“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?” James 2:14 NLT
You don’t want to belief-spar with James, Jesus’ brother. He watched the gospel become the fulfillment of God’s plan from the inside out. What was it like being the little brother to Jesus? Did Jesus prank James? Hide dead bugs in his bed? Tell Mary what James was really up to at a “friend’s house”? James didn’t believe his brother was the Messiah until after the resurrection! Did James seriously think Jesus was holding out for the long con?
I’ve often thought about James’ book and it’s hard-hitting, guilt-triggering truth! James grew up watching Jesus say a lot of stuff about God and about himself. But I can tell, James also watched Jesus physically follow through with every one of his beliefs, sermons and promises. Jesus said what he was going to do and he did it! There’s an old axiom that actions speak louder than words, I can guarantee, Jesus lived a very loud life.
James’ crystal-clear clarity message: faith absolutely translates into behavior. And if it doesn’t… it’s a dead, worthless faith to hold on to. “So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” James 2:17. Ouch! James also speaks the truth, calling out the nonsense between conservative and liberal practics. Conservatives say, it’s what you think, believe and talk about. Liberals say, it’s what you do, live, rally and physically take part in. One gives money, the other gives time. I know that’s exaggerated, but either way – James declares, it’s both and! He writes, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” Nonsense – James says.
This connection, this necessity, is so vital that James compares the air in our lungs to the requirement of life itself, writing, “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.” Good works, applying the truths and principles of God’s Word through service, love and behavioral application is the very air of our faith.
This challenges me to constantly translate what I read, hear and learn from the Bible directly into obedience and action. If I spend my life only hearing, only reading, only listening to Bible preachers and podcasts and never DO WHAT IT SAYS, Jesus himself said, I’ve just built a really nice life completely on the sand! First storm and it all comes crashing down. Faith without works becomes the curse of a shabby build, maybe it looks pretty but it’s not sustainably secure.
Prayer
Dad,
So the real struggle here is not how much of your Word I can quote and cram into my brain, it’s how much of your Word can I apply, can I obey, can I put to work to change my behavior, get my hands dirty in serving – right? Am I missing something? I love Your Word! It didn’t just save me it SAVES me. I love learning more about you, your character, your will, your ways. But if I am not careful to work out obedience and service seeing physical changes in my behavior, then what happens to your Living Word in my heart and life? If I don’t yield, doesn’t my heart harden? If I don’t obey, doesn’t it turn bitter in my soul? There seems to be a stern warning about how I handle the Word of truth, letting it work in me and through me rather than just storing up quotable knowledge like a spiritual wikipedia. Help me yield, obey, change and put your Word to work! Amen.