you can look at
29:19the Pharisees for
29:20this,
29:20where they obeyed
29:22a lot,
29:22many of the
29:23letters of the
29:23law,
29:24but they
29:24didn't
29:25understand the
29:25spirit of
29:26it.
29:27And so in
29:28their attempts
29:29to get all
29:29the letters
29:29right,
29:30they created
29:30these traditions
29:32and rules that
29:33actually invalidated
29:34the purpose.
29:37So I think
29:40looking,
29:40keeping your
29:41eyes focused
29:41on Yeshua
29:42is the key
29:43there because
29:45our goal is
29:45to become more
29:46like him.
29:47So if our
29:48obedience to the
29:49commandments leads
29:50us further away
29:51from his character
29:52and how he
29:52treated people,
29:53then we're
29:54probably not
29:55on the right
29:56path.
29:57You know,
29:57either we
30:00might have,
30:01I'm not saying
30:01that we're not
30:02saved or that
30:02we don't have
30:03faith.
30:04It's certainly
30:04a danger sign,
30:06but it could
30:06be that we're
30:07just,
30:08you know,
30:08we're getting
30:09distracted by
30:10things that just
30:11don't matter.
30:12And I think
30:13that's frequently
30:14the case in
30:14this movement
30:15when we get
30:15into arguments
30:16about calendars
30:17and things like
30:18that,
30:18where getting
30:20the commandments
30:21right is
30:21important.
30:23But it's
30:24far more
30:25important that
30:26we are doing
30:27it out of
30:28love for God
30:29and love for
30:29each other.
30:31And sometimes
30:32that means
30:33saying,
30:34even if I am
30:35really convinced
30:36that this is
30:36the right way,
30:37I might be
30:38wrong.
30:39And if all of
30:39these other
30:40people are
30:41really convinced
30:41that this is
30:42the right way,
30:43maybe I should
30:44just do it the
30:44way that they
30:45do it and
30:46learn something
30:48along the way.
30:49And maybe
30:51they'll change
30:51their mind,
30:52maybe I'll
30:52discover that
30:53I was wrong
30:53about something,
30:54I don't really
30:54know.
30:55Being willing
30:56to be wrong
30:56is a really
30:57important part
30:57of keeping
30:59the commandments
31:00in perspective.
31:01That it's
31:02not about
31:02me,
31:03it's not
31:03about making,
31:06it's not
31:08about making
31:08myself perfect,
31:10it's about
31:10making myself
31:11functional in
31:12the body of
31:13Christ.
31:13Christ.
31:15Yeah,
31:15I think that's
31:16where it really
31:17points to the
31:18fact that none
31:19of this we can
31:20do alone.
31:21I mean,
31:21if we're
31:21demonstrating
31:26our faith
31:27through works,
31:28there's going to
31:29be other people
31:29involved.
31:31Other people
31:31are going to
31:31see our
31:33faith,
31:34other people
31:34are going to
31:35watch us
31:35grow.
31:36We're going
31:36to see ourselves
31:37grow in our
31:38relationships and
31:39the way that we
31:40treat people.
31:40we're not
31:44even going to
31:45evaluate those
31:45things without
31:46looking around
31:48and saying
31:49where do I
31:51practice this
31:52and where does
31:52this fit and
31:53what is the
31:54purpose of
31:55what I'm
31:55doing?
31:58Yeah,
32:00I think
32:00continually
32:00evaluating
32:01yourself like
32:02that is
32:02important.
32:03Keep your
32:04eye on the
32:04prize.
32:06I agree
32:07with that.
32:07I feel like
32:08for me,
32:10the
32:10operating
32:13in faith
32:15and works
32:16is like
32:17a
32:17it's not
32:19just a
32:19single
32:20plane.
32:21It's a
32:22dual plane.
32:23So like
32:23you're going
32:24to do
32:25just your
32:25faith.
32:26So that's
32:27your base.
