Verses to Abide In
“If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
James 2:15-17 ESV
Digging Deeper
First, it was helpful to me to remember that the verses for this week (James 2:15–17) show an illustration, an example of someone whose faith is dead, just as in James 2:1–13, where the preferential treatment toward the rich man with the gold ring and fine clothing was an illustration, an example of someone showing partiality.
Why is that helpful? It reminded me that there are many different kinds of needs and long-suffering people experience and need help with that this passage applies to. That reached my heart and made these verses more personally convicting.
Second, it can be helpful to keep in mind that this book was written to believers and that when it is speaking of good deeds or works, I believe it is not saying that good deeds or works gain salvation (justification—when we first put our faith in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 11:6)),
but rather that works reveal our salvation (justification) and are part of our salvation
(sanctification—as we grow in obedience, being set apart from the world to be more like Christ for his holy purposes (Philippians 2:12–13; Ephesians 2:10; Matthew 5:16)),
as we grow, mature, and bear fruit (works and good deeds) from genuine faith (James 1:2–8; John 15:8).
Wayne Grudem puts it well when he says:
But while the condition of beginning the covenant of grace is always faith in Christ’s work alone, the condition of continuing in that covenant is said to be obedience to God’s commands. Though this obedience did not in the Old Testament and does not in the New Testament earn us any merit with God, nonetheless, if our faith in Christ is genuine, it will produce obedience (see James 2:17), and obedience to Christ is in the New Testament seen as necessary evidence that we are truly believers and members of the new covenant (see 1John 2:4, 4, 6). (Grudem, W: Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. IVP; Zondervan, 1994) https://www.preceptaustin.org/james_214-17
This certainty of faith helps me not to constantly fixate on fearing the loss of my salvation and enables me to focus on Jesus—loving him by loving others (John 10; 15:9–13). That makes me excited!
That makes my faith alive!!
Let's Pray
Abba, thank you for saving us by grace when we believed in you.
We bow our hearts and acknowledge that we cannot boast or take credit for salvation.
We acknowledge salvation is not a reward for any work we did.
We thank you for this gift from you (Ephesians 2:8–9)!
We meditate on your instructions for genuine faith.
We surrender our entire selves to you in absolute trust and confidence.
May we reach the goal: love springing from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith (1 Timothy 1:4–5 AMP).
Show us, may we be alert to, and intentional in seeing who personally needs to realize our love and faith in Christ today or in the future (James 2:15–16)…
O, that we would love others as you have loved us (Ephesians 5:1–2)!
That in love you would grow our faith to be not dead,
but faith alive!
May it be so of us…work produced by faith, labor prompted by love, and endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV).
In the name of Jesus we pray, who is far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And you put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all, everything in every way (Ephesians 1:21–23). Amen!
May you have life and have it more abundantly, rich and satisfying, to the full, till it overflows (John 10:10),
Laura