Dead Faith?

Dead Faith?

Rogate – 5/10/2026

James 1:22-27

Rev. Christopher W. Brademeyer

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

                That portion from God’s holy Word for consideration this morning is our Epistle lesson from the first chapter of the Epistle of St. James with special emphasis on verse twenty-two which reads as follows:

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”^[1]

Thus far the Scriptures.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Faith without works is dead. This is true. After all, the Holy Spirit caused St. James to write these very words. More than this, it is also somewhat obvious. Actions are physical confessions of what one holds dear. What we treasure and trust will shape what we do and how we live. For example, someone who claims to be a Vikings fan but who refuses to watch the games, buy the gear, and hope against all reason that this year will somehow be different isn’t really much of a fan. Why? Because faith directs action.

No matter how we slice it, there is an intimate unity between what we believe and what we do. The ancient Christians summarized this with the phrase lex orandi, lex credendi, that is, the law of prayer is the law of belief. In other words, what one truly believes inevitably expresses itself outwardly. Indeed, we rightly recognize hypocrisy when someone’s words and actions contradict one another. We expect unity between confession and conduct in others, and rightly so. Therefore, we should also desire such unity in ourselves.

But this raises an important question: what is the foundation of the Christian life? Is Christianity ultimately about behavior? Is the Christian faith merely moral improvement? Is St. James teaching that salvation depends upon your ability to produce enough good works? No. Not at all. St. James is not saying that works create faith. He is teaching that living faith produces works.

This distinction matters greatly. If you reverse the order, Christianity becomes nothing more than another religion of self-improvement and law. In such a system, consciences are crushed either by pride or despair. Pride comes because some imagine themselves righteous by comparing themselves to others. Despair comes because honest sinners know they can never do enough. Thus we must begin where the Scriptures begin: faith is the bedrock of the Christian life.

And where does this faith come from? Not from within you. Not from your effort, your intellect, your decision, or your emotions. Faith comes from outside of you. Faith comes by hearing. Faith comes through the Word of Christ. The Holy Spirit works through the preaching of the Gospel and through the Sacraments instituted by Christ Himself. When God speaks, faith is created.

This is why St. James says earlier in this chapter: “Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth.” God acts first. God gives life first. God speaks first. Christianity is not man climbing upward to God. Christianity is God descending to sinners in mercy. You did not make yourself a Christian. God did. In Holy Baptism, He washed you. Through the preached Gospel, He absolves you. In the Lord’s Supper, He feeds you with the very body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins. The Christian life rests entirely upon Christ giving Himself to sinners.

This is important because otherwise St. James will terrify you. “Be doers of the word.” If this is separated from Christ, then these words become unbearable. For who among us has perfectly done the Word? Who among us has loved God with all heart, soul, mind, and strength? Who has loved his neighbor perfectly? Who has controlled his tongue perfectly? St. James specifically warns about the tongue in today’s text. And if we are honest, we know how destructive our words can be. Gossip, slander, cruelty, arrogance, impatience, and angry speech flow from us more easily than they should.

However, the solution is not pretending sin does not exist. The solution is not lowering God’s standards. The solution is Christ crucified for sinners. The same Word that exposes your sin is also the Word that forgives your sin. Notice how St. James describes the Gospel. He calls it “the perfect law, the law of liberty.” That sounds almost contradictory to us. Usually law means burden and liberty means freedom from burden. But St. James speaks this way because the Christian is no longer condemned by the Law. In Christ, the curse has been removed. Christ fulfilled the Law for you. Christ bore the punishment of your disobedience. Therefore, the Law no longer stands over the Christian as condemnation, but now describes the life into which God’s redeemed people are called.

In other words, faith lives and faith does. Living faith cannot remain idle. An apple tree bears apples because it is alive. It does not become alive by producing apples. Likewise, Christians do good works because they have already been made alive through faith in Christ.

This is why St. James condemns those who are merely hearers and not doers. He is warning against empty confession. Against a Christianity that is all outward appearance and no living trust in Christ. Against hearing God’s Word while refusing repentance. Against imagining that one can cling to sin without struggle and still claim communion with Christ. Faith is living and active.

But notice also what kind of works St. James emphasizes. He does not speak about flashy religious achievements. He speaks about bridling the tongue. Caring for widows and orphans. Remaining unstained from the world. These are humble things. Ordinary things. Vocational things. The Christian life is not usually lived in grand displays of heroism. It is lived in daily repentance and love toward neighbor. A father providing for his family. A mother caring for her children. A worker laboring honestly. A Christian speaking truthfully. A neighbor showing mercy. A congregation caring for the weak and suffering. The reason is simple: these works do not save you. Christ alone saves you. But where Christ has created faith, these fruits will follow.

And this should comfort you as well. Sometimes Christians hear sermons about good works and immediately become anxious, wondering whether they have enough fruit, enough obedience, enough evidence. But remember this: weak faith in a strong Christ still saves. The focus of the Christian life is not staring endlessly at your own works. The focus is Christ. Faith clings to Him. And because faith clings to Him, fruit follows. Fruit often comes imperfectly, slowly, often mixed with sin and weakness, but nevertheless it truly does come. Even your desire to repent is itself evidence of the Spirit’s work within you.

The unbelieving world often thinks Christianity is primarily about rule-keeping. But Christianity is about Christ giving life to the dead. And the living then live as people who have been torn from the power of sin and death.

So then, dear Christians, continue to hear the Word of God. Continue to receive Christ’s gifts. Continue in repentance and faith. For the same Lord who forgives your sins is also at work renewing you. He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ. Therefore, do not be hearers only. Hear the Word. Believe the Word. Receive the Word. And by God’s grace, live according to the Word.  For faith is the bedrock of the Christian life, and living faith bears fruit.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the holy Name of Jesus. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] James 1:22 English Standard Version. All further quotations from the Holy Scriptures are from the ESV.