The Hands Display
The Hands Display
James 2:14-26
It’s great to see you this morning. Today, we’re in week 2 of our Grace-Fueled Generosity series, and we’re looking for the evidence of generosity in our lives. We live in a prove-it world. At the elementary school playground, you have to prove you’re the fastest…you can’t just claim it. When you apply to college, you have to prove your academic capabilities with your GPA and the right test scores. It’s not enough to promise you’ll be a good student. At work, you have to prove your value to your boss by showing the results. And husbands, your wife doesn’t just want to hear about how much you love her….she wants you to bring her flowers, take her out on a date, and help around the house. …. No matter what scenario we’re talking about, we need evidence to back up our claims.
And believe it or not, God’s economy is not that different. As we’re going to see today, we don’t have to prove our worth to God (That would be an effort in futility), but the Bible does teach us, from the Old Testament to the New, that a genuine faith in God produces evidence of authenticity. It is insufficient to simply claim you believe in God or to claim to be a Christian. There should be evidence of that belief in our lives. And in the same way, generosity can’t just be something we talk about; it should be something that we do. So, the big idea for today is: Generosity begins in the heart but is proven by the hands.
We’re going to look at two different texts today to help us understand this. If you have your Bibles, I want to invite you to first turn to James 2. That’s all the way in the back of your Bible, just a few books before Revelation. The Scripture will also be on the screen.
James is written by James, the half-brother of Jesus, who was a skeptic at first, but later turned into a devout disciple. He is writing to the Jewish converts to Christianity who have been dispersed beyond Jerusalem because of persecution, and his letter is packed with very practical wisdom that comes in the form of both encouragement and correction. In chapter 2, he speaks to the issue of empty claims of faith. Evidently, there was a trend among the Church in showing favoritism to the elite. They were making special accommodations for the rich but neglecting the poor. James calls this out as sin because they are breaking God’s law of loving your neighbor as yourself. He argues that if their faith were genuine, then they would strive to obey God in every area, not just in ways that were convenient or profitable to them. And that’s where we pick up our text in chapter 2, verse 14.
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.
If you’re taking notes, here’s the first point: Faith without works is dead.
The word James uses is nekros. It’s where we get the word necrotic, and it means lifeless or not functioning. He repeats this phrase again at the end of the chapter in verse 26,
26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
James is speaking to claims of faith without any evidence to back them up. If you’ve ever heard a politician speak, then you’re familiar with the concept…. I wish I were kidding….
Some of you may not believe that I can dunk a basketball. If we had time and our equipment weren’t in the way, we could lower one of these goals and I could show you my skills…. But unfortunately, we can’t do that today. So, my guess is that most of you won’t believe me since you haven’t seen any evidence of my claim, and my height certainly doesn’t allude to any dunking ability.
The point is, if we claim to be a Christian but our actions don’t reflect that claim, then James says there’s a problem somewhere. Something doesn’t add up. Now, the goal of this argument is not to make everyone in the room question their salvation. All Christians are a work in progress and are growing in sanctification. But if the overall pattern and trajectory of your life is neglect of God and a refusal to obey his word, then that’s an indication that your faith is flawed. If that sounds unfair or judgmental, let’s see what James says next,
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe—and they shudder.
James plays out this argument a little bit to show that some will try and separate faith and works, claiming you don’t need to have both…. faith is good, works are good. In other words, you do it your way, and I’ll do it mine. But then he says this kind of thinking is evil because the demons have a faith that is separate from works. What does that mean?
Some of you may think that demons, including Satan, don’t believe in the deity of Jesus, or you may think that the demons believe they have a chance at one day defeating God. Why else would they be working against him? But the Bible shows us that’s not the case. We see many times in Scripture where Satan and the demons directly recognize the power and authority of Jesus.
We see one clear example of this in Mark 5. Mark tells us that “As soon as he (Jesus), got out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met him… 6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and knelt down before him. 7 And he cried out with a loud voice, “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you before God, don’t torment me!”
