This second week on this passage we continued teaching that faith and works aren’t mutually exclusive. In fact, James tells us that faith apart from works is dead. As Christians works don’t get us eternal life, they don’t help us keep eternal life and they don’t prove we have eternal life. But they do make our faith profitable for that day when we stand before the Bema seat, they do help us have better fellowship with other Christians and they do help our faith mature and grow as God wants it to. As we have said already: We don’t work to be saved: We work because we are saved. Works don’t save us, but good works should follow true faith.
Group Discussion Questions for Week of October 2, 2016
Q. Which parts for the text this week did you identify with the most?
Read James 2:18a
What objection is made here?
Read James 2:18b-20
What is James’s answer to the objection that is made?
Read James 2:21-26
Who does James cite as examples of faith in action? (Why?)
What does the word “justified” mean?
How did James say Abraham & Rahab were justified?
How should we understand justification in light of Galatians 2:16. How do you explain the apparent contradiction?
What was Abraham called in verse 23 and what does that mean to you?
What did Jesus say about friendship in John 15:14?
What is one life changing step that God is asking you to take in response to what we saw this week?
Read James 2:18a
What objection is made here?
Read James 2:18b-20
What is James’s answer to the objection that is made?
Read James 2:21-26
Who does James cite as examples of faith in action? (Why?)
What does the word “justified” mean?
How did James say Abraham & Rahab were justified?
How should we understand justification in light of Galatians 2:16. How do you explain the apparent contradiction?
What was Abraham called in verse 23 and what does that mean to you?
What did Jesus say about friendship in John 15:14?
What is one life changing step that God is asking you to take in response to what we saw this week?