32:28And then
32:28what you do
32:29with your
32:29faith
32:30would be
32:31your works.
32:32And it's
32:32like when
32:33you're
32:33operating
32:34in spirit
32:35and truth,
32:36the truth
32:37is like
32:37your basic
32:38understanding
32:40and your
32:40beginning.
32:41But then
32:42how you
32:43live that
32:44out in
32:45the spirit
32:45of that
32:46is like
32:48a compounded
32:49thing.
32:50Does that
32:50make sense?
32:52Yeah,
32:52I think so.
32:53If you
32:54are in
32:55this
32:55whole Bible
32:57understanding
32:57and you
32:59know that
33:00you are
33:01supposed to
33:02keep the
33:03Sabbath
33:03and you
33:06do
33:07sort of.
33:12You do
33:12sort of.
33:14Not all
33:14the time.
33:15Not,
33:15you know,
33:16not to
33:17please the
33:17Father.
33:18Not because
33:19you know
33:20it's the
33:20right thing
33:21to do.
33:21Not because
33:22all the
33:23reasons why
33:24you should
33:25in the spirit
33:26of keeping
33:26the Sabbath
33:27keep the
33:27Sabbath.
33:28You do it
33:29because you
33:29feel like you
33:30have to.
33:31And so
33:31when you
33:32don't keep
33:32it,
33:33it's like,
33:33it's fine.
33:36But like
33:37you're not
33:38operating in
33:39the spirit
33:39of the
33:41law.
33:42You're just
33:43operating in
33:44your basic
33:45letter of the
33:45law kind of
33:46thing.
33:46So like if
33:47you're operating
33:48in faith
33:51and in
33:51works,
33:53your faith,
33:54your works
33:55should be a
33:56mirror of
33:57your true
33:58faith.
33:59So you
34:00can say
34:01I'm a
34:02believer in
34:03Yeshua,
34:04but if
34:04you're not
34:04following
34:05him and
34:06you're not
34:07doing what
34:07he does,
34:09then your
34:10works are
34:11dead because
34:12you're not
34:12doing what
34:13you're supposed
34:13to be doing.
34:15You know?
34:16I mean,
34:16does that
34:18make sense?
34:18Yeah.
34:19Yeah,
34:20thank you.
34:22All right,
34:23let's move on
34:23to the next
34:24passage here.
34:25And it looks
34:25like we're
34:26going to get
34:26through this
34:27pericope fairly
34:27quickly tonight.
34:28so verses
34:3321 to 26
34:34and I
34:36put all
34:36six of
34:36these verses
34:37in one
34:38block because
34:39it really
34:40seems like
34:40they are a
34:41single thought
34:42and I don't
34:43really see a
34:43good way to
34:44chop this up
34:45and to talk
34:45about it
34:46individually.
34:47So was
34:49not Abraham
34:50our father
34:50justified by
34:51works when
34:52he offered
34:52up his
34:52son Isaac
34:53on the
34:53altar?
34:54You see
34:54that faith
34:55was active
34:55along with
34:56his works
34:56and faith
34:57was completed
34:57by his
34:58works.
34:59And the
34:59scripture was
35:00fulfilled that
35:01says Abraham
35:01believed God
35:02and it was
35:02counted to him
35:03as righteousness
35:04and he was
35:04called a
35:05friend of
35:05God.
35:06You see
35:07that a
35:07person is
35:08justified
35:08by works
35:09and not
35:09by faith
35:09alone.
35:10And in
35:11the same
35:11way was
35:11not also
35:12Rahab the
35:12prostitute
35:13justified by
35:14works when
35:14she received
35:15the messengers
35:16and sent
35:16them out
35:16by another
35:17way.
35:18For as
35:18the body
35:19apart from
35:19the spirit
35:20is dead,
35:21so also
35:21faith apart
35:22from works
35:22is dead.
35:24Alright,
35:24so here we
35:25come to
35:25one of the
35:26most controversial
35:27passages in
35:28the New
35:28Testament.
