- So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2:17 – Imagine walking upon a crime scene and seeing a body lying on the ground. You check to see if the person is breathing, but you see no signs of that happening. You check the person’s pulse, but you feel no heartbeat. You even scream at them to see if they’ll respond, but you receive nothing from them. What would you conclude from all this? That this person was dead. All the signs that you’d look for to see if this person was alive weren’t there, so the obvious conclusion is they are dead. This is the image James is portraying in our passage about our faith. An alive faith in the Lord is what saves us. Yet what are the signs of an “alive” faith? Good works. Doing the works that Jesus has commanded us to do. To show love to another, to forgive, to show mercy, etc. So following along with our previous example, imagine you came across a faith that was displaying no signs of life. All the things you’d look for as evidence that it was alive aren’t there. It isn’t helping people, it isn’t showing love, it isn’t showing mercy. What would conclude then about this faith if all signs of life aren’t there? That this faith is dead. What we then are learning from this passage is that a dead faith can’t do anything for you. Simply having a faith in the realness of God isn’t going to save you, for we see that’s a faith that even the demons possess but it’s doing nothing for them. Until that faith is displayed by good works, then it is dead. While this can be confusing, know good works aren’t the things that save you, but they are the outward signs of the alive faith within you. Every alive faith will have good works. So if good works aren’t seen, then that faith isn’t alive. If then you are a follower of Jesus, make sure in your life that your alive faith is evident to all by your good works. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3199
- My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? James 2:1-4 – All this is being said because you can never tell what the heart looks like simply by a quick glance of the outside. Whatever your reasoning for treating some people better than others, God is checking our hearts with this passage. Just remember the person you cast aside as not worth your time may be the broken person God planned to use you in their healing. We have to keep in mind that God’s love is for all people and that when we have the temptations to look down on others and push some aside as not worthy of our attention we forget just how messed up we were without God but He took the time to show us love and it changed us. Everyone needs God’s love and His change in their life, that includes the rich, poor, and you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 737
- But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. James 2:18 – It can be easy to get lost in the words of this chapter if there isn’t a full understanding of what’s going on and what other scriptures say. Know this passage isn’t teaching us that our works have some sort of part in our saving process. That when we do good works that it adds to our salvation or makes us “more saved” or giving us a better chance at being saved. Our full salvation comes through Jesus alone. Meaning we could never, ever do a good work and still find complete salvation through Jesus. What we do see in this passage is a deep truth about our good works. That if one truly has been saved by Jesus, their life will be doing good works. Not out of some reason to buy their salvation, but in response to already having it. Those that truly understand the depth of the gift of salvation and the cost it took to provide us it can’t help but want to follow Jesus with their life doing the good works He commands us to do. So works don’t buy your salvation, but they are a clear sign salvation has happened in your story. Which is why it’s so confusing when you have a Christian, someone who has been saved, living as the world does rather than how Jesus calls them to. It really brings up the question if they truly understand the depth of the gift they’ve been given or if they are just taking it for granted. Today if you have been saved, let that truth be seen today by the way you live and work for Jesus. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2129
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