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Faith without works in the Bible: James 2:26
Good works aren't enough to save us from our sin, but they should be a natural result of faith in Jesus Christ. If our faith isn't strong enough to inspire us to do good deeds, it's not much of a faith at all.
http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%202:26&version=NIV
Topics:
Faith Without Works, Faith Without Works Is Dead, Faith Without Deeds
All Topics
I agree with this statement, however, let’s look at the whole scripture of James 2:14-26 in context. Faith and Deeds
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.
In light of this scripture, why do a multitude of ministers and preachers insist on preaching to pray Jesus into people’s hearts? The LORD GOD performed great works to produce in us faith; the Lord Jesus performed miracles and great signs during his ministry to produce in us faith. Jesus died on the cross and raised from the dead to produce in us faith. Then He commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations. How do you make a disciple? He tells us exactly how in Matthew 28:18-20,
The Great Commission
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Then, if that wasn’t enough, Peter, after receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit preached to a multitude of people saying,
Acts 2:36-39 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
I believe that Baptism is not a work as many suppose, but that it is commanded. It is by faith that I believe that my baptism is the point where I was saved, washed clean and forgiven; where I participated in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is by faith that I take communion each week to connect to my Lord and God to confess my sins and receive the cleansing body and blood of Jesus Christ. It is daily that I attempt to live a life free of sin, but it is daily that I find myself like Paul, struggling with what I know to be right and what I know to be wrong, wanting to do what is right, but not doing it.
I implore those of you who are ministers, preachers, biblical scholars to stop avoiding the truth in the scriptures. Understand that Jesus, Peter, Paul, James and many others preached that baptism is essential to our salvation. Indeed the road is narrow and many take the wide road. Please stop steering the flock down the wide road! Jesus IS COMING BACK and his winnowing fork is at his threshing floor. He is testing your heart as well as mine. He is looking for faith and deeds. He wants to draw us all into his loving arms and take us home to Heaven to meet his father and live with them forever.