35:30And this
35:30is one of
35:31the places
35:31that people
35:31will go
35:32to to say
35:33that James
35:33and Paul
35:34are in
35:34opposition.
35:36Paul says
35:37justification
35:38is by
35:39faith apart
35:40from works.
35:41James says
35:42you see
35:44that a person
35:44is justified
35:45by works
35:46and not
35:46by faith
35:47alone.
35:48And I'm
35:48pretty sure
35:49that this
35:49is the
35:49only place
35:50in the
35:50Bible
35:51where the
35:51phrase
35:51faith
35:52alone
35:52is
35:53written.
35:54So
35:55like
35:56Martin
35:56Luther
35:56his big
35:58deal
35:58was
35:59that you're
36:00saved by
36:00faith
36:00and faith
36:01alone.
36:02And he
36:02attributes
36:03this
36:03teaching
36:03to Paul.
36:04But Paul
36:04never uses
36:05that phrase.
36:06James does
36:07and Martin
36:08Luther says
36:08that James
36:09should not
36:10even have
36:10been in
36:11the Bible.
36:12Well,
36:13I completely
36:14disagree with
36:14him and
36:15obviously
36:16so do
36:16most other
36:17Christians
36:17even as
36:17contemporaries
36:18because it's
36:20still there
36:20and it
36:21belongs there.
36:22But the
36:23challenge is
36:24to reconcile
36:26James and
36:27Paul.
36:28How are we
36:29saved by
36:29faith alone
36:30and not
36:33by faith
36:33alone at
36:34the same
36:34time?
36:35the key
36:39is this
36:39understanding
36:40that it
36:42is not
36:42your works
36:43that save
36:44you.
36:44You can
36:45never earn
36:46your eternal
36:46salvation.
36:47You can't
36:48earn God's
36:48forgiveness
36:49or God's
36:49grace.
36:50That is
36:51solely at
36:52God's
36:52discretion.
36:54And he
36:55gives you
36:56that forgiveness
36:57in response
36:58to your
36:58repentance
36:59and faith.
37:00Now repentance
37:01means that you
37:02are changing
37:03your mind
37:03about who
37:04he is and
37:04what you're
37:04supposed to
37:05do, but
37:06that what
37:07you're supposed
37:07to do part
37:08is really
37:08important.
37:09You are
37:09repenting from
37:10your dead
37:11works, from
37:12your sins, and
37:13turning toward
37:14righteousness.
37:15But it doesn't
37:16mean that you
37:17have actually
37:17done anything
37:18righteous yet.
37:19You've only
37:19made a
37:20commitment to
37:21do what's
37:21right and a
37:22commitment to
37:23leave behind
37:24all that's
37:24wrong.
37:26And unless
37:27you're super
37:28human, it's
37:29going to be a
37:30struggle.
37:30It's going to
37:31take a long
37:31time to weed
37:32out all of
37:33the sin
37:34from your
37:34life, and
37:35it probably
37:35won't happen
37:36until the
37:36resurrection.
37:37But you
37:38have to
37:38start on
37:39that path.
37:40But we
37:41have to
37:42recognize that
37:43it's not
37:43the works.
37:44It's not
37:45the actual
37:46obedience that
37:47has earned
37:47our salvation.
37:49It is our
37:49faithfulness, our
37:50commitment to
37:51obedience.
37:52And it didn't
37:53earn it because
37:54there's nothing we
37:54can do to earn
37:56forgiveness.
37:58God's just
37:58promised it.
37:59He said, if you
38:00repent and
38:02you believe
38:04in Yeshua,
38:06meaning you
38:06believe who
38:07he is and
38:07what he
38:08taught, then
38:09he will
38:09forgive you.
38:10And you
38:11will have
38:12eternal life
38:12if you
38:14maintain that
38:15faithfulness,
38:15which again
38:16does not
38:17mean perfect
38:18obedience.
