Faith and Works

“So, faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.”
James 2:17

There was a time when I thought faith and works were in a fight for importance.  Most of my Christian teaching as a child pointed towards faith being more important than works.  This is largely due to Bible verses that say, “You are saved by grace through faith.” Or “You are justified by faith in Christ.” I agree that faith and grace are super important, but I love that James points out that they are not on different teams. Faith and works are not fighting each other for importance. Faith and works simply belong together.  James argues that one cannot exist without the other. 

But James isn’t really concerned with their mere existence.  He is more concerned with them being in full relationship.  When our faith in Christ grows, how does that affect your works in the world?  When you do a good work in the world, how is that affecting your faith life?  The two are tied together and cheer one another on toward growth. Something beautiful happens when we create a dialogue instead of a dichotomy, especially when we talk about faith and works.

May your faith and your good works grow this week.

Matt+