Faith Alone Is Never Alone
James 2:14-26
Pastor Bob Hiller
3/11/2012
James 2:26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
1. The teaching of ____________ ____________ has been a point of greed ____________ in the church.
2. Faith ____________ is always ____________.
3. James is not ____________ faith and works. He is contrasting ____________ faith and the ____________ life of one saved by faith alone.
Scripture Readings
Exodus 20:1-17
James 2:1-13
Mark 8:27-38
Take It With You!
As we follow Christ from His baptism to His cross and empty tomb, it will be helpful for everyone to be reading through the epistle of James daily. Here helpful tools will be offered to aid in your study.
Faith is a divine work in us and makes us to be born anew of God. It kills the old 'Adam' and makes us altogether different people, in heart and spirit and mind and all powers; and it brings with it the Holy Spirit. O, it is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, this faith. It is impossible for it not to be doing good works incessantly. It does not ask whether good works are to be done, but before the question is asked, it has already done them. Whoever does not do such works, however, is an unbeliever, who gropes and looks around for faith and good works, but knows neither what faith is nor what good works are. yet such a person talks and talks, with many words, about faith and good works. Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that the believer would stake life itself on it a thousand times. This knowledge and confidence in God's grace makes people glad and bold and happy in dealing with God and with all creatures. And this is the work which the Holy Spirit performs in faith. Because of it, without compulsion, a person is ready and glad to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer everything, out of love and praise to God who has shown this grace. Thus, it is impossible to separate works from faith, quite as impossible as to separate heat and light from fire.
The Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord, Article IV: Good Works, quoting Martin Luther.
