many, our minds are too narrow, but we do thank you for all of the rich blessings you constantly lavish upon us day after day. We would be remiss if we did not this Lord's Day pray for the civil magistrates that you have placed over us in all the places of political power. We pray that you would humble them We pray that you would turn their hearts to you. We pray that they would recognize their accountability to you and that you would use them to help your church live a quiet and safe and dignified life. We pray for those Christians that are being persecuted severely all over the world, in China, in Ukraine, in the Middle East and Africa. Persecuted physically in those places. Persecuted emotionally and intellectually in the West. We pray that you would stop their persecution and may your church not grow weary in well doing. May it realize that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church And we pray that you would bless those families that have members that are suffering martyrdom this day, thousands and thousands. We thank you for the privilege of being here today and of worshiping you in your church, in your tabernacle. Our souls crave for the opportunities of congregational worship. We pray, Father, that today that craving would be satisfied and that we would worship you in spirit and in truth. Help us, O Lord, to give this time of worship the best attention we're capable of giving it. May we not allow anything to distract our minds and our hearts. from sincere and true worship according to your word. We do thank you for that word. Every portion of it. We thank you for the privilege of being able to read it and hear it today. And what an important portion this is. So Lord save us from misinterpreting your word, misinterpreting your word. Save us from reading into your word anything we'd wanted to say. Forgive us for closing our eyes to keep from seeing the truth that's in it. This is such an important passage, Father. We pray that your Holy Spirit would Do the work of illumination you sent him to earth to do, and that he will illumine our hearts and minds to see what you want us to see. Correct in us any false notions we've had before this, however long or sincerely held. And may we be willing to have every thought reformed by your word. and brought into captivity to the Lord Jesus Christ. In His name we pray. Amen. Let us turn to our scripture passage today, which is James chapter 3, verses 14 through 26. Excuse me, did I say three? James 2, 14 through and let us stand for the reading of the Word of God. James 2, 14-26. What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing, and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, go in peace, be warmed and be filled, and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so, faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, you have faith and I have works. Show me your faith without the works and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one, you do well. The demons also believe and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works. And as a result of the works, faith was perfected. And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, And Abraham believed, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. You may be seated. Ironically, this is one of the most important chapters, verses, a series of verses in the whole Bible. And at the same time, one of the most misinterpreted passages of the whole Bible. There are even people like Martin Luther in his early days that thought these verses ought not to be in the Bible. That's why he called the book of James the epistle of straw. And when he translated the Bible into German, he wouldn't put James in its right place, he put it as an appendix at the end of the Bible. And then in the second edition of the German Bible, He had matured as a Christian, so he put it in his right place, but he didn't number the pages. Now, why is this chapter so controversial and so misunderstood? All it says is faith without works is dead. All it says is a man is justified. Not by faith alone, but by works. What's wrong with that? Well, what's wrong with it? Nothing's wrong with it. But the reason people have trouble with it is they've read Paul more than they read James. They've read the book of Romans before they read the book of James. And Roman says, we are justified by faith alone. Paul says, we're justified by faith alone apart from the works of the law. And then James comes along and says, we're justified by works apart from faith, not by faith alone. So which one of those verses is true? Let's take a vote. How many of you think Paul is right? And how many of you side with Paul? Raise your hand. How many of you side with James and you think James is right? Raise your hand. That's good, you raised your hand both times. Because they're both right. They're both the word of God. Now why do people misunderstand these two men? Why do they think they contradict each other? Because they fail to consider the context into which each of these men was writing. And this is one of those points where you must take into consideration the audience, the recipients of these letters, the context, or you will misunderstand one or both of them. So let's consider just for a minute. Who were they writing to? Because it does sound like they were writing to two different groups of people. Paul says we're justified by faith alone apart from the works of law. James says we're justified by works and not by faith alone. So how can we put those two together? Well you remember first of all to whom Paul was writing the book of Romans. He was writing the book of Romans to people