Our pastor challenged us this Sunday to read through a book of the Bible at one sitting. So this week I've been reading James every morning--just the book of James without the commentary.
What does it profit my brethen, 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. James 2:14-17
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? James 2:19-22
This is not saying that you can lose your salvation if you do not perform works. Our salvation is sealed for eternity; but salvation does not give us permission to live our lives in a bubble. I picture a balancing scale on the last verse; with faith on one side and works on the other. God intended for our faith to reach out to help others; our faith cannot grow if there are no works to feed it.
I start my Beth Moore study tonight at church; I'm looking forward to it. I also have learned this week just to read the scriptures and be still; allow God to show me through His word things that pertain to me.
1 comment:
I've been reading the Bible since 1975 (more consistently at times than others!), and still astounded at times that I can be reading something, and it's like I never saw it before! God uses it as a way to "talk" to me, and it will fit right in my current situation. Those are just the best times. :-)
Loretta
=^..^=
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