Active Faith

Scripture:

14What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

James 2:14-19

Devotional:

This passage is a gut punch to believers. James is writing to First-Century Jewish Christians to point out the hypocritical practices and teach them the right behavior for a Christian. 

*Side note, we all need at least one person in our lives that will tell us the truth and what we need to hear out of love.

So James is pointing out how faith should work. It takes no effort to believe God is real. He states that even demons know that. That kind of faith is easy. So what do we do? Do we have to prove ourselves and earn faith? No, that’s not the case. When we give our lives to God, (see Luke 9:23) we proclaim our faith. If we truly accept Christ and deny ourselves, it should be shown in our actions. Faith without works is dead. Your actions are a byproduct of your faith. 
Evaluate yourself. Does your life reflect God's intentions for your life? I want to encourage you to live out your faith and not just say it. Do the work God has called on your life. You are called. Don’t wait. Pick up and act on it.  

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for whoever is reading this. I pray that we don’t become “all-talk” Christians. Let us have actions to back us up. Thank You for giving us a chance to live for You. Thank You for Your unconditional love. 
Amen