James 2:18-20 reminds us that Faith is not really faith at all unless it leads to service. The proof of life is activity, those who are dead do nothing but lay around and decay. We need to understand that knowing and understanding orthodox doctrine is no guarantee of salvation; even the demons are orthodox in the sense of knowing and acknowledging truth about God, Not only are you lost if you are not willing to allow the truth of the gospel to motivate you to service for the Lord, you are foolish to believe that a declaration of faith is enough to guarantee your salvation. It is not WHAT we know that brings us salvation, it is WHO we know, and your commitment to who you know will be displayed by what you do! We must understand that faith and works are not mutually exclusive! Salvation is by faith alone, but that faith is more than an agreement that Christ died on the cross for our sin, That faith is the beginning of a new life of service. The motivation for our service is gratitude to the Lord for what He has done for me. I don’t do the things … READ MORE

As James continues to challenge us to consider the relationship we have with Christ in James 2:15-17. James illustrates his point by comparing faith without works to words of compassion without corresponding acts of compassion. Dead faith can be characterized by false compassion, by a verbal concern for t hose in need that is no more than hypocritical sham. The Greek construction in this passage indicates that this need on the part of such believers is a long-standing need, not temporary, and it is verifiable, not based just on a person’s claims. The implication of this passage is that just as compassion without kindness and care is phony, so is faith which is nothing but an empty claim. This is a well-chosen analogy, because compassion is one of the evidences of true regeneration. It is amazing that so many people can become emotionally involved in a movie and yet show no concern or compassion for the plight of a neighbor or acquaintance who is in real need. In our artificial, self-centered world, fantasy often becomes more meaningful than reality. James says, “What does it profit?” The question implies the answer – It doesn’t profit anything. We need to have more … READ MORE

People don’t care what you know, they want to know how much you care! The only way to do that is to put your words into action. In James 2:14 we are asked, “What does it profit, if someone says they have faith but does not have works? Can faith save them?” James is not saying that this person actually has saving faith, but rather that the person claims to have saving faith. Actions speak louder that words, and you can claim all you want that you are a “Christian” but if your walk does not match your talk, you better reevaluate your talk. In this passage the orthodoxy of what the person is saying is not in question, what is in question is the evidence of their claim. The type of works that James has already talked about are: Endurance (1:3) , perseverance under trial (1:12) purity of life (1:21), obedience to scripture (1:22-23) , impartiality (2:1-9) and he will later talk about acts of compassion (2:15), control of the tongue (3:2-12), Humility (4:6, 10), truthfulness (4:11), and patience (5:8). It is interesting that this involves the inward integrity of the believer. As a Christian there should be an … READ MORE