09 Jun W2 | Living Faith
REFERENCE BIBLE VERSES
James 2:26 ESV
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
OBJECTIVE
To know that living faith must come with obedience and corresponding actions that fuel us towards Christlikeness.
CONTENT
LIVING FAITH
- Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead (James 2:26). Faith without works is a dead faith because the lack of works reveals an unchanged life or a spiritually dead heart. True saving faith will result in a transformed life. So if we say that we truly believe in Jesus and His Word, we have to look at our actions. What actions do we take? We may say we believe in God but if our actions show otherwise, our faith is essentially dead.
- What do we do when we are disappointed, when we are afraid, when we have to give when we are lacking, when our plans are disrupted or when someone we love is sick? Does our response reflect our faith? Do we obey what God commands us or do we follow what is comfortable for us?
- The New Testament teaches that the faith that justifies us is the same faith that sanctifies us. This faith is “the gift of God, not a result of works” (Ephesians 2:8–9). It’s just that this saving faith, by its nature, perseveres, and works to make us holy.
- We passively receive this gift of faith freely given to us by God. But faith, once received, does not leave a soul passive. It becomes the driving force behind our actions, the way we live. By its nature, faith believes the “precious and very great promises” of God (2 Peter 1:4), and the evidence that real faith is present in us manifests, over time, through the ways we act on those promises.
CHRISTLIKENESS
- We don’t call ourselves to Christ; Christ calls us by His grace (John 15:16). We don’t elect yourself to salvation; God elects us by his grace (Ephesians 1:4–6). But we do have an essential contribution to make to our eternal spiritual health. We confirm the reality of God’s saving grace in our lives through diligently obeying by faith all that Jesus commands us and to follow His example (Matthew 28:20).
- We have a perfect example of how to truly live our faith through Jesus’ earthly ministry. Not just the act of accepting God once, but an exercise in the smallest things we do every day. In John 10:37-38, He told the people that even if they did not believe what He said, they could believe His work. All the work He did perfectly reflected the work of the Father, His actions would leave them with no choice but to see the truth behind what He said.
- Good works are not a means to earn salvation, but they are an outpouring of the transformative power of faith. They reflect the love, compassion, and obedience that come from a heart changed by God’s grace. Good works serve to make our faith tangible and meaningful, benefiting both ourselves and those around us.
- Faith without works is like a tree without fruit. We are called to be good trees that produce good and abundant fruit (Matthew 12:33). The faith we have needs to be reflected in everything we do. Even when it is difficult, even when it bothers us, we must always do what is right, based on the faith we have in our loving Father. We should feel secure in knowing that we have the perfect manifestation of living faith, in our Savior Jesus Christ. Each day is a declaration of our faith, a learning process to become more and more like Him in all we do.
REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTION
- Share and discuss struggles you may experience when trying to live out your faith.
- Provide examples of how you can reflect God’s character through your actions.
REFERENCES