James 2:14
Memory Verse
What profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Is the faith not inherently able to save him? (James 2:14).
Faith is taking God at His word: it is the substance of that which is hoped for, the evidence of accomplished deeds not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Therefore, faith is always based upon a promise.
If we claim to believe that someone will do what they say, yet arrange for the task to be fulfilled in another way, do we truly have faith in them? Our actions show we do not trust them. In the same manner, if we say that we believe in God, yet our actions do not change based on His promise, how can we say we trust God?
James is not writing about saving faith regarding salvation as though it needs works to be completed—or any faith for that matter. Faith is not out from works; therefore, works cannot produce faith. However, faith is not just words. Abraham believed in God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. His faith in God’s promise was evident in his actions when he willingly obeyed God and went to sacrifice the son of promise. Abraham believed that his seed would be through Isaac, just as God had promised. Therefore, he determined God would raise Isaac out from the ashes. This action was not done in ignorance, but with an understanding of the promise of God, for there was no other logical conclusion. If Abraham did not believe God, then he would have questioned the outcome of His request and would have hesitated in being obedient.
Do we say that we have faith in God and then modify our actions to pacify unbelievers when persecution, verbal abuse, exclusion, false accusations, and the like come against us? God took us out of Adam, where we were under condemnation, and placed us into Christ, freeing us from slavery to our sin nature. Are we taking God at His word and putting on the new man, knowing that we will face persecution for even desiring to live godly, but will be rewarded for our obedience? Do our actions show we believe what we say we have faith in, or is our faith just words?