Faith wasn’t meant to be passive. True believers are taught to act on what they believe.
If we truly believe something we will apply corresponding action. James reminds us that faith without works is dead.
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?
James 2:19-24
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
We are not saved by works. We are saved by grace through faith. But we are saved for good works. Salvation comes before works, not the other way around.
We are prepared beforehand for good works which are applied by and through faith. Everything in our walk is of faith. In fact, those good works we are destined for cannot be activated until we are saved.
The works he is talking about are those which correspond to what we believe and what we are taught in the Word. It is one thing to believe what God says, but another to put them into practice.
Then, once we are activating what we say we believe, we have truly entered into a faith arrangement with God, because faith cannot be evidenced until we act on it.
Abraham’s faith
Abraham showed that he believed God by his obedience to God’s command. He trusted God’s Word and acted accordingly. He did not doubt for an instant.
God required that Abraham bring Isaac as a sacrifice to see if he would trust God with everything, including the future which resided in his son. This was the son for which he had believed God for 25 years even into old age when it was seemingly impossible.
Yet Abraham showed that he believed God by his obedience even in a hard thing. He said that even if his son Isaac died God would raise him up. He trusted God and abandoned any doubts.
Rahab’s faith
Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
James 2:25-26
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Rahab showed that she believed by assisting the spies sent into her camp to gather evidence. They promised her family safe passage if she harboured them overnight, and true to their word, she was not only saved, but became a descendent of the Messiah. Thank God for such an immense promise fulfilled.
We show trust when we put the Word into practice, when we act on what we believe. It is the only way faith can take. We need to walk in the light of what the Word tells us.
The Word is our call to action. Faith believes it, works activate it.
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