Page 28 - book_james

2. True Ability: The person being asked to give has the financial means to supply the
need presented.

If a person being asked to meet a need financially cannot, this answer may not be wrong.
This could be a prayer of agreement for the person to be warmed and filled. Concern and
faith are the foundational ingredients for any response to another person’s need. But the
person who can supply the need speaks empty words when they say, “Depart in peace, be
warmed and filled.”

The term “be warmed and filled” is in the passive voice. The one in need is being told that
someone else will warm and fill him, but the one speaking does not intend to be the one
meeting the need. Inoperative faith, dead faith, produces no desire to act. That is why
James asks, “What does it profit?”
Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
James assumes that faith is inoperative and alone it it does not have works to accompany
it. The members of the congregation should make this assumption also. James is surprised
that they do not. This type of faith is lifeless in its ability to save anyone in spiritual or
physical trouble.

Jas 2:18 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.

Yea, (But), a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works . . .

James is anticipating an argument. This statement is an expression of arrogance from a
particular worker in the congregation. When this worker states that he has works and
James has faith, he is inadvertently spotlighting a division in the Jerusalem church (one that
still exists in the church today). One crowd spoke of faith but that’s all they did. They had
few works. The other crowd had many works but rarely studied God’s Word or built their
faith. This person fills his day with witnessing, visiting the poor and widows, but has little
time for those who speak of faith. This is also the most vocal crowd in the church because
they speak evil of the ones who do not go with them in pursuit of good works. This person
has spoken up to James and offered the argument, which led James to write this chapter.

Both extremes are wrong, and James is now going to address the purpose of works in the
Christian life. The Word of God is not to be divided up with proponents choosing sides.
Verses can be found on faith, study, and prayer; but there are also verses on witnessing,
laying hands on the sick, and casting out devils. One crowd does the work. The other
believes and confesses for it to be done. Both have Scriptures to back their differing views.
But these verses are not to be chosen to support two different sides of an argument. They
are to be combined to produce balance and power in the Christian life.

The two issues are not to be fought over; rather they are to be used together as two parts
of a whole. The faith crowd needs to begin to work and the works crowd needs to believe
and confess God’s Word ahead of their works. Faith without works will lead to boredom