“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to him, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” — James 2:14-7, New American Standard Bible
Genuine faith transforms people. It turns them from people who look out only for themselves into people who love God and others. It changes their hearts and minds and, in so doing, alters their hands.
These people cannot rest in mere words; they speak and do. They take action. These people provide for the down and out. They look at the gifts given them — gifts like food, clothing, shelter, fame, money, et cetera — and consider how best to use them.
The gifts, after all, do not belong to them. God gives the gifts (James 1:17, NASB), which means they are caretakers and stewards. They are to use the gifts in ways that make his name great and bless the church and the world.
The perspective shifts everything. The questions now become, “If I possess abilities and gifts that will help people in need, how can I not use them? How can I be a little light so that people will see the Light? In what ways can I tangibly and practically live out my faith in Jesus?”
Such questions challenge. They require that a person relinquish everything: talents, gifts, and resources. They often demand sacrifice. The questions prompt, “Will I help someone who may never reciprocate or who, in fact, hates me before, during, and after giving the gift?”
This is the life to which a believer is called, though. Jesus died for sinners (Romans 5:6-11, NASB), people entirely opposed to God. He reconciles enemies to God in his death and saves them by his eternal life.
People who claim to believe in Jesus must follow the example and precedent set by him. Paul says in 2 Corinthians that believers are “ambassadors of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17-21, NASB). To them, Christ “has committed the word of reconciliation.”
Sharing that word requires faith in action, faith that resides, not in words alone, but in sacrifice. It gives and gives until there’s nothing left because, when there’s nothing left, Jesus remains. He shines bright and glorious in a world that oh, so desperately needs him.
Image: Ellie Nakazawa (Creative Commons)