James 2:19-26: a reflection

19You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe—and shudder. 20But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead? 21Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected. 23So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. 24You see then that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith. 25In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.

James presses a searching point about the nature of real faith. You believe that God is one? he says. You do well; even the demons believe that, and shudder. Mere belief in facts about God is not saving faith; the demons have that much. Genuine faith, James insists, shows itself in action: as Abraham's faith was shown in his obedience, and Rahab's in her deeds, so real faith works. Faith without works, he concludes, is dead, as a body without the spirit is dead.

Notice the distinction James draws between living faith and dead belief. It is possible to believe the facts about God, to hold the right ideas in our heads, and yet have a faith that is dead, that does nothing, that never shows itself in how we live. Such faith, James says, is no better than the belief of demons, who know the truth and shudder. Living faith is different: it trusts God in a way that shapes action, that shows itself in obedience and love and deeds. Real faith works.

That calls for honest self-examination. It is possible to have a faith that is all belief and no action, that affirms the right things while living no differently, a dead faith. But genuine faith is a living trust that shows itself in how we live, in obedience, in love, in deeds. Examine whether your faith is the living kind that acts, or a dead belief that changes nothing. Do not be content with a faith that is only in your head; let it be a living trust that works, that shapes your actions and shows itself in your life. Faith without works is dead; ask God for the living faith that trusts him and acts, and let your faith show itself in how you live.

Lord, James presses me with a searching point: that even the demons believe the facts about you and shudder, but that genuine faith shows itself in action, and that faith without works is dead. Examine my faith by that word. It is possible for me to believe the facts about you, to hold the right ideas in my head, and yet have a faith that does nothing, that never shows itself in how I live. Such faith is no better than the belief of demons. But living faith trusts you in a way that shapes action, that shows itself in obedience, love, and deeds. Show me whether my faith is the living kind that acts, or a dead belief that changes nothing. Keep me from being content with a faith that is only in my head; let it be a living trust that works, that shapes my actions and shows itself in my life. Give me the living faith that trusts you and acts, and let my faith be seen in how I live.