Summer Fruit Devotion: Faithfulness Day 4

Working Faith

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So 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 apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” James 2:14-26

Another way we could say this is: religion without action is dead. We could also call it “lip service.” We all know that person who talks a big game but rarely follows through. We can in no way earn our place in heaven by good works, but if God has loved us, saved us by faith, and given us his Holy Spirit shouldn’t that love and faith radiate from our lives? Are we like Abraham, who was called a friend of God because of his works? Or are we like the demons who believe and shudder but serve the enemy? Faithfulness means integrity to your word and practicing what you preach. The opposite is hypocrisy, and hypocrisy in Christians is what the world loves to hate. Jesus summed up everything we need to do in two commandments, “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.” So let your faith in Christ lead the way to a life of living, active, working faith.

Journal time. How has your faith been working out in your life? Look up “integrity” and “hypocrisy” and write the definitions. It’s not necessarily a black and white split, but maybe more of a sliding scale. Has your faith helped you become a person of greater integrity?

Pray with me today. Heavenly Father, your perfection overwhelms us. We are so flawed and imperfect and hypocritical. Help us have a true and living faith that loves you and loves others, both in word and in deed. We have good intentions but don’t always follow through. We want to be like Abraham and be called your friends. Holy Spirit help us in our weakness, help us show our faith by walking in all the fruit of the Spirit. In the name of your faithful Son, Jesus, we pray, Amen.