Christians Confused: It is by Faith or by Works?

Christians Confused: It is by Faith or by Works? Kelly Durant 4-14 Re 8-13-23 

James 2: 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? 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. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 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.

2. There is a very illustrative picture to describe how a Christian must advance in this life: it is of being in a rowboat with 2 oars. One oar is faith, the other is works. If you row with only one, then you will go in circles. Christians don’t we see this often, that why they don’t seem to not grow much or at all advancing spiritually. Often many of us are not balanced, some people are rowing with only one oar! If someone here this morning is frustrated with your walk with God then let’s stop and examine our lives and situations, habits, and deduct changes we can make.

Some people row with the faith oar. They will affirm they have faith in God, and this is essential but the things they do from day to day may not reflect that they are doing anything for God or others. They believe that having faith, reading the Bible and praying is keeping them going straight but they do not reveal the evidence of being sacrificial or doing anything for those in need.  These people often feel they are fine with God because they are confident in their own idea of what faith is. We need to wake them up as some Christians think faith only requires going to church!

Then there are those who do works only.  There always exists some people with pride in what they do, and they feel they do not really need so much the spirituality trip that the church goers seem to proclaim. They have an idea that they are better than the spiritual people because they do good stuff, and doing good to others helping them is important but this is a wrong idea. Works and service are not all of what a Christian needs; if we serve without glorifying God, then He does not get the praise and we are just wasting our time. Only when you row faith and works at the same time do you mature and grow in holiness and faith a become a balanced and effective Christian.

3. Today we have started with the story of Abraham taking Isaac to be sacrificed. The point is clear, Abraham had faith and he acted on his faith to prove it. His works were that of obeying what God had told him to do, even though inside he must have been dying, crying, and probably doubting why God would require this type of a dreadful sacrifice. After all, wasn’t his son his only son of God’s promise?

Here are a few lessons for all of us: he first had faith, which means he believed God, he trusted God, he submitted to God, and he knew God’s voice inside giving him direction. He was determined to obey no matter what he had to give up or do! It made absolutely no sense either, but he obeyed anyway!  

When you imagine this, it is very disturbing, but the outcome of God providing the lamb instead made the point: that our loving Father God wants the entire world to know that he does not ever want our human sacrifices to appease Him! Works for God never includes cruel sacrifices, as some Satanic and pagan cults require, but rather good deeds originating from obedience. God gave up his son Jesus for us, but he has never required that anyone give up their son for Him! But what do you give up for God? What works do you have to prove your faith? 

4. I am amazed that there are so many comfortable Christians today and they cannot produce hardly any works as a proof that they “do” any works for God. A real believer with faith is supposed to have works in their own personal lives that prove they are obedient to God being faithful, helping, serving, loving, showing up and doing something for any neighbor who has a need.  

Thank God the Salvation Army established doing works from the beginning. We sent shock waves through the church by doing a social gospel, preaching in the streets, and then taking in the less fortunate or addict! Our foundation is that of seeing the needs of those who are our neighbors (our local community) and responding to it. 

From the beginning we see the Salvation Army was the first church to open up rehabilitation homes for the alcoholics, to provide homeless shelters (and those who stayed in our shelters collected rags door to door for the SA to recycle into mops and other things) and we created a system in which one could be redeemed and reintegrated into society. Some folks donate money, some volunteer time, but it all works together to support those who cannot help themselves.

5. Do you know of any other Seminary like ours at the Booth Colleges that will receive reformed ex-drug users, ex-worldly folks (even prostitutes) and anyone who is willing to obey the call of Jesus to leave it all behind for a life of service to Him? Very few! Many seminars are full of kids who really are not there for the love of Jesus but for the love of a title (diploma) that will gain them a high income somewhere. How wrongly motivated is that! 

