James 1:22 (TPT)
Don’t just listen to the Word of Truth and not respond to it, for that is the essence of self-deception. So always let his Word become like poetry written and fulfilled by your life!
James was passionate about the need for Christians to combine their faith with actions. The Word of God, which is the source of our faith, has countless commands of things we are supposed to do as members of the Body of Christ. In this verse from the first chapter of his epistle, James, the half-brother of Christ teaches us that not responding to the Words of Truth through good deeds is the “essence of self-deception.”
James 2:14-20(TPT)
My dear brothers and sisters, what good is it if someone claims to have faith but demonstrates no good works to prove it? How could this kind of faith save anyone? For example, if a brother or sister in the faith is poorly clothed and hungry and you leave them saying, “Good-bye. I hope you stay warm and have plenty to eat,” but you don’t provide them with a coat or even a cup of soup, what good is your faith? So then faith that doesn’t involve action is phony. But someone might object and say, “One person has faith and another person has work.” Go ahead then and prove to me that you have faith without works and I will show you faith by my words as proof that I believe. You can believe all you want that there is one true God, that’s wonderful! But even the demons know this and tremble with fear before him, yet they’re unchanged-they remain demons. O feeble sons of Adam, do you need further evidence that faith divorced from good works is phony?
James reinforces the truth that he discussed briefly a chapter earlier in this passage of Scripture. Twice, he discusses the fact that faith without any good works is “phony.” James provides a practical application (one that we will dive deeper into in a moment) where he discusses a situation where one believer sees another believer in need. If the first believer, who has access to clothes and food does nothing to help his or her brother or sister in Christ, their faith is phony. True faith in God requires action.
It’s important to note that these good works aren’t a way to earn God’s approval. You got His approval when you accepted His Son as your Savior. Instead, the purpose of combining faith and action is to show others around you that your faith has changed your life. The greatest witness to unbelievers is the witness of a changed life. When faith begins to dictate your actions, the people around you who have yet to ask Jesus into their lives will take note and they will want access to the same life-changing, life-giving force that has changed the way you behave. So, how do we put faith into action? In addition to a commitment to daily prayer and study of God’s Word, there are practical steps that you can take to put your faith into action.
Connect with a Local Church
Hebrews 10:25 (TPT)
This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing. In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate the day dawning.
Being connected to a local body of believers is one of the most important works that you can perform as a believer in Christ. Being actively engaged with your local church puts you in a position to encourage and urge other believers onward. Additionally, it also allows you to receive the encouragement that you need when facing the adversity of life.
According to Revival Outside the Walls (ROTW), 71% of unchurched people say that they would attend a church service if they were simply invited. That’s an absolutely staggering figure, isn’t it? If you know ten unchurched people, seven of them would go to church with you if you simply asked them. Before you can ask them to join you, you should be committed to church attendance yourself. Plug into a local church, commit yourself to being an active part and start inviting unchurched people around you to join you. Dating back to the book of Acts, God’s plan for evangelizing the lost involved the local church. That plan hasn’t changed, and there’s a place for you in that plan.
Limit Distractions
Luke 10:41-42 (TPT)
The Lord answered her, “Martha, my beloved Martha. Why are you upset and troubled, pulled away by all these many distractions? Are they really that important? Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing to sit at my feet. She is undistracted, and I won’t take this privilege from her.”
There is a balance to be found between enjoying daily life and being overly distracted by the things going on around us. God never commanded us to cut ourselves off from friends, family, media and everything going on around us. However, we are not supposed to become so focused on those things that we fail to seek Him through prayer and His Word.
According to a study published by Statista, Americans spend roughly 145 minutes each day on social media. Now, there is nothing inherently wrong with social media. In fact, it can be an effective tool for spreading the Gospel to those around us. However, if you find yourself completely enamored, spending hours a day scrolling through social media timelines, it may be a distraction. Even if social media isn’t your distraction, there are others. One of the best ways to put your faith into action is to limit the number of daily distractions in your own life. This will free up time for you to spend in study and prayer, allowing God to minister directly to you.
Meeting the Needs of Others
2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (TPT)
Here’s my point. A stingy sower will reap a meager harvest, but the one who sows from a generous spirit will reap and abundant harvest. Let giving flow from your heart, not from a sense of religious duty. Let it spring up freely from the joy of giving-all because God loves hilarious generosity. Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything-every moment and in every way. He will make overflow with abundance in every good thing you do.
James pointed to the importance of meeting the practical needs of others when he was discussing phony faith and real faith. Acts 2:46 talks about how the early church gave to one another, ate in each other’s homes and met the needs of their brothers and sisters. We are called to do the same.
No, God may not command you to sell all of your belongings and give all of your money away. However, we’re still expected to do good works and meet the needs of others around us. In another verse in his epistle, James says that the sign of “true” religion is the willingness to care for the widows and orphans, the most helpless among us (James 1:27).
When people notice your willingness to give of yourself and care for people around you, they will be drawn to the faith that motivates you to do so. Being generous with what God has blessed us with is a wonderful way to show others that we have placed our faith in Christ.
Combining faith with works is a commandment given by God in His Word. His plan for us to do that has not changed in the slightest. Not only are we called to put our faith fully in Christ, but we are also called to live our lives in a way that shows others that our lives have been changed.
A Closing Prayer:
God, show me opportunities in my life to put my faith into action. Help me to recognize those opportunities and empower me with the boldness needed to take advantage of them. I don’t want phony faith. I want real, life-changing faith so others around me will see that I have put my trust in You. In Christ’s name, Amen