James tells us that faith without works is dead. But what does it mean to have "works" and what does it mean to have faith?
I consider James to be one of the most practical books of the Bible. I’m in the process of reading through it slowly, and it contains an absolute wealth of information.
That’s not to diminish any other book in the Bible; it’s just to communicate that James is especially packed with practical stuff.
What to do in difficult times? Check.
Putting the Word of God into practice in your life? Check.
How to honor and treat everyone equally? Check.
As I was reading this morning, I came across the passage that speaks about faith and works. This is a famous portion of Scripture. Many of you have probably heard it.
Here it is:
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. [James 2:14-17, ESV]
Read back through this passage slowly. Notice especially the last line: faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
If you’ve been a Christian for a long time, or you grew up in a Christian household, you have probably heard this phrase before.
Faith without works is dead.
We repeat that phrase so often that we lose sight of its true weight. What does it really mean?
What does “works” mean?
And what does it mean to have “dead faith?”
Faith and Works: A Study
What gets us into right standing with God? Is it our works, or is it His grace and mercy?
Answer: it’s the second one!
There was no way we could save ourselves on our own. Our best works and efforts are not anywhere near good enough to get us into Heaven. But God showed incredible grace to us by sending Christ to die for our sins.
We accept God’s grace by placing our faith entirely in Jesus Christ, and it is this faith which gives us “access” to the grace that God showers down upon us.
That’s how we are saved. God sent us a lifeboat, and it’s up to us to jump into that lifeboat. The “jumping in” is done via faith.
Without faith, we drown.
Contemporary mainstream Christianity has gotten really good at emphasizing this.
The message we are used to hearing is this: Do NOT focus on works. Works don’t save you. Focus on who you are in Jesus Christ. You’re saved by grace, through faith, so just focus on having faith and resting in the grace of God.
Is this a true statement? Yes.
But it’s often distorted.
It is entirely true that we cannot be saved by works. We can’t earn our way to Heaven. That is made clear again and again throughout all of the New Testament.
Anyone who teaches you that works are what get us into Heaven is wrong.
But the contemporary church has leaned so heavily into emphasizing grace that the practical side of our faith is often overlooked.
That brings us to our first question:
What do Works Have to do With Faith?
James tells us that faith without works is dead.
Here’s the deal: works are like a thermometer that measures the health of our faith.
When you’re sick, you often take your temperature.
For instance, I woke up in the middle of the night just a few days ago. I felt like I was radiating heat. This isn’t normal for me, so I got up to take my temperature.
My temperature was normal. This was strong evidence that I wasn’t sick.
Similarly, your works are a thermometer for your faith. Works don’t get you into right standing with God, but they do show evidence that you have saving faith.
That’s why James was telling his readers that faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
True saving faith in Christ will result in works. Are these works perfect? Absolutely not! And even the strongest and most mature of Christians can go through “cold seasons” where their works are diminished.
But all those who have true faith will show works.
You cannot have faith without works – they’re a packaged deal. Works originate from faith, and faith will always result in works of some kind.
If you have no works at all, then it’s very possible that you don’t really have saving faith.
This is why James wrote these words to his readers. It is possible to go through life supposing that you have true saving faith, when in reality you lack it. You can be deceived.
This is a harsh truth that is not spoken of much in churches today.
We’re living in an age where a mere one-time profession of faith – a prayer, baptism, etc. – is taken as an undisputable sign of salvation. Even if the person who once professed faith in Christ shows absolutely no evidence of works, he or she is assured of salvation.
But this is incorrect. All those with saving faith will bear works. We should be very concerned for those who claim to be Christian but live exactly like those who don’t know God.
What are Works, Exactly?
James gives us a specific example of “works” in the passage. How he does it is rather interesting: he gives us an example of a failure to do a work.
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? [James 2:15-16, ESV]
From this, it can be seen that one of the foremost works which ought to be present in a Christian’s life is generosity. Are you generous with your finances and resources? Are you generous with your time?
Open generosity is a hallmark of the Christian life.
But is generosity the only kind of work there is? Not at all. If we jump over to Galatians, we can read an entire list of the “fruits of the Spirit.” These include:
- Love
- Joy
- Peace
- Patience
- Kindness
- Goodness
- Faithfulness
- Gentleness
- Self-control
This is a large list!
Indeed, if we wanted to get out a notebook and write down all of the possible works that could be done as a result of saving faith, there wouldn’t be enough notebooks in all the world to contain the writing.
My point is this: “works” are not specific actions that fit into certain categories. Rather, works are the overflowing of faith.
Whatever good thing is done in faith is a “work.”
But that’s the key phrase: whatever good thing is done in faith.
Just as faith does not fail to produce genuine works, genuine works cannot occur without faith. They’re a packaged deal. They’re two sides of the same coin.
Without faith, it is impossible for us to please God (Heb. 11:6). But if we have faith, every good work we do out of that faith is pleasing to Him. Having true faith flips the entire paradigm on its head.
If we don’t have faith, we won’t please God and we won’t do any truly good works, even if we’re a model citizen. You see, there are men and women in this world who are upstanding people. They help their neighbors, donate to charity, volunteer at shelters, and provide a place of safety for others.
They never break the law and they are what everyone else would consider “moral people.”
Yet if they do not do these things out of a sincere faith in God, then their works are still not “good” in the sense that God requires them to be. They’re doing good works by human standards, but they still do not please God.
