Faith and Works

“Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” –James 2:15-17

Dead faith sees the needs of people around us, yet is unwilling to lift a finger to help. Dead faith can wish people well. It can even pray for people. Maybe it can even discern what should be done. But if it doesn’t reach out and give physical help, then it is dead faith.

We should notice a few things about this passage. First, clothes and food are the two most basic human needs. They are the two basic necessities that God provided for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (not counting of course, each other). Secondly, it uses the words ‘brother or sister.’ We can assume that God wants us to expand our definition of who our brothers and sisters are by reading the Parable of the Good Samaritan. However, we must assume that James is speaking of those who are closest to us—our blood relation and our church family. If we can’t meet their needs, then our priorities are seriously skewed.

As I read this passage, I think back into my own life to how my theology has change. I used to be very much about the ‘spoken gospel’ without understanding our call to meet humanitarian needs. I never understood much about God’s call towards social justice. This passage and others have helped me to see that church isn’t just about Sundays and small groups. Rather, it is about the whole gospel message—which includes social justice issues and meeting basic human needs, whether our neighbors are next door or on another continent.

This past Sunday in church, Craig challenged us to put our faith in action by calling us to get involved in ministries in the church, as well as ministries in our community, such as our Together for Lincoln campaign. As we read this passage, let us remember that reading it is not enough. We must now live it out.