Faith and Deeds
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?
James 2:14
We are saved by faith therefore it is important our faith pleases the Lord. We show our faith by our deeds, guided by the Spirit. Through faith, we follow the Spirit that allows the Lord to change our hearts and spiritually grow.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13) Faith means we trust the Lord to guide our life through the Spirit, replacing our will with His divine will. Faith must be in our hearts because then Christ will be our life.
Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it. In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:15-17) This verse tells us that if our faith is not accompanied by action, our faith is dead. Since we are saved by faith, the last we want is to have a faith that is dead.
Every Christian can have faith with deeds. We reflect Jesus to everyone, and tell them about Christ if they are willing to listen. Sometimes, we help people with their worldly needs such as providing food or money to pay a bill, either personally or through the benevolence committee within the church. If we follow the Spirit, Christ will always give us faith with deeds, if we ask.
Faith is more than praying and trusting the Lord’s answer; faith is trusting our life in the hands of Christ. Trusting the Lord to guide us through the Spirit, and always doing what Christ calls us to do. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. (Isaiah 58:11) We are always blessed when we have faith with deeds, doing what Christ guides us to do and putting Christ’s will over our will.
Today, live in faith and trust the Lord’s guidance. Notice the fulfilling feeling after obeying the Lord, and see it as the Lord’s pleasure filling your soul. Faith with deeds is what God created us to have, the faith to follow Christ’s commands. We can never perfectly follow the Spirit, but if I know the Lord’s command and refuse to obey, how does the Lord’s see my attitude?
Prayer: Guide me, in the Spirit, to always have faith with deeds because faith without deeds is dead. Never let my will take priority over your divine will. In Jesus’ name, Amen