You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works James 2:22
I find it extremely easy to verbally express my faith in Jesus Christ - but is that all genuine faith is?
Not according to James’ letter that we have heard preached from over recent months. James tells us “faith without works is dead” (James 2:17). This simply means – faith has legs – faith will produce action. Genuine faith will demand of us to go, do, be, and tell. It is never passive. Otherwise it is a counterfeit faith.
This faith challenge has really stretched me in regards to forging ahead with plans for our own church building. It would be easy to be passive in this and cough up every excuse and reason (and some good ones), to remain where we are. But what does faith (not faith in our faith) but faith in our all-knowing, all-powerful, all-sufficient God say and do? It acts. It moves on the basis of who God is. Even sometimes when those actions may go against human wisdom and reason as Martin Luther once said, “Faith must trample under foot all reason, sense, and understanding.”
As we move into this decision making time - are we men & women of faith in God to supply all our needs - or not? Kent Huges in his commentary on James says the same thing:
It is better to fail in an attempt to exercise faith than to let it lie dormant and fruitless. God never belittles those who attempt to follow Him, but He does chasten those who refuse to attempt anything for Him.