Dead Faith

Years ago, I was given an aloe vera plant. It has prospered greatly in my kitchen window. I have taken numerous shoots from it, given them away, and started new pots. I replanted one shoot in a small pot. Months later, the little plant still looked green, but it had not grown. Finally, I pressed one of the leaves to see if there was gel in it. It was flat. The plant had looked alive. When I watered it, the water disappeared as if the aloe was sucking it up, but in reality, the little aloe was dead.

This week we will examine dead faith (James 2:14-19), and after Christmas, we will examine living faith (James 2:20-26).

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder![1]

James 2:14-19

James has taught how trials reveal the genuineness of our faith, that we need to be hearers and doers of God’s Word, and what pure and undefiled religion looks like. In this second half of chapter 2, James continues the theme of what genuine, saving faith (or living faith) is and isn’t.

James 2:20-26 is often a confusing or controversial passage because it can seem as if James is teaching that works are required for salvation, contradicting Paul’s teaching of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone (Romans 3:28; Galatians 1:16). Douglas Moo states, “The appearance of a conflict is created because they [James and Paul] give two key words, ‘faith’ and ‘justify’, different meanings and because their arguments are advanced against different errors.”[2] As we work through these verses in James, hopefully you will see that there is no conflict.

It is good to remember that James is writing to those who knew the Gospel and the recent events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. It is also likely that given Paul’s extensive missionary journeys, James’ audience was familiar with Paul’s teaching on justification. As we have seen previously, James wrote his letter to teach his readers how to live in light of the Gospel or the justification they had already received because how we live reveals whether our faith is genuine.

In this passage, James uses a debate style by asking several rhetorical questions. “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him” (vs 14)? The first question James asks is not a confirmation that someone has genuine, saving faith. James is addressing a disparity between what someone says and how they live. We’ve all met people like this. People who say one thing but do another. The verbal phrase “does not have” indicates a lack of any external evidence to support what is being claimed.

Imagine a court room. The prosecutor stands up, declares that the defendant is guilty of such-and-such a crime, and then sit downs, saying, “The prosecution rests.” The jury won’t issue a guilty verdict if the prosecutor has not presented evidence to support the claim of guilty.

We should take note of the word works. This refers to all righteous behavior that conforms to God’s Word. James specifically highlights compassionate works but is not limiting the definition. “The difference between Paul and James consists in the sequence of works and conversion: Paul denies any efficacy [effectiveness] to pre-conversion works, but James is pleading for the absolute necessity of post-conversion works.[3] Works are not added to faith for salvation, but genuine, saving faith results in works.

In light of a complete lack of external evidence of faith, James then asks, “Can that faith save him?” The Greek literally reads: “Faith can’t save him, can it?” although a better way to translate it would be “Can that kind offaith save him?” Is a faith without any external evidence really a saving faith, a genuine faith, a living faith or is it just words? Genuine, saving faith isn’t merely intellectual or a verbal affirmation. Genuine, saving faith is committed to obedience (hearing and doing the Word). Genuine, saving faith requires costly obedience and self-sacrifice.

The grammar in this second question, “Can that faith save him,” demands a negative response. It is rhetorical. The resounding answer is, “No!” A faith without any evidence is not a genuine saving faith. It is not good.

James then moves to his first illustration: “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled, without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (vs 15-17).

Let’s breakdown a few of the words in these verses. Poorly clothed – this is often applied to underwear but can also mean inadequate or shabby clothing. Daily food – can mean lacking that day’s food or lacking consistent food. Both clothing and food are basic needs. Recall that James defined pure and undefiled religion as including visiting or caring for orphans and widows, representative of the poor and needy (1:27). Genuine, saving faith cares for the poor (Matthew 25:36-43; 1 John 3:17-18).

In James’ illustration, the response isn’t care for the poor but to say, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body. Go in peace was a common blessing. It was akin to “May God go with you.” Doriani explains, “The statement itself is not objectionable. The problem is that it functions ‘as a religious cover for a failure to act.’ ‘May God go with you’ stands in the place of ‘I will go with you.’”[4]This person who claims to have faith is using a religious platitude instead of acting to care for the needs of another.

