Faith Without Works is Dead

James 2 14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?  17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.  18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”  19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God.[f] Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?  21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”[g] He was even called the friend of God.[h] 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.  25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath,[i] so also faith is dead without good works.


What does James mean that faith is dead without works?
Looking at the first few verses we see that if we refuse to meet a brother or sisters need but say we have faith, then our faith is dead.  Dead faith is no faith.  

Yes, we are saved by faith, simply by believing in Jesus and recieving his forgiveness but if we do not do the works of faith then our faith is essentially dead.  How many times have I listened to a need yet, thinking only of self, said I will pray for you and never met their need?  How many times have I expressed a need and yet the church has turned it's back and said I will pray for you, yet did not meet my need.  As you can see in the verse it is talking about a real physical need of food and clothing.  

How many people do we know who have that need yet we refuse, when we hear about it to walk in faith believing if we meet their need God will meet ours, we turn our backs and say "I will pray for you" then go home to a full dinner and not even think once of that person.  

How many single parents are in your midst, a mother or father struggling to feed, house and care for their children's needs without one single person helping them.  Yet we often sit in our safe beautiful, well stocked homes and forget about them.  Now I have been on both sides of the fence with plenty and without plenty, but even without plenty is it not still my responsibility to show my faith by my works, by meeting others needs. 
Jesus said to seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven and all these things will be added unto you.  Is not the Kingdom of Heaven taking care of the poor, the widow and the orphan.  
Did He not tell a parable of a wedding feast where the invited did not come so sevants were sent out to bring in the blind, poor those along the highways and bi ways to fill his table for the wedding feast.  How much greater is that wedding feast than our christmas feast yet do we share with those in need? 

I know as holidays approach, many will be rushing around to purchase wants for others but how many are going to meet needs of those who have nothing.  How many will invite the homeless and fill their tables with the less fortunate over the holidays?  I am challenging myself to actually go out and fill anothers need rather than sitting and looking at my own circumstances and then to trust the God who loves me to meet my needs.