"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? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?
Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.
Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works." - James 2:14-26 (NLT)
1. Works Are the Evidence of Faith.
This passage of Scripture argues that an individual’s works or actions reveal the kind of faith that they have. A person’s so-called faith is not a saving faith if it does not inspire them to do virtuous deeds. It is something dead. If such an opinion does not result in any action, it is pointless and meaningless to believe or wish for a poor person to be well. In a similar manner, James maintains that it is not sufficient to agree on certain truths of God mentally. Faith is not saving faith if what a person believes about God does not inspire them to act accordingly. It is only a personal opinion. James never states that faith is not required to be saved. He never asserts that salvation requires one to perform works. However, he makes it abundantly clear that the evidence of one’s good deeds and true faith cannot be separated.
An agreement with a set of Christian teachings is intellectual assent. It is incomplete faith. Why is that? It is a form of head knowledge and not heart knowledge. Genuine faith alters both our actions and our thoughts. We do not truly believe the truths we claim to believe if our lives are not changed.
We cannot earn our way into heaven by serving and obeying God, but these acts demonstrate our genuine devotion to God. Loving service is a confirmation of our faith in Jesus Christ, not a replacement for it.
Romans 3:28, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law,” seems to be at odds with verse eighteen. However, further investigation reveals that James’ and Paul’s teachings are not contradictory. True faith always results in a changed life and good deeds, even though it is true that our good deeds will never be enough to save us. Paul condemns those who attempt to be saved through works rather than genuine faith. James opposes the people who confound simple intellectual assent with genuine faith. After all, demons are aware of Jesus’ identity but do not follow Him (James 2:19). Having true faith entails dedication of ourselves to God.
Here, James asserts that Abraham was justified for his actions, while Paul asserts that he was justified for his beliefs (Romans 4:1–5). Paul and James are not at odds with one another; rather, they complement one another. We are saved by believing; effectual submission exhibits that our conviction is authentic.
2. Sacrifice is the Evidence of Love.
"We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters." - 1 John 3:16
Love is an action, not just a feeling. It results in selfless and sacrificial giving. Giving of oneself for the benefit of others is the greatest act of love. How are we able to give up our lives? It can be easier to say that we would die for someone else than to actually live for them, which means prioritizing their needs over our own. John 15:13 tells us what Jesus taught about love.
Christ should be emulated in the same way that children imitate their parents. In order for us to live, He gave up Himself out of His great love for us. The same kind of love we should have for other people should include selfless service and affection.
3. Perseverance Is the Evidence of Discipleship.
"Jesus said to the people who believed in him, 'You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.'" - John 8:31
It is tempting to believe that those who believed in Jesus were expressing faith that would save them, just like in verse thirty. The Bible, on the other hand, makes a distinction between genuine believers in Christ and those who believe only superficially. One method for distinguishing between the two is described in this verse. “His word abiding in you” (John 5:38) and “the word of God abideth in you” (1 John 2:14) refer to those who truly submit to Christ. Some people who claimed to believe in Jesus left because of some of His earlier teachings (John 6:65-66). Even though many people find Jesus’ words compelling right now, many of them will later reject Him.
4. Fruitfulness Is the Evidence of Unification.
"Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing." - John 15:5
Fruit is not simply restricted to just soul-winning. In John 15:7, 11-12, fruit includes joy, love, and answered prayers. Believe that Christ is the Son of God (1 John 4:15), accept Him as Lord and Savior (John 1:12), follow God's commands (1 John 3:24), maintain faith (1 John 2:24), and interact with the body of Christ, a community of believers (John 15:12), are all aspects of abiding in Christ.
A lot of people try to be good, honest, and righteous. But Jesus says that staying close to Him, like a branch attached to a vine, is the only way to live a good life. Our efforts are in vain without Him. Are we getting the life and food that Christ, the Vine, gives us? If not, we are missing out on a unique gift that He has prepared for us.
5. Godliness Is the Evidence of Grace.
"For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God." - Titus 2:11-12
According to Titus 2:11-15, God’s grace is something that encourages believers to think rightly and act rightly. The previous Scriptures provided church members with guidelines for conduct. Self-control, respect, and godliness are all built on the foundation of God's grace in this scene. Paul also instructs Titus to impart these concepts with confidence and authority.
The discussion of God’s grace shifts the focus of Paul’s letter from the Christians of Crete in this verse. In John 1:14, the phrase “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (the appearance of grace) refers to Jesus Christ and His earthly ministry. “That bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men” was the result of the grace that Jesus offered. As God’s chosen people, the Jews were the primary focus of salvation talk in the past. But when Jesus showed up, the gospel of salvation reached both Jews and Gentiles.
6. Reliability Is the Evidence of Friendship.
"You are my friends if you do what I command." - John 15:14
It is significant that believers are referred to as friends. Abraham, who is referred to as a “Friend of God” (James 2:23), is an illustration from the Old Testament of how God’s communication not only indicates obedience but also a form of friendship (Genesis 18:17).
In John 15:1-6, Jesus stressed the relevance between obedience to His teachings and the justification of a relationship with Him. The crux of what He is saying is not that one must somehow earn salvation through virtuous deeds (Titus 3:5) or that every sin and transgression is evidence of a person’s unbelief (1 John 1:9-10). On the other hand, Jesus makes an obvious meaning: following His teachings will come naturally to those who truly love and honor Him.
7. Love and Righteousness Are Evidence of the New Birth.
"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too." - 1 John 5:1
As members of God’s family, Christians are referred to as “brothers and sisters in Christ” by other believers. The other members of the family are chosen by God, not by us. We are simply commanded to love and accept them. How well do we treat other members of our family?
Every person who accepts Jesus Christ as the Lord of their life experiences a spiritual rebirth and receives a new life from God. This new birth transforms us from the inside out through faith in Christ. It changes how we feel, what we want, and why we want it. Being born places us in the family of our parents and makes us physically alive. But being reborn places us in God’s family and gives us spiritual life (John 1:12-13). Have we asked Christ to transform us into new creatures? All individuals who believe in Christ have access to this new beginning in life.
Photo Credit: Priscilla du Preez/Unsplash
Chris Swanson answered the call into the ministry over 20 years ago. He has served as a Sunday School teacher, a youth director along with his wife, a music director, an associate pastor, and an interim pastor. He is a retired Navy Chief Hospital Corpsman with over 30 years of combined active and reserve service. You can contact Chris here, and check out his work here.