Active Faith

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Today's reading, titled Active Faith, was written by Tim Gustafson. Sam's father had to flee for his life during a military coup. With the sudden loss of income, the family could no longer afford the crucial medicine that kept Sam's brother alive. Seething at God, Sam thought, what have we done to deserve this? A follower of Jesus heard about the family's troubles. Finding he had enough money to cover the medicine, he bought a supply and took it to them. The life-saving gift from a stranger had a profound impact.

This Sunday, we will go to this man's church, his mother declared. Sam's anger began to subside, and eventually, one by one, each member of the family put their faith in Jesus. When James wrote about the necessity of a lifestyle of integrity accompanying a profession of faith in Christ, he singled out the need to care for others. Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food, James wrote in chapter 2.

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? Our actions demonstrate the genuineness of our faith. Significantly, those actions can influence the faith choices of others. In Sam's case, he became a pastor and church planter. Eventually, he would call the man who helped his family Papa Mapes. He now knew him as his spiritual father, the one who showed them the love of Jesus.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from James chapter 2 verses 14 through 26. What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?

Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 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? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 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.

You believe that there is one God, good, even the demons believe that and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. Let's pray. Father, help us to live out our faith in words and actions that may reflect your love. We want others to know you because knowing you is better than life itself. Give us opportunities to tell others about you and soften their hearts so they may hear and have their lives changed. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.