True Faith
When I was much younger, probably a decade ago, my dad did a youth class while the youth minister was away. I feel ashamed to say, that I don’t remember the class very well, but I do remember one thing. He started the class with a question: “What does God mean to you?” Most people, myself included, answered with a very generic “everything.” “Well, God means everything to me! He is my life!”
If I remember right, the class was about this topic: If God means so much to you, what are you doing for Him? It’s an important question, one that we ought to ask ourselves. Today, I want to ask the same question, in a similar light. What does God mean to you? More specifically, what does your faith in Him mean to you? Do you have faith in Him, or do you just hope that God is real, just hope to slide by into Heaven?
True Faith
Heb. 11:1 defines faith like this: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” In other words, faith is that on which our belief in the invisible, the spiritual, is built. Why do we believe in God, trust in God, do what He says? Because we have faith. Our faith is built on evidence, based on the Word (Rom. 10:17). It’s not something magical, something fantastical. We don’t just have HOPE God exists, that’s not faith. Rather faith is proclaiming: “I KNOW God is real, and the things in His Word are true!”
So what does that faith mean to you? What does your faith look like? Is it a dead faith, or is it a living faith? Is it perfected? What did God want James’ audience to know about faith? James 2:21-22: “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?”
What does perfect faith look like?
Friends, I want a true faith. I want a faith that God is proud of. If somehow there was a situation similar to the book of Job, I wish my name could replace Job’s. You might remember in Job 1:6-12, and Job 2:1-6, where Satan came before God one day. Job 1:8: “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” I want that kind of faith, the faith that makes God say: “That’s My child, have you considered My servant Cannon?” The kind of faith that makes Jesus marvel, like He did when speaking to the centurion in Mat. 8. In Mat. 8:10: “When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” I want that kind of faith.
So what does it take? What do I need to have such a faith? For one, I can find out what that faith is NOT. We’ve seen it over and over in this chapter we’re studying, but James 2:20: “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” But secondly, I need to know what true faith looks like, faith that has works.
So first, I cannot have a dead faith. That kind of faith that does not show itself, that never seeks to please God by doing His will, but thinks everything is alright when in reality, it is far from alright. Faith without works is… a faith. But it is a dead faith, James tells us. If I want to have faith in God, and expect Him to bless me as He said He would, I have to make my faith mean something, it can’t be dead.
A faith without works doesn’t work for me. If I have faith, but do no good works for God, how can I expect my faith to do anything for me? That’s not a faith built on evidence, Heb. 11:1. That’s not a faith built on the truth of the Scriptures, Rom. 10:17: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” That’s wishful thinking, that’s hope that will disappoint me greatly. Because a faith without works is dead; a faith without works doesn’t work for me, and it doesn’t work for you.
Second, I need to know what a living faith looks like. Verse 21: “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?” Why Abraham? What’s special about his example? There’s plenty of examples to pick from. We could take examples of Joshua, or David, or Moses, many others. But why Abraham? I think for two reasons.
James’ audience was primarily Jewish Christians; notice he writes “Abraham our father…”. This was their father of the faith, the Jewish faith. They learned about him since they were children, and learned to love him. He was a powerful example of love for God, deep, abiding trust, etc. Even for Gentiles who would read this letter, Abraham meant something to them too. He was a well-loved man by all. In Rom. 4, Paul talks about the fact that Abraham was blessed before he was circumcised. His blessing was not because he had the same physical characteristic as a Jew. The Gentiles could relate to him.
But another reason comes to my mind: because of who is the next example. First, James uses Abraham, a dearly beloved figure; verse 21: “Was not Abraham our father justified by works…”. Then he uses Rahab, who we would consider having a very low reputation; verse 25: “Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works…”. She used to be a harlot; she didn’t continue in this practice, or she could not have been justified. But in the minds of people then, and even us today, she was associated with that practice. From the highest of reputations, to the lowest of reputations, from “our father” (father in the faith) to “the harlot”, faith and works can go together to do something special.
