Real Faith

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Real Faith

• James 214-26

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James and Faith

• James 214
• Faith is Gods foundational gift.
• James 25 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not
  God chose those who are poor in the world to be
  rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he
  has promised to those who love him?
• Ephesians 28-9 - For by grace you have been
  saved through faith. And this is not your own
  doing it is the gift of God, not a result of
  works, so that no one may boast.

3
James and Faith

• Faith is the common mark of all Christians
• James 21 My brothers, show no partiality as
  you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the
  Lord of glory.
• Galatians 326 for in Christ Jesus you are all
  sons of God, through faith.
• It is the continuing reality, the running
  storyline in the life of a believer
• James 222a You see that faith was active
  along with his works.
• 1 Timothy 612 Fight the good fight of the
  faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which
  you were called and about which you made the good
  confession in the presence of many witnesses.

4
James and Faith

• Faith is the root from which good works grow
• James 222b and faith was completed by his
  works.
• Titus 38 The saying is trustworthy, and I
  want you to insist on these things, so that those
  who have believed in God may be careful to devote
  themselves to good works. These things are
  excellent and profitable for people.
• To arrive at a correct definition of faith, James
  introduces four illustrations
• Ill-clad and hungry brother and sister in Christ,
  (v.15-17).
• The believing but frightened demons, (v.18-20).
• Abraham the friend of God, (v.21-24).
• Rahab who welcomed Joshuas spies, (v.25-26).

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I. Faith that lacks action is not real faith,
(v.15-17).

• Acts 244-45
• Acts 432-35
• 2 Corinthians 517 Therefore, if anyone is in
  Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed
  away behold the new has come.
• Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to the
  least of these, you did not do it to me,
  (Matthew 2545).

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II. Knowing facts alone is not real faith, (v.
18-20).

• And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him,
  fell down before Him and cried out, saying, You
  are the Son of God, (Mark 311).
• And they begged Him that He would not command
  them to go out into the abyss, (Luke 831).
• Matthew 158-9 This people honors me with
  their lips, but their heart is far from me in
  vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines
  the commands of men.
• Matthew 1518-19 But what comes out of the
  mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a
  person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts,
  murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false
  witness, slander.

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III. Real Faith Produces Change, (v. 21-26).

• Genesis 156 And he believed the LORD, and he
  counted it to him as righteousness.
• Genesis 221-14
• Hebrews 1119 He considered that God was able
  even to raise him from the dead, from which,
  figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
• Romans 416-22