"What doth it profit my brethren, though a man say he hath faith and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be warmed and filled, notwithstanding, give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yeah.

A man may say, thou hast faith and I have works, show me thy faith without thy works and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God, thou doest well, the devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

And the scripture was fulfilled which said, Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness and he was called the friend of God. You see then, how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works when she had received the messengers and had sent them out another way. For as a body without spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. May God bless us in the reading of this word.

We have been looking at the Epistle of James and we have been seeing as a short summary for everyone. We have been looking from the first chapter onwards in the first verse and we have been seeing firstly, right perspective on certain things and we saw about trials in the first chapter. Right perspective on trials was for our perfection. It was for patient's endurance as a character trait to become us, not something separate, but we ourselves becoming in that way, growing in that way in endurance, endurance becoming a part of us. That's the right perspective to see trials.

A right perspective on temptations, to see that why are we tempted? It's not God who tempts us, it's not even the devil who tempts us, but we, own lusts are the things that take us captive. It's our own sinful, lustful desires that take us captive towards the bait that is laid before us in the world or by the devil. That is the right perspective towards temptations. The right perspective also towards the Word of God in understanding how important it has been from the very beginning by God in giving us birth, this new birth, and how we are to therefore consider it for our perfection, that it has to be like an engrafted word.

It has in it the ability to grow and God desires that it will grow in us, bring forth fruit in us. And you also see it as the ones who should obey it, who should not be casual onlookers or it is not enough just to hear, just to listen, just to be present in a study, but indeed to look, to see and to correct oneself, just like one would correct one's appearance before a mirror. And then we saw the right perspective towards religion, that there is indeed a pure and undefiled form of religion. We often associate religion always as a negative thing, but no.

James here gives us in verse 27, there is a pure, there is an undefiled form of religion, and religion simply means the external observance of what you believe in, or the external observance of the worship that we want to offer. And so that is also clearly shown to us in the right perspective towards religion. Last week we looked at the right perspective towards people. We cannot, we are not to have partiality, we cannot have respect of persons, those who hold on to the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, cannot hand in hand be partial towards people. And it's not given as a light thing.

But we saw how it breaks the entire commandment, how it calls us or convicts us as transgressors of the law, how it condemns us. And it's not a light thing. In that way we saw that it is going to bring upon judgment on anybody who would practice partiality. It's not a light thing. Today we go one more step further and we're going to look at the right perspective towards faith. We have read that portion from verse 14 to 26. It's a clear division or a new section of this epistle. What is the right perspective towards faith?

This is a portion which when Martin Luther especially read this portion saying that we have to be justified by works, thereafter classified the Epistle of James as not something that's reliable or not something that was so important as we hold on to the Pauline Epistles. But of course we know that this is the Word of God and therefore we have to interpret it also consistently with everything else that scripture shows to us. And firstly, we looking at verse 1, where James talks about, here is a person who is confessing something, he's saying something. He says he has faith.

That's a clear distinction here that we want to make. This person says he has faith. There is a saying involved, he has faith. The Bible is very often talking to us about a kind of faith that's not genuine. And that's one of the sad realities and a very serious thing for all who are associated with the church or all who are often found along with believers to carefully consider one's own situation and the situation also of those who are around us. What kind of faith is it really? Genuine faith, living faith or is it a saying faith? Is it a, in fact, dead faith?

In 2 Peter 1 verse 10, will be taking quite a few portions today as we cover this very important topic. In 2 Peter 1 verse 10, we read about Peter saying, Peter is exhorting the ones whom he is writing to, to make your election and calling sure, be certain of the salvation that you have received, that indeed you are saved, to put it in simple words. Turn with me to John chapter 8 verse 31. "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, if you continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

See, the Lord is addressing certain people who, after he had had this conversation with the Pharisees, after he had clearly kind of triumphed over their debates, their arguments, some people are again turning towards him or appearing to believe in Him, appearing to put some kind of trust in Jesus. And to such, the Lord is saying, if you will continue in My Word, then you are My disciples indeed, then you will know the truth indeed, then you will be free indeed. And we know how this passage will end in chapter 8. At the end, they are going to pick up stones to stone the Lord Jesus.

