Faith Without Works is Dead
A young lady applied for and received a job at a very prestigious company. Her name was placed in the company’s records as an employee, and she attended the required orientation. After the orientation, she received a company uniform and was told to start work at eight o’clock on Monday morning.
Monday morning came, and she did not show up for work. You see, she liked to sleep late, and eight o’clock was just too early. A week went by, and she never showed up for work. However, she was seen wearing the company uniform and bragged about how great the company was. She even posted on Facebook about how much she loved her job. But she never showed up for work.
No Works, No Check
When Friday came, she went to pick up her check. She was told, “You have no check because you don’t work here.” She was unwilling to make the sacrifices the job required. Because of this, the company removed her name from its records.
Many people who claim to be a Christian are like this girl. They have joined a church. They wear the uniform of Christianity. They tell people how much they love Jesus. They even post on Facebook about how great God is. But they never truly repent of their sins. They never take up their cross and follow Jesus.
In the book of James, it is stated, “Faith without works is dead.” The message is clear. Boasting about your faith in God is meaningless if you do not follow His commands. You must allow Him to transform your life, thoughts, speech, actions, and attitudes. Without transformation, you can’t truly consider yourself a child of God. Ultimately, you may hear Him say, “Depart from me; I never knew you.”
No Works, No Salvation
Remember this. Your name might be on a church roll. However, that does not guarantee it is in the Lamb’s Book of Life.-
“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!
But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
James 2:14-26 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/jas.2.14-26.NKJV
Douglas & Deborah Huff
From Down Where the Pavement Ends
Email- pavementendsministry@gmail.com
My daughter Kate has written her first book. Follow her progress and help her get it published. Visit her website and sign up for her newsletter at www.kateoliviahuff.com
Bingo ! because of my salvation I try to do good works – like the mess some make by saying Christians don’t need to tithe ?