I’m not righteous because I have faith. I’m righteous because I do what faith requires.
“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? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 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? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. 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.” You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? 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? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. 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. Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.”
James 2:14-26 NLT
We have been taught a lot about faith and indeed we should because we serve a faith God. We can’t please Him apart from faith. We’ve also been taught a lot about works, and indeed we should because that’s the evidence that we believe. There must always be corresponding action to our faith. How many of you are good at either, but haven’t mastered both? There are Christians who have faith for everyone else but themselves, and others who will do good works but expect no return, they have bought into the lie that their only reward is in heaven when they die. So what does it all mean that we’re right with God through faith and works? I thought receiving Jesus Christ as Savior automatically made us righteous or right with God. That’s a part of it but apparently from these two examples, not the whole.
There are levels to our growth in God. Faith is one level and action based upon our faith is another. Take healing for example. The Bible says we have already been healed before we ever were sick. But do we get sick? The answer is yes! But how are we healed? By faith. Calling those things that are not as though they were. We’re not denying the obvious, but we’re stripping it of its power by believing the Word of God over what we see. Making faith confessions and putting action to our words. How do we accomplish this? Instead of rehearsing what you see, speak the results you want based on the Word. See yourself healthy. That’s faith+works then God honors our steadfast faith and declares us righteous or in right standing with Him. Even if the situation in the natural seems like nothing has changed, you hold to the Truth. Righteousness conscious brings the desired results.
When God told Abraham and Sarah they would have a son they both laughed. Why? The natural evidence was that they were both old. Too old in fact to even find pleasure in each other. But Abraham decided to take the Lord up on His Word and we’re all reading about it, and he became the poster child for faith+works=righteousness. Sometimes God will even ask us to give back the desired thing. This is level two of faith building. He may even ask us to give all the money we have in the bank. But He will never ask for what we do not have. He asked for Isaac not to be mean, but as a growth process for where He was taking Abraham. He promised him many children. But Abraham had an old problem that needed to be mastered. Separation anxiety. Remember when God told him to leave his family? It took fifteen years and the death of his father for that to happen. And he still took his nephew Lot with him.
Not until there was a big disagreement between his workers and Lot’s did he finally separate. Then God was able to reiterate the covenant. See Genesis 13:14. The ultimate test of his faith came through the call to sacrifice Isaac. But this time was different. His faith had been established on God’s faithfulness. After his obedience the Lord had this to say. “Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld your only son from Me.” Genesis 22:12. A part of reverencing or fearing God is trusting even when what He’s asking doesn’t make sense. We’re counted righteous through our faith and actions. He sees ahead, we see what’s before us.
Learning to put faith in action matures us to the point of stepping off the edge when we see no safety net below us. Peter walked on water on this word from Jesus, “come!” It doesn’t matter what life is throwing at you. Believe Him and His Word over it all. I speak His promises over my life, my children, even grandchildren whom I haven’t seen, my family and friends and strangers. Why? Because His promises are eternal. I don’t care that I get attacked, I still stand on His Word. “Nothing shall by any means hurt me!“ Even when my body was roasting with fever, I stood. And received the corresponding action to my faith. He promised to take care of me in my retirement, I hold Him to His Word, and for ten years He’s remained faithful. I speak and live what He says, and He declares me righteous. Most if not all of you can say the same.
Put your faith to work. Show by your obedience that you believe in Him. If you were stubborn as a child, transfer that willfulness to your faith. Abraham had no idea there would be a ram in the bushes, Rahab had no idea when her city would fall. But she’d heard about the mighty works of God, and as a Gentile made a decision to trust in a God she had never known. She put herself at great risk to save her enemies. God declared a Gentile righteous because of her actions. Faith is believing when we cannot see, but it isn’t lazy it’s active. We act because we believe. Are you sick in your body? What have you been saying? Are you lacking in any area of life? What have you been saying or doing? Faith+works =right standing with God. He calls those who act on His Word righteous. You’ll have the answers you need when you change the way you respond. Whether in obedience to His requests or obedience to the Word.
Abraham believed and acted, Rahab believed what she had heard, and acted. Paul believed the vision and acted. The hundred and twenty believed and acted. We are recipients of those who were made righteous through faith and works. We’re also to leave a legacy of believing faith to the next generation. A legacy of righteousness based on trust and obedience. What is He asking or has asked of you? Is your faith dead through inaction? Then the first step to reviving your faith is completing the last thing He asked you to do. Don’t waste another moment. Put your faith to work and join those who have been made righteous through their works.
Written by permission of the Holy Spirit
W. Tennant
August 25, 2021