The same people who He began in verse 31, those whom He believed, those whom believed in Him, as He continued to reveal Himself, as He continued rather to reveal themselves to them, that they are slaves to sin, that there is this sin problem, this sin issue that has to be addressed, there is this giving up of oneself, there is the taking up of the cross, and there is the need for the Saviour to die for your sins. As all these things came up, they are ending up beginning to pick up stones to... the Lord Jesus. So the Bible is quite clear in that way.

It's not a James alone thinking, but it's very widespread. Paul also speaks in that same way, that those who are believers, those who come to some kind of knowledge, some kind of knowledge of who God is, of what sin is, of who the Lord Jesus Christ is, to see in their lives a clear change, a clear transformation, a clear evidence of the change that has happened inside. It is not enough just to be confessors, but those who truly confess, those who truly have faith, we will start seeing that playing out or working out in their lives.

Now then it comes to the very important question, what kind of works are we talking about here? Because James, in the first verse that we read, if a man say he hath faith and hath not works, what kind of works are we talking about here? Again, let's take up your portions. Galatians chapter 6 verse 12. So, way of classifying these works are simply works of the flesh which give opportunity to have confidence in the flesh. Okay, so one way to classify those works that are not what James is talking about is works of the flesh that in turn give confidence in the flesh.

James or Paul is talking at that time about circumcision, that there were people who wanted to get circumcised or wanted others to be circumcised so that they can have confidence in the flesh. Paul warns them that if you want to be circumcised, then be under the whole law and obey entirely every commandment of the law. But we see clearly that kind of work, it can be anything today. You could take anything for that matter in today's context. It could be baptism, it could be church attendance. It could be any activity.

Our confidence, what I mean to say, if our confidence is that we have been baptized, is that we have come to church gatherings, is that we are active in certain activities, that is not the works that James is talking about here. When he says that a man should have works, that faith will follow or faith will be followed by works, these kind of works which can give confidence in the flesh is not the... what James is trying to talk about here. There is also another kind of works which are not what James is trying to tell you that we see in Matthew chapter 7 verse 10, and this most clearly highlights the danger of those who are self-deceived.

We read from verse 7, chapter 7, verse 22. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils and in thy name done many wonderful works. Here are those who are in some way associated with the Lord. They call Him Lord, Lord. They even go ahead do works in His name. What all works? Prophesying, casting out demons, many wonderful works or mighty works or miracles, all works in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And to them the Lord says, then we lie professed unto them, I never knew you.

Important note, I never knew you, they were never His to begin with. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. And there you have the clear definition of what work is being referred to here. These professors, these who say we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, what are their real works like? Works of iniquity, works of lawlessness, works that refuse to submit under the lordship of Christ. It is easy to call somebody master, lord, kurios, all these things, but if the life does not reflect that submission, if the life is not submissive to the very law of this master, to the will of this master, then that is what is said in Matthew, iniquity, lawlessness, transgressing, all of these things.

And that's the real issue here that James is addressing. If a man say he has faith and does not have works, does not have any work to suggest this change in disposition towards the one he calls Lord, the master, James says, what profit does such faith have? We never think nowadays about faith that way, that what does it profit? We are now used to a kind of preaching of the gospel since the last less than 100 years, where we talk less about repentance, where we talk less about the Lordship of Christ, where we talk less about the need to take up your cross and follow Him.

It's more about the invitations, it's more about believing, it's more about coming. And we know in scripture there is a balance. It's not that this way or that way is right and wrong, but there is always a clear balance shown in the scriptures. And the danger lies when we leave one part of the balance and go forward towards or wholly within one aspect of... And so, James' question, what does it profit? We hardly think in that way about faith, that should my faith even profit anything? Should my faith even be for some advantage?

We think of faith as, I have believed in the Lord Jesus, yes, I am saved and yes, eternity is secured for me. But do we think of our faith in terms of what advantage does my faith have? And then we'll look at to whom and in what regard? But firstly, just to introspect oneself and to think what advantage and the word profit there is from the root of heaping up, gathering, treasuring up. So our profession of faith, our saying of faith, one man's saying of faith, what does it eventually amount to? What is it all heaping up to? What is going to be the eventual outcome of it?