38:18It means a
38:19commitment to
38:19obedience.
38:22So even
38:23if you, I
38:25can't remember
38:25who I first
38:26heard this
38:26analogy from,
38:28but even
38:29if God
38:30said, climb
38:32to the top
38:32of Mount
38:33Everest and
38:34I will
38:34forgive your
38:34sins.
38:35If you
38:36climb to
38:36the top
38:36of Mount
38:37Everest and
38:37he forgave
38:38your sins,
38:38you still
38:39did not do
38:40anything to
38:40earn that
38:41forgiveness.
38:42Because climbing
38:43Mount Everest
38:44has no impact
38:45whatsoever on
38:46the state of
38:47your spirit.
38:48It doesn't
38:49remove any
38:49sins from
38:49you.
38:50That is
38:51solely by
38:51the grace
38:52of God.
38:53So he
38:54commands us
38:55to do
38:55things,
38:55but it's
38:57not the
38:57doing them
38:58that removes
38:59our sins.
38:59It's God's
39:00grace to
39:00forgive us.
39:03That can
39:04be, that
39:04still sounds
39:05like I'm
39:07teaching salvation
39:07by works.
39:09And the
39:10distinction is
39:11maybe difficult
39:12to get across.
39:14But remember
39:14my analogy
39:15about faith
39:17having mass.
39:18Once you
39:19believe, once
39:20you've made
39:20the commitment
39:21to obey
39:21everything else,
39:24not everything
39:25else, but
39:25the changes
39:27in your
39:27life are
39:28going to
39:28begin.
39:29It could
39:30be, you
39:30know, if
39:31you're an
39:31asteroid
39:32flying through
39:32space and
39:33you get too
39:33close to a
39:34star, it
39:35will pull
39:35you in.
39:36That asteroid
39:37has no choice
39:38in the matter.
39:39It's going to
39:39get sucked into
39:40that star.
39:41It's going to
39:41get sucked into
39:42an orbit and
39:42get closer and
39:43closer because
39:44that star has
39:45mass and so
39:46does the
39:47asteroid.
39:48If you have
39:49faith, that
39:50faith has mass
39:51and it will
39:52interact with the
39:53world around you.
39:53it will
39:54interact with
39:55God.
39:56You can't
39:57stop it.
39:58Even if you're
39:59not super
40:00dedicated, even
40:01if you're not
40:02always studying
40:02the word and
40:03discipline to
40:07do something
40:08better every
40:09single day, if
40:12you still have
40:12that commitment,
40:13you believe who
40:14Yeshua is and
40:15that he died for
40:16your sins, he
40:16is the son of
40:17God and
40:18everything he
40:18promised is
40:19true and you
40:21are committed to
40:21obeying him,
40:22even if you're
40:23undisciplined
40:24about it, your
40:25life will begin
40:26to move in the
40:27right direction.
40:29There's another
40:30analogy I want to
40:31use here in what
40:32James says at the
40:33end of this
40:33chapter, as the
40:35body apart from
40:36the spirit is
40:36dead, so also
40:38faith apart from
40:39works is dead.
40:41We have these
40:41descriptions in
40:42the Psalms and
40:43other places about
40:44how the dead
40:46don't know
40:46anything, they
40:47can't praise
40:47God, they're
40:49not their whole
40:50selves.
40:50And that's
40:52because a
40:53human being is
40:55a soul, a
40:56living being.
40:57That's what
40:57soul, or the
40:58Hebrew word
41:00that's translated
41:00as soul, is
41:01the nephesh, and
41:02it refers to the
41:03totality of a
41:04living being.
41:06And a human is a
41:08soul that has a
41:09spirit and a
41:09body.
41:11And if you are
41:12missing either
41:13one, then
41:13something is
41:14seriously amiss.
41:16In James'
41:16analogy here, the
41:18faith is the
41:18body and the
41:19works is the
41:20spirit.
