[Thought questions for Faith that Works November 4, 2014]

Image © Jeff Preston from GoodSalt.com

1. Faith without works is dead.

James didn’t mince words, did he? Why did he speak so boldly, so plainly, about how faith is as useless as a dead body in the Christian faith? If the doctor-preacher in the story at the beginning of the lesson had survived, what would he need to do to recover from his terrible fall from God’s grace? Would he need to start behaving differently? Would that be enough?

2. Dead faith.

Apparently someone came to James and said, “I don’t need works to find salvation because I have such an abundance of faith.” What might James have said in response? Imagine a church filled with believers. A leak in the roof begins spilling rain water into the building and on the people in the church. Should we ask the congregation to sing, “My faith looks up to Thee”? Three strong men rise to their feet, walk to the supply room, come back with a ladder and a bucket with a few tools, and patch the leak. What would James say about their faith? Suppose nobody tries to fix the leak, but everybody goes home where it’s warm and dry. Would that kind of faith be sufficient for salvation?. Saving faith.

3. Saving Faith.

From faith that is dead to faith that saves—can you and I tell the difference and cling to saving faith? How? In what way(s) are faith and works opposites? Would you like to live a life in which faith is all that is required for salvation? “Only believe,” the song says. How about a system that requires a certain level of works? What level would that be? What does Paul have to say about faith and works? (Ephesians 2:8-9). If works can’t save us, why are we commanded to work out our salvation and show our allegiance to God by our works? Will we keep on working like that in heaven?

4. The “faith” of demons.

Let’s twist this just a bit. A member boasts that he knows more Bible doctrine than the pastor. Should that be our goal—to have as full an understanding of the Bible as possible? Will that give us enough faith? How much does Satan know and understand of the Bible? Why don’t his life and actions show his connection with God’s word? What about the demons who follow him? If they know the truth that saves, why aren’t they saved? Do they long to be saved? How can we show how important our salvation is to us without boasting?

5. Abraham’s faith.

What do Paul and James say about Abraham’s faith? (Compare James 2:21-24 with Romans 4:1-5. 22-24.) Do they seem to be in total disagreement about whether or not Abraham was justified by his works? Explain how to reconcile their comments. What is the relationship between faith and works? See James 2:22. Which comes first—faith or works? What does obedience have to do with faith? Do you know church members who seem to be overly oriented towards works? And others who seem to think that works don’t matter, just “keep the faith”? What can we do to bring our brothers and sisters closer together in our relationship that considers works and faith combined as vital to our beliefs?

6. The faith of Rahab.

James wants to include a strong example of being justified by works and so chooses a story in Joshua 2, the story of Rahab. Was Rahab a strong believer in the Israelites’ God? How did she obtain the faith that gave her the courage to do as she was led to do to save the Israelite messengers from harm? How did Rehab demonstrate the relationship between faith and works?

7. Abraham’s faith.

Why does Abraham receive so much recognition from James and other New Testament writers for his faith? What about his woeful lack of faith at certain times in his life such as when traveling to Egypt when he said that his wife Sarah was his sister? Even though God can see our every defect, what does He value most highly in our lives?

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