We desire to know all; we tire of doing all we know, hoping that words can count instead of deeds. Perhaps here below they may; for above they clearly cannot in God’s sight, since there it is not he who has spoken, but he who has acted, that shall be saved.

  - Columbanus, Letter to His Monks, Irish, 7th century[1]

But someone will say you have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works (my translation).

  - James 2.18

Saving faith is more than just professing Jesus as our Savior. It’s more than just getting involved in a church. When faith is genuine – when it is full faith – it takes hold on a person, soul and body, and begins to fashion him into something other than what he was before belief began to be real for him.

Faith includes inward assurance of salvation, the sense that “It is well with my soul” before the living God. But such assurance alone is not full faith. Full faith includes evidence, in the form of good works, that what we hope for we possess, know, love, and obey (Heb. 11.1).

James puts it rather bluntly in James 2.17, saying that “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” We need to be reminded from time to time that real saving faith comes to expression in concrete actions, not just appropriate words. That was Columbanus’ point in his letter to his monks.

My sense of verse 18 is that James is saying someone – you, maybe – may say that you have faith and I (James, that is) have works, and that somehow each of these is sufficient. But James says, in effect, that we cannot know whether faith is real apart from the works that demonstrate love for and allegiance to Him Who has saved us.

Columbanus insisted that here, down below among people, it may be enough simply to say, “Oh, yes, I believe in Jesus. Hallelujah! I’m goin’ to heaven when I die.” But that will never cut it with God. “Show me your faith without your works...” – the implication, of course, is that we cannot – “...and I will show you my faith by my works.” Of course, this is what God intended all along.

If we have believed unto salvation, good works will follow, for this is the very reason why we have been saved (Eph. 2.8-10). Good works are the evidence that full faith is coming to flower in our lives. And those “good works” will refract the character and teaching of the holy and righteous and good Law of God (Rom. 7.12). God has given us His Spirit to teach us the Law and to empower us to live the good works of love it sets forth (Ezek. 36.26, 27). His classroom is always open. Are we faithful attendees?

The world is a little short on good works these days – self-denying, burden-bearing, others-first, kinds of good works. Every day we are presented with opportunities for touching others with the grace, goodness, and lovingkindness of our Savior and King. Very often, however, we’re too preoccupied with other thoughts, or we think more about ourselves than we do about others, and we miss the many opportunities for doing good that God presents us.

But if we’re truly saved, the pressure for doing good will mount from within, as the Spirit transforms us increasingly into the image of Jesus Christ. Gradually and increasingly, good works will flow from true and full faith, not to our credit or praise, but to the praise and honor of Him Who empowers us for doing good (Jn. 7.37-39).

Our heavenly Father knows His children by their works. We can be assured of salvation by firmly believing in Jesus, and devoting our entire soul to increasing in Him through faithfully seeking Him in prayer and His Word, and dutifully obeying His leading and prompting as He stirs within us for good works.

Opportunities for doing good abound. Ask the Lord throughout the day to make you mindful of opportunities to show His love to others, and of thus proving to yourself that you are indeed a child of the heavenly Father.

For reflection
1. Why is faith without works dead?

2. Why is the Law of God our primary resource for knowing which works are good?

Psalm 15.1, 2(Arlington: This is the Day the Lord Has Made)
Lord, who may dwell within Your tent, or on Your holy hill?
All those who keep Your covenant and walk within Your will.

All they who with integrity work peace and righteousness,
Forever in God’s house shall be forgiven, kept, and blessed.

Lord, let me ever be faithful by words and deeds to minister your grace to others, especially today as I…

Even the small stuff
God uses even the small stuff in our lives to empower us for good works. Our book, Small Stuff, can open up wider vistas for you to do good works in the Name of Jesus. Order your copy by clicking here.

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T. M. Moore, Principal
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All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[1] Walker, p. 35.