41:20You know, the
41:22body, if it
41:23doesn't have a
41:23spirit, it's
41:24just dirt, or
41:26it's just stuff
41:28returning to
41:28dirt, or it's
41:30an animal,
41:31however you want
41:32to look at
41:32that.
41:33It is not a
41:34human being.
41:36And so, faith
41:37that doesn't
41:38have a spirit
41:40to animate
41:40it is just
41:42dirt laying
41:42there.
41:43And it
41:44doesn't really
41:45do any good
41:46to anybody.
41:46if you want
41:47that body
41:48to do
41:49something, you
41:50have to
41:50infuse it
41:51with the
41:52spirit, which
41:53are the
41:53good works
41:54that then
41:55allows it to
41:55get up and
41:56do things in
41:57the world, to
41:57be God's
41:58hands and
41:58feet in the
41:59world.
42:00That's the
42:01purpose of
42:02the faith that
42:03brings us to
42:03life.
42:06And I think
42:07it's interesting
42:07because that, I
42:08mean, that's the
42:09animation part,
42:10right?
42:10If he just
42:12created us and
42:13we just sat
42:13there with
42:15no animation,
42:16what good
42:16would we have
42:17been?
42:19And I do
42:20feel like
42:20there's this,
42:22when I came
42:23to this
42:24understanding,
42:26it was kind
42:28of a celebration
42:28of like, oh
42:29my gosh, I
42:30finally get to
42:30put these two
42:31things together.
42:33What I do
42:34in my body,
42:35what I do
42:35with my life
42:36is a spiritual
42:38thing.
42:39And that
42:40whole idea
42:40of aligning
42:42myself with
42:44what God
42:47desires is
42:49like this
42:50animation that
42:51happens of
42:52like us
42:53actually reflecting
42:54who he is,
42:55right?
42:56And so we
42:57were never
42:58meant to be
42:58just like
42:59one or the
43:01other.
43:01Like we can't
43:02actually act
43:04certain things
43:04out unless
43:05we're in our
43:06body doing
43:06those things.
43:08And yeah,
43:09without the
43:10ability to
43:10be animated
43:11at all,
43:12the breath
43:12of God
43:13in essence
43:14or the
43:14spirit
43:15will just
43:17be doing
43:18nothing.
43:19So it
43:20is definitely
43:21an integration
43:23of all
43:25the parts
43:25of who he
43:26created us
43:26to be.
43:27and I
43:29think it
43:30kind of
43:30goes into
43:31that,
43:31you know,
43:32like being
43:32three-part
43:33beings and
43:34you know,
43:35we think
43:36we compare
43:37sometimes,
43:38we compare
43:38that to the
43:39father,
43:39son,
43:40and spirit.
43:40the spirit
43:42by itself
43:43is nothing.
43:44Works by
43:45itself is
43:46nothing.
43:47The Pharisees
43:48did all kinds
43:48of works,
43:49but they
43:49didn't believe.
43:51Obviously,
43:51not all
43:52Pharisees,
43:53I'm using
43:53Pharisees as
43:54a group
43:55of people
43:56like the
43:57Gospels
43:57did.
43:59They were
44:00tithing their
44:01mint and
44:01their cumin
44:02and washing
44:05their hands
44:06and doing
44:07all these
44:07prayers and
44:08all of these
44:09rituals,
44:09going to
44:10extremes,
44:11not to
44:11violate the
44:12Sabbath.
44:13But they
44:13didn't really
44:14believe God
44:14and their
44:15disbelief is
44:16part of
44:17what motivated
44:17their
44:19severe
44:20discipline and
44:21their over
44:22commitment to
44:23obedience.
44:24They created
44:25all their own
44:26rules to make
44:27sure that they
44:27didn't break
44:28any of the
44:28actual rules
44:29and ended up
44:30breaking them
44:31by their
44:32fences,
44:33you know,
44:33what the
44:33rabbis call
44:34fences around
44:35fences.
