James 2:20  [20] “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”      The word “vain” can be translated as “empty”. James has already told us that faith without works is dead. His statement here is more of an interrogation than an exclamation, and he wants the vain man to get it! He wants him to know that there is a void in every man’s life that only Christ can fill. Think about this empty or vain man with me for just a moment.      The vain man’s words are empty. He is always talking and …

James 2:19 KJV [19] “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”      James continues to warn us against dead faith. He wants our faith in Christ to go beyond the intellect. He wants us to have more than a head knowledge; he wants us to have a heart knowledge. Whenever faith is only in the head, it produces lip service but never a change of lifestyle. The individual has no works to follow his proclaimed faith because it is dead, just like he is.       There is another kind of faith James …

James 2:18 KJV [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.”      A lost soul is empty inside with a dark void that this world cannot fill. Once an individual places his faith in the Lord Jesus, that emptiness is no longer there. It is forever gone from their life because faith produces a work on the inside. Immediately, the Holy Spirit moves in and begins to dwell in the new convert’s heart. Faith is nurtured by the …

James 2:17 KJV [17] “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”      Please note the order in which James is speaking in this verse. He first mentions faith and then works because faith always comes first. Salvation is the result of putting faith in the Word of God and not a result of faith, plus works. That is not what James is teaching. Works can never produce faith, and they are not equal to faith, but true faith will produce works.      James teaches us that when a man puts his faith in Christ, works will …

James 2:16 KJV [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?”       We know that prayer is a valuable tool in our Christian life. Prayer opens the windows of Heaven and moves the heart of God. However, there comes a time when we need to quit praying and begin taking action. God spoke about this to Moses in Exodus 14:15 and Joshua in the same manner in Joshua 7:10-11.      God expects us to pray, but …

James 2:15 KJV  [15] “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,”      We know that our text today is connected to the context of this chapter. However, I want us to dwell on this verse and consider the poor and needy. As Americans, it is difficult for us to think about people going without the bare necessities of life. Even the homeless in America can find shelter, a soup line, or a local charity to feed and clothe them for free. America is still a land abounding in wealth, allowing even the poor to rise above …

James 2:14 KJV [14] “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?”      We have all known people who claimed they believed, but their lives contradicted that claim; there seems to be no fruit of faith in their lives. We have all met this crowd and wondered, “Do they truly know the Savior?”      Just because someone claims to have faith does not mean that they do. James is not teaching us that works are an essential part of salvation. He is simply balancing the scale for …

James 2:13 KJV [13] “For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.”      We have often heard people say, “Life is not fair.” We all know that God is the Giver of life, so if we say life is not fair, it is the same as saying that God is not fair. Christians believe in the providence of God. We know God is sovereign and providentially works in the affairs of men.      The Lord does not judge based on fairness, but He judges based on mercy. If we got what …

James 2:12 KJV [12] “So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.”      You would not think that the words “law” and “liberty” would be together in the same context. However, we see both of these words in our verse today. We understand as Christians that we could never keep the law. We know that Christ fulfilled the law. We know that we are not under the law, but we are under grace. We know the Bible is the law of liberty. Most would agree that these are all facts.      …

James 2:11 KJV [11] “For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.”      I heard an illustration on the radio by the late, great Bible teacher and radio preacher, Bro. Lehman Strauss, that I thought was interesting. He told of a man in his community arrested for the murder of a girl. He was tried for the murder and found guilty by the jury. During the trial, several witnesses testified of the man’s character and all of the …