And in this portion that we are considering, we are going to see it how it should profit oneself, how it should profit others, how it should profit even God. You're going to see that as we look at each of these illustrations. Primarily, James puts in verse 14, can faith save him? It's essentially meant to save us. If that faith is to be profitable, it's meant indeed to save us. That's the first thing. That this kind of faith, genuine living faith, should profit us in that way that, yes, it leads to my salvation. It saves me.

And this is topic, or this is the portion, which most clearly speaks about dead faith. That there is a futility, there is a vanity associated with dead faith. And James is a very... the writing is very Old Testament-like in that way, where we see a lot of times, vanity is not simply just being in vain, just being empty, but it's almost equivalent to idolatry. It's almost towards idolatry how vanity is described. And therefore, profiting in that way must be seen in that same context. What is it leading us to? Is it leading us to vanity, utter destruction, emptiness like the vapor?

Or is it actually going to amount to something? And that's the question James puts. And why does James do that? And why should we do that? Why should this be a conversation, why should this be a topic that we must also continually remember, continually teach, continually exhort one another regarding because it's important that we make the salvation of people certain. Our focus should be in ensuring that each one is safe rather than being more focused on assuring that people are safe. You get the difference I hope. Assuring people that they are safe is to put our efforts as much as possible to convince them that they are saved, but rather it should be to ensure the salvation of each one that we know of.

And so we begin this portion in studying. This is the clear background in how James is going to approach this topic. We must also approach it in that way scripturally. He brings before us three examples, illustrations. First one is negative in how we should not be. That's about the brother who comes in and how somebody replies to them. Then there is an example of Abraham, a good example of what faith real faith, genuine faith looks like. And then we will also see the excellent example of Rahab, of how she demonstrates also genuine faith.

Firstly, the person who comes in verse 15, so notice who is coming here. It's a brother or a sister. It's not even someone from just the world. It's not even an unbeliever. It's a brother or a sister. It's someone in the church, someone in our gathering. Now as we look at that, once we define that part, then there are also other guidelines concerning how the church is responsible for the welfare of the poor or those who need help in the church. We know clearly that firstly it is our own responsibility, that is the provider in the house, that is their own responsibility to work and therefore thereafter eat.

Not only that, but also to provide for one's household. Not only that, but if there are... those who are in need of the family, then it is their responsibility to also ensure that such people are taken care of, so that the church can indeed help those who are really in need, those who have nobody near and dear to help. So that is very clearly from the other guidelines that we have from scripture. So let's take this as the genuine case, a person, a brother or sister who has no other person to help, who has no means of getting help.

And it's a genuine need. You see here, naked, destitute of daily food. These are the very basic essential needs. We are not talking about any form of luxury here. This is essential. This is survival. Naked and destitute of daily food. Now, how it would look like if someone would respond in this way? Depart in peace. Be warmed and filled. That is saying, that is saying, that is well wishing. And James is very wishful with all his examples and the topics he wants. We have seen about a wave, we have seen about the mirror, we have seen about the other person coming in, the poor and the rich man.

Now we have another example. This is happening. And one person says, wishing him well, be warmed, be filled. Question is, does that saying... does that saying amount to anything? Is it good for anything at all? Very clearly the answer is there. It does nothing. It profits absolutely nothing. Now take that same logic, same logic, and apply that to the person who says he has faith. And that's the main topic here. So sometimes we take it to mean that we are, this is a teaching about helping those who are in need. Of course, that is to be done.

But James' primary focus is here to show us the logic here. Here is a man who well wishes somebody, but does nothing about it. Does no work towards it? Will the valuation do any profit to that one who is in need? Clear answer, no. Take that logic here. Here is a man who says he has faith, he has no works to evidence that faith. Will that saying profit that man in any way? The answer is clear, no. It's not going to profit him to the saving of his soul.

And that's a dangerous place to be. And that's why James is putting it, that if people are self-deceived about their salvation, it's an urgent need. James is not going to, as an elder, let that be. He is going to address it and he wants to make sure that they understand truly where they stand before the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 17 we read, even so, just like that, just like this example has been given to us, even so faith, if it had not works, is dead being alone. I think that example is quite clear.

It was one brother who in the past said like this, justification is by faith alone, certainly. But that faith is never alone. It's very well put that way. The justification is by faith alone, but that faith, that kind of faith is never alone. What he means is from this clear passage that such faith is evidenced by good works. Does other scriptures support this? Let's take Ephesians chapter 1. It is the most clear portion for us regarding salvation by grace through faith. We read in verse 8, chapter 2, verse 8, By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourself, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.