44:37And so
44:37that kind
44:38of thing
44:39are the
44:40works without
44:41faith.
44:42So if you
44:43have a
44:44spirit and
44:45you're in
44:45the grave,
44:46you have no
44:48impact on
44:48the world.
44:50If you are
44:50missing your
44:51body, it
44:52means you're
44:52dead.
44:53You are a
44:54disembodied
44:54spirit.
44:55You're not
44:56like a ghost
44:57that can walk
44:58around and
44:58talk to
44:59people and
44:59interact and
45:01throw things
45:02off shelves.
45:03That's not
45:03what dead
45:04people do.
45:05Your spirit
45:06goes to the
45:07grave where it
45:08awaits judgment.
45:09The spirit
45:10without the
45:10body is
45:11dead.
45:12It has no
45:12impact on
45:13the world.
45:14It cannot
45:14interact with
45:15anybody.
45:15It can't
45:16speak to
45:16anybody.
45:18The spirit
45:19by itself
45:19has no
45:20power to
45:21affect the
45:21world.
45:23You can
45:24pray to the
45:24dead all
45:24you want and
45:25they're never
45:26going to
45:26answer you.
45:27Something
45:27might, but
45:28the dead
45:29won't.
45:30The dead
45:31have no
45:32awareness of
45:33what is
45:33happening in
45:33this world.
45:35They can't
45:36talk to
45:36anybody.
45:37They can't
45:37affect
45:38anything.
45:38They can't
45:39make any
45:39changes.
45:40They can't
45:40make anybody's
45:41life better
45:41or worse.
45:42They're just
45:43waiting for
45:43the resurrection.
45:45So, if
45:47you want to
45:48impact the
45:48world, you
45:49have to put
45:50the two
45:50together,
45:51faith and
45:51works.
45:52That is a
45:52living human
45:53being.
45:54So, the
45:55faith, the
45:56committed
45:56faith that
45:59leads to
45:59salvation, is
46:00a faith that
46:01is united
46:02with works.
46:03So, when
46:04James says
46:05that Abraham
46:07believed God
46:07and it was
46:08counted to him
46:08as righteousness
46:09and he's
46:10justified, that
46:13a person is
46:13justified by
46:14works and
46:14not by faith
46:15alone, he's
46:17saying that you
46:17are not saved
46:18by faith that
46:19doesn't have
46:19works.
46:21So, when
46:22Paul talks
46:23about you
46:24are saved by
46:24faith apart
46:25from works,
46:26he's saying
46:27that it is
46:27the faith that
46:29saves you, not
46:30the works.
46:31And James is
46:31saying that
46:32yes, it is
46:33the faith that
46:33saves you, but
46:34the works that
46:36come with the
46:36faith are a
46:37part of the
46:37faith.
46:38They can't be
46:39separated.
46:40If you have
46:41committed faith,
46:42then you have
46:43works.
46:45If you just
46:46have a faith
46:46that with no
46:47commitment, you
46:48don't even
46:48really have
46:49faith.
46:49You have no
46:50way of
46:50impacting the
46:51world.
46:51You have no
46:52way of
46:52impacting
46:52yourself.
46:55Well, I
46:55think that
46:56even if we
46:58look at
46:59salvation
47:00alone,
47:01people who
47:04are repenting
47:06are repenting
47:07because they
47:08hear the
47:09call to
47:10repent.
47:11They hear
47:12the father's
47:15voice in the
47:16sense of
47:16like, you
47:18know, here's
47:19the commandments
47:19or here's what
47:20I've said to
47:22do instead of
47:23this.
47:24These are the
47:24things we do.
47:25these are the
47:26things we do
47:27in the
47:27kingdom, you
47:29know, and
47:29so when
47:30people see
47:31what God's
47:32truth is,
47:33what God's
47:33law is, or
47:36they see that
47:37they're bound
47:38to pay the
47:39penalty for
47:40that, then
47:42the repentance
47:43is in
47:45essence kind
47:46of a work
47:46tied to that
47:47faith.
