the faith of Abraham

the faith of AbrahamPART THREE: JAMES 2

the faith of Abraham• The faith of Abraham is discussed in three

significant New Testament passages.• ROMANS 4 shows how Abraham’s faith

saved him.• HEBREWS 11 shows why Abraham’s faith

saved him.• JAMES 2 shows when Abraham’s faith saved

him.

when faith saved Abraham

Faith Without Works: What good is it?• James 2:14-17• Our question is asked in verse 14.• James offers a real life scenario.• What would we say to the person who says,

“Be warmed and filled”?• Faith by itself is dead.


Faith Without Works: As good as demons!• James 2:18-19• Some apparently were promoting two types

of Christian living.• Grammar Note: “good” vs. “well”• Demons “do well” but they are not good!

when faith saved Abraham• James 2:20-21• God has never accepted faith apart from

works, because it is …– KJV, NKJV: dead (NEKROS)– OTHERS: useless/barren (ARGOS) as in money

with no interest or land with no crops• Abraham’s was saved by faith when he

obeyed.


James 2:22-24• Without works, your faith is inactive.• Without works, your faith is incomplete.• Without works, your faith is unjustifiable.• If you want to be justified by faith like

Abraham, you need works like Abraham.


SIDE NOTE: What if I don’t like that?! • Preface to Luther’s 1522 German Translation:• “You are in a position now rightly to

discriminate between all the books, and decide which are the best. The true kernel and marrow of all the books, those which should rightly be ranked first, are the gospel of John and St. Paul’s epistles, especially that to the Romans … In comparison with these, the epistle of St. James is an epistle full of straw …”


LET US BELIEVE ALL OF GOD’S WORD.• James 2:26 (ESV) For as the body apart from

the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

• Do you have Abraham’s living faith?• Do you have Abraham’s faith in the living

God?• Is today the day when your faith saves?

the faith of Abraham

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