The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 273


The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 273

Works—Without Faith Is Dead
(Genesis 22:6-13; Joshua. 2 )

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

Christ/Messiah is Our Only Hope

Are not some of us worn thin with all of our works? What I a seeking to say is this, “Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God!” Have you heard that statement before? I think that if you are a “Bible Thumper” you may not have heard it, but; if you are a “Bible Student” you have. Whatever the case, a thumper or a student—works, without faith is DEAD. And yet, from time to time we need to readjust the priority of which comes first! So, is there an adjustment to be made?

Remember that James is discussing this issue with like-minded saints, even though they are Jews or even Hellenistic Jews. The Hellenist origin dates back to 400bc during the time of Alexander the Great who required that all of the nations he conquered to speak Koine Greek. The term Hellenism produced religion and ritual (works) into the Jews' way of worship. There were roughly 400 silent years when God did not speak to the nation through prophets or priests. From 330bc to 4bc, from Malachi (God’s last O.T. messenger) to Messiah. (Heb 1:1-2) A Hellenist Jew was someone who spoke Greek rather than Hebrew and did not have the ancestry of being Greek.

The second paragraph demands a faith-based works adjustment since the sway of religions, cults and other isms of false religion are always present. If a child of God does not devote his or her life to abide in Christ, they will fail and fall into a works-based effort to please God (John 15:1-9 and 2 Timothy 2:15)). Now look, faith and works are action words, in order to please God by believing in Him through the Faith of our Author and Finisher of Faith—Jesus we must do more than simply believe, even the devils believe, but they have zero faith and less than zero works.

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