Faith that is Alive
As the body without
the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. - James 2:26
A story is told of
the renowned artist Paul Gustave Doré, who lost his
passport while traveling through Europe. So when he came to a border crossing,
he explained his predicament to one of the guards. Doré
hoped he would be recognized and allowed to pass because he was so famous. The
guard, however, said that many people had recently attempted to cross the
border by falsifying their identities.
Doré firmly insisted
that he was the man he claimed to be. “Alright,” said the official, “I’ll give
you a test, and if you pass it, we’ll allow you to go through.” So he handed
him a pencil and a sheet of paper and told the artist to sketch several
peasants standing nearby. Doré did it so quickly and
skillfully that the guard was convinced he was indeed who he claimed to be.
In the Christian
life, the relationship between faith and works can be a funny thing. On the one
hand, when it comes to your standing before God, there’s no amount of good
deeds you can do to find acceptance. It’s by faith alone. However, that same
faith must be given substance by one’s works. Just like Doré,
what you do must validate who you claim to be.
So instead of seeing
your works as making you holy, think of them as confirmation of the reality
that you’ve already been made holy. And remember that while faith alone saves,
the faith that saves is not alone!
Prayer Challenge
Pray that God would
show you areas in your life where you can be diligent in validating your faith
to the world through good works.