This demon recognizes Jesus as the one true God. If you read on in Mark 5, and in the other accounts, you find out that this is actually a legion of demons, and they are begging for mercy from Jesus because they know he has the authority to throw them into hell (and they know they deserve it). This shows us that the demons know who Jesus is, and they believe in his authority, but they do not submit to him as Lord. Their faith is only verbal. It stops at knowledge and doesn’t lead to transformation of the heart, so there’s no fruit from obedience or worship. It’s a dead faith.
Back in James’ letter, we see that he goes on to give some Biblical examples of this principle.
20 Senseless person! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? (idle, inactive) 21 Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works in offering Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was made complete, 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 justified by works and not by faith alone.
James uses Abraham to illustrate his point. He quotes Genesis 15, which says Abraham’s righteousness came from his belief in God, but he uses Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac, which doesn’t take place until Genesis 22 (approximately 30 years later), as evidence that Abraham’s faith was legitimate. Abraham’s works gave proof of his faith. Then James throws in that glaring statement that has caused a lot of discussion in the church for many years….verse 24, “a person is justified by works and not by faith alone….”
If we take that statement by itself, it’s very problematic for us. In fact, it would go against everything that we teach and base our salvation on…that it’s by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Some theologians have even argued that James and the apostle Paul disagree on this issue since Paul wrote things like Ephesians 2:8-9, “8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— 9 not from works, so that no one can boast.”
And Galatians 2:16, “yet because we know that a person is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus. This was so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified.”
Is James preaching that salvation comes through our works? No! When we look at the whole picture, we see that James is very much in agreement with Paul and vice versa. In chapter 1, James says that “every good and perfect gift is from above (that includes salvation, the greatest gift of all)…. And he says that by [the Father’s] own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth.”
James knows that our salvation is not by works, but by faith. So, we have to understand exactly what he is addressing here in Chapter 2. He’s not teaching the grounds for justification, but he’s dealing with the issue of counterfeit faith. In other words, saving faith (justifying faith) is by faith and not by works, but saving faith will produce good works…and Paul agrees. In Romans 6, Paul writes, “What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not!.... “Since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification.” That is, works that go with faith.
So, when we step back and put all that together, we get our second point: Our works verify our faith. This should not be hard for us to understand since we live in a world of 2-way verification. You can’t log in to anything anymore with just a password; you have to input the 6-digit code from a text or authenticator app. I think half of the text messages in my phone are security codes. You can’t order food from Taco Bell without verifying your identity. Although I don’t think that’s for security purposes, that’s for safety…Are you sure you want to do this?
Faith without works is not the faith of a justified believer, but saving faith is verified when there is evidence of transformation through the work of the Holy Spirit. That’s proof that it’s real. That means that faith and works cannot be separated in the life of a Christian. The two go hand in hand. That doesn’t mean we’re going to be perfect or that there’s an overnight transformation (sometimes), but there is, what Eugene Peterson called, a long obedience in the same direction. We call this a stumbling pursuit of holiness, and the Bible is full of men and women who were on this path. They weren’t perfect, but they had a genuine, saving faith, and their actions were evidence of that. James points out Abraham as his first example. Then he gives a female example (you know, to be fair….).
25 In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works in receiving the messengers and sending them out by a different route?
Rahab lived in Jericho and hid the Israelite spies. She essentially handed the city over to the Israelites… because she feared God. And we could go through a whole list of people who demonstrated their faith in similar ways. In fact, there’s a whole chapter in the Bible devoted to that. Hebrews 11 lists heroes of the faith. It gives story after story of men and women whose fruit proved their faith. Hebrews 11:39 says, “All these were approved through their faith (the word is faithfulness)….” Faithis an internal belief…what happens on the inside, and it gets demonstrated through faithfulness…what happens on the outside. If you have faith, then you will be faithful. So, you can see that the whole of Scripture teaches this principle…works don’t lead to faith, but works do flow from faith.
