James 2:25-26.
 2:25.  Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
 2:26.  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Faith for Everybody

The concept of faith and works goes together as seemlessly as body and soul. The word used for soul is sometimes translated as spirit. It’s the word ‘pneuma’, the word where we get the English word ‘pneumatic.’ A body that has no spirit, or breath is a dead body. Compared to actions, the tangible thing that people can see, and touch, are dead actions when there is no faith in them.

The special thing here about the example of Rahab is that to have a living faith takes no special requirement on our part. Anybody can have a living faith. In fact, everybody should live that way.

Before, we had been given the example of Abraham, the father of the Israelite people, and religion as we know it from the Bible. A very upright and holy man. Of course he lives by faith.

On the other end of the scale, Rahab has everything against her. Women were considered lesser humans than men. She was the enemy that the Israelites were to conquer. Her profession was far from noble. It was,and still is, one of the furthest from all things churchy and religious. She was an outsider.

Despite all her shortcomings and humble station in life, Rahab recognized God at work. She acted on faith and helped the men who came into the town to scout it out.

In practicing a living faith, it doesn’t take any prequalifications, nobody needs to go through a preapproval process. It starts with a belief, and actions that are inspired by that belief. Those actions also become the proof to anybody who sees them what we believe.

James 2:19-20.
 2:19.  You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble!
 2:20.  But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

The Secret of Faith

The thing that should be obvious is that our world, the universe, and everything in it has physical qualities. God is spirit. There is a spiritual realm that we are unable to perceive. We can’t see it, hear it, touch it, smell it, or taste it. Some people refuse to believe it is there, but that is one purpose of the bible. To put into writing, the things that we only get hints at in observing our natural world.

For some reason, people find it easier to believe in devils and emons than in God. James makes this claim that even the demons know and believe God exists. They believe and tremble. So to believe there is a god, the God, then that’s a good start.

Look at the words here in this phrase, “do you want to know,” The word “want’ is one that means to desire something. What is the thing that is desired? Not actions, not faith, but knowledge. The audience that James is speaking to just could not understand the concept of how faith is proved by actions.

Maybe it’s because God is a spirit being, and we can’t see him, that people think of matters of faith as being some sort of mental excersize. Faith is more than a mental state, or thought process. It begins there, but as faith grows, it should overflow into the way we live our lives.

Don’t be fooled. The secret is, there is no secret. God really does exist, and the bible is the true source where we can get to know all about him. Read about his promises. Put it to the test and live according to the laws we are to live by.

Having a faith with actions is more than just a good way to reach other people and have them join the kingdom of God. Living out faith is the way we can have an abundant life here on earth. God’s desire is for his people to thrive. The promise is complete when we live in the way he intends for us to live. We can know and experience a little slice of heaven on earth when we do.

James 2:17-18
 2:17.  Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
 2:18.  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.

A Dead Faith

The real definition of our own personal faith is in the way we act.
How does a person show faith?

James askes, “Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

You can’t really show faith. You can talk about it. Our actions always demonstrate what we believe. Think about all the daily deeds you do. We get a glass of water from the kitchen tap. We expect to get water because we paid our bill, and we have faith the city will supply water. We have faith that the city has properly purified the water and it’s safe to drink. We have faith that our glass will hold water and nobody is trying to pull a prank and replaced it with a dribble glass or something. We are demonstrating what we believe. Our faith has actions.

Our faith is assured because at some point we tested it. On our first day living in the house, we opened the tap and water came out. We have assurance in our faith because of the reputation of the city, that it operates on good will, for the benefits of it’s citezens, that the water service is reliable.

Our faith is continuously strengthened as we daily take actions.

God is far better than the city water department. The bible records his promises. God’s promises can be trusted, and take action on them.