Faith Without Works is Dead

Around the time of A.D 48, James, one of the key leaders of the early Church in Jerusalem, wrote a letter to a group of Jewish Christians. One of the major themes of his letter was that true faith active in the life of a believer in Jesus should lead to a positive change in that person’s attitude, speech, and actions. If one says that they have faith, but there is an absence of that change, it may show that their faith isn't genuine. This is the message Paul is conveying in James 2:17 where he states,

“So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

- James 2:17

When Paul says this, he is not saying that our works are what save us nor that faith alone can’t, but what he means is that when we have genuine faith, our attitudes, speech, and actions should seek to glorify God as we acknowledge God for who He is and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Genuine faith that Jesus is real and that He is the Son of God should produce works that correspond with that belief.

Charles H. Spurgeon, a famous preacher who emphasized God’s grace and sovereignty over men’s helpless state in his sermons, spoke more in-depth about what the fruits of genuine faith should include. The first he mentions is the fruit of repentance.

( 1 ) The Fruit of Repentance

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To “repent” is defined as the feeling or expression of sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin. It is a requirement for those who claim to have Jesus as the Lord of their lives. Jesus spoke of repentance when He was on the earth and repentance was preached by the apostles of the early Church, so clearly it is something that cannot go unaccounted for ( Matt. 3:2, Luke 13:3, Acts 2:38 ). It would be impossible for us to be true children of God with genuine faith if we continue living a sinful lifestyle. Even hearing of the punishment that God will bring on unrighteousness should be enough to bring us to repentance. This is why the work of repentance is a crucial aspect of genuine faith.

( 2 ) The Fruit of Secret Piety

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The second fruit of genuine faith is the work of secret piety. Piety is defined as “the quality of being religious or reverent”. So with the addition of the adjective “secret”, “Secret piety” is having the quality of being religious or reverent even when no one else is watching. This is referring to whether we have a relationship with God that spans beyond the public eye. Having a personal relationship with God shows whether or not we have enough faith to seek God for ourselves. We do not have genuine faith when we only speak about God in public settings while not knowing Him personally nor by only going to Church every Sunday. Genuine faith should give us the desire to know God personally. This means having a healthy private life of prayer, studying God’s Word, and communion with God that then is expressed when we are in social settings. Of course, this doesn’t mean that our relationships with God will be perfect, but it means that we should be actively trying to grow closer to God at all times.

( 3 ) The Fruit of Obedience

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“ Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? ” ( Luke 6:46 )

The third fruit of genuine faith is the fruit of obedience. In Luke 6:46, Jesus calls to obedience those who call Him “Lord”. By calling Jesus, “Lord” it shows that the people had the faith to believe that Jesus is worthy to be called “Lord”. However, through His words, Jesus is showing that He desires obedience from those who claim Him as “Lord" if they do truly believe that He is Lord. Along with repentance, obedience to God’s commands is very important in the lives of believers. Obedience is what will show our true submission to God and what gives us the ability to reflect the light of Christ through our lives. If we truly believe that Jesus is our Lord and also the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19:16 ESV), then we will seek to obey Him to the best of our ability.

( 4 ) The Fruit of Love

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Along with the fruit of obedience that stems from genuine faith is the fruit of love. The commands to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves ( Mark 12:30-31 ) are well-known among believers today and is a command that we all need to follow. Genuine faith will produce this type of love as we look to Jesus as the ultimate example of God’s love and as we depend on Jesus for help in reflecting it. Love for God can grow as we spend more time with Him in His Word and seek Him through prayer. Furthermore, love for people should be seen in sharing the Gospel and in reflecting the character of Christ to them. We will not be perfect, but God will guide us love others and Him as we continually look to Him for guidance.

Again, we will never be saved by our works as John 3:16 says, whoever simply believes in Jesus, the Son of God, will be saved and have eternal life. So, it is undeniable that it is only through faith that we are saved. However, how do we know if our faith is a true, genuine, and saving faith? It is by examining to see whether our lives and attitudes match our claim that Jesus is Lord.