Is Your Faith Dead or Alive?

Is your faith alive? Or dead? If you think it’s enough to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord, it is not. We are not called to merely believe in Christ. We are called to follow Him. Those who genuinely believe Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and was three days later raised from the dead are believers. But belief isn’t enough. After all, even devils believe in God. Genuine faith in Christ as Lord manifests in a life committed to Christ. Real faith in Christ produces good works. Sincere faith results in a life committed to leaving behind one’s own ways and learning to live according to the ways of the Lord.

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True faith produces righteous living. Faith is alive when we do what God would have us do instead of what we without God would do. God would have us love and serve Him. He would have us study the Bible and do what it teaches us. He would have us grow in His image instead of the image of the world. He would have us help feed the hungry, help clothe the poor, help provide shelter to the homeless, visit the sick, minister to widows and orphans, and so very much more. Our lives should be full of faith, and full of the good works which come from true faith in Jesus Christ as Lord! God doesn’t want us to have faith without good works. Nor does He want us to have good works without faith in Christ. God wants our real faith to bear true good works!

If you believe in Jesus Christ but are not demonstrating in your heart and life, in your thoughts and your actions, a true change and fruit that bears witness to a life committed unto the Lord, your faith is dead. For the faith God desires is evident when we live a life of good works because of our faith in Jesus Christ and our obedience to God as Father and Creator and Lord of all. 

Jas 2:14  What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 
Jas 2:15  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 
Jas 2:16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 
Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 
Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 
Jas 2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 
Jas 2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 
Jas 2:21  Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 
Jas 2:22  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 
Jas 2:23  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 
Jas 2:24  Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 
Jas 2:25  Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 
Jas 2:26  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. 

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