who were having problems with faith and works. And James was too, but from different perspectives. James was writing to people who thought were having a problem. They said, we're justified by faith, but you don't have to worry about works. In fact, The people he was writing to, James, had a similar view to what most evangelicals have today. You see, most evangelical Christians today don't have a problem with Romans 3. Their problem is with James 2. They've been taught in their churches what we call easy believe visit. All you have to do to become a Christian is ask Jesus into your heart. All you have to do to become a Christian is make a decision to follow Jesus. Now, from that perspective, there's no place for obedience to law. Because if all you have to do is ask Jesus into your heart and you're saved and you'll never be lost after that, you don't really have to be worried about good works. Obeying commandments. In fact when you do you're falling back into the realm of works and you're leaving grace Because after all salvation is by grace It's unearned. It's unbought You don't get it by obeying the law of God You get it by faith in Christ alone and You don't earn it by obeying enough laws to make enough points and to get you in. That was the kind of people James was writing to. They were people who thought all you had to do is say a little prayer, say the sinner's prayer, and you're in, and you never have anything to worry about. One time I was in South Africa, and there was about eight of us. And I was the only Presbyterian. I was the token Calvinist. And this one a Baptist preacher, everybody he saw, he'd lead to Christ, in quotes. He'd come up to somebody and he'd say, do you want to become a Christian? I saw him do that to Africans and Indians and all kinds of things. You want to become a Christian? And they'd say, yes. You want to live forever in heaven? Yes. All right, say this prayer. Jesus be my Savior. And they'd say that prayer and he'd look at them and he'd say, now do you really mean that? And the guy would say yes and then the preacher would say, you're saved. Don't let anybody ever question you. You are saved and you'll be saved forever. So then we go up, I remember one time it was in an Indian restaurant. I remember because of what I ate there. They're called Mozambican prawns, and they're about a foot and a half long. And this Indian came up with his turban, and he'd been saving people the whole trip. I was getting angry at him for saving so many people. I knew what he was doing. He could go back to his church and say, God really overwhelmingly blessed this trip, We saved so many people, so if you pay us some more money, we'll go back and save some more. So this Indian came up to our table, and the guy said, you want to go to heaven when you die? And he said, yes, sir. And he said, OK, Mr. Moorcraft will tell you how to do it. Well, I mean, I was mad. I'm confessing I was sinful. I was mad. So I got up, and I left the table. because I didn't want to play that game. So after dinner, I went up to him, or he came up to me and he said, Mr. Moorcraft, I'm sorry if I offended you for presenting the gospel. I said, you didn't offend me for presenting the gospel. I haven't heard you present the gospel to anybody in this whole trip. And I later had to apologize for that too. But you see, say this prayer, say these words, say the sinner's prayer. And if you mean it, you go to heaven and you never have to doubt it again. So don't worry about works. Don't worry about obeying laws. That's the kind of attitude James is trying to deal with. Paul, on the other hand, had to deal with people. that says salvation is by faith and works. That if you're going to be saved, you've got to believe in Jesus, and then you've got to do enough good works to earn the forgiveness of your sins. That's the Catholicism of the Middle Ages, by the way. You must have faith in Christ because he's the one that gives you the strength to earn salvation by obeying the law of God. So he was dealing with attitude. Justification is by faith and works. James was having to deal with attitude. Salvation is by faith without works. and both of them were wrong. Now what also is confusing about this passage is both of them refer to an incident in Abraham's life. Let's look at that incident. Paul uses the same illustration. He says, in verse, James says in chapter two, verse 21, Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works. And as a result of the works, faith was perfected. And the scripture was fulfilled which says, and Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. And he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone period. OK. Turn back to Romans 3. And let's see. Paul. Using the same illustration. In Chapter 3. Chapter 3 and Chapter 4. He talks about the nature of faith. And in that chapter, he uses a similar passage that faith, verse 9 of chapter 4, that faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness. So here you have two men in the New Testament quoting the same verse. And Paul says, Abraham believed and it was counted to him as righteousness. James says, Abraham believed and it was counted to him as righteousness. Paul said, so see, justification is by faith alone. James says, so see, justification is by works and not by faith alone. Now, how did they draw, apparently, two completely different conclusions from the same verse? Well, let's see what they're talking about. Paul was quoting Genesis 15. You can look it up. Well, let's do look it up. Paul was quoting Genesis 15. And Genesis 15 was the beginning of Abraham's life. Christian life. Let's start with verse 1. After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, Do not fear, Abram. I am a shield to you. Your reward shall be very great. And Abram said, O Lord God, what wilt thou give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, since thou has given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir. Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him saying, this man will not be your heir, but one who shall come forth from your own body. He shall be your heir. And he took him outside and said, now look toward the heavens. and count the stars if you're able to count them. And he said to them, so shall your descendants be. Then he believed in the Lord and he reckoned it to him as righteousness. Now that's the verse that Paul quotes in the book of Romans. Turn to Genesis 22. Here is what James is referring to. Chapter 22 of Genesis. Now it came about after these things that God tested Abraham and said to him, Abraham, and he said, here I am. And he said, take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains on which I will tell you. So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son. And he split wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day, Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. And Abraham said to his young men, stay here with the donkey and I and the lad will go up yonder and we will worship the Lord and we will return to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, My father, and he said, Here I am, my son. And he said, Behold, the fire and the wood. But where is the lamb for the burnt offering? And Abraham said, God will provide for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son. So two of them walked on together. Then they came to the place of which God had told them. And Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of 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. And he said, here I am. And he said, do not stretch out your hand against the land and do nothing to him. For I know now that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son from me. Then Abraham raised his hands and looked and behold behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his thorns. And Abraham went. and took the ram and offered him for a burnt offering in the place of his son and Abraham called the name of that place the Lord will provide as it is said to this day in the mouth of the Lord it will be provided. Now that's the text and the incident that James is talking about. He said can't you see that Abraham's offering up Isaac That good work of being willing to sacrifice his son for God, is that how he was justified? He was justified by his good works. The good work of obeying God. That was 40 years, 30 or 40, 30 or 40 years after the incident that Paul's referring to. Paul's quoting from Genesis 15, where Adam first came to know Christ, and he believed God, and God reckoned unto him his righteousness. 40 years later, James refers to the events when Abraham proved his faith was real. Proved that it wasn't fake. by being willing to sacrifice his son. That good work proved Abraham's faith to be real. So you see they're talking about two entirely different things. Now let's go back to James 2 and let's exegete this passage because it is a wonderful one. And it clears up a lot of things rather than confuses. Know what the contrast is. James is drawing a contrast, not between faith without works and faith with works, because there's no such thing as faith without works. He's drawing a contrast between a person's mere profession of faith and his true faith in Christ. Look what he says. And people overlook this word. What use is it, my brethren, if a man says He has faith, but he has no works. Can that faith, can that profession of faith save him? That's what he's talking about. He's not contrasting faith without works and faith with works. He's contrasting an empty profession of faith in Christ. Yes, I am a Christian. I receive Jesus Christ as my Savior. I'm trusting in Him alone for salvation. But there's absolutely no life to back up that testimony. It's empty. What use is it, my brethren, if a man merely says he has faith, makes a profession of faith, but he has no works to back it up, no changed life? Can that kind of faith, that profession of faith save him? I'll give you an example, he says. In verse 15, if a brother or a sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, go in peace, be warm to be filled, and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Somebody hungry comes up to you, and says, I'm in need of food and clothing. And you say, well, I'm a Christian. I feel for you. I feel your pain. Bless your little heart. I hope somebody takes care of you in the future. Is that real faith? Why didn't he do something if he had the capability to do something about that man or that woman that was hungry and naked? Why didn't the Christian do something for him? Do you think that profession of faith, I'm a Christian, is real? Of course it's not real. That's what he's saying. A mere profession of faith without good works of obedience is useless and worthless and dead. And that's what he says in verse 17. Even so, faith, profession of faith, that's what's being talked about here. Even so, a profession of faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. You say, I am a Christian. I'm a sinner. I deserve God's displeasure. I'm without hope except for His sovereign mercy. I trust in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ alone. I want Him to be my Savior. If that's all you got, you have nothing. A correct profession of faith, however right, However emotionally spoken is absolutely