Why
is faith without works dead?
"Dead faith" is a proclaimed faith in
name alone
.
"Dead faith" has no power or sign of true, redemptive work or positive change in lifestyle or even a desire to change over time does not equal a saving faith. Christians with a living faith will still sin, yet they will have a desire to be "imitators of God," who IS perfect.
.
The difference between someone who claims to be a Christian yet has a
dead faith and one with a living faith is their response to sin — are they
heartbroken or do they show a desire to sin more? Christians will never be
perfect until God perfects His sons and daughters in Heaven
By: September Grace
This is an often misunderstood and
misinterpreted biblical truth.
Many see a
contradiction between this and another biblical truth about salvation: "by grace you have been saved... not a
result of works."
Here are the verses:
"For by grace you have been saved through faith.
And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works,
so that no one may boast." — Ephesians 2:8-9
"For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so
also faith apart from works is dead." — James 2:26
While these verses may seem contradictory,
they actually both point to the same truth: only God can save the soul and
change the heart.
We can't earn our salvation, but salvation
will result in fruits of the spirit, and that fruit is a reflection of an inner
change of heart (Ephesians
4:22-24).
If a person who professes to be a Christian
isn't showing evidence of the fruits of the spirit, then it's likely they're
living a "dead" faith.
Good
Works Cannot Earn Salvation
Sometimes James 2:14-26 is removed from its
context to promote a works-based means of salvation (Titus 3:5).
But a works-based gospel isn't a gospel at
all and is repeatedly denounced through Scripture.
Additionally, a works-based justification
would mean that we could attain righteousness by our own actions, stealing the
glory from God.
A human being would then get all the credit
instead of the Creator of the universe. Yet giving glory to God is one of the
reasons we were created.
Good
Works Reflect a Changed Heart
While good works aren't the path to
salvation, they are still an important evidence of a changed heart — a
reflection of how God has renewed the spirit within.
Ephesians 4:22-24
uses the metaphor of exchanging an "old
self" for a "new
self," as though it were clothing: "...
put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is
corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your
minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true
righteousness and holiness."
There are many who claim to follow Christ
but whose lives suggest they haven't actually experienced a saving faith.
Jesus says in
Matthew 7:16, "You will recognize
[my followers] by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs
from thistles?" (See
Matthew 7:16-23 for context.)
And as such, that person will be found in
different places and doing different things with different motives than someone
who does not have the Holy Spirit influencing their heart.
Good works and obeying God's directives are
an outward sign of a salvation already received.
What
is a dead faith?
"Dead
faith"
is a proclaimed faith in name alone.
"Dead
faith"
has no power or sign of true, redemptive work or change.
Just because someone
raises their hand in church and says, "Dear
Jesus save me. K — thx!" that doesn't mean they've been saved.
Salvation and a regenerate heart aren't
"purchased" by saying a few words.
In fact, Romans 8:26-27 tells us that we
don't even know how to pray rightly to begin with — that the supernatural
intercession of the Holy Spirit alone allows us to talk to God at all.
"Dead
faith"
reveals a heart that just wanted a spiritual "safe zone" or a
"get out of hell free" card.
A living faith reveals a renewed heart that
recognizes their own sinfulness and rests in the grace and mercy of the Lord to
change their life (John
3:3).
A living faith bears fruit through good
works.
What
is a living faith?
Please understand that Christians will
never be perfect until God perfects His sons and daughters in Heaven (Philippians 1:6).
Christians with a living faith will still
sin, yet they will have a desire to be "imitators
of God," who IS perfect (Ephesians 5:1; Matthew 5:48).
The difference between someone who claims
to be a Christian yet has a dead faith and one with a living faith is their
response to sin and if they show a desire to sin more or to repent from sinful
behaviors (Romans
7:15-20).
"No one born of God makes a practice of sinning,
for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been
born of God." —1
John 3:9
Have you been convicted against patterns of
habitual sin?
Are you making active steps toward
accountability, support, and healing from sinful choices?
Do you confess your sin to God when you
fall back into old patterns? (1 John 1:9)
Do those patterns grieve your heart (Ezekiel 36:26)?
A living faith does not mean you are
perfect. A living faith means you are trusting in, loving, following, and
learning from the God of the universe who IS perfect, who IS love, who is
unchanging in His passion for you.
A person with living faith is heartbroken
over their sin and brought to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:5-13).
How
do I know if my faith is living or dead?
If you struggle with the fear that you're
not meant to be saved, you are not alone.
There are many other Christians who also
struggle to know if their faith is genuine at all — alive or dead — or if they
might do something bad enough they might lose their salvation.
Thankfully, the Bible gives us plenty of
assurances and checks when it comes to our own faith.
God does not want us to be scared of or in
the dark about His forgiveness (2 Timothy 1:7; Psalm 34:17-20).
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus." — Romans 8:1
TL; DR
"Dead
faith"
is a proclaimed faith in name alone, has no power or sign of true, redemptive
work or positive change in lifestyle or even a desire to change over time does
not equal a saving faith.
Christians with a living faith will still
sin, yet they will have a desire to be "imitators
of God," who IS perfect.
The difference between someone who claims
to be a Christian yet has a dead faith and one with a living faith is their
response to sin — are they heartbroken or do they show a desire to sin more?
A living faith means you are trusting in, loving, following, and learning from the perfect God of the universe who is unchanging in His passion for you.
September Grace is an aspiring
novelist, book hoarder collector, and movie watcher. She has a black feline
floof named Faust, an assortment of plants that seek global domination, and a
distinct lack of awareness for where she is at any given moment.
https://412teens.org/qna/why-is-faith-without-works-dead.php
