May 8
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FAITH PERFECTED
19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to acknowledge, you foolish person, that faith without works is useless? 21 Was our father Abraham not justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. – James 2:19-26
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In this verse James preaches about how faith is perfected. In verse 9, he explains to the those who have committed their lives to Jesus that faith is not just believing in Him. As he mentions in verse 9, even demons do that. So, what difference does that make between believers and demons?
In the next verses, he gives us examples of those who have perfected their faith. In verses 21-23, he shows the story of Abraham whose faith is coupled with works, which resulted in the perfection of his faith. His faith was proven by his willingness to give up his own son to obey God, that is why he was considered righteous and a friend of God. It was by this perfected faith that he became the father of all nations.
In verse 25, Rahab sampled the saving faith by helping the spies that Joshua sent to check the land of Jericho. Rahab took the risk of hiding these spies because she has heard of the stories of the God of the Israelites who have delivered them from all the Egyptians. By ensuring that the Israelites captured Jericho, she proved her faith with works of helping the Israelites fulfill God’s plan for his people.
In verse 26, James reiterates the importance of the presence of the Spirit in our lives because our bodies would be dead without the Spirit. He likens this to faith. Without works, faith will be dead. Sadly, the world has twisted the true meaning of faith. The world looks at faith on a different lens, where faith is working for their own salvation. The bible tells us that God chose us first, even the ability to accept Him comes from him alone.
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REFLECTION
• Why do some believers think that faith isn’t an action word?