Faith That Works series: Day 1

Today is the official start of my one week series titled Faith that Works: a study on James 2:14-26. I said it would start last week but it's taken me more time than I thought to study and put this all together. Ok, I lied and I lagged it a little. I'm a sinner, don't judge me. :p

Moving along, today's focus will be primarily on verses 14-17 which read:
14What good is it, my brothers if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him "Go I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it not accompanied by action is dead.  

If the book of James could be summed up into one sentence it would be : "faith without deeds is dead." This passage is crucial, particularly verse 17, because it pretty much summarizes everything James was trying to make Jewish Christians of his time understand.  A belief in God that is not shadowed by actions is useless.  James, one of Jesus's brothers who did not become a believer until after the crucifixion, gets straight to the point in these verses and wastes no time in explaining how both faith and deeds can never exist without the other being present.

Verse 14: James is speaking here specifically to those who call themselves Christians. To those who say they are born again individuals. [John 3:1-15]  They go to church, they got baptized, they publicly announced their conversion to the church, etc.  James is referring to the person who claims to have faith, in other words a belief in God. [Hebrews 11:1] Not many gods but one God.  However, if this person makes such claim yet has no deeds to prove his conversion was genuine than that faith is no good. When James says, "can such faith save him?" he is not saying that a person needs to do good works to save him. The bible is clear that good works cannot save anyone. [Ephesians 2:8] Faith alone in Christ has the power to save, however, faith naturally produces in us the desire to good works.

Verse 15-16: These two verses are a perfect example of what faith should look like and what it should do. James was concerned about how Christians should treat others and how our faith as believers should be reflected in the way we respond to those in need. Telling someone in need we wished things for them would get better instead of actually doing something that helps change their spiritual or physical needs is pointless. So what if I say to a family who is struggling to put food on their table how I just hope things for them would get better? They're still going to be hungry! My pity little comment or a simple pep-talk isn't going to change their circumstance. I may not be able to provide for them a years worth of food, but me showing them that I care enough to do what I can to help is enough. Whatever you can do to show someone in need you care is enough. Doing good unto others should be an an extension of our faith. It shouldn't be all about saying good things, but doing good things.

Verse 17: And here it is everyone. A faith that is not accompanied by a radical way of living is fake and useless faith. It is hypocritical to say "I have faith" yet do nothing to show and prove that faith is real and authentic. The faith that stands by itself that James is talking about is one that is dry and hollow.

Few questions we need to be asking ourselves:
*How am I exercising my faith?
* What am I doing to meet the needs of others?
*  How important to me is doing good works?

It's time to put our faith into good use and make evident that we have faith not only because we say we do, but because by our actions we show that we do. And looking at this long post, I hope I didn't bore you guys. Just know that reading makes you smarter. Just saying.

So stay tuned for tomorrows second post on Faith that Works. Holla!!