How Can We Have Real Faith

James 2: 14-26

Rev. Johnny Wong

1) Faith without action is useless

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to him, Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. ~ James 2:14-17

2) Faith without action is false

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 what I do. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that— and shudder. ²⁰ You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? ~ James 2:18-20

3) Real faith is putting into action what we believe

²¹ Was not our ancestor 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 justified by what he does 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. ~ James 2:21-26