Posted on 06/27/2020 5:19:47 AM PDT by metmom
"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" (James 2:14-17).
Dead faith is hypocritical, shallow, and useless.
Jesus said, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). Your righteous deeds illuminate the path to God by reflecting His power and grace to others. That brings Him glory and proves your faith is genuine.
Your deeds also serve as the basis of divine judgment. If you practice righteousness, you will receive eternal life; if you practice unrighteousness, you will receive "wrath and indignation" (Rom. 2:6-8). God will judge you on the basis of your deeds because what you do reveals who you really are and what you really believe. That's why any so-called faith that doesn't produce good works is dead and utterly useless!
James illustrates that point in a practical way. If someone lacks the basic necessities of life and comes to you for help, what good does it do if you simply wish him well and send him away without meeting any of his needs? It does no good at all! Your pious words are hypocritical and without substance. If you really wished him well, you would do what you can to give him what he needs! Your unwillingness to do so betrays your true feelings. Similarly, dead faith is hypocritical, shallow, and useless because it doesn't put its claims into action—indeed, it has no divine capacity to do so.
I pray that your life will always manifest true faith and that others will glorify God because of your good works.
Suggestions for Prayer
Perhaps you know someone whose claim to Christianity is doubtful because his or her life doesn't evidence the fruit of righteousness. If so, pray for that person regularly and set an example by your own good works.
For Further Study
Read John 15:1-8.
What illustration did Jesus use for spiritual fruitfulness? What is the prerequisite for fruitfulness?
Studying God’s Word ping
Not an attempt at thread hijacking by any means, but the admonition against empty words applies in this present time to those who not only virtue-signal, but to those who would browbeat the rest of us into the same worthless words. Just like the Pharisees, who were so careful to look good and sit in unholy judgment over anyone who didn’t toe their line.
Is faith different than believe?
Is a distinction made with John 3:16?
Good point.
Believing can be just intellectual assent. Knowing with your head that something is a fact, but it doesn’t have an impact on how you live.
Faith is more like belief lived out. There’s a trust level and a confidence expressed in faith in the object of your faith.
The comment about faith in your faith, is a good one.
The object of our faith must be God. He can do what needs to be done, but if we place our faith in our ability to believe, then what happens when that is stretched to the point where we’re not sure.
I think this is also the reason that Jesus said that all we needed was the faith of a mustard seed to see mountains moved. It’s not about the size of our faith to get it done, but the size of the God we put the faith in to do it. And all it takes is a little faith in a big God.
I still think God honors our attempts.
After all, it is HIM who works in us to will and to do according to His good pleasure.
I wish deliverance of bad habits was as simple as just praying one prayer and voila`, done.
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