Faith and Works

   Can faith alone save a person? James chapter 2, verses 14 through 26 says that faith without works is dead. James gives an example of this principle. In verse 15 he asks what it profits if we say to a naked, homeless, or hungry person, "Be blessed and warm" and do not do anything to help their situation. Our words alone can't help that person. The same is as faith without works is useless. He says that faith alone is dead. He goes on to say that even the demons believe in God, so your belief alone is of no use. James gives an example of Abraham and Isaac. God put Abraham's faith to the test when He told Abraham to sacrifice his only son on an altar. This story appears in Genesis 22:1-19. God told Abraham to take his son to the land of Moriah and sacrifice him on an altar. Verse 5 really shows his faith in God. Abraham left the two young men that was with him to help him on the journey, and says to them, "Stay here with the donkeys, my son and I are going up the mountain, and WORSHIP." I find the wording of this rather funny because he said "worship" because he already knew that God would provide a sacrifice, and they would praise God for the provision. They left the men and headed up the mountain with all the items needed for a sacrifice. As they were heading up the mountain, Isaac says to his father that they have all the things needed for a sacrifice, but no sacrifice. Abraham, in his faith, basically told Isaac to relax, that God would provide the sacrifice. He built the altar and laid his only son on the altar, and as he was stretching out his hand with the knife, an angel called to him and said not to harm the boy. The angel goes on to say that he knew that Abraham feared God, and he would be blessed. Abraham looked around and saw a ram stuck in the bushes, and sacrificed it instead. Back to the book of James; It says that Abraham was justified and made perfect through his faith working together with works. The chapter concludes by saying that just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead. Another thing to note is that in just these 12 verses, the author uses the phrase, "faith without works is dead." Don't get it twisted; works alone cannot save you. Take the Pharisees for example. They were works driven, but had no faith. Jesus called them out and compared them to whitewashed grave markers; pretty on the outside, but full of dead mens' bones. Works alone can't save you. See Titus 3:5. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us." When one accepts Christ as their Savior, they want to do good works to show their appreciation to God for His mercy. Belief in God alone won't save you. The fallen angels were with God at one point, so they of anyone believe in God. Works alone won't save you either, because if that were the case, Jesus wouldn't have had beef with the Pharisees and religious leaders of the time, because they were always doing "good deeds". Faith coupled with works is the way to please the Father. Now go, and have a God day. Love ya, mean it.