James 2:26 – Faith in Action

 ^“Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.” (James 2:26)

This is a great memory verse to remind us to be transparent in living out our faith. It’s not meant to say that what we do matters in terms of our salvation. To me, it is not contrary to what Paul taught about faith in Jesus but only complements it beautifully.

Context (James 2:14-26): The author, James, is believed to be the half-brother of Jesus and a leader in the early church. In James’ teaching, he shares how he believes that our good deeds result from our faith. Faith and works go together and can’t be separated. In this passage, James uses two examples, Abraham and Rahab, to show great faithfulness and the actions they took because of it.

Simple biology tells us that human cells need oxygen to function and produce energy. Without breath, the body dies, as this verse implies. If you’ve ever watched a person take their last breath, you know how fragile life is. That final gasp is the difference between life and death. James uses this example to teach us about our faith.

Think about your faith for a moment. Does it feel alive or dead? In this crazy world, it sometimes feels safer to keep our faith hidden. But when we have the Spirit of God living inside us, we can’t help but reflect that light. Our faith wants to spill over for the world to see.

James thought that faith and actions went together. I have to agree with him. I want to do good things so that I can reflect the love of Jesus to the world. That’s my motivation. However, I know there are plenty of nice people who are doing nice things for people that don’t have faith or a relationship with Jesus. I can’t say what their motivation is.

Not only do I want to be a good reflection of Jesus, I know that the Spirit who lives in me is full of life and goodness. Remember the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5? These seven attributes are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When these “fruits” are in action, we do good works. It’s like a by-product of our faith and trust in Jesus.

To say that our faith is “dead” without doing good things does seem a little extreme. What about those of us who are homebound or not surrounded by many people? There are some days the world doesn’t witness my actions. In those times I don’t feel spiritually dead. In fact, I sometimes feel more rejuvenated because I’ve spent more time alone in God’s presence.

I don’t think James meant to point fingers or alienate us, only make the point not to keep our faith hidden. When we act out our faith, there’s a good chance that we’ll make a difference in someone’s life—maybe even draw them to Jesus. Isn’t that the motivation that gets us going? We want others to experience Jesus’ life-changing grace that has saved us.

How do you plan to live out your faith today? What actions will you attribute to your trust in Jesus? God is watching how we respond to his amazing grace.

Let’s pray. Lord, your love and grace extend to me with no bounds, and I am so grateful. I want my actions to show you my faithfulness. I never want to disrespect you with something I say or do, only glorify you and draw others to you. May my devotion to you remain safe and secure despite life situations. Stay close as I carry your message of love into the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.