True Faith Is Active, Never Passive

In review of James 2:20 it says, “When will you ever learn that ‘believing’ is useless without doing what God wants you to? Faith that does not result in good deeds is not real faith”.

Bottom Line:

Real faith is more than just belief, its showing itself in good deeds.

What this means to me:

It takes more than just belief. I need to do what God wants me to do. For faith on my part that does not result in good deeds is not real faith at all.

Faith is more than a frame of mind. It's really passive to just wait to see what God has in store: such as a promotion, cancer, depression, betrayal, blessing, wealth, or injustice saying, “I’ll just wait to see what God is going to do for me and go with the flow.” However, that’s foolish thinking.

I’m reminded this morning that faith is active. It’s not passive. It’s a commitment. I should look at my lifestyle and see what kinds of actions follow as a result of it. If I have a faith that’s real, it can and should be demonstrated.

I am to start following the pattern of Jesus. My faith is proven by how I live. However I must keep in mind that my salvation is not based on my works. For the things I do, my walking-around, everyday life alone won’t get me into Heaven. My actions don’t make me a Christian; they show that I’m a Christian.

Here are some next steps I can take in my faith:

First, celebrate the lavish gift of grace I have been given. I was saved because Jesus absolutely loves me and wants me to be with him in Heaven.

Secondly, show my faith. A wedding ring doesn’t make me married, but it declares it in a visible way. In the same way, baptism isn’t the thing that will get you into Heaven, but it’s an act of obedience. (Jesus commanded us to be baptized and to baptize others.)

Lastly, share my faith with the people around me. If I’m excited about what God has done in my life, then share it. There are lots of ways to do that. Continue to be plugged in to serving God. There are literally millions of possibilities. Point people to Jesus and love them like Jesus did. It’s a choice that will bring eternal joy to myself, and to the people I helped bring to Christ.

True faith transforms my conduct as well as my thoughts. If my life remains unchanged, then I truly don’t believe the truths I claim to believe. I cannot earn my salvation by serving and obeying God. But such actions show that my commitment to God is real. Deeds of loving service are not a substitute for, but rather a verification of, my faith in Christ.