James 2:14 - 17
What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 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.
Faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
Some say James is written as a baptismal service. I wonder if James had a baptism in mind while he was penning this phrase. A baptism is simply a physical representation of a spiritual event. That is how James describes works: a physical representation of a spiritual event (faith).
Or you could consider a flower. Faith could be the petals and the stem and the leaves, but without a seed (the works) it will not survive. It is dead.
The point of James' presentation is simple. Faith is great. We should have faith. But faith that stays still and never moves our hands has no future. It is dead already.
Works are not meant to prove your faith - works are meant to prove where your faith is.
Faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
Some say James is written as a baptismal service. I wonder if James had a baptism in mind while he was penning this phrase. A baptism is simply a physical representation of a spiritual event. That is how James describes works: a physical representation of a spiritual event (faith).
Or you could consider a flower. Faith could be the petals and the stem and the leaves, but without a seed (the works) it will not survive. It is dead.
The point of James' presentation is simple. Faith is great. We should have faith. But faith that stays still and never moves our hands has no future. It is dead already.
Works are not meant to prove your faith - works are meant to prove where your faith is.
These verses are always thought provolking to me, especially how it relates to the subject of our salvation. If we have faith but no works then our faith is considered dead. Does that then nullify our salvation? We christians all know that we are not saved by works but by faith. Of course, God knows our hearts and I believe genuine faith inspires works out of our love for the Lord. The biggest commandment is that we love our neighbor as ourselves. This would be impossible without some sort of works I think, even if it is just praying for them. I am also reminded of the verses in 1Cor3:12-14 where we are told our works will be tested. Though salvation will not be lost, there will be no rewards without works. Some might say, isn't eternal life in heaven with our Lord enough of a reward? As for me, I choose to serve the Lord and prayerfully according to the plans He has for me. An eternity of rewards sounds like a good thing to me and I definately want Him to be pleased with me when that day of reconing comes!
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