Lesson 6 – How To Have Real Faith

BOOK OF JAMES 

DEVELOPING A FAITH THAT WORKS

Lesson 6

HOW TO HAVE REAL FAITH

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. ¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. ²⁰ You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? ²¹ Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. ²³ And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. ²⁴ You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. ²⁵ In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? ²⁶ As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. James 2:14-16

What Paul and James Say About Faith and Works

PAUL

Fighting

“Works” = Jewish

“Faith” = of salvation

How to you’re a Christian

How to a believer

JAMES

Fighting

“Works” = Christian

“Works” = of salvation

How to you’re a Christian

How to a believer

“For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith.” “God has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do.” Ephesians 2:8, 10 (GNT)

What is Real Faith?

1. Real faith is not just something you .

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?” James 2:14

2. Real faith is not just something you .

“Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?” James 2:15-16

“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” 1 John 3:17

“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James 2:17

3. Real faith is not just something you .

“But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” James 2:18a

“Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” James 2:18b

4. Real faith is not just something you .

“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” James 2:19

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” Psalm 14:1a

5. Real faith is something you .

“You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?  Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together.” James 2:20-22a

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” 2 Corinthians 13:5a