Walk With Jesus | Demonstrated Faith
James 2:14-26 | What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Jean Vanier, founder of the L’Arche communities, has spent his life loving those often ostracized by society. L’Arche creates living communities for those with disabilities or those who, because of their need for intense care, would be institutionalized if they didn’t have such a home. Vanier talks about how the communities are centered around the most basic acts of caring for the physical body—bathing, dressing, and feeding residents who can’t do those things on their own.
The work of L’Arche resonates with James’ forthright question: “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions?” (James 2:14). Faith isn’t merely a mental category or an abstract idea, but a life infused by truth and the practice of it.
Faith that merely manifests itself in words but doesn’t express itself in our life isn’t true faith. When we see another human destitute and in danger and merely pat him on the back, offer him an empty blessing, or an off-handed comment in wishing him well, we face James’ rebuke: “What good does that do?” (v.16). The answer is plain: This kind of pious inaction does no good at all.
In fact, a half-baked faith is no better than the faith of demons. James wrote, “Even the demons believe” in this way (v.19). True faith acts. True faith receives what God says, and then true faith moves in response. True faith—deep belief—isn’t merely a matter of using our mind but also our body, our will, our hopes, our desires, and our commitments. Faith is demonstrated as we trust God and then obey and follow Him in action. True faith is far better than anything a demon has ever known, for true faith flows from God Himself. —Winn Collier
MORE: Read 2 Peter 1:5-8. How does Peter suggest our faith is supplemented or fulfilled? List everything that he says should accompany faith.
NEXT: Where is your faith being called into action today? What has sometimes held you back from a bold step of faithful action? How can true faith help you move forward?
