James 2:14-20

¹⁴ What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? ¹⁷ Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. ¹⁸ Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. ¹⁹ Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. ²⁰ But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

We live in a time with so much Christian doctrine and truth available to us. You can find Bible studies, both good and bad, on virtually every topic imaginable. Yet, in an age with a wealth of information available, why do we find so much confusion in regards to what true saving faith is? What is saving faith? How does one discern the difference between salvation and self-deception? The book of James is largely written for this purpose. It serves as a test and series of tests of what genuine Christianity is and looks like. Having dealt with the true believer’s response to trials, response to God’s Word, and impartial treatment of others, we now come to the heart of the letter of James. In James 2:14-26, he addresses what true saving is and what it is not. In verses 14-20, he addresses the latter. False faith is missing three key components that genuine faith exhibits and possesses. He gives them to us so that we can examine our own lives.

First, false faith is missing true confession. James begins with a rhetorical question: “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?” The obvious answer to the question is “nothing.” Immediately, if we understand salvation, our minds rush to the reality that salvation was accomplished by Jesus. It is only received “by grace,” “through faith,” and “not of works” (Ephesians 2:8-9). What does James mean by this question? Simply put, James is speaking to the inevitable fruit of salvation, not the means of salvation. Ephesians 2:10 very plainly tells us that salvation is “not of works,” but “unto good works.” All believers are “created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Therefore, all true saving faith is accompanied by good works. What good then is a faith without works? James tells us it does no good. It is merely an empty profession. To that, he gives a follow-up question, “Can faith save him?” The intent of the question is, “Can [that kind of] faith save him?” To that, the answer is “No.” The Bible warns against empty professions of faith. Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). There are many who name the name of Christ, who even have orthodox theology, but live in rebellion to God every day. False faith is missing true confession that is evidenced in obedient living.

Next, false faith is missing real compassion. James uses a scenario to illustrate this point with a poor brother without basic needs. To that poor brother, another professing Christian responds by sending them on their way and telling them to “be ye warmed and filled” without actually meeting any of their needs. Such an action is empty. It would not matter how much they would tell the poor brother they loved them, wished them the best, or hoped everything worked out for them. Ultimately, they would still be hungry and cold from lack of food and clothing. 1 John 3:17-18 says, “whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” This doesn’t just apply to the physical needs of others, but speaks to how we treat others and demonstrate Christ’s love toward them.

Last, false faith is missing genuine conviction. In a short conversation, James contrasts a person who says they have faith and another has works. This is addressing the person today who says, “Eh, I’ve got faith. You’ve got works. It’s all Christianity.” This is the person with the shallow conviction that says that as long as we’re sincere and confess Jesus’s name, we’re good. To that James says that true faith is demonstrated in obedience to Jesus. To drive the point home, he brings forward the faith of the demons. Even the devil has a type of faith, but is not saved. In fact, his end is pretty clear (Matthew 25:41). Here, he speaks to orthodox monotheism, the right belief in One God. The devil has orthodox theology. He knows the doctrine of the Trinity. He knows that Jesus is the Son of God. We even see demons recognizing Him as such (Mark 1:24). However, the glaring issue is that they do not submit to Him. The person who professes faith in Jesus, yet rejects His Word and does not obey Him has that same kind of faith. It does not save. It is missing genuine conviction. If I truly believe something, then I act accordingly. If Jesus is Lord, then I must submit to His Word.

One thing that is common among all three of these missing components in false faith is the reality of an outward statement or presentation without a real inner commitment that manifests in action. It is one thing to say I believe, but if I never obey, do I believe? It is one thing to say I love someone, but if I do not demonstrate true sacrificial love toward them, do I love them? It is one thing to say I stand on the truth of God’s Word, but if I willingly compromise it, do I really stand on it? The Bible tells us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). In light of Scripture, is your faith real? Do you really know Christ?