Good Works of Obedience

But someone will say to you then, You say you have faith, and I have good works. Now you show me your alleged faith apart from any good works if you can, and I by good works of obedience will show you my faith.

You believe that God is one; you do well. So do the demons believe and shudder in terror and horror such as make a man's hair stand on end and contract the surface of his skin!

Are you willing to be shown proof, you foolish unproductive, spiritually deficient fellow, that faith apart from good works is inactive and ineffective and worthless?

Was not our forefather Abraham shown to be justified (made acceptable to God) by his works when he brought to the altar as an offering his own son Isaac?

You see that his faith was cooperating with his works, and his faith was completed and reached its supreme expression when he implemented it by good works.

And so the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed in (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on) God, and this was accounted to him as righteousness (as conformity to God's will in thought and deed), and he was called God's friend.

You see that a man is justified (pronounced righteous before God) through what he does and not alone through faith, through works of obedience as well as by what he believes.

So also with Rahab the harlot--was she not shown to be justified (pronounced righteous before God) by good deeds when she took in the scouts and sent them away by a different route?

For as the human body apart from the spirit is lifeless, so faith apart from its works of obedience is also dead. - James 2:18-26

Last time we we talked about faith, we mentioned that faith without "doing" is dead. Doing in the sense of not only believing God for something, but putting our faith into action.

Today, we see James go in another direction with faith and works. He talks about faith and good works of obedience. Again, we learn that it is not only what we believe that makes faith work, it is the action behind the faith that makes it a working faith.

It is believing and obeying. When God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Abraham did not hesitate. Why? Because he knew that God could not lie. He knew that God would keep his covenant with him. He knew and did not doubt. So, it made it easy for him to be willing to give his promised son as a sacrifice.

Look at it this way, when we are believing God for a financial breakthrough and we are selfish with the little that He has already given us, then we are not operating in good works of obedience. If we were then we would know that it is better to give than to receive. We would know that unless we are sewing seed we cannot reap a harvest.

Let's say someone is believing God for a new car or house. However, the one they have is unkept and dirty. If they were operating in good works of obedience then they would know that we must be good stewards with what God has already given us, before He can bless us with more.
There are countless examples I can give.

Here are a few more...

• You are believing for healing, but your eating unhealthy and/or smoking and/or some other unhealthy action...
• You are believing God for a better job, but you are a slacker, or your consistently late, or you never quite do your best...
• You are believing God for a better marriage, but you have yet to submit to your husband, or your a nag, or you complain all the time, or you are dominating and controlling...

I will stop there. The point that James is trying to make is this:

Faith is more than believing. It is doing. It is good works of obedience. It is believing. All of these things together are what make faith alive. All these actions together are what make faith work!

Let's Pray,

Daddy God, thank You for Your life giving Word of Truth. Thank You that You want me to live a life full of joy and happiness. Thank You that through Your Word, You have shown me how to accomplish this. Help me to live from faith to faith to faith that works. Help me to walk out all I have learned. Thank You. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.