Introduction

1. True faith will always produce lasting fruit that glorifies God. In James 2:17 & 26 it is made very clear that a faith that produces no works is a dead faith and is totally useless to the person who exercises it. James expects his proposition to be challenged and therefore seeks to answer such objections. He does this by contrasting false faith with true faith.
   
   
2. The Devil, we need to remember will always seek to circulate counterfeits to true God glorifying religion. The counterfeit to a life of faith-fruits, is a life where you can have either faith or works. According to this teaching the Lord does not expect to find both (faith & works) in the same person. The error claims that faith expressed in piety or good works are alternative expressions of the Christian religion. James rejects this false teaching totally, he insists that true faith always has lasting fruit. Works without faith cannot please God, neither can faith without fruit please the Lord.

1. The grim reality of dead faith in the Lord

1. James 2:19 says; 'You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble. 'The word James uses to describe the 'belief' of the demons is the same word used throughout this discourse on the true nature of faith. The Jews according to their custom began and closed each day with the declaration given in Deuteronomy 6:4 'Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the Lord is one. ' True religion revolved around knowing Jehovah and that He is the only true and living God. Devotion to any other god or gods was countered as false religion.
   
   
2. It is very important to note that James is speaking about Christian faith specifically. In James 2:1 he speaks of the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. The faith found in Christians must be the same as the faith that was exercised by Jesus during his earthly life. Is the difference between the faith of a Christian and the faith of a Jew or Moslem, only in the substance of what is believed? Do Jews, Moslems and Christians worship the same God? Are we Christian because we believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross at Calvary. Surely Pontius Pilate, King Herod, the High Priest, the Sanhedrin and 1000's of Jews who witnessed the crucifixion believed this, but were not Christians. Do we need to add to the death of Jesus, his resurrection, ascension and that he was fully God before we can claim that we are Christians? James makes the point that the demons know these things as fact, but that does not make them Christians. Listen to the testimony of the demons in Mark 1:23-14. Matthew 8:28-33.
   
   
3. The factual knowledge of the demons concerning God and the person of Jesus fills them with terror. The word translated in James 1:19 as tremble means to shudder, to quake with fear. Thomas Manton concerning this word says; 'it signifies extreme_./ear and horror of spirit.. 'The factual knowledge of the demon is far more than intellectual assent, the facts cause them to live terrified of God. Terrified of the coming judgement and the eternal punishment they know will be theirs. They know the truth and it makes them greatly afraid. A knowledge of orthodox doctrines does not constitute faith. Anyone can pick up a sound book on theology and learn it as they would any other subject.
   
   
4. Faith cannot be detached from knowledge, Paul makes that abundantly clear in Romans 10:14. How could you believe on the person and work of Jesus if you have never heard of the wonderful redemptive acts of God in His only begotten Son? Faith is more than knowledge. It has to be more than simply knowing what you have heard and learned from the Scriptures about Jesus is true. Even if what you know and accept as truth stirs your emotions or provides an experience. The demons have all these elements. but are not Christians. They know that the Word of the Lord will stand, and the second death that awaits them will most certainly come.
   
   
5. True faith always produces fruit. The fruit of faith that is lacking in the demons is peace with God The opposite of peace with God is not war, but trembling terrifying fear before God the righteous Judge. Before peace with God can be experienced, full and complete reconciliation must take place. Those to whom God has been reconciled in Christ are the friends of God. Faith that does not result in lasting peace with God is not true faith. The grim reality of dead faith is that it may have many facets and elements of true faith, but it falls short of genuine faith. Most counterfeit notes look like the real thing, often the on1v thing lacking is the watermark. Without the watermark it is a worthless piece of coloured paper. Dead faith may have a great number of similarities with true faith, but if it does not produce peace with God it is a false faith. Peace must be the lasting fruit of true faith if we really understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 spells out the fact of reconciliation at the heart of the Gospel. 

2. The wonder of true faith in the Lord

1. In James 2.21-23 Abraham is held up as an example of true faith. In verse 21 James points to the obedience of Abraham on Mount Moriah, where the Lord told Abraham to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham had exercised faith in the Lord for about 100 years when this incident on Mount Moriah took place. Abraham's faith reaches the high watermark when in Genesis 22:8 Abraham says to Isaac concerning the offering My son, God himself will provide the lamb for the sacrifice.' Abraham demonstrates total confidence in God. In Hebrews 11:17-19 we are told Abraham was so convinced that the Lord's promise 'in Isaac your seed shall be called' would be fulfilled, that he was prepared to offer him on the altar because he knew God was able to raise Isaac from the dead to fulfill this promise Abraham is totally confident that God is faithful.
   
   
2. With this amazing confidence in God exercised by Abraham, listen to James' conclusion: 'Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by his works faith was made perfect? The matter under consideration here is Abraham's faith. The reality of his faith is demonstrated by the absolute confidence he has in God. This act of obedience severely tested every aspect of his faith in God. Every remnant of the sinful nature would rise up and challenge the logic, need and purpose of this deed. The relationship Abraham enjoyed with God must have been rock solid. In this incident Abraham's love, and submission to the Lord were complete. James says Abraham's_. faith was made perfect. The word perfect can and ought to have been translated as complete in this verse. What is complete faith in the Lord?
   
   I believe the words of Hymn 577 express the fullness of faith Abraham exercised in the Lord.
   My times are in Thy hand: my God I wish them there: My life, my fiends, my soul I leave entirely in thy care
   My times are in Thy hand; whatever they may be. Pleasing or painful, dark or light, As best may seem to Thee.
   My times are in Thy hand; why should I doubt or fear? My father's hand will never cause, His child a needless tear.
   My times are in Thy hand; Jesus the Crucified: Those hands my cruel sins had pierced are now my guard and guide.
   My times are in Thy hand; I'll always trust in Thee: And after death, at Thy right hand, I shall forever be.
   