Now look at verse 10, Yes, we are justified by faith. Yes, are saved by grace alone, through faith alone. Absolutely no works contribute to our salvation, to our standing before God to justify us. But when God saves a person in this manner, it's not us who made it, but God Himself has created such as His workmanship in Christ Jesus unto good works that He has before ordained that we should walk in them. These good works are simply very clearly, very scripturally, the evidence of genuine faith that should follow true salvation.

Verse 18 onwards we see something of the display, display of that faith. Now James imagines a situation where suppose as he is addressing this topic somebody feels very wrong about it, that how can we say like that faith or salvation is entirely by faith alone. This talk about works is not right, it's not scriptural. And James imagines that kind of situation and he brings before us that kind of a visual. Verse 18, yeah, a man may say, thou hast faith and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works and I will show thee my faith by my works.

One person says, I have faith. James says, I have faith... let this man who says he has faith show his faith. And James says, I will show you my faith by my works. Now if I was to put it in this way, if I want to know does this room, this house, is there power supply to this house, if I ask that question, how do I find it out? I look up, I hear the mic is working, the fan is going on, lights are on, the power supply is there in this house. The same goes with many of these things which we cannot say, see.

Be it magnet fields, be it radio waves, be it wind, we cannot see these things. But you feel that it is there. When it is there, when it is moving, when it is working, its presence is clearly evidenced. And that's also somewhat what faith should look like. That when faith is there, when genuine living faith is there, it must be seen. If there is electricity in this house, we expect it is there, right? Things should work, things should start moving. And similarly, let's put it that way, that when there is faith, it should be seen, it cannot be hidden.

That genuine changing must be evidenced, there is a clear display of it. Verse 19. Now here comes a dangerous part of how James is not mincing words at all. I think we have already come to that place where we see the reality of this kind of distinction in faith which the Bible speaks about that many will be found in the last days when the Lord is returning to have thought I am a follower of Him. I have believed in Him. I have I have been saved but to their utter shock, utter dismay, they are going to find themselves as workers of iniquity.

That's a reality that scripture very clearly tells us about. James here is putting it to a entirely different level altogether. He tells about demons. Verse 19, Thou believest that there is one God, thou doest well. The demons, devils also believe. So there now we see clearly what James is referring to. What kind of faith has James been talking about? What do you think it is? Let's look at the doctrines of what the demons believe in. Right? I collected a few verses. Let's look at Mark chapter 3 verse 11.

Let's see what the demons know about God. Mark chapter 3 verse 11. This is what they say about Jesus. Unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried saying, Thou art the Son of God. They have recognized Jesus as the Son of God. Good doctrine of Christ or Christology. Matthew chapter 8 verse 9... Now I've got that couple more. No, I can't find that verse. But the demons also have very clear eschatology. They know their appointed time of judgment. They know when they are supposed to be judged.

When the Lord Jesus Christ came in order to already deliver people from their position, they would cry out in that manner. Turn to also Acts chapter 19 verse 15. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, Paul I know, but who are ye? They know the Holy Spirit when he is in work. Jesus I know, Paul I know, Paul working by the Holy Spirit and while someone else was trying to call upon the name of Jesus without the Holy Spirit, the demons also recognized the power of the Holy Spirit. My point being here, what scripture tells us about demons, about what they know of God, is that they have good doctrine.

They know who God is. They know who Jesus is. They know who the Holy Spirit is. They know how things are going to end. And that's the danger. That's the danger that James is telling. We could be occupied in a life of intellectual study. We could take up courses. We could mug up things. We could be very accurate in our confessions concerning the Trinity, concerning the Lordship of Christ, concerning Christology and end up in the situation or the outcome or the end of demons because James says that is intellectual faith, that is knowledge that we have gathered up, that is knowledge that we have loaded up into our heads.

It has done nothing to change. No matter what revelation is given to a demon concerning God, they're not going to love righteousness. They're not going to love God for who He is. They're not going to surrender themselves to accomplish the will of God. They are continuously in rebellion, continuously trying to plot against the purposes of God. And that is clearly what James is talking about. True, genuine faith is not merely knowledge. It's not merely having accepted certain facts, but it transforms.