47:47It's like once
47:48they believe
47:49that he is
47:50who he says
47:51he is, that
47:51he demands
47:53what he
47:53demands.
47:53In that
47:55sense, then
47:56even repentance
47:59is a work.
48:01It's just
48:02not a work
48:04that we just
48:05decide we
48:05want to do
48:06on our own.
48:07It's like it's
48:07a work in
48:08response to
48:10a call.
48:11It's an
48:12obedience.
48:14It's an act
48:15of aligning
48:15ourselves with
48:16who God is
48:17and what he
48:17requires.
48:19And you're
48:19right, it's
48:20inextricable.
48:21Like you can't
48:21just be like,
48:22yeah, God, I
48:22want to be on
48:23your team.
48:24And then
48:25you like go
48:26and do
48:26whatever you
48:27want every
48:28time he
48:29calls a
48:29play.
48:30I mean, it's
48:31not how it
48:32works, right?
48:33It's like you
48:35have to be
48:36behaving in
48:40some way that
48:41signifies like
48:42you're ready
48:43to do what
48:46that team
48:46does, whatever
48:47that is.
48:48I don't know
48:50if that analogy
48:50works with.
48:52Yeah, I think
48:52I'm full of
48:55analogies, but
48:55there's another
48:56one that I've
48:57heard to
48:57explain faith,
48:58the committed
48:59faith of
49:00salvation.
49:01You're on an
49:02airplane and
49:03the airplane is
49:04going to crash.
49:05If you believe
49:06that your
49:08parachute will
49:08save you,
49:09you'll put it
49:10on and jump
49:10out of the
49:11airplane.
49:12And it's
49:13not your
49:14belief alone
49:14can't save
49:15you.
49:16It's the
49:17belief that
49:17prompts you to
49:18put the
49:18parachute on and
49:19jump out of
49:20the airplane.
49:21That's what
49:21saves you.
49:22And the
49:23parachute won't
49:23save you either.
49:24You have to
49:24believe that the
49:25parachute is going
49:25to save you so
49:26that you put it
49:27on.
49:28You can sit
49:29there in your
49:29seat and say,
49:31I believe that
49:31parachute is going
49:32to save me.
49:33I believe it's
49:33going to save
49:33me.
49:34Well, until you
49:35put it on,
49:36you clearly don't
49:37believe that.
49:38And then you
49:39jump out of the
49:39plane.
49:40That's the
49:41faith that
49:41saves.
49:43So it's not
49:44the parachute that
49:45saves you.
49:45It's not
49:46jumping out of
49:47the plane that
49:48saves you.
49:49It's not the
49:50belief that
49:51saves you.
49:52It's all of
49:53these things
49:53together.
49:55If you
49:56believe, you
49:57will put the
49:57parachute on and
49:58jump out.
50:00Because otherwise
50:00you don't really
50:01believe it.
50:02Or you don't
50:03believe the
50:03plane is going
50:03down.
50:04You don't
50:04believe something
50:04about it.
50:09There is a
50:09translation issue
50:10here that I
50:11wanted to
50:11mention.
50:12And in
50:13verse 21,
50:14where it says,
50:15Was not Abraham
50:16our father justified
50:17by works when
50:18he offered up
50:19the son Isaac
50:20on the altar.
50:22This phrase
50:23justified by
50:24works, I'm
50:25not going to
50:25try to pronounce
50:26it all in
50:26Greek.
50:27I'd get it
50:28wrong.
50:29But it can
50:30also be
50:31translated
50:31justified
50:32through works
50:33or proved
50:36righteous by
50:36works.
50:38And there
50:38are translations
50:39you can find
50:40that will do
50:40it all three
50:41ways.
50:41The most
50:42common one
50:42is justified
50:43by works.
50:44And I
50:45think that's
50:46correct.
