While James had been talking faith, he now shows how it is tied to works. This daily devotion looks at whether God wants one to happen without the other.
Nuggets
- Having faith in God is just the beginning of our salvation experience.
- Works are evidence of a genuine faith.
- So, it comes down to whether our faith is dead or alive and how we show it.
Devotions in Living Out Our Faith series
We are saved by faith. James was not denying that.
What James said in Chapter 2 is that faith is the beginning. We have to do more with it.
Let's Put It into Context
Here is a running list of nuggets for the series.
More than Just Faith
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” (Jas. 2: 14 ESV)
Having faith in God is just the beginning of our salvation experience.
We are programmed to believe that, if we believe, we have faith. If we don’t believe or deny what God is telling us, we don’t have faith.
That isn’t all there is to it.
Let’s look at our definition of faith. Faith is a gift from God and a work of the Spirit that enhances the conviction that the doctrines revealed in God’s Word are true, even if we do not understand all aspects of them, a belief which impacts our lives and distinguishes us from others.
Glossary
Yeah, it is the conviction-that-the-doctrines-revealed-in-God’s-Word-are-true part. But it is also the belief-that-impacts-our-lives part.
I worked in higher education for 34 years. I believed in their mission. I felt they were impacting lives.
If I didn’t go in and put in the work, I wouldn’t have gotten a paycheck. I wouldn’t have gone from the classified level to the professional (doing the work of an administrator) level.
We are called to activity.
I like what King said about it. Faith has nothing to do with our understanding it. It has even less to do with our understanding. It is all divine grace.
Resource
Part of me wishes James wouldn’t have called it works. But then, so did Paul. “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (I Cor. 15: 58 ESV)
We can’t think that the only thing we have to do is come forth with a profession of faith and leave it at that.
If it did, that would make it all about us. It isn’t about us. It is about God and what He does for us.
Yes, salvation comes through confession. However, there is the working out our salvation part (Phil. 2: 12). That means faith alone does not have the power to complete the regeneration process.
Faith is the beginning of our sanctification. It isn’t the end.
The Disciple’s Job Description
Complete Job Description
Individual Description
Job Duty #1
Be a Living Sacrifice (Romans 12: 1-2)
Our faith has to be a living faith. Just as our job description says we need to be a living sacrifice, we have to have a vibrant faith that shows we are growing toward what God wants us to be.
Remember, James had been talking about our enduring trials to prove and grow our faith. Doing that takes work.
Guthrie also told us another way we should consider work. He wrote, “Let me now remark, in the second place, that [while] it is by faith that unites us to Jesus Christ that we are saved, good works are the certain fruit of this living, saving faith.”
Resource
We are called to be workers to further God’s kingdom.
We are called to be harvesters. “[Jesus] told them, ‘The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest’” (Lk. 10: 2 CSB).
As with any relationship, we have to invest time to build it. It takes a lot of energy, sometimes – work.
But isn’t that normal? We spend time and money on what we love. Baseball? We go to games to watch others play, buy equipment, get training, and spend years perfecting our skills.
If we wouldn’t call that work, what would it be?
Yes, God calls us to work on our salvation. Yes, He saves us where we are. We cannot stay there.
Works are based on our relationship with Jesus.
Faith in Action
“If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” (Jas. 2: 15-16 ESV)
Works are evidence of a genuine faith.
James had just been talking about not showing partiality. He had told his readers not to give the wealthy preferential treatment.
What James was also saying was that they should give the poor the same treatment they did the rich. That meant they wouldn’t turn the poor away without feeding them and meeting their needs.
Here, James was saying that we use the principles of faith to perform our duty toward others. We have to show our understanding of the faith by producing fruit.
Sumner told us why we must show our faith by works. He wrote, “Thou canst not show it except by works, for faith is hidden in the heart; it cannot be seen of itself — it can be only judged of by its effects.”
Resource
We have to be careful. We can’t put more emphasis on the works than we do on the faith.
We get so caught up in the Matthew 25: 35-36 works that we forget those must be done because of the faith.
Yes, we are to love and help others. We have to show them compassion and meet their needs.
But we aren’t going to eliminate poverty. That is a result of sin. We can’t eliminate sin and it’s results.
We also have to remember God’s priority. He is more concerned with the condition of our souls.
What work did Jesus do? “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Lk. 4: 18 ESV). He told the world His good news.
Remember, this is the law of liberty. “But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (Jas. 1: 25 ESV).
God’s perfect law moves us to action to tells others of His love.
Combining the Two
“So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (Jas. 2: 17 ESV)
So, it comes down to whether our faith is dead or alive and how we show it.
Cuyler argued that faith is a simple process and a sensible act. It shows its growth by being seen in our acts for others.
Resource
We can’t forget that faith and words are two distinct things. They are linked but not the same.
We have to have the works to show the genuineness of our faith. The works are meaningless without the faith. Their purpose is to judge how genuine we are.
Making the Connections
Hammond warned about having a less than genuine faith. Belief may be present. We may have the knowledge of Jesus’ teachings that are needed.
Resource
What is missing is our devotion to Him. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 7: 21 ESV).
It is important to realize that. We are going to have an everlasting life. We will be judged on whether we have truly submitted our lives to Jesus or not.
We have to have the faith that shows.
How Do We Apply This?
- Be steady and consistent in our faith.
- Bear the fruit of our faith.
- Have a living, growing faith.
- Imitate Jesus’ character as well as being He is the Son of God.
- Evaluate ourselves to prove our faith.
- Build our character through the trials we endure.
Resource
Father God. It is our desire that our faith in You grow. We want our character to change to be like Yours. Help us provide evidence by doing Your work. Amen.
What do you think?
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