But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to acknowledge, you foolish person, that faith without works is useless? James 2:18-20
What would you think about someone who said they were committed in a certain way but did nothing to reflect that commitment? They say they are married but lived like a single person with little interaction with their spouse and continued dating other people. Or they commit to working a job but only complete the parts they like and only show up when convenient. Others would quickly see through the veneer of these claims.
Our words carry meaning—a claim to be married should be reflected by one’s life and relationships, a claim to a job is reflected in following through on the responsibilities. When it comes to faith, our claim to know Christ and live as a Christian should also be reflected in the way we live. James points out, the demons, who oppose God, also believe in Him and even shudder at who He is.
The Christian life is more than just the values we hold or the routines we have. We should be consistently transformed by the Holy Spirit to look like Jesus and the sacrificial, servant-hearted way He lived. At the end of the day, acknowledgement without action is useless.
- What are some of the claims of Christians? How are you living those out?
- What do you find difficult to follow or accept in Scripture? How can we live in faith, even when we don’t understand everything perfectly?
- Confess in prayer where it is hard to live out your faith.
