Faith Reaching Out in Acts of Mercy And Why You'd Better Work It Out In The Spirit And Not In The Flesh
(Begin reading James 2:14-26)
"what matters is faith working through love."
If having in your heart, mind, and spirit, the love of God and his mercy, is a basic element of the Christian faith; then the expression of that mercy must also be an integral component of that faith. Devoid of the energy of the divine Spirit put into action, a blessing or a prayer is giving lip service. A faith that is alive in self-forgetting deeds removes the hypocrisy of a faith propped up by good works as it's instrument of salvation. In fact I would go so far as to say that failing to put one's faith into practice promotes selfishness. It hides behind the fac̡ade of an easygoing believeism that is of no earthly or heavenly good. And the Apostle James so rightly points out that even the demons are more honest about their understanding of God: they know Christ is the Holy One of God, God and King, and the act in that faith, they shudder for their very existence.
A full and complete faith, a full circle faith so to speak, is founded in the knowledge of God's word, it informs one's faith. And the works of faith, a selfless faith put into action, exposes that knowledge to a relationship with Christ, which completes it. Just as Job said in Job 42:5 "I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes." Job had discovered that his faith was strong on paper, but he hadn't bothered to see the source of power behind the contract. God helped him discover that faith in hearing alone is a self-centered corpse; it has the appearance of the real, but not the life. He learned that, if your faith is based solely upon your belief in a word, but absent any active relationship with The Holy One by his Spirit working in and through you, then you are a whitewashed tomb.
Now I understand that friends in faith will say the apostle Paul says that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law (Romans 3:28), to them I would say Paul plainly speaks of another sort of works than that which James is writing about, but not of another sort of faith. Paul is speaking to the "Judaizers", he's speaking about works performed in obedience to the law of Moses. These Jewish people placed their works of faith above the gospel teachings, and were trying to turn Christian coverts towards their form of religion. The works James speaks of are works born out from the gospel, fruit of the gospel you could say, not works adhering to the law of Moses. These two apostles are not contradicting each other, in fact they are cleaning up the mess being made by a church that is transitioning from a long tradition of Jewish worship into a new thing that Christ had established in his resurrection.
In That Same Vein Some Additional Thoughts:
Galatians 5:1-4
"For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery. Take note! I, Paul, am telling you that if you get yourselves circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all. Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to do the entire law. You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace."
There are millions of people who have made a profession of Christian faith who are nowhere near the kingdom of God. As they profess their faith and also by virtue of their religion justify their remaining sin, the sin of seeking redemption in their religion.
As the Apostle Paul says, "what matters is faith WORKING through love." (Galatians 5:6b) "For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:14) *Lv 19:18
That's your religion of an active faith, selfless acts of faith through the Holy Spirit. Adherence to the law of religion is self centered; not a faith actively seeking the wellbeing of others for the love of God, but a religion actively supporting oneself. As Jesus said, that which is born of the flesh is what? ITS FLESH! You are not born again after believing. The truth is, you are born again and on that ground you believe. The Holy Spirit MUST have changed the disposition of your soul in order for you to believe in a salvation way that is different than the carnal demonic sort. Saving Faith is the filling of the Holy Spirit at your conversion which then enables you to "see" as did Job. Now you see and believe. Not just honoring Jesus with your lips, but actively being transformed by the Holy Spirit.
Anything else is flesh. Born of the flesh. You are a so called "carnal Christian".
Paul said you were called to liberty in Christ, but don't use your freedom to continue in the flesh as if Christ has no right to demand you repent and turn away from your desires. He said don't think you can violate his right, his ownership of your soul. Paul says instead walk by The Spirit. Walk according to Him. Not trying to walk in both worlds.
As St. Augustine said, when you continue in your desires of the flesh, holding on to your unrepentant sin, you have a rider on your back, that rider is Satan. You are in a cosmic battle against your soul's destiny.
What are the works of the flesh?
By the way...ITS OBVIOUS!!!
Galatians 5:19-21
"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like."
Looking at that list, are you like me? Can you, like me, see yourself there?
I think we all have a lot of "work" to do on ourselves. But we need to do it, "in Him", by his Spirit.
We'd better do it because...
"those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:21b)
Are you going to be on the side of The Holy Spirit or the flesh?