It makes us desire Him, desire the things that He desires. John puts it in other ways that because he loved us, we start loving him. Because he loves his children, we start loving his children. And that's what James is also talking here, that if indeed there is genuine faith, there will be evidence of it and there will be not just intellectual knowledge, affirmation of certain doctrines of God, but there will be a life surrendered to Him. And we will see that that is indeed what James is talking about. What kind of works? We did not actually answer that.

We said it is not what it is. We said it is not any work that... eventually leads to confidence in the flesh, take baptism, church attendance, take any activity. That is not the evidence. It's also certainly not prophesying in His name, miracles in His name, casting out demons in His name. So then what? What kind of works? Verse 20, He says, But wilt thou know, O vain man? Now here is where He's really calling it out. O vain man, this usage in scripture is not for a believer.

When a person is addressed as a vain man, as one who is pursuing vanity, one whose efforts, labours are all going into just vanity, that's the path of destruction. That's the path of the unbeliever. That's the one who is in opposition with God. We read about Psalm 127 in the past. Have studied that Psalm, where we saw that there is a vain labour. It's not only that that labor amounts to nothing, but that labor is in direct rebellion to what God is laboring. God is busy, God is working towards His Kingdom, whereas certain people are entirely laboring in rebellion to what He is doing for themselves, for their own Kingdom.

They are not laboring for what God is laboring in. And James is going to bring before us two important examples of how living faith looks like. Firstly, Abraham, verse 21, Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Now this very same usage is what Paul takes up in Romans chapter 4 to tell us very clearly that was not Abraham our father justified by faith. And it is clear, I'm not going to stress on that point, we are all very clear on the fact that justification is by faith alone.

Faith is all that makes one right before God. But we see here what James is saying. It's not concerning when he was justified before God, when he was righteous before God, but how his faith was working together with his works to achieve the fulfillment, achieve what God wanted to achieve. We may read Genesis, our time is running short, but let's try Genesis chapter 22 and a few things I want us to notice from that incident, that every work, every step Abraham was making in that journey was a display of his faith.

Genesis 22, we look at verse 5 firstly. And Abraham said unto his young man, we know this story, the Lord is telling Abraham at the very end towards the end of his life or after having gone through lot of years of crime, how he has to offer up Isaac. Abraham says in verse 5, Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass and I and the lad will go yonder and worship and come again to you. Note that, come again to you. He said, I and the lad will go, we'll come again to you.

That's faith there. That's absolute faith there. Verse 8, Abraham said, My son God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. Abraham is approaching this sacrifice knowing that every offering unto God it's not of himself. It is what God has given that he is offering back to God. God will provide the offering and we know how that is eventually fulfilled. But even more interestingly, we read in Hebrews chapter 11, Hebrews chapter 11, verse 17, By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac.

And he that received the promises offered up his only begotten son. Everything God promised him was resting on this one boy, the great multitude of nations that were to come, every promise that is to be fulfilled, everything is resting on this only begotten son. Verse 19, accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead. You see what Abraham was doing there? Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead. Abraham's was not blind faith as we would put it. He was reasoning in his mind.

All the promises rest on Isaac being there. Isaac has to be alive. Isaac has to live on. If God's covenant with me has to be fulfilled, if God's promises, if God's faithfulness has to remain vindicated, Isaac has to remain alive. So even if God is asking me to offer up Isaac today, the only logical explanation is God is going to raise him up from the dead. It is with such faith that he went up the mountain. It is with such faith that he bound up Isaac.

It is with such faith, and you see the works. You see the works associated, partnering, co-energizing, synergizing with the works. That's what Abraham ended up doing, faith working together with works. We look to Hebrews chapter 11, we just now touch that part, and it is the hall of fame of the faithful, men and women of faith. What do we see? How do we know that they were faithful? By faith Abel, you see so many verbs, Abel offered. By faith Enoch was translated, why? Before this, he had this testimony.

By faith Noah, what did he do? Prepared an Ark. By faith Abraham, you already saw, was called out, he left. By faith Abraham offered up Isaac. By faith Isaac blessed. By faith Jacob also blessed. By faith Joseph, knowing the promised land, told the Israelites, take my bones from here when you leave. This is not the end. There is a time coming when God will fulfill His covenant. Take my bones from here then. And so on and on the Hebrew writer says, by faith...

