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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! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
James 2:18-26 ESV
I. Saving Faith and Spiritual Gifts
A. Saving faith is a gift of the Spirit but is not a spiritual gift.
B. The spiritual gift of faith and the gift of saving faith are different because they are directed at different objects and hope for different outcomes.
C. James is not talking about the gift of faith but the genuineness of saving faith, which is shown by good works.
II. Saving Faith and Demonic Doctrine
A. Intellectual assent to correct doctrine is not the same thing as saving faith.
B. Doctrine is good as long as it leads to delight in Christ and being doers of the Word and demonic in nature if it does not.
III. Saving Faith and Works Work Together Always
A. Saving faith and works have worked together since the beginning, starting with the original Jew Abraham.
B.Works not only complement faith, but they complete it as well.
IV. Next Steps
A. Saving faith may be invisible, but it always produces visible results for the sake of worshipping the object of our faith, Jesus Christ.
B. By faith in Jesus Christ God calls us his friends and by works we show we are not just name dropping but we are trusting fully in the name of Jesus.
C. Saving faith and good works working together is not just something true of the super Christians but is true of all who are truly in Christ.