When you serve in the SA it is understood that you will follow the Bible all the way, like the disciples did, and not care for this world’s provisions, but be focused on saving lost souls. And Salvation as we know it includes caring for the whole person, their physical needs (food, or water bills, etc.) and for their spirit, praying for them to know Jesus and to gain healing from life’s blows.

People forget that God sees the heart! Whatever is visible to us, works or faith, is not as all important as to how God is discerning the intents of the heart of each of us. Most people never pray, God reveal to me my heart’s intentions, I think they are afraid they will end up like Isaiah 6:5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” Our intentions should always be love, to love & obey God and our neighbor as ourself!

6. From the Scripture today we learn “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” How do we become God’s friend? By being righteous? It is revealed here that believing is what makes us worthy, or righteous! It comes by obeying on what God asks of us, in other words by believing! Belief then transfers into actions!

It is like an alternating current going back and forth. We do our part to act on what we believe, and then God does His part by imputing into us righteousness, which is an integral part of faith. Back & forth a connection is then active.

God is Holy and we cannot please Him without Holiness, and it is all tied together, we believe God’s Word, therefore we “do works” according to His commands, and this renders us ‘righteous’ because we are manifesting our faith into deeds in this world. God has no other hands, feet, and voice in this world except ours! 

7. And what about Rahab, the prostitute? Few preachers want to mention prostitutes in theirsermons! We see that even though Rahab was a law breaker (according to the 10 commands (“Do not commit adultery”), she was found to be righteous and protected from God’s judgments, how?  Because she believed in God’s people and she did something that won her God’s forgiveness, and what was that?

She risked getting killed by her own countrymen by harboring God’s children helping them to escape out of the city, and that was a very ‘good work’! There has to be some proof of some kind with each one of us to prove that one is on God’s side and not on the side of the cruel and evil world which is soon to be judged as Jericho was judged!

So, this shows that people caught up in sin, if they will listen to God, if they will obey at the right moment, if they can some to Jesus, then they can be saved, and it is all by the act of believing! Acts 16:31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” All the walls fell, but her house remained!

8. But believing in Jesus is everything! How many do good community groups do you know out there ‘doing good’ but they are not doing it for the glory of God but for the glory of their organization? There are many secret society type groups that do many good works, helping those with illnesses, bills etc., helping those with needs but ask yourself, do they do it for the glory of the name of Jesus?

If not, then those works are nothing to God! Their motives are then for the pride of man, and for money, and a good name. Quite often these groups are being used by Satan (Satan wants to be seen as an angel of light, as a good guy doing good), but in essence they are competing to take funding away from us who serve ‘in Jesus’ name’. Secular groups do nothing for God’s glory, and want to appear to care for others, but without God’s love in their hearts, there is no love in their service or works, it is only a façade.

So beware, today many groups, politicians, and even some churches want to ‘virtue signal’. That is when you do something to appear to be good with the motive of selling a perception that you are so wonderful, but in reality, the group or person is not so good at all. They then become wealthy liars and deceivers like Satan himself, pretending to have good works yet none of those works are done in the faith for God. Pray for discernment (repeat), today we live in a fake world and only God’s Word can reveal who or what is true or authentic! 

9. How many of you have ever seen a corpse? A lifeless body in the casket? You have the impression the eyes should open, but they don’t! A dead body has no chance of coming back as the brain dies within 4 minutes of no oxygen. So, this is how the Scripture describes you or me, or any one of us that does not have the Spirit of God, we are dead with no hope of anything without faith and works. 

What connects us to the Spirit of God and makes us alive? Works that reveal our faith! Faith is something inside our head and heart, BUT no one can see OUR faith unless WE do something; something loving for God and others that reveals our faithful obedience.

So, this is my challenge to you today, to start ‘doing’ more good works so the whole world can see your faith and light shine to glorify our Father which is in Heaven! Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Remember, faith and works go together, one without the other is useless and is not according to the Word of God. Let’s pray to obey, and not stray…from doing our part, believing, trusting, & doing amen?