What is Dead Faith? – James 2:17
Suggest to people that salvation is by faith alone and you’re likely to hear disagreements. Many would say, “Faith is not enough. It must be accompanied by works or it’s not real. So, the person of dead faith remains an unbeliever.” James 2 is a chapter filled with controversy. Today we’ll wade into these volatile waters and look for answers and fresh insights. One thing is for sure: God wants our faith to be alive!
Discussion Questions
Why does it seem that people have a difficult time accepting that salvation is free apart from works? Why is it impossible to have the assurance of your salvation if that assurance is based on your works?
Read James 2:17. Since James wrote this epistle to Christians, what might James mean by a faith that is “dead?”
James builds his epistle around the concept of the “saving of the soul” (best translated the “preserving of life”). Read James 1:21 and 5:19-20. James is likely drawing from wisdom literature in suggesting we can preserve the physical life through obedience (compare Proverbs 10:27, 11:19, 12:28, 13:14 and 19:16).
Read James 2:14. The verse says that “faith can’t save.” How do you reconcile what appears to be a contradiction with the rest of Scripture that clearly says faith is enough for salvation (justification)? (See Ephesians 2:8-9 and Titus 3:4-6).
James 2 ends with what might be considered an unexpected conclusion about faith and works in verse 26. Works help our faith come alive. Can you think of examples where your good works helped bring life to your faith?
Hot or Cold? – Revelation 3:14-22
The last book of the Bible is one of the most difficult to understand. Revelation contains imagery and symbolism that can be very confusing. One such passage in Revelation involves Jesus warning a church that he is preparing to “spit them out of his mouth” because...
Confessing Jesus – Romans 10:9-10
People often try to make salvation harder to get than it really is. Faith alone in Christ alone is the clear teaching of the Bible. But a few verses in the Book of Romans seem to suggest that you must also confess Christ openly if you really want to be saved. What...
Perfect Judgment – Matthew 7:1-12
Maybe you’ve heard that the Bible tells us not to judge others. Perhaps you’ve even used those words to defend a mistake or misstep on your part. And yes, while there is a verse in Matthew 7 that begins like that, when context is understood, we find there is much more...
Hope and Change – Exodus 32:9-14
Can we trust God? The easy answer is, of course, but this answer is sometimes easier to say than it is to believe. When things go wrong, is God still there? When we go wrong, can we still trust God? Or will He change His mind and reject us in anger? Our experiences...
Max Impact: Gifts, Roles, and Contributions – Genesis 2:15, 18
With so many people, a variety in gifts/talents, and a common desire to make positive contributions, harmony should be no problem, right? Yet it seems men and women are increasingly stumbling to figure out how to work together in harmony at home, in our world, even in...
Receiving Grace In Vain – 2 Corinthians 6:1
Quite often we find ourselves racing through life, taking advantage of every opportunity, moment, and experience that comes our way. In this fast-paced reality it is incredibly easy for us to get consumed in the rush of activity, but eventually realize our priorities...
Called According to His Purpose – Rom. 8:28
Since before recorded history began, human beings have been telling stories as a way of structuring our reality. Even today, the individual stories we tell about ourselves often determine how we view the world and the type of people we become. In the book of Romans,...
Do You Love Me? – John 21:15-25
We have all done or said things we wish we could undo or take back. Through this, we have felt the weight of our own miscalculated action or response, and sometimes that weight can feel unbearable. For Peter, this was no exception. He denied Christ not once, or twice,...
Contentment – Phil 4:10-14
We live in a society chock full of opportunities to seek that which is supposed to satisfy us. From the seemingly meaningless to the more important in life, we have been accustomed to search out what is best for ourselves. On the surface, there is nothing inherently...
Plans, Prosperity, & Promise – Jer. 29:11
You may have heard that God has plans for His people, plans for His people to prosper and have hope. But what does that really mean? And how does that fit with the times in life when we don’t see prosperity or hope like we thought we would? As we take a look at what...
Completing the Good Work – Phil. 1:6
Our salvation is guaranteed the moment we believe Jesus for it. But some also suggest that our good behavior or works are required to validate whether or not we’ve got the real thing. A popular understanding of Philippians 1:6 is that we continue to grow and improve...
Falling From Grace – Gal. 5:4
Sometimes we might assume we understand certain passages in the Bible. Maybe it’s a famous or familiar verse. Or maybe we once heard a sermon that gives us confidence we know the meaning of a particular passage of Scripture. But when we look a little deeper, there’s a...