Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. James 2:24
God, from the beginning, has expected mankind to be both obedient and active. This is what we are talking about when we discuss Christian works. Sadly, many skew passages such as Ephesians 2:8-9 and teach “nothing we can or should do” as it pertains to salvation. However, in the same epistle, the faithful Christians are urged to “walk in love” and “be imitators” (Ephesians chapters 4 & 5). Also, it’s mentioned one must be in Christ and have redemption in His blood. According to the Bible, obedience to the gospel, baptism into Christ, (Rom 6 & Gal 3) is the manner in which these are obtained.
I recall being in Bible class as a small child. Our class was on Adam & Eve. As we talked about the consequences of their sin, the little girl next to me exclaimed “I’m so mad at Adam & Eve right now, if they hadn’t done that we’d all be living in the garden and not having to do anything!” While it’s amusing now and we know God did have work designed for man even then (Gen 2:15) and the conversation between Eve and Satan (Gen 3) makes it plain God had given some very specific commands, the little girl in my Bible class hit the nail on the head! As people, we don’t want responsibility or give the effort required, we desire to do nothing.
Many would love to eliminate James 2 from our Bibles. The reason is it points out plainly that our belief without works is dead (James 2:17). It is not simply enough to believe, we must act (James 2:19). For example, we’ve probably all been in a situation where someone close to us needed immediate medical attention. Is it enough to evaluate the situation and say “I believe they are very ill”? Of course not! We act upon that conviction and tend to them as best we can all the while seeking assistance from medical professionals. The same attitude is needed in spiritual matters. One must believe, then act on convictions (Mark 16:16). We recognize man does not save himself (Ephesians 2). It is plain also from the Bible that those who will stand before God justified are the individuals who act upon their convictions and put forth the effort needed through faithful obedience that are found pleasing to Him. Matthew 25:21 states, “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord”.
By Jason Barger