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All Sermons
Bible Passage James 2

James 2:14-26 True Faith

  • Tony Raker
Date preached August 16, 2026

Faith is certainly an essential element in the Christian life as (1) without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6); the Christian is saved by faith (Ephesians 2:8); the Christian is to walk (live) by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7). Interestingly, Paul asserts that whatever we do apart from faith is sin (Romans 14:23) stressing the heart intent. There are different kinds of faith, but only one that is truly “saving faith.” 

James 2:26: “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”

  • Grammatical Usage: “spirit” or in the Greek, “pneumatos” meaning, “breath, life, animation”; “faith” or “pistis” meaning, “belief, trust, confidence, fidelity”; “works” or “ergōn “ meaning “action; evidence”; “dead” or “nekra” meaning, “what lacks life”.
  • Literal Interpretation: For the body with no breath, life or animation is dead, so also are one’s belief, trust, confidence and fidelity without practical evidence.
  • Contextual/Comparison: God keeps His Word: God continually uses His Word.
  1. DEAD FAITH(vv. 14-17)
    1. THIS KIND OF FAITH…
      An intellectual faith, substituting words for deeds.
    2. CAN THIS KIND OF FAITH SAVE?
      1. NO! Three times in this passage, James emphasizes that “faith without works is dead” – vv. 17, 20, 26
      2. Any declaration of faith that does not result in a changed life and good works is a false declaration: A DEAD FAITH!
      3. Dead faith lulls a person into a false confidence of everlasting life
    3. DO WE HAVE THIS KIND OF FAITH?
      1. We do, if our WALK does not measure up to our TALK!
      2. We do, if our WORKS do not measure up to our WORDS!
  2. DEMONIC FAITH(vv. 18 – 19)
    1. PERHAPS TO SHOCK ANY COMPLACENT READERS, JAMES REMINDS US THAT EVEN “DEMONS” HAVE A KIND OF FAITH!
      1. They believe in God (no atheists or agnostics here!)
      2. They even believe in the deity of Christ (Mark 3:11-12)
      3. They also believe in the existence of a place of condemnation (Luke 8:31)
      4. And they believe Jesus will be the Judge! (Matthew 8:28-29)
    2. WHAT KIND OF FAITH DO “DEMONS” HAVE?
      1. We saw that the man with “dead faith” was “touched only in his intellect”
      2. The demons are “touched also in their emotions” (note that they “believe and tremble“)
      3. This is one step above a “dead faith” – it involves both INTELLECT and EMOTIONS
    3. CAN THIS KIND OF FAITH SAVE?
      1. NO! A person can be enlightened in his mind and even stirred in his heart and still be lost forever!
      2. True saving faith involves something more, something that can be seen and recognized: a changed life! (v. 18)
      3. Being a Christian involves trusting Christ AND living for Christ!
        1. You first RECEIVE the life…
        2. Then you REVEAL the life!
  3. DYNAMIC FAITH(vv. 20-26)
    1. WHAT KIND OF FAITH IS THIS?
      1. We know from other passages that such faith is based upon the Word of God (Romans 10:17)
      2. Dynamic faith involves the WHOLE PERSON
        1. DEAD faith touches only the intellect
        2. DEMONIC faith involves both the mind and the emotions
        3. DYNAMIC faith involves the intellect, the emotions, AND the WILL!
          1. The MIND understands the truth
          2. The HEART desires and rejoices in the truth
          3. The WILL acts upon the truth
      3. True, saving faith, LEADS TO ACTION
        1. It is not intellectual contemplation
        2. It is not emotionalism
        3. It is that which leads to obedience in doing good works
    2. TO ILLUSTRATE, JAMES REFERS TO TWO WELL-KNOW PERSONS IN THE BIBLE: ABRAHAM & RAHAB
      1. You could not find two more different persons!
        1. Abraham was the father of the Jews; Rahab was a Gentile!
        2. Abraham was a godly man; Rahab had been a sinful woman, a harlot!
        3. Abraham was the friend of God; Rahab had belonged to the enemies of God!
      2. What did they have in common? Both exercised saving faith in God!
        1. Abraham demonstrated his saving faith by his works – vv. 20-24
        2. Rahab demonstrated her saving faith by her works – vv. 25-26
      3. We learn from this passage that:
        1. Faith without works is a DEAD faith – vv. 20, 26
        2. That “faith only” (the only time this phrase is found in the Scriptures) cannot justify one’s self – v. 24
        3. That PERFECT faith necessitates works – v. 22
  • Conclusion: Do I have no faith, demonic faith or saving faith? You and God both know.