My faith
shrinks the further I am from God and my flesh grows more powerful. My life
reflects my failing faith. I get where I think serving God just isn’t worth it
anymore. My attitude changes. My interests change. My works demonstrate my
futile faith.
What kind of
works demonstrate my faithfulness? Because of a healthy faith I will want to
read and study God’s Word. I will pray fervently. I will want to attend all
services at church (Parkinson’s sometimes messes things up). I will desire to
serve in some capacity, whether cleaning the church, helping with ushing or
teaching etc.
The
interesting thing is that these works occur naturally. I don’t have to muster
up enough faith to do them. I don’t have to make myself do them. My “want to”
has changed. My works manifest the condition of my faith.
James wrote
this book to Christians. He is trying to help them see the futility of faith
without works. His point is Christians ought to be different that the lost. If
not, why not?
A lifestyle
that contradicts Christ-likeness obviously demonstrates a faith problem. As
Christians we can grieve the Spirit and quench the Spirit. We don’t lose our
salvation, but we damage our relationship with God and render our witness
powerless.
The question
is: am I doing good works to appease God? To manipulate others? To establish a façade?
Or do they just occur as a natural outcome of my faith.
“Seest thou how faith wrought with his works,
and by works was faith made perfect?” James 2:22.
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