People have accomplished so much. They have brought righteousness, have subdued lions, they have delivered so many things by faith. Their faith was most clearly visible. That is living faith. That is genuine faith. It cannot be anything else. Genuine biblical faith that saves is living. It cannot be dead. We look at the last example of Rahab. James chapter two. Likewise also, just like that, you have seen Abraham being justified by his works or Abraham's faith becoming evident to all that indeed he is justified, the fact that Abraham is justified being evident to all through the work that he did.

That very same way, it is going to be for Rahab also. By faith, likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works. Joshua 2 verse 8. We must turn to that foot also. Here again we have the stark difference between saying and actually doing something with it. Verse 9 onwards she says, know that the Lord had given you the land and that your terror has fallen upon us and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

Verse 11, as soon as we heard these things our hearts did melt neither did there remain any more courage in any man. See the statement that she makes, for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above and in earth beneath. She believed in the Lord, in the God of Israel and because she believed she did this work. She kept these spies and thereafter later also we see how she would be then delivered, saved. This is genuine faith, faith that not only said something about God but indeed because of that fear, because of that knowledge, she did something that threatened her life itself.

She did something that would threaten her life itself. That is the kind of faith that James is talking about. Now we fear to find out what is that work. What kind of works are we talking about? That James is talking about here. You see a consistent pattern here that there is something to do with sacrificing. There is something to do with giving up that which is ourselves or ours, our own. When we are talking about helping the one who is in need, it's very easy to wish well.

It's very easy to say, yeah, OK, we'll pray for you. We'll remember you in prayers. But it takes effort, takes sacrifice, it takes something of ourself to be there for that person, to thereafter do something for that person, it's going to take some kind of sacrificing. Abraham's very clearly we see, it took a lot of sacrificing. Rahab we see very clearly, she put her life in danger. Her life is in danger by the work that she did. And as we look at other parts of scripture, that is most consistent.

When the Lord is calling for disciples, if you not ready to take up your cross, what does the cross stand for? In that time, death. Cross stands for death and that to a painful, horrendous death. If you not ready to take up this cross and then follow me, you are not going to be able to follow me. This has been the consistent testimony or consistent witness of scripture, how people are to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. That they are to be dead to themselves.

They have to be dead to their lives. They have to be dead to their own ambitions. They have to be dead to all that they think is precious to me. And rather, surrender each one of these things before God and be ready for His service. Faith results in worship. And one way of worship is audibly that we are worshipping and ascribing glory, ascribing honor, declaring who God is. And the other way of worship is clearly service. We worship God by serving and faith is what is behind that kind of serving and the clear distinction between the demons or the devils.

Despite having an excellent knowledge of who God is, it is not a life surrendered or loving righteousness and therefore surrendering to God but a genuine believer, one who has genuine faith, this is the clear pattern that will be evidenced in one who has genuine faith, to different degrees. That there is certainly the sign, evidence of this life that God has put in, a new nature, a new birth, which has started causing this person to love things that God loves, to love righteousness, to begin to hate sin, begin to hate the things of the world and surrender each member of the flesh unto righteousness, just as in the past we were surrendering each member unto sin.

This is the work that James is expecting to see. This is the work that has consistently been from the Old Testament the pattern of all who were called to be of faith, all who have been saved in the Old Testament, all who have been saved in the New Testament. This has been their steady consistent pattern. And James concludes it with this, for as a body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. There is no life in a body if there is no spirit.

The only thing we can do with that body is to hide it away. It has to go under the ground. It cannot stay. It will only contaminate. It has to be buried. It is good for nothing. So faith without works is dead also. As close, as intimate a relationship is spirit to the body, so is works with faith. And works, as we have clarified very clearly, not works which give us confidence in the flesh, not works which we can tick box, tick marks to think that I am right with God, but works that have originated out of a changed view towards God, a renewed or a new birth, a new nature within ourselves and a faith that is ready to sacrifice all that we think is precious in our life, laying it on the altar for God to use our lives.

That's the life of a believer consistently portrayed in the scriptures. May God help us with these words.