March 18 / James 2:14-26

James 2:14-26

But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (v. 18) James is distinguishing between two kinds of faith, one without works and one with works. My Study Bible refers to the former, faith without works, as an “intellectual assent to certain truths”. Two verses later James says that …faith apart from works is useless. (v. 20b) I find it hard to imagine faith without works. For years I’ve been telling our Avanza kids, “…we want you to know Him, love Him, and serve Him. The more you know Jesus, you can’t help but love Him, and the more you love Him, the more you will want to serve Him by serving others in His name.” I just can’t see someone claiming faith and not wanting to serve. That seems to me, very weak faith – maybe even “lukewarm”.

I understand James’ reference to the latter, faith with works, to mean faith demonstrated by works. My Catholic roots run deep and I do not claim to know or understand all their theology, but I do not believe that they are saying that we are (or can be) saved on the basis of our works alone. My sense is that their faith is James’ “faith with works”. Immediately Catholic hospitals come to mind. Hospitals today may be big money makers, but Catholic hospitals were founded first and foremost to serve – to heal and to comfort. I also think of Catholic missionaries. It seems to me that many Protestant missionaries today have a full focus on preaching the gospel to the unreached. Early Catholic missionaries, on the other hand, went to the unreached to establish clinics and schools, to heal and to teach. They built their own chapels for their services and would encourage their patients and their students to come to their services. But they came to the unreached, first and foremost, to serve – not to preach.

None of the above is meant to diminish Protestant missionary activity. I love what the Petersons are doing in Egypt and what Mark and Tomi Bruner were doing with Podskali in Czechia. And while the Shirkeys, the Harkonens and Bethany Tennent are clearly Gospel-focused, they are all doing admirable work! Not everyone is called to medical or educational service. Bethany, especially, has everyone’s highest admiration! What a life she has cut out for herself – in my opinion she is honoring our Lord at the highest level of service!

I fully agree with James. Our faith is most manifest to the world around us in both our walk and our talk. If we never speak to others of what God has done for us, we are missing the opportunity to lead others to Him. But if all we do is talk, I’m not sure that unbelievers will want to listen. So, go forth – walk and talk!!

Slava Bohu!