Faith, Prayer, Action | James Chapters 2, 4, 5 (Part 1)

We talk about faith, we have to have faith! I laugh, because my wife used to complain that I jumped into bed. But that was an ‘act of faith’ that the bed wouldn’t collapse! We all have to use an element of faith. If you get in a car and somebody else is driving it, you need faith! Faith in its simplistic sense is part of everyday life! It’s the trust you have. You trust people, you have to trust your doctor, the police, your government – though often they fail us – they are only human. But if faith is trust, faith in God is faith in the unfailing God!

In James 2:15‐17, we’re looking at different aspect of faith: If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you will say, “Go away, be in peace, be warm and filled” – in other words, “Be blessed, but I’m not giving you anything” – if you see someone who is in need and you only speak words of comfort, but don’t give them what they need – that’s useless! In the same way, faith without the works to go with it – is dead! Such ‘faith’ is just theory, empty words. So someone may challenge you, verse 18, “You have faith, and I have works. I do the job! Show me your faith that has no works and doesn’t do the job, and I will show you my faith by what I do.”

This is a tremendous challenge. Because James says again in verse 20, “Faith without works is dead!” In other words, if your faith is not something that is operational and practical, if it’s not something by which you are living, if it’s not something you are going to DO SOMETHING ABOUT, that faith is NOT faith! Faith is only evidenced by what you DO, by how you live! I cannot myself find stronger words than James uses here, faith without the work to accomplish it – is dead! Dead! There are so many whose faith is dead. Simply because it only exists in theory, but never in practice.