James Expounds on Faith Volume 27

 Faith without Works is Dead Faith Part 3

James 2:21-22 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 was faith made perfect? KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

As we learned in the last study/commentary, the Apostle James showed us how superficial faith really exist because even the demons/fallen angels believe in God, yet their belief now in God is merely an acknowledgment of His existence coupled with a 😱 fear of their pending, that is, the awaiting conclusion or confirmation of their eternal judgement and damnation in hell and the lake of fire 🔥. Those demons or fallen angels have no desire within them now to trust and obey God, yet still they believe in Him. The Apostle James will now use the Old Testament Saint Abraham (the Father of the Nation of Israel by virtue of the will of God) and  his subsequent actions upon hearing the Word of God come to him and believing said word and his actions/obedience to the Word of God testified or proved his faith/belief/trust in God was real and true, as it is written, "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 was faith made perfect?." (James 2:21-22) (KJV). First, we remember that Abraham was called by God and he listened to 👂 the Word of God spoken unto him and obeyed, as it is ✍ written, "Now the LORD had said to Abram: 'Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.' So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran." (Genesis 12:1-4) (NKJV). This was the beginning of Abraham's journey of faith and even though he had many ups and downs, as well as trying to accomplish God's will by his own human efforts, yet from the very beginning he had a deep trust in God and the Word of God. Note: "Let us remember that during the entire life of this man Abraham there was no written Word of God, but only the Word of God sopken to his inner man 👨." Now we fast forward to Genesis 22 which is where the faith and trust of Abraham in YAHWEH was tested, as it is written, "Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, 'Abraham!' And he said, 'Here I am.' Then He said, 'Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.'" (Genesis 22:1-2) (NKJV). Was Abraham going to believe the Word of God? Abraham could have said within himself that this cannot be true, so I will not obey it (which is exactly what many people over the centuries have done with the Bible).  When Abraham was awakened by God the next morning, he prepared all that he needed for his journey and he took his son Isaac plus two (2) of his servants with him on the journey to Mount Moriah. When Abraham arrived and began to go up to the place where the Lord God told him to go, listen 👂 to the words which he spoke to the two (2) servants that had journeyed with them, "Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said to his young men, 'Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.'" (Genesis 22:4-5) (NKJV).

Abraham did not know what would happen when he and Isaac got to the top of the mountain ⛰, but what He did know and trust is that God had already promised him that his descendants would number as many as the stars ✨ in the heavens and the grains of sand along the seashore (Genesis 15:5), therefore, he was obedient all the way to the point of raising the knife to slay his son as God had sopken unto him, but here was the result of Abraham's obedience to God's Word that came to him, as it is ✍ written, "Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, 'Abraham, Abraham!' So he said, 'Here I am.' And He said, 'Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.' Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, 'In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.' Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: 'By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.' So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba." (Genesis 22:9-19) (NKJV). In the above verse of Scripture James 2:21, the Apostle James uses the English word 'justified' in referring to Abraham which is translated by the Greek word dikaioō which means to render (that is, show or regard as) just or innocent: - free, justify (-ier), be righteous. Abraham was declared righteous and just by God because his faith was true saving faith in God. In the above verse of Scripture James 2:22, the Apostle James uses the little English phrase 'wrought with' which is translated by the Greek word sunergeō which means to be a fellow worker, that is, co-operate: - help (work) with, work together. Also in James 2:22, the Apostle James uses the little English phrase 'made perfect' which is translated by the Greek word teleioō which means to complete, that is, (literally) accomplish, or (figuratively) consummate (in character): - consecrate, finish, fulfil, (make) perfect. Abraham's works or actions of obedience to the Word of the Lord that came to him completed, consecrated, and consummated his faith as real and true faith. Faith that is minus obedience to what the Word of God declares is no faith at all and so is any faith that would seek to change what the Word of God declares, as it is written here by the Apostle Paul to the Church ⛪ @ Rome, "Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of Peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen." (Romans 16:17-20) (NKJV).

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…