That’s what James 2:17 says.
But we’re inclined to misunderstand the prescription behind the verse and that makes things particularly confusing for those of us who thought that it was faith that saved us.
Wait. Faith, not works, is what saves us. But without works, our faith is dead? Does that mean it is really our works that save us? Or maybe faith + works?
See? Confusing.
The way this verse often gets preached (or referenced when preaching) is to admonish Christians to “be the church.” Don’t just believe stuff and sit there. Go out and do something. After all, James 2:17 says…
When used that way, we come away thinking if we have a work-less faith, the answer is to go out and get some works that we can pair up with our faith. But to say that isn’t works righteousness is mere semantics. When it comes down to it, the only thing it could be is works righteousness. Besides, if something is dead, there’s not much that can be done. Faith without works isn’t just sick, in need of some medicine to bring it back to health, it’s dead. It cannot be fixed by finding some works to pump into it anymore than a dead body could be brought to life with some oxygen being pumped into the lungs.
So maybe Jesus’ brother is getting at something else. Maybe he’s making a declaration about the kind of faith that is real…or living to use James’ analogy.
If that’s the case, the prescription for fixing a dead faith is not taking up a few good works, but examining whether the faith you have is genuine. The works aren’t the medicine you apply to bolster your faith, they are the sign that your faith is actually real.
This is one of the truths presented in Scripture. The works of the Christian are the fruit of the change that God has completed in their heart. They are simply the natural outgrowing of internal realities. A healthy tree doesn’t produce bad fruit – it can’t. Likewise, a person of genuine faith can’t help but produce good works.
And if they aren’t, if you aren’t, whatever “faith” you think you have…is dead. Better go back and find the real thing. But, hey, at least you don’t need to go drown yourself trying to stay afloat in the waters of good works. That’s a battle nobody can win.
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