“Faith is dead when it does not result in faithful activity…” – James 2:17
This is not the first time I’ve confessed to being a baby regarding medical stuff that involves discomfort. I can’t stand needles, and I’m more than a little fearful when it comes to pain. Consequently, the blood drive at our church—three times a year—can be a challenge.
However, I believe we all have a responsibility to help others to the extent that we can. I believe in sharing God’s love with the world. I am committed to the mission and serving in the name of Jesus. I love and respect the folks in our church who are behind the blood drive. I am a leader, and with leadership comes responsibility. I agree with James that faith without action is not really faith at all.
Stack this list up against the fact that I am a needle wimp and it’s really no contest. So I headed to the church on Sunday afternoon and I rolled up my sleeve.
I write a lot about the fact that salvation is best described as joining in with God’s initiatives of love, light, grace, mercy, healing, goodness and encouragement. Well, giving the gift of life turns out to be one more great example. James got all over this idea in his letter about faith, and his words are so apropos.
“My brothers and sisters, what good is it if people say they have faith but do nothing to show it? Claiming to have faith can’t save anyone, can it?…What good is [faith] if you don’t actually give them what their body needs? In the same way, faith is dead when it doesn’t result in faithful activity,” (James 2:14-17 CEB).
Action is a necessary component in the definition of faith. Faith without action is not faith, it is something else. Faith equals belief plus action.
Here’s my question: What does our faith in Jesus lead to? What is the life that cannot help but spill over? Remember, salvation is not transactional, it is transformational.
