But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith apart from thy works, and I by my works will show thee my faith.
5 sermons cite this verse
… Doesn't do anything about it. Verse 18, but someone will say, you have faith and I have works. This is important. Somebody who has a need and no one in the church is meeting the need, and James anticipates someone will say, well, you're the works Christian, I'm the faith Christian. That's good. You do works, but I have faith. Show me your faith apart from your works and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one, you do well. Even the demons believe and shudder. So he's talking about faith here. This is important. If this is a kind of belief that the demons have, it's not a heartfelt trust. It is a mental assent. It's affirming certain propositions because that's the only way that the demons believe. The demons don't believe in God as one that they love or one that they rest in. They believe and shudder. It's just an affirmation. Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? …
… the man that I used to be. That's just one small thing. There's other stuff. But some will say, you have faith and I have works. Show me your faith without your works. I'll show you my faith by my works. You believe there is one God, you do well. Even the demons believe and tremble. Just belief by itself? If I said there's going to be a major earthquake in five minutes, it's going to be a 7.0, and it's going to absolutely level the sanctuary, and if you remain sitting in these chairs, you're going to die. And I go like this, click, and then I leave, and I go outside, and I see like four people walk out. You know what I can assume? The rest of you did not believe me. Why? Because you stayed sitting. If you believed me, you'd get up and go outside. You see that when the faith is exercised, it then turns and it does something. It doesn't do something to get into heaven. It does something because I'm going to heaven. But do you want to know a foolish man? Faith without works is dead. Be careful that you don't become or that you already are a Christian atheist. That you call yourself a Christian, but you live as if there is no God. That is the worst kind of person. A Christian atheist. Those purple people that walk around and they just slap Christian on everything. Where are you? I'm a Christian. But you see how …
… Well, you have faith, I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. a liberal concern for the needs of the world. I've got an article that I came across recently from the Washington Post. The headline is, Brad Pitt forcing us to volunteer. the writer starts off says brad pitt exclamation point what does he want from us save africa save new orleans save the planet but we're not like you brad not as able we need you to show us soon he and angelina jolie won't even live on earth they'll just dangle above it he'll go listening acutely and compassionately for trouble down here and when he hears it zoom Down he'll come. We were always told that's what citizens of the future do. They don't have a fixed address. They go where needed, constantly and selflessly. It was supposed to be orphans and Darfur and genocide, wasn't it? Or adoption and finding meaning in fatherhood. …
for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Lastly, John chapter 9 and verse 4, Jesus is speaking and he says, I must work the works of him who sent me while it is day. The night is coming when no man can work. Let's go to work. Father, we thank you so much for your word. It is a lamp unto our feet. It is a light into our path. In the beginning was your word, and your word was with you, and your word was you. God, we recognize that we don't live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of your mouth. God, I thank you for the rich and radical love you have for your sons and daughters. God, those here present, those watching via live stream, those who will watch later. And I pray, God, that you would love your people through me, through the words that you give me to feed them. …
… to the body. What good does it do? What does it profit? Even so, listen, faith, if it hath not works, is D-E-A-D, dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have WORKS. SHOW ME THY FAITH WITHOUT THY WORKS, AND I WILL SHOW THEE MY FAITH BY MY WORKS. THOU BELIEVEST THERE IS ONE GOD? NOW DOESN'T WELL. THE DEVILS ALSO BELIEVE AND TREMBLE, AS MORE THAN SOME FOLKS DO, BUT WILT THOU KNOW, O VAIN MAN, THAT FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD? WAS NOT ABRAHAM OUR FATHER JUSTIFIED BY WORKS WHEN HE HAD OFFERED ISAAC HIS SON UPON THE ALTAR? SEEST THOU HOW FAITH WROUGHT WITH HIS WORKS, AND BY WORKS WAS FAITH MADE PERFECT? AND THE SCRIPTURE WAS FULFILLED WHICH SAITH, ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS IMPUTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND HE WAS CALLED THE FRIEND OF GOD. YE SEE THEN HOW THAT BY WORKS A MAN IS JUSTIFIED, AND NOT BY FAITH ONLY. LIKEWISE ALSO WAS NOT RAHAB THE HARLOT JUSTIFIED BY WORKS WHEN SHE HAD RECEIVED THE MESSENGERS AND SENT THEM OUT ANOTHER WAY? FOR AS THE BODY WITHOUT THE SPIRIT IS DEAD, SO FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD ALSO. …