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.

   - James 2.18

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

Saving faith is more than just professing Jesus as our Savior. When faith is genuine, 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.

James puts it rather bluntly in verse 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.

Down below here, in the presence of 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 apart from 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). And those “good works” will reflect the character and teaching of the holy and righteous and good Law of God (Rom. 7.12).

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 goodness and loving-kindness 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 faith, not to our credit or praise, but the praise and honor of Him Who empowers us for doing good to others.

He’ll know we’re His children – and so will we – when good works are our calling card. What opportunities will you be presented with for doing good today?

Psalm 15.1-3 (Arlington: This is the Day the Lord Has Made”)
Lord, who may dwell within Your tent, or on Your holy hill?
All they 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 in my speech, to minister your grace to others, and untinting in my efforts to do good to my neighbor. Adapted from The Rule of Ailbe.

T. M. Moore, Principal
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