What the Bible Says About Faith That Saves | Part 1

What does the Bible say about faith? Listen to this.

They're trying to get it all straightened out. But I don't want you to be confused. I want you to know before we ever go to this passage that James gave us that salvation is by the grace of God and not of works of any kind. Grace is the root of our salvation, but our works are the fruit of it.

They are the evidence. The book of James explains this concept further. If you have your Bible, turn to James chapter 2 will begin in verse 14 as Adrian Rogers reveals what the Bible says about faith that saves. James is saying, James is talking about salvation and works. And James says, what does it profit my brethren though a man say he have faith and have not works? Can faith save him?

Some translations give it this way. Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food and what have you say unto them? Oh, depart in peace. Be warmed and filled, not withstanding.

You give them not those things which are needful for the body. What doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead being alone. Yea, a man may say thou has faith and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works and I will show thee my faith by my works.

Thou believeth that there is one God? Thou doest well. The devils also believe and tremble. The word here literally means they shudder. It's a word that means to make their hair stand up on the back of their necks. It actually comes from a word which means to stand up.

They just shudder, tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works? And by works faith was faith made perfect. And the scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham believed God. And it was imputed unto him for righteousness and he was called the friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified. And not by faith only.

Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works when she had received the messengers and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead. So faith without works is dead also.

It's not saved apart from works. I mean you look at it and that's what it seems to say. So much that Martin Luther when he first looked at this and studied it carefully said the book of James doesn't belong in the Bible. It is an epistle of straw. Until he continued to study and see exactly what God has said. Now lest you think by reading this passage that I'm going to say that you're saved by works or by grace plus works.

I want to tell you my dear friend I want to say with all of the unction function emotion no stutter no stammer no equivocation. Everything that I can muster you are saved by grace and grace alone and faith lays hold of that grace. Now I want you to get that in your mind just turn now back to Romans for a moment and then we're going to bring brother Paul and brother James together and show you what Paul is saying and what James is saying.

But turn with me now just for a moment to Romans chapter 4. What shall we say then that Abraham our father as pertaining to the flesh hath found? That is he's the father of the Jews that's what it means as pertaining to the flesh. For if Abraham were justified by works he aware of the glory but not before God. Paul says listen if works justified Abraham he could strut but no one can strut before God.

For what saith the scripture Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt. If you could work your way to heaven you couldn't sing Jesus paid it all. You would have to say Jesus owes me something because to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt. But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that just defieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God impudeth righteousness without works.

Hey folks sounds like we have a problem here. It sounds like James is saying Abraham's justified by works Paul is saying no he wasn't he's justified by works. He's justified by the grace of God without works of any kind. And so you have to some people a conundrum, a problem, an enigma here.

They're trying to get it all straightened out. By the way that Martin Luther whose song we heard this morning in Mighty Fortress Is Our God was in the city of Rome on the Santa Scala the holy stairs in Saint John the Divine Church and he was there on his knees with his rosary doing penance a step at a time those holy stairs some think that Jesus ascended those stairs going into Pilate's judgment hall and so they have those stairs there and there's old Martin Luther he's on his knees climbing up doing penance trying to get right with God trying to be saved by being a good man praying and begging and and pleading and trying by works to be saved. But all of this time Martin Luther had been doing something he had been studying the book of Romans.

And there while he was there on his knees the Spirit of God took the Word of God and put a shaft of gospel sunlight into the heart of that man Martin Luther and he heard the scripture that he'd known so long but he heard it in the innermost part of his being Romans chapter 1 and verse 17. Christ shall live by faith and he saw it clearly and plainly what you and I know what our children in Sunday school know that it's not by works of righteousness that we've done but according to his mercy he saved us. You see dear friend we are saved by the grace of God and by nothing else.

Nothing else. You say but what about James? I want to get to James in just a moment but I don't want you to be confused. I want you to know before we ever go to this passage that James gave us that salvation is by the grace of God and not of works of any kind. One of my favorite verses is Romans 11 and verse 6.

I want you to look at it. You see some people will say well maybe it's grace and works. Maybe we just take the two and we mix them together. Oh no. The Bible says in Romans 11 and 6 and if by grace it is no more of work otherwise grace is no more grace. The minute you add any works to grace, grace is no longer grace and anybody who tries to be saved part by grace and part by works is a disgrace to grace. If by grace it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace. And if by works it is no more grace otherwise work is no more work. What's he saying? He's just simply saying you cannot, you cannot, you cannot put together grace and works.

