2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?

Can an inactive faith save us? Can it?

I was analyzing their human resource structure, so they provided a list of employees, titles and salaries. Bruce had an uncommon title. I no longer remember what it was, but this 48 year old had been on the payroll of this successful family-owned business for three decades, and he drew a very nice salary. But I couldn’t figure out where he fit into the organizational structure, and he never showed up for our meetings. As it turned out, Bruce was the owners’ rogue son. A bit flower-child-like, Bruce preferred to spend his days on his personal projects, interests and passions. He stopped in every few weeks with donuts to chat with employees and managers, but that was it. The owners told me they allowed this because they couldn’t imagine allowing this able-bodied, able-minded son to starve.

Bruce claimed to be an employee, but he didn’t show it by his work.

We know the actions of those owners were preposterous. We know Bruce wasn’t a part of the company. He just wanted the salary. He claimed employment because he was on the payroll, but he did nothing to demonstrate that that claim was valid.

Salary? Heck yeah!
Work? I brought the donuts. See you in a few weeks!

James says that if we claim to be part of Jesus’ organization but do nothing to demonstrate that that faith has become part of us, we are fooling ourselves.

This is a very familiar verse, so I want to clarify what it does and doesn’t say.

When he says “works,” James’ focus is not on legal, moral righteousness. It’s not about cussing, lying, taking God’s name in vain, stealing, or marital unfaithfulness. Righteous living is a different topic for a different time.

James’s focus is on one question: Does or doesn’t my faith determine how I spend my time?

The example he provides in the next verses show that that is his focus:

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. 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.

He says if I mind my own business and keep to myself, I have a dead faith. If I am not serving other people, my faith is dead.

THIS IS A HARD HITTING STATEMENT! If my 24 hours are only divided between work, relaxation, pleasure, and sleep then my claim to have faith is false!

John also warned us that our faith-claims must be evaluated against our actions toward others:

“… Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:16-18)

Jesus constantly combated superficial belief during His ministry. For example:

“And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:26-27)

But how does this fit with Paul’s teaching in Romans 3:28 that “man is justified (saved) by faith apart from the law (works)?”

Note the sequence in Ephesians 2:8-10:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
1. God prepared good works for you to do
2. God showed you grace
3. You had faith
4. You were saved
5. You were created in Christ’s image
6. You did good works

When Moses' spies came to Jericho, Rahab hid them and helped them escape. In this way, her deeds demonstrated faith in God's purpose for Israel. As a result, she and her family were saved when the city was destroyed (Joshua 2:1-24, Joshua 6:17-27, and Hebrews 11:31).

Paul's words in Colossians 3:23 and 2 Corinthians 5:10 provide the motivation for demonstrating our faith by our deeds.

1 Corinthians 3:13-15:
“… the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.”

2 Corinthians 5:10:
“We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

What these passages collectively say, combined with James’ message in this section, is that the inheritance we’ll receive from the Lord will be scaled according to the thing we did while in our human forms. This lines up with Jesus’ story about sheep and goas Matthew 25:31-46. The only difference between the two was what they did and didn’t do.

Matthew 7:21:
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”

Q: What are some improper motives that get you involved in doing good works?

Q: What are some excuses you have given the Lord for not being more involved in His service?

Faith itself is invisible, yet our testimonies are supposed to influence the unbelieving world. Unbelievers can see nothing but our actions. We can talk about God all we want, but unbelievers aren’t interested in a message. They are interested in being rescued from the futility of this life. They want us to show not tell. They want to see our actions, not hear our message. Frankly, they really don’t even care about our moral living. They will either disagree with our morals or point to non-Christians who live up to similar standards.

They need to see the impact Christ has on our lives by our activities, not through our doctrines; by our deeds, not our words. Through our ministry, not our preaching. 

The great “Hall of Faith” chapter (Hebrews 11) describes God’s people who not only believed, but applied their faith.

Finally, we must keep in mind that while faith without works is dead, works without faith is equally dead (Matthew 7:21-23; John 15:1-6).