Faith Without Works Is Dead
Below is a detail study of faith in the scriptures. You will see how faith is the means by which we are accepted of GOD, and works is the by product of that belief, and not the means of our acceptance. Works will never get you into heaven, but true faith will produce works in your life. Let’s start our study with the book of James.
James 2: 14 – 25
14 ¶ What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
If you do not have any works, can faith alone save you? If you answer NO, what about Ephesians 2
8-9:
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
If you answer YES, then what about the rest of James 2 that says faith without works is dead. We seem to have an apparent contradiction don’t we. But we don’t. Let’s finish where we left off.
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Faith not coupled with works is dead.
These verses state that your word , or confession alone is not enough. If you meant what you just said, “Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled”, you would help them. Not just give a meaningless comment. This is what many people do today. They confess, and don’t possess. They make empty confessions to God with no display in there lives that what they confessed, they truly meant.
Faith is active – If you have Active faith you will see God working in your life.
18 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.
One man may say I have faith, another may say, I do many wonderful works, but the scriptures say that neither alone is sufficient. It is like a marriage. You cannot have a marriage without both a man and a woman, even though today some may try to pervert the sanctity of marriage.
You see, how can you say that you have faith and never show it?
EX: If I told you that there were a million dollars in a crate behind a door, and all you have to do is go and get it, those who believed me would get up out of there seats (works), and at least go and see if it was back there. So it is with faith. You must have an active faith.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Belief in God is not enough. As the scriptures said, the devils believe in GOD. So, what makes your belief one unto salvation, and not just a hallow confession. It would have to be in that you believe and obey. You act on what God has said. He says do not commit fornication, you don’t. You must act on what you truly believe. If you do not believe in God, you will not obey, you will not act on what you confessed.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
The word “perfect” is from the Greek word ‘teleioo’, meaning to “add what is yet wanting in order to render a thing full”. To make complete.
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
23 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Justified, to be made righteous.
To rephrase, See how that by works a man is made righteous, and not by faith alone.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
You can have a body, but without the spirit that body is dead. You can have a Spirit, but without the body the person still does’nt have life.
So it is with Faith.
You can have Faith, but without works that faith does not produce life. You can have works, but without Faith you will not have life. A person must have both Faith and Works.
Faith and Works go hand in hand. Neither alone can save. Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so is your faith that you claim to possess is dead, if you do not act on what you claim to believe.
So, I am sure the question is, what about Ephesians stating that it is by grace through faith not of works least any man should boast? And you are saying that we need both faith and works to be saved. This can be answered if we turn to Romans 9.
Romans 9 6-32
6 ¶ Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14 ¶ What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
To runneth is from the Greek word trecho trekh'-o
to spend one's strength in performing or attaining something.
You see, it has nothing to do with your own will or abilities, but of GOD’s. GOD has never learned anything new. He knew who would accept Him , and who wouldn’t. This get’s into the concept of predestination, which is another lesson, but this verse shows that you cannot work your way to God or will your way to God, salvation is a soverign work of the Father. However, when God calls, do not delay. Today is the day of salvation.
17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
25 ¶ As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
30 ¶ What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
The works talked about here is the works of the law, which no man could keep. It is the works of man, to obtain righteousness through his own efforts, and not through the power and grace of God. The works performed through faith is that which is a by product of your belief in God, not works which you try to do in order to be made right with God. True faith in Christ will produce works for the kingdom. EX: The great commission. Go ye out to the uttermost places of the world preaching the gospel of Christ.
True faith will produce action on your part. Do not deceive yourself. If you can continue to commit adultery, rob, steal, and take drugs without any conviction from the Holy Spirit, you need to question whether or not you are really saved.
2 Corinthians 13:5 states:
2Cr 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
Galatians 5:19-22
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
20Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Fruit is from the Greek Word:
karpos kar-pos'
Meaning:
work, act, deed
Works are the EVIDENCE that what you confessed you possess.
DEFINITION: EVIDENCE
Something indicative; an outward sign
Works are also the EXAMPLE of how one should live.
DEFINITION: EXAMPLE
One serving as a pattern of a specific kind
We are to serve as patterns of Jesus Christ, just as He
Served as the pattern of the Father. Jesus said , I do only what I see the Father do, I say only what I hear the Father say.
GOD SAID DO IT, YOU DO IT.
IF GOD SAID DON’T DO IT - YOU DON’T.
That is how we should be, doing only what Jesus did, saying only what Jesus said. In other words, we should be disciples.
From the beginning it was BELIEVE GOD and KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS.
BELIEVE = FAITH
KEEP COMMANDMENTS = WORKS
You will do what GOD said if you truly believe.