worthless if there's not a changed life to back it up. You know how many people have been saved by praying the sinner's prayer without a life to back it up? Zero. You know how many people think they've been saved by praying the sinner's prayer? Millions. That's why this passage is so important. There's millions of people out there who have professed faith in Christ, said, I am trusting Christ alone for my salvation, but who do not have a life, a changed life to back it up. These people have never been saved, and their faith is absolutely worthless. It's dead. What can a dead man do for himself? Nothing. And that's what he's saying. He's saying the opposite of what a young preacher down the road said to me in a sermon I heard one time. Faith without works is dead, but a dead faith still saves. A dead faith can't save anybody, just like a dead man can't save himself. So I emphasize again, if all you have is a testimony that you believe that Jesus is your Savior, that's not faith. That's a profession of faith. And if there's not a changed life to back up that profession of faith, you don't have faith at all. The Bible does not say we're justified by profession of faith alone. So let's go back. Even so, verse 17, if it has no works, faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, you have faith and I have works, show me your faith without the works, and I'll show you my faith by my works. Now that is a difficult verse, but let's see what it means. He's trying to show that there's no such thing as a saving faith that's dead. Now that means that most professed Christians today have a dead faith. Most professed Christians said, I'm a Christian. I've been baptized. I believe the Apostle's Creed. I know I'm a sinner. I know my only hope is Jesus. And their life has not been changed by the power of the Holy Spirit. That person has never had faith at all. That means most professed faith people, professed Christians in these evangelical churches and reformed. had never been saved. They never had faith and lost it. They never had it in the first place. And so he says, but someone may well say to you, you have faith and I have works. I mean, let's don't get all hot and bothered about this. You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith without the works, which you cannot do. And I'll show you my faith by my works, which I can do. So here's this fictitious character that he interjects into the controversy. And this fictitious character is absolutely convinced he's a Christian. I'm a Christian. I'll show you my faith without my works. And James says, in so many words, do it. You can't do it. There's no such thing as faith without works. Maybe your profession of faith was emotional. Maybe it was sincere, but there was no change life behind it. You never had faith. Verse 19, you believe. He's getting a little sarcastic here. You believe that God is one. There's only one true and living God. And there's no God beside him. You do well. Let me congratulate you for believing that God is one. The demons also believe that there's only one God. And it doesn't save them. All it does is cause them to shudder. and tremble in their boots. So if you believe that God is one and Jesus Christ is the Savior, and that He died on the cross for sinners, and you don't have any changed life to back up that profession, you are no different than the demons. Now, I'm the messenger, so don't shoot the messenger. James said it. It basically was God that said it. But that's how strong He is. That's how strong the argument is. If all you have is a profession of faith that Jesus is the Savior of the world, and you don't have a life of good works to back it up, your faith is a demonic faith. It's the kind of faith Satan has. And it most certainly is not saving him from hell. Verse 20, but are Willie, are you willing to recognize you foolish fellow? Now he's not saying that in any kind of kind way. It's like saying, are you willing to recognize you fool? that faith without works is useless. Now what's he talking about? He's talking about this guy that says he has faith, but he doesn't really have faith. So a profession of faith and faith are two entirely different things. And so James is saying to him, can't you recognize that this kind of profession of faith This empty faith without a changed life, without works, is useless and can't do anything for you? Now, let's talk about works. When he says works, what does he mean? Well, what did Paul mean? Paul primarily was concerned with external works, external obedience, circumcision. dietary laws, Saturday Sabbath, not with the desires of the heart but with the actions on the outside. That's not what James is talking about. Works are not external physical things. He's talking about works of obedience to God from the heart. works of obedience to God's law from the heart that's full of faith in Christ. That's what good works means to James. Verse 20, but are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? And then he quotes Abraham, or reversed Abraham. Was not Abraham our father justified by works? When he offered up Isaac, his son, on the altar. Now, he'd received Christ 40 years before, remember? When Abraham offered up Christ, offered up Isaac, Abraham had been a Christian for 40 years. And 40 years earlier, God said concerning Abraham, he believed the gospel. And it was counted to him for righteousness. He was saved. Now with Isaac, 40 years later, he's justifying his faith. He's vindicating his faith. He's proving that his faith that he put in Christ 40 years earlier is real and is true. When Abraham offered up Isaac, that's not when he became a Christian. That's not when he first started believing in Christ. He did that 40 years earlier. What he's doing now in offering up his son is declaring that his faith and demonstrating, I should say, that his faith is real. Demonstrating that the faith he had 40 years earlier is true. So look at the verse. 