For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
— JAMES 2:26 —
Astrit A. | Albania
Have you ever seen a dead body? Because the soul has departed, the body is lifeless, unable to rise or do the things that it used to do. Without the soul, the body is purposeless, destined to decompose and be destroyed. In this verse, James tells us that such is faith without works. In other words, this kind of “faith”—faith that produces no fruit—is like a dead body, lifeless and decomposing, suitable only for disposal and destruction. Supplement your faith with good works today, for they assure your heart that your faith is alive and keep you from being an ineffective servant of Christ Jesus. It is utterly useless. A person who claims to have faith but has no accompanying works is a walking contradiction, like a moving corpse. He is still spiritually dead, and his faith, therefore, is of no value, since it leaves him lifeless. It will not save him (James 2:14). Works cannot save sinners. Works are not a condition for salvation. But works are a demonstration of true faith. Just as movement and intelligent action reveal that a body is alive, so works reveal that a person’s faith is living. Good works are prepared beforehand by God for believers to walk in them (Eph. 2:10). They are the inevitable fruit of saving faith and will manifest in every believer’s life. It is good and right to strive for good works. We don’t do this to earn God’s favor but in response to it! So make every effort to supplement your faith with good works today, for they assure your heart that your faith is alive and keep you from being an ineffective servant of Christ Jesus (2 Pet. 1:5–8).
