Today's devotion is from James 2:14,17-18

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

Dead Works Vs....jpg

A dead work is something that a believer does…

…To earn something that has already been freely given in the New Covenant

…In his or her own strength

…To try to gain righteousness or approval from the Lord

…To try to get God to do something through a formula or religious ritual

Dead works can actually short circuit grace.

The Lord cannot allow us to believe that we can somehow earn or achieve something that He has freely given us or something that He bought and paid for with His own blood. We cannot achieve, or earn righteousness, the power to perform miracles or favor from the Lord.

We don’t have to follow some religious ritual or formula to get God to heal us or provide for us. Jesus has ALREADY provided for our healing and provision and has freely given it to EVERY believer. Trying to re-earn what Jesus has already paid for and freely given is a dead work that rejects the gift of New Covenant salvation and grieves the father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

A work of faith, or a faith action is a FRUIT that flows out of a believer as a result of abiding in the vine.

A work of faith or a faith action is the kind of work that James 2:14-18 is talking about.

It is not something that is done in our strength to achieve, qualify for, or earn something, it is something that we do as an outflow of an inward work of grace. Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” - John 7:37-38

We receive everything we need freely as we drink from Jesus, and then rivers begin to flow out of our inner beings without effort. These rivers represent Jesus doing things through us, and this is the work that James the apostle is talking about. 

Lastly, a dead work requires much effort and is very difficult and many times impossible, but a faith action is easy, effortless and light because the Lord is doing it through you. (My yoke is easy and My burden is light)

PRAYER

Jesus, I come to You in worship, I come to You and I drink of You, and as I do, rivers of living water flow out of me toward others. I thank You that my actions and my works of faith are not done in my strength, they are rivers of Your work in me, flowing out of me.

Thank You Father that I bear fruit by being engrafted into and abiding in the vine. Jesus, You are the vine and we as believers are the branches. As we abide in You, and You in us, we bear much fruit; for without You, we can do nothing.