21, but was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? Did he justify? There's two senses. To be justified by faith alone means for God the judge to declare you not guilty on the basis of Christ's finished work and have your sins forgiven and to be adopted into God's family by faith alone. You know what the Westminster Larger Catechism question 71 says? I love it. It says something like this. In justification God commands of us nothing but faith alone, which faith is a gift of God. Now that's what Paul's saying. Paul's saying the same thing. When it comes to having your sins forgiven and be adopted into God's family and you first become a Christian, God requires of you nothing but faith in Christ alone. And that faith, a gift of God. You know, the Roman Catholics got after Martin Luther. One of the evidences they gave that Luther was adding to the Bible was his German translation of that verse in Romans 3. We're justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Here's how Luther translated into German. Now our Bible says we're justified by faith apart from the law or the works of the law. Martin Luther's version said we are justified by faith alone apart from the works of the law. And the Catholics say, see, Luther's adding to the Bible, the word alone is not there in Greek. Luther added the word aline, A-L-L-E-I-N, German for alone. Luther added the word alone in that verse, and that verse did not contain the word when it was originally written. But Catholics are right superficially. In the Greek New Testament, the word alone doesn't occur in that verse. Luther did add a word. The verse doesn't say we're justified by faith alone, apart from the works of the law. It says we're justified by faith apart from the works of the law. So, what's the big deal? Did Luther add a thought to that verse. No, sir, he did not. He added a word, but he didn't change the meaning. I mean, to say we're justified by faith apart from the works of the law is the same thing as saying we're justified by faith alone apart from the works of the law. So he added no thoughts, no new thought to that chapter and to that verse. And so When Abraham offered up Isaac, that was Abraham declaring and demonstrating that his justifying faith was real. Forty years earlier, he received Christ alone, and that was credited to him for righteousness. Now, 40 years later, By offering up Isaac, he's showing to the world that faith is real. You see any contradiction there? See any contradiction between Paul and James? There's no contradiction. Paul said we're justified by faith alone. James says we're justified by faith, but that faith has to be backed up in order for it to be real. All right, let's look at verse 22. You see, now he's talking about Abraham offering up Isaac. You see, that faith was working with his works. He already had faith, and in this good work of obedience of sacrificing Isaac, his faith is just showing itself and working itself out in his life. And as a result of this work, demonstrating that his faith was real, his faith was perfected. Not perfected in the sense of absolutely perfect, but in the sense of faith had reached its goal, and that goal was a holy life. And the scripture was fulfilled, which says in Genesis 15, and Abraham believed God. And it was reckoned to him as righteousness. And he was called the friend of God. The scripture now is fulfilled, and that which God said about believing Abraham 40 years ago now proves itself to be true. You see, verse 24, he's talked a lot about seeing, you notice? Up then saying, verse 14, what use is it, my brethren, if a man says... Verse 18, but someone may well say... Verse 22, you see... Verse 24, you see... You see the contrast. He's talking about what this man said. Versus true faith. And so he says, Verse 24, you see that a man is justified, that is, declared righteous on the basis of Christ's perfect life and atoning death. You're justified, forgiven, accepted by God as His child. By works and not by faith alone. Not by an empty profession of faith like the man he first talks about up there in verse 14. But you're justified by a faith that shows itself, that demonstrates itself in an obedient life. You see, a man is justified by works and not by an empty faith. And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works? When she received the messengers and sent them out by another way, this is a great story. You remember that the children of Israel, the armies of Israel, were beginning to invade the promised land. The first big city they had to take was Jericho. So they sent in a couple spies to survey the situation. They go in to find out what the strengths and weaknesses of Jericho were. And so they found this woman who lived in an apartment and who was a prostitute. And she was willing to help them. And so they asked her questions about the strengths and the weaknesses of Jericho. And she told them. And then she found out there were some police officers that were coming to see if there were any hidden spies in anybody's house. So she hides them out and tells them to go over in this direction. The police come and they say, Rahab, have you seen any spies, Jewish spies? No, sir, not me. But they were here for a while. Where'd they go? They went that way. But they really went that way. And so she protected these Jewish spies by misleading the pagan