The Book of JamesChikamu

Today's Devotional:

In the previous devotion, we discovered that genuine, saving faith should produce works or good actions. James proceeds to give two examples demonstrating how these works— or actions—of faith exhibit and reveal genuine faith. In fact, it is by them that we are justified or show that we have faith!

His examples are the patriarch Abraham, the father of Judaism, and Rahab, a Gentile woman who was a prostitute. What?! Everyone can understand why James mentions Abraham, but Rahab, who was a Gentile (not Jewish) and a prostitute? What is James suggesting using two such extreme examples?

First, James is reminding us that God loves all people and desires for everyone to enter a genuine faith relationship with Him. No one is beyond His reach! Second, James is illustrating what he previously said in 2:14-19, that faith is demonstrated or evidenced by the works it produces because faith “works together” with our actions.

Abraham didn’t hold anything back from God, even willing to offer up his promised son Isaac to God. And Rahab, as we can see in Joshua 2-6 and Hebrews 11:31, acknowledged the God of Israel as the one true God and demonstrated her faith by risking her life protecting the spies before the conquest of the land.

As verse 22 says, both Abraham and Rahab demonstrated “faith was working together with actions” as proof of the “perfecting” or maturing of their faith. So, faith and works are inseparable because you can’t have one without the other since our works and deeds verify the faith behind them (verse 24).

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Today's devotional was written by Pastor Randy Allison.

Questions:

1. Since no one is beyond the reach of God, who do you know that needs to know God loves them and wants to have a relationship with them? What can you do to help make that happen today?
2. As a Christian, and as you understand it, why does it make sense that faith should always “work together” with actions?
3. What does it mean to you that those who love and serve God are called “God’s friend?” (verse 23)

Prayer:

God, thank you for loving me in such an extravagant way! I pray that, today, I will look for and see opportunities in which my faith and works can “work together” to bring glory and honor to your name. Amen.