You just can't do it. Now there is so far the classic problem. I want you to imagine what the brother James is talking about. Now let's just go back to James now that I've tried to lay a foundation so we can understand James a little better. Now just go back to James chapter 2.

That's really our text. We just took a little side trip over there to see what brother Paul would say. Now we're back to James again. Okay, James the second chapter.

Now James imagines two men. They're having an argument. They're having sort of a religious argument. Now both of them are claiming that they're saved and one man says well I'm a child of God. I'm a believer and the other man says now wait a minute.

Wait a minute. You say that you're a believer? You say that you're trusting the Lord? He says you show me your faith without your works. He says I'll show you my faith by my works.

Now what's he saying? Look in verse 18. Yea a man may say thou has faith and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works. I will show thee my faith by my works.

Now listen carefully. And listen up because if you don't you're going to get sucked in to some false cult or something like that. By the way dear friend, did you know that grace is exclusively Christian? Exclusively Christian. Jesus Christ has cornered the market on grace. Nobody else except our Lord teaches salvation by grace. There are only two kinds of religion in the world. Grace and works. One spelled do, the other spelled done. When Jesus died he bowed his head on the cross and he said it is finished.

That means it is paid in full. So here are these two men in an argument. Verse 18 is the key to the whole thing. One man says you show me your faith without your works. I will show you, I will show you, I will show you my faith by my works.

Now what are we talking about here? Well we're talking about showing our faith by our works. Now what these men are saying really, one man says well I'm just saved by trusting the Lord. The other man says oh, faith without works is dead. There's no real contradiction here.

They're heads and tails of the same coin. Now what Paul was talking about in Romans 4 is justification before God. What James is talking about is justification before men. Now we're justified in the sight of God and God knows when I am justified when I trust Christ.

He knows that. But you can't see that. I mean you can't see that I have trusted Christ. All you can see is what I do, what I say, how I live.

Isn't that right? That's all you can see. You can't see my faith. Anybody here can see my faith. If you say you can, you're lying. You can't see it. But you can see my works.

Right? So if I say that I have faith and you don't see my works, I can't be justified in your sight. Now remember, Paul is talking about being justified before God. James is talking about being justified before men. Paul is talking about the root of our salvation. James is talking about the fruit of our salvation.

The root is beneath the ground, the fruit is hanging out on the tree, but the fruit is the proof of the root. Paul is talking about inward justification. James is talking about outward demonstration. Paul is talking about the provision of salvation. James is talking about the proof of salvation. Paul is talking about the means of salvation. Paul is talking about the show-so salvation. James is talking about a show-so salvation. Now they're not the same.

They're very close, but they're different. Now if you would just remember this, you'll get it straight, I really believe. You are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.

Got it? You're saved by faith alone. But the faith that saves is never alone. You are not saved by faith and works, but you are saved by faith that works.

Have you got it? Now, you might say, well pastor, you're slicing it thin. No, I'm not. I am going to show you tonight from this passage of scripture what James is saying. James is saying, don't just go around here saying that you believe in God, that you believe in salvation by grace through faith. If there has not been a radical, dramatic change in your life, if your religion hasn't changed your life, you better change your religion.

You do not have the New Testament kind. But my dear friend, you do what you do, not in order to be saved, but because indeed you have been saved. Now James is talking here about a dead faith, and I want us to do an autopsy on this dead faith, okay? Let's just take it apart and look at this dead faith and see why it is a dead faith. First of all, I want you to notice, beginning in verse 14, that a dead faith is profitless and it brings a profitless profession.

Notice here, what doth it profit, my brethren? Though a man say that he hath faith and hath not works, can faith save him? Now remember, it says literally, can that faith save him? That kind of faith.

Can that kind of faith save him? Notice what James is saying, though a man say. In other words, James doesn't say the man has real faith.

He just says that he does. You see, everything that people say is not necessarily so. Just saying it doesn't make it so. I mean, you say, oh, I'm trusting the Lord. Well, it's one thing for you to say it, but are you really trusting the Lord?

Just to say that you are doesn't mean that you are. I was visiting in a hospital some time back, and I was praying with a person who was sick. And my wife tells me, Adrian, you cannot whisper, so be careful in public places.

They hear you a block away when you're whispering. And so I was just praying with this woman in a hospital. And an individual, I think it was a woman. And when I finished, I started to leave, I heard somebody across the hallway say, come see me too. I thought they were calling for a nurse. And I started to leave and they said, please come see me.

