James
2:14 ¶ What doth it profit, my
brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save
him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked,
and destitute of daily food, 16 And one
of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled;
notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body;
what doth it profit? 17 Even so
faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I
have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith
by my works. 19 Thou believest that
there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that
faith without works is dead? 21 Was not
Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon
the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith
wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith,
Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was
called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then
how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot
justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them
out another way? 26 For as the body
without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
This
peculiar phrasing for verse 14 seems to ask a question about salvation by faith
alone that requires a no answer. However, James is focused on the practical
putting flesh on one’s faith, so to speak. It is so, as James points out, that
if you talk the talk you need to walk the walk. A statement of faith without
any expression of it in obedience to Christ in following His example is an
empty thing.
Yes,
Christ did say this.
John
6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them,
This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Lest we be
confused or think that our faith needs no action behind it we are told.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in
them.
So that the following proofs or fruits of one having the
Spirit of God and Christ indwelling them are not just what you think inwardly
but how you express them outwardly.
Galatians
5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is
no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s
have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in
the Spirit.
And so our
love is expressed to our fellow Christians, defined in the Bible as charity, or
love expressed between Christians.
1Corinthians 13:1 ¶ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of
angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling
cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of
prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have
all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am
nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my
goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not
charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 ¶
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity
vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily
provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth
not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth
all things.
8 ¶
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail;
whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it
shall vanish away. 9 For we know in
part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But
when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done
away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as
a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a
man, I put away childish things. 12 For
now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part;
but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these
three; but the greatest of these is charity.
In a country that prides itself on providing
welfare for individuals suffering from want by government and private charity
we find it hard to understand how the early church cared for its poorer
members. But even with government welfare and places to get a hot meal provided
by private charities there is no excuse today for a church to have senior
citizens who cannot pay their heating bills or eat a proper diet due to their
poverty. Do we even know if someone is suffering? Do we care?
James points out that words without works are
useless, dead things. To express a desire that someone in the congregation get
what they need without an intent to provide it is a vain and shallow expression
of faith. It is, in fact, dead.
He says dramatically that he will show you
his faith by his works and that faith without works is dead. This does not
promote a works to salvation religion but a works after salvation as evidence
of your faith. Again to repeat this verse that Paul said shows that there is no
contradiction here between James and Paul.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in
them.
We aren’t even talking about poverty created
by alcoholism or drug addiction. We’re talking about working-class people who
have worked hard all their healthy lives only to be reduced to poverty and
sickness at the end who need help. Not everyone has a pension to support them
from their employer and Social Security benefits are only designed to provide
40% of what you need. Look around you. Stop saying, “I hope you’re doing well,”
and find out how you can help them do better.
Just saying you believe in God puts you in
some bad company because the devils also believe. There is more to faith than
mere words. True faith always has some skin on it if the person having the
faith is not helplessly ill. Abraham and Rahab believed God but they did
something as a consequence of their belief. It wouldn’t have been the same if
they said they believed God and then refused to obey Him, now would it?
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