"What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,' but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith, and I have works.' Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.' And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. "
(James 2:14-24, NKJV)
Pondering these words today, and how it applies to where I am in life. I keep hearing the word, "Obedience."
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2 comments:
My Mother always quoted "obedience is better then sacrifice". It's stayed with me my entire life, and once I totally understood what that meant it really was so profound to me. People will give and try to make deals instead of being obedient, it seems the hardest thing to do.
Great post.
This is probably one of the clearest passages showing that works must accompany faith. Without works, one cannot truly say he believes.
Receiving Jesus is important. But that is a starting point, not a completion. If faith in Jesus does not produce Christ-like compassion which results in good works to the poor, the destitute, and the oppressed, then our faith is empty and our talk is cheap.
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