14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Occasionally we will make a statement and it will be somewhat outlandish and we will be asked to justify that statement. What does that mean? It means to prove it is true, give some facts, or demonstrate it. If I told you a gender reveal party caused one of Arizona's largest fires in history, you might think that was somewhat hard to believe but I could justify it with video evidence.
https://youtu.be/vZYkVTzS5E4
When we use the word justify in a spiritual sense, it can mean two things; it can be talking about being made clean or "just as if I'd never sinned" is how I learned it as a kid. In that sense it is totally unrelated to works. We are justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. But, in order for us to be justified, work had to be done. God sent His son Jesus who died on the cross. Jesus did all the work and you know what, in a sense He is still working. Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father and intercedes for us - He is our mediator. He is preparing a place for us also. And he lives inside us as the person of the Holy Spirit both to will and to do of His good pleasure. So in a sense you could say we are saved by works - but it's His work not ours.He is the author and finisher of our faith. We read in verse 26 "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." The Spirit in us saves us and brings us to life, and although we don't work to be justified, He works inside us and His works are what people see that justifies our salvation to them. Our outlandish statement that we have been born again, cleansed of sin, adopted into the Family of God, a new creation, etc. is justified by the Holy Spirit who is working to bear fruit through us.
What is that fruit? First of all a changed tongue. James 1:26 says
"Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless."
Our words should be thought out, not impulsive and meant to heal and not destroy. They should speak of good things rather than evil. The first impression you make on people is through the words you speak. May they know something is different in us because of our tongue. Have you noticed what you say to be improving over the years?
Secondly it is in our love. Once we cared only about ourselves, now we are outward focused. We help the poor without getting anything in return as evidenced by widows and orphans. We don't show favoritism thinking,"I'll treat this person special because it might come back to benefit me." Is your selflessness improving over the years?
Occasionally we will make a statement and it will be somewhat outlandish and we will be asked to justify that statement. What does that mean? It means to prove it is true, give some facts, or demonstrate it. If I told you a gender reveal party caused one of Arizona's largest fires in history, you might think that was somewhat hard to believe but I could justify it with video evidence.
https://youtu.be/vZYkVTzS5E4
When we use the word justify in a spiritual sense, it can mean two things; it can be talking about being made clean or "just as if I'd never sinned" is how I learned it as a kid. In that sense it is totally unrelated to works. We are justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. But, in order for us to be justified, work had to be done. God sent His son Jesus who died on the cross. Jesus did all the work and you know what, in a sense He is still working. Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father and intercedes for us - He is our mediator. He is preparing a place for us also. And he lives inside us as the person of the Holy Spirit both to will and to do of His good pleasure. So in a sense you could say we are saved by works - but it's His work not ours.He is the author and finisher of our faith. We read in verse 26 "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." The Spirit in us saves us and brings us to life, and although we don't work to be justified, He works inside us and His works are what people see that justifies our salvation to them. Our outlandish statement that we have been born again, cleansed of sin, adopted into the Family of God, a new creation, etc. is justified by the Holy Spirit who is working to bear fruit through us.
What is that fruit? First of all a changed tongue. James 1:26 says
"Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless."
Our words should be thought out, not impulsive and meant to heal and not destroy. They should speak of good things rather than evil. The first impression you make on people is through the words you speak. May they know something is different in us because of our tongue. Have you noticed what you say to be improving over the years?
Secondly it is in our love. Once we cared only about ourselves, now we are outward focused. We help the poor without getting anything in return as evidenced by widows and orphans. We don't show favoritism thinking,"I'll treat this person special because it might come back to benefit me." Is your selflessness improving over the years?
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