The other thing to notice about the examples that James uses, Abraham and Rahab, and all the examples in Hebrews 11, is that their faith was demonstrated not only through obedience, but through sacrifice. Abraham was going to sacrifice his only son…the very son that God had promised to give him. Rahab risked her life to help a few spies and a nation that she had no connection to. Many of the heroes in Hebrews 11 were killed for their faith. A lot of times, we don’t talk about the cost of following Jesus. There’s a popular message in the Church today that God wants to bless you in a way that takes away all your pain and suffering. That if you really have faith, then you will be healed, your car will be fixed, your bills will be paid, and your life will be easier. Can God do all those things? Yes! Does he do those things? Yes, sometimes he does. Is that the promise of Scripture? No, not on this side of heaven. In fact, Jesus said to count the cost before following him and to take up your cross daily in self-denial. He told one man to leave behind his family, and another to let the dead bury the dead. And he said if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. None of that sounds pain-free or easy. The faith that God gives us often costs us greatly.
There’s another great example of what this type of faith looks like in 2 Corinthians 8. Last week, we looked at part of 2 Corinthians 9, where Paul talked about being a cheerful giver, but when we back up a little, we see the example that Paul is encouraging the Corinthians to follow.
2 Corinthians 8:1-5,
We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that was given to the churches of Macedonia: (Biblical affirmation – praising God, not the Macedonians) 2 During a severe trial brought about by affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 I can testify that, according to their ability and even beyond their ability, of their own accord, 4 they begged us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in the ministry to the saints, 5 and not just as we had hoped. Instead, they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us by God’s will.
Here is an example of what it looks like when genuine faith turns into action. As the apostles traveled to different local churches throughout the region, they were collecting an offering to be used to help Christians who were suffering as a result of difficult conditions from both famine and persecution. The money was collected and sent back to Jerusalem to be distributed as needed. And Paul says that the Macedonians responded in a big way to this need. They showed incredible generosity that was not flippant or shallow. They weren’t just throwing some change in a bucket outside of Wal-Mart. It was intentional, and it shows us (point #3) that: Generosity is the product of faith that’s been tested and approved.
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I want to point out three characteristics of their giving.
1. It was sacrificial. The Macedonians weren’t pulling in six figures and living high on the hog. This was during a severe trial of their own. They had needs and were suffering, but Paul says their joy and poverty overflowed in generosity. He even says they begged for the privilege of giving. This is the kind of work that verifies faith. People who only have a verbal faith, a faith like the demons, don’t give out of an overflow of their poverty. On the other hand, when we believe and understand the significance of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for our salvation, it compels us to give sacrificially because, not only do we count everything else a loss in comparison, but we want to give like Jesus did, and it’s a way that we worship. Romans 12 says that our worship is to present ourselves as living sacrifices before God. Here's the question: what are you willing to sacrifice to be generous? The new car, new shoes, buying organic food….? Are you willing to give up one of your vacations next year or put less in your retirement fund? Everything in the Bible shows us that godly giving is sacrificial giving…it should cost us something. And, as we learned last week, that doesn’t mean we give reluctantly or out of guilt. It’s cheerful giving. It’s Spirit-led giving. The generosity that flows from faith is sacrificial because it doesn’t come from us. It is the work of God in us and not just our human compulsion, which leads to the second characteristic of the Macedonians’ giving.
2. It was the work of God. Paul saw their generosity as the work of God’s grace, which caused them to give beyond their ability and well beyond what Paul and the other apostles expected them to give. This resonates with me in two ways. I have seen and experienced firsthand God’s grace move people to generosity in ways that just don’t make sense from a human perspective. When we were adopting, we were given tens of thousands of dollars to help cover the costs, and the most generous gifts were often from people who we knew didn’t have a lot of money, or from people we didn’t even know at all! They heard our story and felt compelled to give. So, it’s not that the Macedonians were just exceptional people or more mature believers, even, but they were spiritually and physically available for God to work in and through them. That’s the second way their giving resonates with me. It’s both encouraging and convicting that you don’t have to be a naturally generous person to be generous. I’ve said it before, but I’m a saver, not a spender. I like to be calculated and stick to my budget, and I don’t take a lot of risks. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it can work against my propensity to be generous. That means I need the work of God; I need his grace working in me to give me the ability and desire to be generous. And this passage shows me that’s possible. If I can set aside all my fears and my need to be in control, then, like the Macedonians, my faith can overflow in the fruit of generosity. But if I just try and will myself to be more generous or if I give to try impress or even live up to others, I’m going to fail. Here’s a question to consider: Are you relying on your own ability to be generous, or have you asked and allowed God to do that work in you? I’m going to give you some more specifics on that later….
