Practical Instructions For Your Daily Life JourneySample

Our FAITH without WORKS is USELESS & INEFFECTIVE

In today's passage, James tackles the important relationship between faith and works in the life of a Christian believer. Is faith alone sufficient in the life of a child of God? Or, should our faith be accompanied by our works, which is ‘faith in action’? Genuine faith will naturally produce good works; the two complement each other. Works are actions which follow the “royal law” of love (vv. 8, 15, 16). What James was implying is that our faith in Jesus Christ will demonstrate itself in our sincere love for others.

So, the obvious answer to the question posed by James “Can faith save us?” is that our faith without works cannot save us. Faith that yields no deeds is not saving faith. The New Testament teaches that we get justified when we have true faith in Christ, but thereafter, our faith should be accompanied by our works, which is evident to the world by the fruit we bear. James insists that a faith that does not result in good works cannot save, and gives three arguments in support of this truth:

1. Faith without works is no better than words without deeds (vv. 15–17).

2. Faith can be neither seen nor verified unless it shows itself in works (v. 18).

3. Even the demons have an intellectual belief in God, but it does not lead to their salvation (v. 19).

Actually, works are not the root of salvation but the fruit. Faith brings a person to salvation, and works bring that person to fruitfulness. Faith is the cause, works are the effect. What matters is not faith and works, it is not faith or works; rather it is faith that works! That is exactly what Apostle Paul means when he writes that we “have been saved through faith” for “good works”!