Faith is Meant to Be Lived
“The place is like a museum. It's very beautiful and very cold, and you're not allowed to touch anything,” says Ferris Buehler about his friend Cameron’s house. This museum of a house contains a red 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California that Ferris has determined needs to be taken out for the day, despite Cameron’s protest that his dad loves that car more than life itself. To which Ferris responds by saying, “A man with priorities so far out of whack doesn’t deserve such a fine automobile.” This is exactly how James feels about faith and works. When we don’t serve others in love, it’s like leaving the Ferrari in the garage because just as Ferraris are meant to be driven, faith is meant to be lived.
Use it if you got it
If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. (James 2:14-17)
James is frustrated because the church is favoring the wealthy instead of taking care of the poor among them. I appreciate James’ practical approach; what good is it to not feed those who are hungry? Many get lost arguing over whether James is contradicting the apostle Paul about whether or not faith or works saves. James does not doubt anyone’s faith; he challenges the early church to live the faith they have been serving others in love. Faith without works is like a kite without wind; it drags and donks along on the ground. So if you have faith, use it and experience it by loving those around you.
Action brings faith to completion
A more literal translation of James 2:22 might be something like, “You see that faith co-worked the work and faith was brought to perfection/fulfillment by the works.” James is reminding his readers of how the actions of Abraham and Rahab lead them to a full experience of their faith.
I love to cook. This past Sunday, I made Bolognese. Essentially you simmer ground beef and pork in milk, wine, and chopped tomatoes. In the end, you have a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth dinner. The action of cooking brought the ingredients to their perfection. James believes our actions do the same for our faith.
The question for each of us is what action is God calling us to that will bring our faith to fulfillment?
Possibility out of the impossible
Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead. (James 2:25-26)
Rahab hid spies from Israel in her home and helped them escape. If she was caught it would have meant her own death. Her actions required faith. How was she justified? She experienced possibility where it seemed impossible and was offered hope for what was to come. Witnessing life triumph over death is the practical experience of being justified by faith. In a world filled with death, its a good practice to remind ourselves how we have seen possibility be born amidst the impossible and to remember that the resurrection is the reality-reorienting event in which God conquers death through death itself.
Our faith is meant to be lived through actions of love. Let’s get busy living!
