The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-05-19
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTS FOR MAY 80.

Subject: Believing and Doing, James
2:14:26-Golden Text: James
2:2O--Commit Verse 28-Com.
mentary.
TME.-A. D. 60. PLACE.-Jeru-
salem.
EXPOSITION. II. Living Faith
and Dead Faith, 14-19. There is nc
profit in a mans saying that he has
faith unless he proves 1t by such con-
duct as necessarily results from living
faith. Real faith is not mere opinion,
it is not mere belief Of the truth. Real
faith, the faith that saves, is heart
faith (Rom. 1919, 10), faith that
governs our thoughts, our feelings,
our choices and our conduct, faith
that leads to action along the line OF
that which we believe. The faith
which a man says that he has but
which does not prove itself by works,
that" faith ". IA R. W cannot
save a man. We are saved by faith,
but we are saved by real faith. Faith
is the assurance Of things hoped, the
conviction of things not seem (Heb.
Ill, A. R. w.. The foundation
upon which this assurance of things
hoped for rests is Gods Word. The
reality of the faith shows itself by
conduct along the line Of that which
is believed (Heb. 11:7, 1913, ~,
800. This is not only the doctrine
that the Holy Spirit teaches through
James, but it is also the doctrine that
He teaches through Paul (Gal. 5:6;
i Cor. 1922; 1 Thess. 1:3; Tit. /:
IS; $3.50. There were those in
James day who were abusing the
doctrine of salvation by faith. They
interpreted faith as merely meaning
theological opinion and they were
holding that whoever held the right
theological opinion was thereby saved
irrespective Of his conduct. The love
that tells a needy man to depart in
peace without giving him what he
needs for his comfort is a sham love,
a dead love ". 16; CT. Matt. 14:15,
16: ~25:42:45; Rom. 1879; 1 John 3:
1913, and just so the faith that
does not lead to action Is a sham
faith-a dead faith. There Is no life
nor profit in the n nor in the other.
A man may be a true Christian and
be destitute of the necessities Of life
Nv. Is; Heb. 11:3D. Their necessity
is a call to us to prove u faith by
ministering to it. Obedience to God
is the only real proof Of faith (cf.
Heb. 11:3, Z, 8, II, "a, rs, 30). Real
faith is the highest thing there is
among men (Heb. 1898, 3S); dead
faith is a disgusting corpse. Do not
merely say you have faith, prove it
by your conduct (cf. Tit. 2:7, lila;
Tim. is; Matt. TIT; 2 Cor. SIT;
7:1). 1t is well to believe the truth,
but merely believing the truth with
the head alone will not save a man.
IT.. How Abraham and Rahab were
Justified. 1926. Paul appeals to the
Old Testament Scriptures to prove
that a man is justified by faith alone
apart from the works Of the law
from. 4:1-12; CT. 1928, r. W. James
emphasizes the other side OF the
truth, that the faith that leads to JUS
~tifcation is a faith that proves itself
by works. We are justified by faith
without works, but we are not 1ustl-
fed by a faith that Is without works.
The faith which God sees and upon
which He justifes a mar leads newt
ably to works which men can see.
God saw the faith of Abraham and
counted it to him for righteousness
(Gen. 1876; Rom. 4:3-6, H., II, ~,
"a; Gal. $50, but the faith God saw
was real and led Abraham to works
that all could see and which proved
his faith. The proof to us of the
faith is works, and we know that he
who does not work has no justifying
faith. There is no contradiction be-
tween Paul and James. They stand
for opposite sides of the same truth.
Abraham proved his faith by doing
what God babe him do, even to the
extent of laying his son, his only son,
upon the altar.
We must not lose sight Of the truth
which Paul emphasizes against legal
ism on the one side-that we are JUS
tilted on the simple condition OF a
real faith in Christ; and we must mol
lose sight of the truth which James
emphasizes against anti-nominianlsm
on the other side-that 1t is only the
faith that proves its g~enuineness by
works that justifies. To the legallst
who is seeking to do something to
merit salvation we must say, stop
working and believe On Him that JUS
tifeth the ungodly'' (Rom. 4:5). To
the anti-nominian who is boasting
that he has faith and is justified by 1t
but who does not show his faith by
his works we must say, "What doth
it profit if a mar say he hath faith,
but have not works, can that faith
save him." Games 2:14, r. W.
We are justified. by faith alone, but
we are justified by that faith alone
that works (cf. Matt. 1877; 1885.
4O). Real faith stops at no sacrifice
~. 21). Abraham's real faith, which
stopped at no sacrifice, won him the
highest title ever bestowed upon a
man. THE Friend of God" e Chron.
2O:7: Is. 41:S). We may all have
the same title John 15:13-15).
There will be at least one former
harlot in heaven-Rahab. We have
the Word of God for it that she is
justified. She became the ancestress
of our Lord Matt. 1:5). And to-day
publicans and harlots are entering
the kingdom before the Pharisees
Matt. 21:31). Of all the people liv-
ing in Jericho the only lame that has
come down to this present day is that
of a harlot. Others persisted, but she
persisted not. She was saved by a
faith that led to works ". rs; CT.
lJah 11.Q1