Thursday 10/1/13

James 2:24-26 ESV

You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

If a person says believe in God, but do the things contradict to his/her belief, then either words are cheap, or that person believes in other things a lot more. Rahab believed in God enough to she took risk and acted, thus she saved her family. She feared God more than her countrymen, believed in God more than her country gods. Her action was the proof of her faith.

Faith to works is like the spirit to the body - the unseen animating force that direct and decide its actions. Faith aparts from work cannot be seen, thus cannot prove to be present. Works aparts from faith is just a show for people to see (and praise) and tend to be hypocrite. As the body aparts from the spirit is dead, so is faith aparts from works, or works apart from faith. They must go together.