Doriani further shares two ways to translate the Greek form of the verb phrase be warmed and filled. “The first translation is, ‘Warm yourself and feed yourself.’ That is, ‘I wish you well as you take care of yourself.’ The second translation is, ‘Be warmed and be well fed.’ That would mean, ‘May God feed and clothe you, because I certainly won’t.’[5] Neither of those translations present a good picture. No wonder James asks, “What good is this?” Again, this rhetorical question demands the negative answer: “No good.” Well wishes alone are not the same as doing good. That brother or sister in need who is sent away with nothing but religious platitudes is still in need. Words did nothing. Action was required.

James’ conclusion: “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Faith by itself, not evidenced in good works, is useless, inactive. John Calvin said, “Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone.” Paul explained it this way: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Faith in Jesus alone is what saves us, but the natural outflow of our saving faith is good works which God prepared for us to walk in. James is not contrasting faith and works. He is contrasting faith without works that is dead (not a genuine saving faith) and faith evidenced by works (a genuine, saving faith).

Next, James anticipates an objection: “But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (vs 18). In this objection, faith and works are being treated like spiritual gifts. One person might be gifted in faith, another in works, but James counters this objection. Faith and works are intertwined because good works demonstrate genuine, saving faith.

Verse 19 is the verse most impactful for me in understanding this passage: “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe – and shudder.” James delivers a solid punch in the gut to dead faith. He knocks the wind out of objections and arguments. First, he references Deuteronomy 6:4-5: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” James’ reference would have been very familiar to his Jewish audience. He is presenting a basic doctrine from the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament). It was the central affirmation of Judaism, and regularly recited.

Someone may believe and even verbally affirm key doctrines of the faith, but James declares that even the demons believe and shudder. They believe God is God. They are terrified of God, but they definitely do not have a saving belief or faith. Believing orthodox doctrine by itself is not proof of genuine, saving faith. There are people who go to church every week. There are some that could quote Scripture and argue doctrines, but that is the extent of their “faith.” Their lives are devoid of the obedience that flows from gratitude for the Gospel and love for God.

Douglas Moo shares, “Genuine faith must go beyond the intellect to the will; it must affect our attitudes and actions as well as our ‘beliefs’. As Mitton says, ‘It is a good thing to possess an accurate theology, but it is unsatisfactory unless that good theology also possesses us.’”[6]

Jesus knew Scripture perfectly. He was the Word (John 1:1). He knew doctrine perfectly because all Scripture and doctrine are from God. Yet, when Jesus took on flesh, He didn’t just spout Scripture and doctrine. He did good works. He perfectly and compassionately cared for the needy, the weak, and the lost that we might have His perfect record. He fully obeyed His Father even to the point of death on a cross in our place. Jesus, our Savior who made a way for us to come to a genuine, saving faith, exemplified what genuine, saving faith looks like. Let us walk in the good works that God has prepared for those whom He has saved by grace through faith in Christ alone.

Reflection

1. I’ve heard this question posed before: “If you were to be tried as a Christian in a court of law, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” Is your faith a Sunday morning thing? Would your family, friends, or co-workers see a difference in your life compared to others who aren’t saved? John wrote, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). Is your love for others evident?

2. Can you think of a time when you responded to someone in need with well wishes only? Have you been quick to share Scripture but never acted to show compassion or help? Has someone responded to you this way? How did you feel?

3. God has prepared good works for you to walk in. Choose one way you can show love to someone and do good towards them this week in response to the love and good God lavishes on you every day. Be specific and do it.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jas 2:14–19. [2] Douglas J. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 16, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 103. [3] Douglas J. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 16, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 106. [4] Luke Timothy Johnson, The Letter of James (Garden City, N. Y.: Doubleday, 1995), 239. Daniel M. Doriani, James, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2007), 84. [5] Daniel M. Doriani, James, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2007), 84–85. [6] Douglas J. Moo, James: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 16, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 110–111.