It's Time to Grow Up
(James 2:14-26)

What kind of faith does James mean? There are two views, saving faith verses viable faith. MacArthur states, “No less than five times in that passage (vs. 14,17,20,24,26), James reiterates his thesis: passive faith is not efficacious faith. It is a frontal attack on the empty profession of those whose hope is in a dormant faith…Faith in this context is clearly saving faith (v.1). James is speaking of eternal salvation. On the other hand, Hodges states, “…when faith is described as dead in James 2, this can easily be understood in context as meaning that…faith is sterile, ineffectual, or unproductive.” Who is right and how should we view faith?

I. Know your faith (v.14-19)

A. Faith without works cannot save or deliver (v. 14)
a. Save (sozo) or to be delivered must be understood in the context of the passage. In this case, being saved is not from the penalty of sin; rather, it is being delivered from the power of sin in a believer’s life. The context of what one is delivered from is the consequences of temporal judgment and the potential loss of rewards at the (bema), which he has just discussed in the previous verses (James 2:12-13).
B. Faith must be joined to works (15-17)
a. James uses an illustration of a Christian in need.
C. Faith by itself is useless (18-19)
a. James uses a common literary device to prove his argument:
1. A diatribe is a literary device used to answer a perceived objection that the writer knows the reader will have. Paul uses this same device in (Romans 9:9-21).
2. In this diatribe, James writes an objector into the passage in that poses a question in regards to faith and works. The objector’s point is that there is no necessary correlation between what a person believes and what a person does, as a result of that belief.

II. Show your faith (v.20-25)

A. Abraham was justified by works. His proven faith increased a personal intimacy with God. (Gen. 22; Heb.11:17-19)Justified (saved from sin’s penalty) by faith in God.
a. Justified (saved from sin’s penalty) by faith in God. (Rom. 4:2-5; Gen. 15:5-6)
b. Justified (before men) by his working or believing faith. (Gen. 22:1-14; Heb.11:17-19)
B. Rahab was also justified by works. As a result of her proven faith, she is listed in the great hall of faith and is in the genealogy of Christ. (Josh. 2:1-13, Heb. 11:31)Justified (saved from sin’s penalty) by faith in God (Josh. 2:1-14)
a. Justified (saved from sin’s penalty) by faith in God. (Josh. 2:9-11)
b. Justified (before men) by welcoming the spies. (Heb. 11:31)

III. Grow in faith (v.-26)
A. As a body without the soul is useless so is faith if it is by itself.
a. Spiritual growth is predicated on a working faith in and through the trials that God gives to test us.
b. By passing the test, our faith grows and allows us to experience the blessings of heaven in our present, temporal, experience.


Points to Ponder:
1. Your faith must be energized by works in order to be a growing Christian.
2. There are many opportunities in the church for ministry to help you grow. Do you actively seek opportunities to engage in these ministries?



John F. MacArthur Jr., The Gospel According to the Apostles: The Role of Works in the Life of Faith (Nashville, TN: Word Pub., 2000).
Zane C. Hodges, Arthur L. Farstad, and Robert N. Wilkin, The Epistle of James: Proven Character through Testing (Irving, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 1994), 63.
Tony Evans, “Faith in Practice – Part 1,” Online. Accessed March 25, 2022. https://tonyevans.org/blog/faith-in-practice
Zane Hodges, James 2: What Is a Dead Faith?, 9.
Hodges, The Epistle of James, 71.