50:46I think that
50:47really is what
50:48James meant to
50:48say.
50:49You know,
50:50like we've been
50:50saying all along
50:51here, it's not
50:52that Abraham
50:52was justified
50:55by doing
50:56things apart
50:58from faith.
50:59It is doing
51:00things because of
51:01his faith or
51:02rather doing
51:04the things that
51:04his faith led
51:05him to do.
51:07They're
51:08inseparable.
51:09We keep
51:10talking about
51:10faith and works
51:11as if they're
51:12not part of the
51:12same thing.
51:13They can be
51:14just like dirt
51:15and spirit
51:15can be
51:16separate things.
51:18But when
51:18you're a person,
51:19you are the
51:20dirt and the
51:21spirit together
51:21functioning as
51:22a whole.
51:23And this
51:24committed faith
51:25is both
51:26faith and
51:28works united
51:29together,
51:30functioning as
51:31a complete
51:32being.
51:33And this is
51:34the works
51:34that justify
51:35Abraham.
51:36He believed
51:37and he acted
51:38because you
51:39can't do
51:39anything else.
51:40I've heard
51:42somebody describe
51:44faith and
51:46faithfulness as
51:47being two
51:48sides of the
51:49same coin.
51:50They just
51:51can't be
51:51separated,
51:53which is
51:53probably
51:55why James,
51:57when he was
51:58talking about
51:58faith without
52:00works, he had
52:01to specify it.
52:02And he said
52:02it only happens
52:04that one time
52:04in the Bible,
52:05that one place.
52:07Because every
52:08other place in
52:09the Bible,
52:09when people say
52:10faith,
52:10it's faith
52:11with faithfulness
52:12or we
52:15don't have an
52:15English word,
52:16but faithing
52:18is kind of
52:19this, the
52:20idea that the
52:21word faith
52:22has, is
52:23that you
52:24have the
52:25faith, but
52:25you're also
52:25living it
52:26out.
52:28Yeah, I
52:29don't know the
52:29etymology of
52:30the English
52:31word.
52:31I mean, we've
52:31got probably a
52:32dozen different
52:33words to
52:34describe different
52:34kinds of
52:35belief, like
52:36belief and
52:36faith.
52:37faith, and
52:38I suspect
52:39that the
52:39English word
52:40faith was
52:41probably once
52:42closer to the
52:42Greek word
52:43pistis, but
52:44I don't really
52:45know, that's
52:47speculation.
52:47I think it
52:50had a
52:51faithfulness
52:51aspect to
52:53it as
52:53well, because
52:54when we
52:54talk about
52:56somebody who's
52:56faithful, we're
52:58always talking
52:59about what
52:59they do.
52:59they're full of
53:02faith, and
53:02therefore, they're
53:03doing.
53:05Yeah, being
53:06faithful in your
53:07marriage, being
53:08a faithful
53:08employee, or
53:09a faithful
53:09servant, or
53:10faithful to
53:13your oath.
53:15All of
53:16these things,
53:17clearly, in
53:18English, the
53:19concept of
53:20faith, in
53:22some ways, is
53:23much closer
53:23aligned with
53:24this concept
53:26of pistis
53:27and pistillos,
53:28pistis, or
53:29pistio.
53:32Probably getting
53:33that wrong
53:33again.
53:35But yeah, we
53:37confuse faith
53:38with mere
53:38belief, and
53:40they're really
53:40not the same
53:41things.
53:42In Greek, if
53:43they wanted to
53:43say, you
53:44believe that a
53:45fact is true,
53:46normally, there's
53:47a different word,
53:48and I don't
53:48remember the word
53:49right now, but
53:49there's a
53:50different word
53:50that would
53:51normally be
53:51used.
Recommended
13:28
|
Up next
3:15
1:00
0:31
1:26:46
1:09:35
1:09:04
4:15
49:08
1:19:11
1:08:40
5:06
8:55
1:08:07
1:03:35
16:00