Faith Part 2 – Faith Without Works Is Dead

If you missed Faith Part 1 Check it out here

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

²⁰ You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? ²¹ Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. ²³ And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. ²⁴ You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

²⁵ In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? ²⁶ As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

James 2:14-26

In Faith Part 1 we discussed how both God and we have a role to play in faith. God gives us a portion of faith and proves His existence and loving kindness, then we choose to believe in accordance with it, but what does that look like? There is something that happens in our hearts and minds that no one else can see. If Jesus says, “I’m coming back for you” you believe it! You know it’s true and get excited about it. You look forward to it, but what happens after that?

James says you should do something about it! He calls these actions deeds, while other translations call them works. I have misunderstood the teaching on works for most of my life (if there was a list of my misunderstandings it would be long!). Hearing that some Christians, other religions, cults, and most of the American population think that their behavior and works will get them into Heaven, I villainized the words “good works” and skimmed over the scriptures about them. When a Sunday school teacher said that giving money to the poor, turning the other cheek, forgiving, and spending lots of hours at church wouldn’t get me into Heaven I understood. Jesus was the only way to Heaven, but I kept hearing the warning against those scary words “good works.”

⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. 

Ephesians 2:8-9

Scripture makes it clear. We literally can’t do anything to earn being saved, which is being reconciled with God. We can’t earn our spiritual gifts, grace, mercy, or love. We can’t ever repay what Christ did on the cross, but shouldn’t we be doing our best for Him? If we rely on our own works and our own strength and skills then we will get all the glory, but we know all the glory belongs to God.

All of this points to how our works don’t have anything to do with why God saved us, but is being saved the only thing that matters in this new life? Don’t misunderstand. There is no gift that compares with reconciliation with the Lord of Hosts. It is so good. I’m just saying it’s not the end of our story but the beginning. When God saved each of us He made us into a new creation (2 Cor 5:17) and we now have grace, the Holy Spirit, the Fruit of the Spirit, and fountains of living water flowing from us (John 7:38). What are we supposed to do with that??? Something.

Faith without works is dead. This is a simple statement, but what does this look like practically? Here’s an example. If you read in the Bible that all scripture is from God and used for training the servant of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17) then you believe it. You move past the skepticism that man has ruined the Word during translation, so you don’t have to read it. Gone is the excuse that your pastor will tell you the most important things. You stop skipping “that book” of the Bible and get back in there. You read it, listen to it, discuss it, and teach it to your children. This is faith with deeds.

Feeding people who are hungry, lending to those who ask, caring for widows and orphans, visiting people in prison and in the hospital, taking meals, babysitting, praying with people, obeying God, forgiving, repenting, resisting the devil, and the list continues! God gives us faith, we hold on to it, and we respond to it with action. We can take Him at His word and join Him in His good work.

Father, please build our faith, and spur us into action for your glory. We say yes to becoming your hands and feet, we say yes to following you, and we say yes to your will and your kingdom. Give us eyes to see and ears to hear. We love you too!

If you have a moment, sing this to Jesus! Tis so Sweet

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