But if we do have faith, we will please God and we will do good works, even if we’re still struggling mightily against serious sin issues.
Works are those things that we do because of our faith in Jesus Christ.
What if I Don’t Have Any Works in My Life?
This is a question that every Christian will likely ask at some point in their walk with the Lord. Some may ask it rather frequently.
There are also many people who consider themselves Christians, yet aren’t truly saved… and they may ask this question as well.
So what gives? What if I look at my life and I see no evidence of faith-based works?
If this is you, then congrats: you’re the reason why James wrote this particular piece of Scripture. You see, Scripture is filled with wake-up calls designed to shake us out of complacency. How can we grow if we don’t know there’s a problem?
For this question, I’ll handle two cases: (1) – the person who is a genuine believer, but fears that he or she doesn’t have works, and (2) – the person who isn’t truly a believer.
1 – If you’re Truly a Christian
If you sincerely believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins, and you’ve confessed that with your mouth, then you’re a true believer. You have true faith.
But sometimes you doubt.
Perhaps you’re going through a season of life where your works are not showing like they ought to be. At this point, I would prompt you to ask a question: have I ever been in a place where I was truly living for God?
It’s so easy for many of us to go through hot seasons and cold seasons. One month, we’re reading our Bibles diligently, praying regularly, and sharing the love of Christ with our friends, family, and neighbors.
Another month, we’re cold. We’re burned out. We’re still there; we still believe and we still follow Christ, but it’s harder. The fire seems to have gone out of us.
If that’s you, and the “fire” seems to have gone out, then it’s very likely that you’re not showing as many works as you did were when you were crazy for God. This may cause you concern.
I know, because I’ve been there. I’ve experienced this.
One thing you should know is this: every Christian goes through ups and downs. 2 Timothy 4:2 tells us to be ready both in season and out of season. Just like trees, plants, etc., we will experience times when we’re bearing fruit left and right, and times when our fruit may be much more limited.
But we will always be held to Jesus Christ. Always.
If you’re walking through a spot in your faith right now where things just aren’t as bright as they used to be, then the best thing to do is call out to the Lord.
Call upon Him in faith, and He will hear you. Get regularly into the Word, even if it’s difficult for you to do so.
You know, there is a certain aspect of the Christian faith that is about discipline.
Getting into the Word will not always be easy. Prayer will sometimes be tough; you may need to fight tooth and nail for every moment. Even being around God’s people may not always be what you truly desire to do.
But do these things anyway. Obey, even if you don’t feel like doing so. Take the steps of obedience in faith, even when it feels mechanical and legalistic.
In all relationships, there are seasons where love involves a lot of intentional action and not much good feeling. Ask any married couple who’s been married for longer than a few years, and they’ll tell you that love is not merely about feelings.
It’s the same in our walk with God. It’s not always about feelings. It’s about loving Him and keeping His commandments in faith. We don’t do this to enter Heaven; we do this because our love for Him compels us to do so.
Obey, Believer, even if things feel tough. Stay in the Word and in community, even if these things are incredibly difficult for you.
2- If You’re Not a Christian
If you’re not a Christian, there’s one thing that you should do today: call on the name of the Lord.
Call upon Him in faith, trusting yourself fully to Him. Have you ever done that before? I know that many people have “prayed and asked Jesus into their hearts,” yet come away from the experience no different than before.
I was one of them.
When I was nine, I was led to ask Jesus into my heart. Yet my life did not change. I did not feel different; there was no sense in which my desires or affections changed.
Many of my friends have been this way as well. There was a time in their life – perhaps at church camp, during Sunday services, or at a youth rally – when they repeated the “prayer of salvation.”
Yet many of them saw no change in their lives. There was no change in how they talked, dressed, walked, and otherwise conducted themselves.
None whatsoever.
Why is this?
It’s because their profession of faith was never truly theirs. They professed Christ as Lord, but they didn’t really have faith in Him! It was the same with me. When I asked Jesus into my heart, I did not truly have faith in Him.
It wasn’t until some years later, when I went through a tough time in my life, that I called upon the Lord out of genuine faith.
That is when I was saved and made His.
Today, dear reader, you have within your hands a decision to make: are you going to call upon the Lord in faith, or will you let it slide? You can put this off; you can say that you’ve got the next 10, 20, or 30 years to live it up.
But do you really?
We are not guaranteed tomorrow, let alone ten or twenty more years in this world. The safest, most rational thing you can do is to entrust yourself right now to the Lord Jesus. The safest and best thing you can possibly do is to give your life to Him.
And make no mistake – He wants your entire life.
Jesus wants your finances, your desires, your talents, your actions. He wants all of you. Jesus came and died for you, so that you could be made righteous in the sight of God. There is no other way but Him.
For more in-depth information about who Jesus is and how you can become a child of His, please visit this page.
Closing
As I draw this to a close, remember that – above all – God wants your everything. He wants your efforts, strength, desires, and your faith.
And your faith, if it is genuine, will produce good works.
Works are not what earns our way into Heaven, but they are an indicator that you possess the faith that will save you. Come before the Lord and ask Him to increase your faith, and to increase your love and joy and satisfaction in Him. It is His greatest desire that we would draw near to Him in faith and conform our lives to what He wants.
Let us press forward, doing good works for the Kingdom, earnestly desiring to strive hard after God.
God bless!