Jericho authorities. And the Bible says that was an act of faith justifying her faith. Because later she joined Israel. And she considered these spies her brothers. And she was a covenant sister. and she was no longer a harlot and so the reason Abraham can use this illustration in Rahab's life is that Rahab demonstrated her faith in Jehovah by hiding the spies and misleading the pagan authorities so his grand conclusion in verse 26 for just as the body without the spirit is dead So faith without works is dead. And a profession of faith without a life of obedience is as useless as a dead body. What can a dead body do for itself? Nothing. What can a dead faith do for a person? nothing. And if all you have is a profession of faith and all you've done is prayed the prayer of a sinner, but you have not demonstrated that faith by a life of godliness and obedience to God, your faith is as dead as a doornail. Now let me make A couple conclusions real quick. So when you put these two verses together from Paul and from James, how do you connect the two? Like this. Justification is by faith alone. Don't compromise that. Don't weaken it, don't be afraid to say it and emphasize it. Justification, that is, acceptance with God on the basis of Christ, forgiveness of sin, and adoption in His family, is by faith alone. But not by faith that remains alone. That's how you put the two together. We're saved by faith alone, but by faith that proves itself. and not by faith that remains alone. A faith without a life of good works does not exist. Secondly, a just life is proof of a justified life. How do you know you've been justified? How do you know you have been accepted by God on the basis of Christ's life and death? How do you know you've been adopted into his family? Because your life's different. It's a life that you would not live if you did not have faith in Christ alone. So don't get those things mixed up. If somebody comes to you who's not a Christian and says to you, what must I do to have my sins forgiven and to be adopted into God's family and be justified? Don't hesitate. Don't say, now let me see, what did that preacher say? That preacher said, say it clearly without hesitation. When somebody says, how can I be justified and have my sins forgiven? You tell them, the split second they ask, by faith in Christ alone. And not by anything you do. So the guy comes back to you, a few days later, and he says, Mr. Morecraft, I think I've put my faith in Christ alone for salvation. How can I be sure? Don't hesitate. Don't sell him any useless, easy-believism. Don't offer him any cheap grace. He says, how do I know that I have put my faith in Christ alone? You got a different life. Your life's not the same as it was when you came to me a week ago. Faith without works is dead. We are justified by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone. It demonstrates itself in a life of obedience. You got that? Don't get mixed up on it. Martin Luther said that he had to preach on justification by faith alone every week because his congregation would forget about it. I mean, your whole eternal destiny is tied up with this. You can be wrong on other things, but if you're wrong on this, you're in eternal trouble. How are you justified? forgiven and adopted in God's family. You got any questions about that answer? By faith in Christ alone. A lot of people who've made professions of faith in Christ and they're absolutely certain that they're saved, but they don't have faith. because they don't have a life that demonstrates that faith is true. We're not justified by a profession of faith alone. We're justified by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone. Just in case you forget, I'm gonna preach on that again sometime. Let us pray. We're thankful, oh Lord, that you know us better than we even know ourselves. We thank you that there's nothing we can do that can in any way earn or buy our salvation. We thank you that salvation is only by works alone but it's works that God has done and not anything that we've done. So Lord if there's anybody in this room that doesn't have faith we pray that you'd give it to them. And if there's anybody in this room that has a profession of faith, but no real changed life and therefore no real faith, we pray that you'd give it to them. And if there's anybody in this room that doesn't have assurance of his or her salvation, We pray that the Holy Spirit of God will work in their hearts and testify to their spirits as they search their own hearts and as they search the gospel. That the Holy Spirit would testify to them that they are the true children of God. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Let us stand and confess our faith in the living God by reciting together the Apostles' Creed. I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead, he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. You may be seated. There's also something else that God has given us to help us understand critically important issues like this. And I'm sure you see this is one of the most important doctrines you can understand. And God has given us the Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper is part of its work is to clarify our minds and our faith. so that we see the Bible correctly, so that we make proper distinctions, and we're able to understand those distinctions. So as you take the Lord's Supper, you pray, Lord, clarify in my mind these things we've been talking about today. Give me assurance that I do belong to you by grace through faith alone. and change my life that I might demonstrate to the world that I am a true Christian. Let us pray. Father that