Faith Under Pressure 1 1 Lasting Through the

Faith Under Pressure 1: 1 Lasting Through the Pressure 1: 2 -12 Pressure From Within 1 -13 -18 Right Responses to Pressure 1: 19 -27 Loving Under Pressure 2: 1 -13

Practicing Faith Under Pressure James 2: 14 -26

Faith without Works Verse 14 14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? John 8: 30 -31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.

Faith without Works Verse 14 14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Paul James Root of salvation = faith + nothing Fruit of salvation = works afterwards Life from God’s perspective Life from Man’s perspective Instructing Exhorting Sees the fire in the fireplace Sees the smoke in the chimney

An Analogy Verses 15 -16 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed, ” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?

An Analogy Verses 15 -16 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed, ” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 1 John 3: 16 -18 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Faith You Can See Verses 17 -18 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. Hebrews 11: 6 … without faith it is impossible to please God …

Faith You Can See Verses 17 -18 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds. ” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. “You are saved by faith alone, but faith in Christ is never alone. ” Calvin

Faith You Can See Verses 17 -18 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds. ” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. “They love one another. They never fail to help widows; they save orphans from those who would hurt them. If they have something they give freely to the man who has nothing; if they see a stranger, they take him home, and are happy, as though he were a real brother. They don’t consider themselves brothers in the usual sense, but brothers instead through the Spirit, in God. ”

Faith in the Mind Verse 19 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that —and shudder. They believe in God James 2: 19 They believe in the Deity of Jesus Christ Mark 3: 11 -12 They believe in the existence of Hell Luke 8: 31 They believe Jesus will be the Judge Matthew 8: 28 -29

Faith Evidenced Verses 20 -26 20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?

A) Example #1 Verses 21 -24 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 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.

A) Example #1 Verses 21 -24 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

B) Example #2 Verse 25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? Abraham Father of the Jews Man Godly Man Friend of God Rahab A Gentile Woman Prostitute Part of the enemies of God

An Analogy Verse 26 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. 2 Corinthians 13: 5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? Matthew 7: 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, ’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Ephesians 2: 8 -10 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.