And I wasn't sure whether it was, I was the one they wanted or not. And I came back and I looked in the room and I said, were you talking to me? She said, yes. She said, I heard you praying. Are you a minister? I said, yes, I am.

She said, would you please come see me? Come in here and pray for me. She said, I'm afraid I'm about to die. And I don't know God. I need to know God.

I need to be saved. And this woman, a look at her, I could see that death was written on her. I'd been in the hospital enough to know pretty much. And her face was white and her eyes were sunken back and her hair was spread out there on the pillow. And she had a tortured look on her face because not only was she being tortured physically, she had no peace, no rest of soul. She said, would you please pray for me? I said, yes ma'am, I will. She said, can you tell me how to be saved?

How to go to heaven? I said, yes ma'am, I can. And I explained to her how Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay her sin debt. And I said to her, ma'am, if you will trust Christ, just trust him, he'll save you. And I said, I'm going to pray for you and then I want to lead you in a prayer. And I prayed for her. And then I said, now, I want you to pray after me.

Dear God. She said, dear God, I know that you love me. I know that you love me. I know that you want to save me. I know that you want to save me. You died to save me. You died to save me. You promised to save me. You promised to save me. If I would only trust you.

If I would only trust you, I do trust you. I do trust you she said, right now this moment with all of my heart come to my heart. Forgive my sin and save me, she prayed. And then I looked at her and she had still that look of agony on her face. Her brow was pinched.

There was that fear that was still there. And she looked at me and she said, Reverend, I don't see how just saying that can do any good. And I said, ma'am, you're 100% correct.

Just saying that can't do any good whatsoever. But I said, if you'll trust Jesus, he'll save you. She said, explain it again. I explained it again. I said, now let's pray again.

Dear God. She said, dear God. And I got to that part, I trust you to save me. She said, oh, I trust you to save me.

And when I looked again, there was the light, the glory of heaven on her face. I said, did he save you? She said, I believe he really saved me. Now that's what James is talking about. Just repeating pious phrases, never save anybody.

But trusting Jesus is what saves you. Now James here is just talking about the man who has a glib religious vocabulary, but he has never had a divine encounter with almighty God. And what James says about this dead religion is that it is profitless.

It is profitless. Pious platitudes don't get you to heaven. The second thing he says about it, not only is it profitless, it is fruitless. It is a barren belief. Notice if you will, in verse 18 and 19, he says, and even so faith, if it has not works is dead being alone. Yea, a man may say, thou has faith and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works.

And I will show you my faith by my works. Verse 15 is what I really wanted, if a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food. And one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be you warmed and filled, notwithstanding, you give them not those things which are needful to the body. What doth it profit?

It doesn't do any good. Even so verse 17, faith if it hath not works is dead being alone. You see, because it is profitless, it is fruitless, it is barren. Now verse 18, yea, a man may say, thou has faith and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believeth there is one God, thou doest well, the devils also believe and primble. Now some people, dear friend, don't have any more faith than the devil himself.

I'm going to tell you something else. The devil is more orthodox than some preachers. He really is. He has more religion than some preachers. I mean, he believes more than some preachers. And as you look around today at the modern church, you can see how true that statement is. The devil is more orthodox than some preachers. We'll hear part two of this convicting message tomorrow.

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Go to lwf.org slash radio. Or you can write us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38600, Memphis, Tennessee 38183. Adrian Rogers said, Jesus has cornered the market on grace. Nobody else except our Lord teaches salvation by grace. There are only two kinds of religion in the world, grace and works.

One spelled do, the other spelled done. Think about that today and be sure to join us tomorrow for part two of this message right here on Love Worth Finding. A listener sent a message along with her recent donation and said this, thank God for the preachers like Adrian Rogers who faithfully delivered truth without wavering, not watered down straight from the Holy Word of God. You know, it's our privilege to share the profound truth of the gospel through these practical lessons from Adrian Rogers. We're grateful for your prayers and donations that sustain us. As a way to say thank you for your gift this month, we'd love to send you our Why booklet collection. It includes four powerful booklets that empathize with our pain and point to the promises of God. This bundle is a great source of insight if you're facing difficult days. Request the booklet collection, Why, when you call with a gift at 1-877-LOVEGOD or give online at lwf.org slash radio. And again, thanks for your generous support of Love Worth Finding.