Is
your faith only in spoken word, or is it lived out by your actions? If you only say that you have faith in God,
and have no works to display that faith, then your faith is not real. Sound harsh?
This is not my opinion, but the hard-hitting Truth of God’s Word! Our faith is not dead when the object of our
faith is Christ. And, when we put our
faith in Him, then we will do the works He has commanded us to do.
As you
read today's passage, look for these words or phrases: faith, works, go in
peace, and dead.
Passage
for the day: James 2:14-17 (NASB)
14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone
says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
15 If
a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,
16 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.
Questions for thought: Take
a few moments to answer these questions before you go on to the next section.
What
is “faith” and what are “works”? What do
they mean practically and in the context (see verses 15-16 for help).
Can
faith be shown without works? Explain
What is the situation of the individual that is coming
to the brother in Christ in verse 15?
In verse 16, why do the members of the church tell the
brother or sister “go in peace?” What
point did their words serve?
What
does James mean by saying that our faith is “dead” in verse 17?
Meditate on this:
Let me first clarify that James is not telling us in
this passage that we are saved by works.
The entire gospel is about Christ’s work on the cross, not us saving
ourselves by our own merits. James is
speaking of the man who “claims
to have faith,” but does not show it in the way he lives. In other words, his faith is not authentic or
genuine, because true faith is seen in someone’s actions toward others. In this passage, James plays out another
familiar scene in the church. Much like
the poor man who visits the local church and is shunned because of his dirty
appearance, the brother or sister in need is also neglected. This time, the members of the church actually
speak to the one in need and tell them to “go in peace, be warmed, and
filled.” In our culture, that would be
like one of us telling someone who is starving and homeless the same
thing. What do these words accomplish
for someone in need? When we tell them,
“God bless you,” or “Have a nice day,” how have we really helped them? The problem is, we don’t want to help them! It’s inconvenient, it’s bothersome, and we are just too busy to help. James even asks
the question, “What good is it—this faith that does nothing, that helps no one
in physical need?” Inactive faith is
empty! Our claim of faith means nothing
when we can look someone in our church in the eye that needs help and just walk
away from them without an ounce of compassion in our heart. Our faith instead must be Christ-centered,
not self-centered. We must follow
Christ’s pattern of compassion and be willing to share His love and His Gospel with others!
Praying for that you would Love Christ
PASSIONATELY, Know Christ DEEPLY, and Enjoy Christ FULLY!!!
Pastor Stephen
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