This morning, my wife and I read in James chapter 2 and pondered on the idea of what it means to have faith with deeds. This idea of needing to watch our deeds causes a problem for many people.
If we are saved by grace and the Lord has truly done everything that was needed to bring wholeness, what deed must be done, besides surrendering to Him?
Can we somehow make God’s redemption better by our actions?
The answer is easy.
There is nothing you can do to be more complete in Christ once He has miraculously taken your brokenness and made you whole and pure.
If this is the case, then why are deeds important? Another way to look at this is to understand that every moment we are alive and each breath we take is living out our faith. If my deeds are honoring to the Lord and the amazing commitment He has made to me, then it is the direct result of a faith that is strong. If the actions of my day and the attitudes that I form dishonor the Lord then that also speaks very clearly of what my faith looks like and will only prove that my faith is faltering.
For example, this week as a family we are going to tithe and give to the Lord as He has asked. There is a part of my brain, that if I allowed it to rule, may talk me out of tithing and spend the money on one of the many “needs and wants” that we have. If I chose to do that, the Lord will still love me, but it is a good litmus test of where my faith in God is and if I truly believe that He can supply for my life better than I can. Then, let’s say that I do tithe. This does not make God love me more or less. Remember, the Lord loves us completely right now with every doubt, attitude and problem that may be present. The action of tithing this week will only be the faith that is already resident lived out.
This is important as we grow in the Lord. I hope and pray that my life will daily shine as a man who doesn’t just speak about faith or profess faith, but whose actions speak louder than anything said. May the Lord help each of us increase our faith, so the actions we put our lives to will honor the amazing love that God has given us.
James 2:14-19 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
