Faith and Works

                                                                     Faith and Works

James 2:14-26

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Introduction

Faith cannot save without works, but that does not mean salvation is by works. The Apostle James wrote about faith and works in James 2:14-26 because he wanted to help us understand the attitude of the heart that a believer in Jesus should have. The Apostle James wants us to understand what true faith is. Faith is not just not hearing or agreeing with the Word of God that we have heard, but good faith is faith that produces works. Therefore, this essay will explain about Good deeds cannot save us, Good deeds are a sign that we have been saved, and examples of dead faith.

Content

Good works cannot save us. The Apostle James tells in the book of James 2:14 that faith without works is useless. Faith without works cannot save us. James wants to tell us that the faith of a person who believes must have an effect on inner change and this inner change manifests in behavior or action. Furthermore, the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:8-10 says that we are saved by grace through faith. The most important thing is that we are saved not by our good works but by the grace of God.

Good deeds are a sign that we have been saved. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16 that we must be light before others so that our actions can be seen by others. That means, the good deeds we do are light and when people see God's miraculous work in our lives, they will glorify God. When we do good deeds, it reflects that we believe in the salvation that has been given to us.

Dead faith is faith without works. People sometimes admit that they have faith in God, but that faith does not produce works. When people claim to have faith and then don't know what to do or when someone knows that it is God's will but doesn't do it, that's dead faith. Faith that is often proud of is actually a dead faith in God's eyes. It is not faith that saves. God commands us to have faith accompanied by works so that faith can be said to be alive before God.

POV

I think, If our faith does not produce concrete actions and has an impact on our obedience to God's will, then man is dead. It is not too late for us to test our faith today. However, it will be too late if we find out that we do not have faith on the day of judgment. We live in a world full of deception, so we should not believe in teachings that seem true but are actually false. Only by the power of God can we be enabled to turn our faith into works.

Conclusion

Faith means believing and confirming. Faith is justification by heart and confession by word of mouth. Therefore, perfect faith is faith accompanied by works. By faith, the good deeds we do show God that we have living faith. With faith, the good deeds we do show that we trust and love God. With faith, the good deeds we do cannot save us but refer to a change in ourselves that leads us to believe more that we will be saved by God's grace. God wants all of us to be saved and live with us, so let us see within ourselves whether we have a living faith in God. Let our daily life strengthen our faith in God.

References

King James Version Bible