This leads to the third characteristic of the Macedonians’ giving.
3. It was vertical before it was horizontal. In verse 5, Paul says they gave themselves first to the Lord, and then to us. That means they weren’t just giving to meet a need or appease the request of the apostles. They did those things, but that wasn’t their primary motivation. Their giving was truly an act of worship and surrender to God. Almost every week at the end of our service during our offering time, we say that we don’t want you to give out of guilt or obligation, but as a response to who God is and what he’s done for you. Now, we can accomplish a lot with horizontal giving. There is a lot of money that is given to various organizations and needs that are good causes and accomplish good work.
You can give to The 501st Legion. In an effort to promote an interest in Star Wars, this volunteer organization, based on the baddies of The Republic, brings together costume enthusiasts who want to contribute to their community. Through Star Wars-related events, they participate in fundraising and volunteer efforts to show that bad guys can do good. Or there’s The Critter Connection. In a world where dogs and cats are known as pet royalty, other pets like guinea pigs are often left to fend for themselves. The Critter Connection started in 2004 to make sure that no guinea pig gets left behind. They take in neglected or abandoned guinea pigs. When necessary, they help nurse them back to health and then find them loving homes. To this day, they’ve helped save over 1,500 guinea pigs.
The Church is not just another non-profit organization, and we’re not talking about giving to a good cause. This is about a response to the Gospel and the advancement of the Gospel. Our mission at City Awakening is to Reach People and Reach the World, but the gospel preached by stingy Christians isn’t a very compelling message, and a stingy church won’t be equipped to do the ministry that God is calling them to do. However, as Pastor Louis said last week, this is not about the money in your wallet, but about your heart. So, before you take out your wallet to give an offering, ask if you’ve given yourself first to the Lord.
This brings us back to the Big Idea of the message: Generosity begins in the heart but is proven by the hands. Jesus demonstrated this best when he generously gave his life on the cross to pay the price for our sins. It was sacrificial, it was the work of God, and it was first an act of obedience to the Father before it was an act of love for us. So, if you’re not a believer today or maybe you're skeptical of the church talking about money, then I want to know I’m not asking you to give anything. I want to invite you to receive what’s been given to you, the gift of salvation through Jesus. I (or one of our other pastors) would love to talk with you about that after the service.
If you’re a believer, then I want to give you some ways to apply this message, stretch your faith, and practice generosity this week.
First, consider The Generosity Tree. If you’ve never given an offering to the church, then you can start by becoming a first-time giver. Whether it’s $2 or $200, that first step is a step of faith and is an honor to God. If you give occasionally, reprioritize your budget so you can become a Regular Giver. What can you give up to start setting aside something weekly or monthly to give? If you already give regularly, maybe you need to evaluate that and make sure it’s not just a comfortable habit. Are you living contently so that you can give sacrificially as an act of worship? On your seats are some questions to help evaluate.
We want you to take some time this week and sit with those, allowing space for the Holy Spirit to speak to you. I especially want to point out that last question, “What would it look like if instead of asking how much you need to give, you asked yourself how much you need to keep?” That’s a tough, but great question that can help us move from giving regularly to living contently and then giving generously.
Lastly, I want to point you to an opportunity above and beyond your regular giving. Last year, we partnered with Residing Hope and collected bedding for their ministry to kids and teens in foster care. This year, we are collecting items for Christmas stockings that will go to their kids in their residential care program. You can read more about their ministry, but this is a simple and practical way for us to practice generosity together. You can bring those items over the next 3 Sundays (2nd, 9th, 16th)….
City Awakening, I am thankful for your generosity! I believe we already have a generous church, but I also know, because it’s true in my life, that God can and wants to grow us even more. Let’s pray that generosity would take root in our hearts and then be proven by our hands.