   
3. Listen to RVG Tasker commenting on verse 23: 'The words here quoted from Genesis 15:6 'And he, (Abraham) believed in the Lord and He accounted it to him_. for righteousness', though they referred specifically to something that happened thirty years before the incident narrated in Genesis 22, are nevertheless regarded as being fulfilled in Abraham's readiness to sacrifice Isaac, for there is a sense in which they were prophetic of that event. There had to be, in the providential ordering of things. There were occasions when the truth that Abraham's faith had been counted unto him for righteousness became transparently clear; and this was one of them, though by no means the only one.' The events on Mount Moriah demonstrated that Abraham's faith was genuine. As time passed, Abraham's relationship with the Lord strengthened, his love, trust, confidence and reliance grew. In the events of Mount Moriah we see Abraham resting in God, he knows and depends on the fact that the Lord is faithful and true, he was at peace with God.
   
   
4. What was the difference between the faith of Abraham and the faith of demons? Some have sought to build an argument on the fact that James 2:23 says Abraham believed God, rather than Abraham believed in God. Believing God means believing God in the entirety of his being, whereas believing in God means believing in his existence. This argument is not valid for 2 reasons:
   
   
1. Genesis 15:6 says: Abraham believed in the Lord. 'thus making the distinction invalid.
2. The demons know and believe God in the entirety of his being, this fact torments them.
   What then is the difference between the faith of Abraham and the faith and the faith of demons? The difference I believe reveals itself in 2 ways:
   
1. Abraham's response to the relationship with God is obedience. This link between the relationship with God and obedience can be clearly seen in Genesis 12:1-8. The demons may not give obedience to the King of Glory, but they are terrified of his judgement.
   
2. Abraham enjoyed a living and loving relationship with the Lord. James underlined this fact reminding his readers that Abraham was called the friend of God. This relationship is at the very crux of the matter. True faith establishes a living and loving relationship between God and the elect sinner. The demons do not have a living and loving relationship with the Almighty. The demons are not offered such a relationship with the only true and living God. The free offer of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ essentially offers this living and loving relationship. Those who have true faith are adopted sons of God.
   
   
5. This is the wonder of true faith, it establishes a living and loving relationship with God that is everlasting. God gives this faith to all whom he calls to be reconciled to himself through Jesus Christ. God is the origin, source and dispenser of this faith. God and God alone can give this true faith. Once God has given this faith nothing can ever destroy it. The Lord will not withdraw this faith from those to who he gave it. Your faith is true faith if God has established a living and loving relationship with you, and your loving response is obedience to glorify God. A dead faith knows nothing of this relationship or obedience.

3. Do James and Paul disagree on the role of faith and works?

1. The need for this question arises from statements in James 2:21. 'Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?' and James 2:24. 'You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. ' These two verses seem to be a contradiction to Paul's emphasis in Roman 4 and Galatians 3:1-9 where he argues that a sinner is saved by faith and not works. Listen to how John Calvin deals with this matter.
   
   'But we ought to seek out a right interpretation according to the general drift of the whole passage. We have already said that James does not speak here of the cause of justification, or of the manner how men obtain righteousness, and this is plain to everyone; but that his object was only to shew that good works are always connected with faith; and therefore, since he declares that Abraham was justified by works. He is speaking of the proof he gave of his justification. When, therefore, the Sophists set up James against Paul, then go astray through the ambiguous meaning of a term. When Paul says that we are justified by faith, he means no other thing than that by faith we are counted righteous before God But James has quite another thing in view, even to shew that he who professes that he has faith, must prove the reality of his faith by his works. Doubtless James did not mean to teach us here the ground on which our hope of salvation ought to rest and it is this alone that Paul dwells upon.... We must take notice of the two fold meaning, of the word justified Paul means by it the gratuitous imputation of righteousness before the tribunal of God; and James, the manifestation of righteousness by the conduct, and that before men, as we may gather _.from the preceding words, "Shew to me thy _.faith, " etc. In this sense we fully allow that man is justified by works, as when any one says that a man is enriched by the purchase of a large and valuable chest, because his riches, before hid, shut up in a chest, were thus made known.
   
   
2. Paul's great concern is that wonder of God's grace be understood and acknowledged. The remnant of the sinful nature in Christians leaves them prone to boasting concerning their works. Salvation and the Christian life depends totally on grace, we are saved and kept by grace. Paul in Ephesians 2:8-10 makes this very point: 'For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves it is a gift from God, not of works lest anyone should boast. For you are His workmanship, created in Christ, for good works, which God prepared in advance that we should walk in them. ' Paul teaches that faith must produce good works, he would agree with James that faith without works is dead.
   
   
3. 'Faith is the work of God's grace in us, 'says CA Spurgeon.... 'grace is the first and last moving cause of salvation, and faith as important as it is, is only the machinery which grace employs... Faith occupies the position of a channel or conduit-pipe. Grace is the fountain or stream, faith is the aqueduct along which the flood of mercy_. flows down to refresh thirsty sons of men. God sets up faith in the Christian so that he may receive the manifold blessings of Christ Jesus. When the conduit of faith is in place the fact that grace and mercy are flowing into the persons life will be manifest through good works.

Conclusion.

You need to examine yourself to determine whether or not God has fixed faith in you that brings you into a living and loving relationship with him and whether you respond to this relationship with God in loving obedience. If the relationship is missing and the good works absent, then you need to determine whether the conduit of faith really exists.