“Was not Abraham our father justified by works…”
Justified: pronounced or declared just. He was counted, reckoned, pronounced, declared, to be in a right relationship with God. It is a sense in which nothing separates him from God. That’s what I want, don’t you? I received that same condition Abraham has, when I was baptized. 1 Cor. 6:11: “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” I can be sanctified, set apart. I can be justified, if I only have a faith that cares. A faith that truly believes in God and obeys what He would have me to do.
Justified by works: “BY” works, meaning this is the source of Abraham’s being justified: works. Now let’s be clear about something. Eph. 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.” NOT OF WORKS, let any man should boast. Is it my works that justify, save me, or is it not? In the end, God justifies me, plain and simple. But HOW am I justified? Not in works that I can boast of, and act like God owes me salvation, but works that God demands so that I can obtain salvation!
“…when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?”
I want us to turn to Gen. 22, and see what Abraham did, how his works combined with his faith to perfect that faith. Gen. 22:1-2: “1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.”
If you have studied James 1 recently, you might remember that James tells us: God does not and cannot tempt anyone. James 1:13: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:” Rather this was a test of faith.
Why did God test him in this way? Why ask him to sacrifice “his son, his only son, who he loves?” What did God get out of it? I don’t think God really got anything out of it; rather, this was for Abraham’s sake. This is a test of HIS faith in God, and if he goes through with this, then he can be, as James says in James 1:4, spiritually mature and whole, lacking nothing. But why the sacrifice of his son? Perhaps because of the land Abraham was in. One could ask Abraham: “Abraham, God has given you this land in prospect, this land of Canaan. Do you know how they prove their faith, their love and devotion to their gods? They sacrifice their children; Abraham, do you have as much faith as a Canaanite?”
Could we do something like that? If God asked us to do the same thing, could we sacrifice a child of ours? I don’t even have children, and I know I couldn’t.
Gen. 22:3-5: “3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the donkey; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.”
He rose up early; he didn’t delay, he didn’t put it off, he rose up early to do the Lord’s will. He went on for three days, knowing what he was about to do! As far as he was concerned, Isaac was a dead man walking for three days. But notice what he said in verse 5: “I and the lad will go yonder to worship, and come again to you.” He believed that even if he sacrificed his son, God would bring him back.
How do we know that? Heb. 11:17-19: “17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.” Gen. 22:8 is even more proof of that.
Gen. 22:10-14: “10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.”
Abraham was willing to go through with it. He was willing to bind his own son to the altar, to kill him, to give him up to God. But God didn’t want Isaac.
God wanted Abraham. Rom. 12:1-2: “1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Abraham became that living sacrifice when he was willing to offer up his son. And Abraham showed his faith, through his works, that he trusted in God, he believed in him. And Abraham called that place “Jehovah-Jireh”, which means “The Lord will provide.”
Now back in our text, in James 2:22: “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” Faith was made perfect, spiritually mature. What would Abraham’s faith look like if he had not offered Isaac? What kind of faith might he have? In overcoming this ordeal, his faith in God grew. A faith not tested is a faith not worth having. And as hard as it is to say sometimes, thanks be to God that God allows our faith to be tested, so that we can be tried, and come out more faithful to Him.
Faith alone doesn’t save, it’s a dead faith. But faith with works is something to behold indeed. We can overcome trials, we can overcome the difficulties of life, if we have faith in God. And our actions can show just how much faith we have, and cause our faith to grow even more.
When faith combines with works, it is a faith that works. Not just a living faith, that does good works for God, but a faith that works for us. A faith that can bless us, a faith that can help to save our souls. What kind of faith do you have? Do you have a living faith? Do you have a faith that seeks to please God?
What does God mean to you; and what does your faith in Him mean to you? Only you can determine the answer, only you can decide if it is a living faith! But if it is a dead faith, if it is a faith that does not seek to serve the Lord, then friend, as much as I love you, I have to tell you, a dead faith belongs to a spiritually dead person. A spiritually dead person is lost, is not headed for Heaven, is not going to make it on the Day of Judgement. God doesn’t accept those who “just slide by,” they have to be willing to put in the effort, Mat. 7:21.
What does God mean to you?