Faith and Deeds

Faith and Deeds James 2:14-26, Matthew 25:31-46  Preacher: Pastor Mark Bartch Kobe Union Church 26 January 2025

Before jumping into the topic of faith and deeds, I want to highlight something I didn’t fully address last week. We talked about the seductive power of money and the danger of letting it shape how we see ourselves, others, and our spiritual walk. I said—and I’ll say it again—your bank account will not get you into heaven. That’s why giving to the church is such a radical act. The world tells us to hoard our wealth and even celebrates those who accumulate the most. Obscenely wealthy people are revered, yet, as followers of Christ, we freely give to the Lord almost as a protest that says money is not our God.

There’s another point I didn’t fully flesh out last week, and it’s an important one. It’s a theological argument, yes, but also a practical one. James talks about the nature of temptation and trials. When we face trials, some Christians see a devil behind every bush or label anything they dislike as “spiritual warfare.” But James doesn’t let us off the hook that easily. He says temptation comes from within. We’re tempted by our own desires. Satan merely piggybacks on the things we dwell on.

You’ve heard the phrase, “You are what you eat.” Well, in large part, you are what you dwell on. If you focus on things of the Spirit, the evil one will find it difficult to gain a foothold to tempt you. But if you dwell on things that are not of God, you create fertile soil for temptation to grow.

So, we need to ask ourselves: Do our desires align with the fruit of the Spirit? If not, it’s time to do some soul-searching. When we water the seeds of darkness in our hearts, that’s the place the evil one seeks to exploit—not just to tempt us but to lead us to destruction.

Take Cain, for example. His story—the second-oldest tale of temptation after Adam and Eve—teaches us an important lesson. God wasn’t pleased with Cain’s worship, but He also told him how to fix it.

Let’s pause and talk about worship for a moment. Jesus calls us to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. THAT IS THE ONLY KIND OF WORSHIP THAT PLEASES THE LORD. Worship encompasses all aspects of the Sunday morning service—from ushers to children lighting candles—not just the music.

Now, I love it when the music flows beautifully over the congregation. I’ve been in churches with great musicians the sound was amazing but it did not feel like worship. True worship comes from a love and joy for the Lord. It’s not about perfection. I don’t care if the music is off-key—well, maybe a little—but I care far more about whether the people leading worship are worshiping with their whole hearts.

Cain’s worship mattered in his relationship with God. When God addressed it, God wasn’t rejecting Cain; He was inviting him to grow and change. 

Instead of listening to God and changing his worship, Cain let darkness take over his heart and mind. He turned against his brother Abel, thinking, “If there’s no competition, God will have to accept me.” But God saw Cain’s heart and warned him: “Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:7).

That’s James’ message, too. We need to take responsibility for the darkness in our hearts and let God’s light shine in. Light always drives out darkness—no ifs, ands, or buts. Martin Luther King Jr. said it well: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.”

James uses the image of birth to describe sin. Birth is a process (9 months). It takes time. At first, you might not even realize it’s there. But eventually, it starts to show. You can hide a pregnancy for a while, but not forever. Left unchecked, sin gives birth to death. Don’t give sin a foothold. As much as giving finances is a radical act, so is the act of repentance, and the Lord will forgive you if you ask. ASK!!!!

Today’s passage, I think, is one of those passages that I do not think even needs to be preached because it is so self-evident. NO, WE ARE NOT SAVED BY WORKS, BUT OUR WORKS ARE A REFLECTION OF OUR FAITH! But Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran Church and a key figure of the Protestant Reformation, famously called the Book of James “a book of straw.” He hated the book’s emphasis on faith in action. He thought it took away from the truth that we are saved by grace and grace alone and was worried that the new protestant church would fall into the trap of the Catholic Church which emphasized works righteousness. 

There’s a saying that resonates with me: “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” Another one that ties closely to James’ message is: “Actions speak louder than words.” I enjoy watching people—observing how they interact and reveal their character through what they do far more than what they say. Actually, I have been around enough wordy people in my life that I care a heck of a lot more about what people do than what people say.

Jesus told the parable in Matthew 21:28-31: “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” The first son did, of course. Words matter, but so do your actions.

James, the half-brother of Jesus and a carpenter by trade, also liked to observe people. Carpenters, farmers, plumbers, and others who work with their hands tend to value action over talk. Given the choice between a plumber who can talk about pipes and one who can clean out your pipes, hire the plumber who can do the job. It’s pretty basic stuff. If you’ve ever worked alongside such people, you’ll know what I mean.

Christian faith is similar: it requires both showing and speaking. When Jesus was asked about His ministry in John 1, His response was, “Come and see.” Have you heard the phrase “You are the only gospel people will ever hear”? It simply says your witness starts with your life and how you handle especially difficult people and times. That opens people up to hearing the life-giving message of Christ. Jesus didn’t just talk about sacrifice; He lived it by going to the cross (not for His) sins but for mine. Too many of us start our evangelical work with our mouths rather than by living out our faith in real and practical ways.

James challenges us to live a faith that is active, not hollow. He asks, “What good is it if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?” (v. 14). His question confronts us: does our faith show up in our lives, or is it all talk? He goes on to say that even the demons believe in God.

John says it like this: "But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” The biblical definition of "receive" comes from the Greek word "λαμβάνω" (lambanō), which means to take hold of or welcome into our hearts.

James gives practical examples: if a brother or sister is hungry or cold, and all you say is, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” without meeting their needs, what good is that (v. 15-16)? Faith that doesn’t move us to action is d-e-a-d. But let’s be positive.

As an example, James uses two extremes from a Jewish perspective. He references Father Abraham, who demonstrated his faith through his willingness to take his son up the hill to sacrifice him to the Lord, and Rahab, the brothel owner (some might feel uncomfortable), who recognized God’s movement and saved the lives of the Hebrew spies. By using these two extremes—Abraham (the ideal) and Rahab (not the ideal)—James emphasizes that none of us are as elevated as Abraham, nor do we see ourselves as low as Rahab. Yet, if these two individuals could express their faith through action, then so should we.

In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus gives a powerful picture of what faith in action looks like when He says:“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’”

Jesus teaches that caring for others, especially those in need, is a demonstration of true faith. The righteous ask, “When did we do these things for you, Lord?” And He answers, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

This passage echoes what James teaches: faith isn’t just about the words we say but how we express it—how we live it out. When we stand before the Lord (and we will), will He find fruit in our lives? Will He see love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)? Or will He find only empty words?

As Jesus said in Matthew 7:16, “By their fruit you will recognize them.”

I talked about receiving or (having true faith in) Christ. How do we do it?

1. To Accept Jesus as Lord and Savior (John 3:16): "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

2. To Actively Participate in a Relationship with God (James 1:22): "Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

3. Abide in Christ (John 15:4-5): "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."

4. Be Filled with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23): "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

5. Express your faith by what you do! (James 2:17): "Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (See, I did not put this first.)

So let’s ask ourselves: How is our faith impacting our daily lives? Are we just leaves, or do we have fruit to show? Let’s seek the Holy Spirit’s help to live out our faith in tangible ways, so that when we meet the Lord, we can hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."