Faith and Action
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder.
Showing faith by our deeds. Not saved by works; saved by faith. The deeds do not save; they show our faith. It comes back to what we have been saying together for some time already. We act out of who we are. If we are people of faith, then our actions will show that. That is why Jesus told us in Matthew 5.16: In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
This past Sunday we ended with some questions to begin looking at what we do as we are the church. Not looking at what we get from being the church. Or looking at the church and wondering what it does for us. We are the church. How do we do with those questions we asked?
- What are ways in which I am being Salt and Light?
- What do I see as the impact of those actions, or that way of being?
- Does it need to change, end or continue?
Talk about with our spouses, our children, our small groups. Look at our personal places in the community we take part in all week. As we live as people of faith, people following Jesus, we live in ways that show that depth of faith in our actions with and for others.