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. James 2:14-17 (NIV)
The title of this blog can maybe feel a little, I don’t know, theological? To simplify (or oversimplify), orthodoxy is good belief, and orthopraxy is good conduct. I am not a theologian, rest assured. Yet, we all need to dig into our faith to make it real for us. We need to wrestle with it so that we are being honest with ourselves and others. As I get older and see the effects of Christian witness, I see that the history has been, let us say, controversial.
What I mean is, people who have called themselves Christians have not always acted out that way of life well toward others. James, in his little epistle called people out on their faith. He said to them, essentially, if people cannot see your faith by your loving actions, it is no faith at all.
There has been, over many generations in Christianity, a growing emphasis of belief over actions. Believe the right things and all is well some would say. I understand that Martin Luther actually wanted the book of James deleted from the Bible. He felt that it minimized the role of faith in salvation since it called people to live out that saving faith in their good work toward others. Indeed, one of the “solas” of the Reformation was “sola Fide” – by faith alone. Luther feared that the Catholic Church had put too much emphasis on “works”, and that became a flash point of the Reformation.
Without getting into the weeds too much with this today, let me say that, as James said, “let me see your faith by your actions”. Is your faith real? If so, there will be actions that verify it. Our faith is the starting point for a life that displays love toward others.
Prayer: Lord, give us faith that is so real that it plays out in action, Amen
Reflections of a Counselor 